Buck Angel

Buck Angel (born June 5, 1962) is an American sex educator and a former pornographic film actor and producer. He is the founder of the media production company Buck Angel Entertainment. A transsexual man, he received the 2007 AVN Award as Transsexual Performer of the Year; he now works as an advocate and educator. Angel served on the board of directors of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation from 2010 to 2016; the foundation works to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right through advocacy and education. Early life Angel was born in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles on June 5, 1962. He was born female and called Susan Lee. Growing up as a tomboy, his gender-atypical behavior during childhood was generally accepted at home, but as his secondary sex characteristics continued to develop around age 16, his home and school life became increasingly tense. He was subjected to bullying in school, due to gender non-conforming behavior and clothing. Angel described the bullying as harming his communication skills as a result of psychological distress. To cope with his distress, he used alcohol and marijuana as a means of self-medication. After a suicidal gesture in high school, Angel's parents sent him to therapy. They thought that he needed help because he claimed to have reached a point of "total disconnection" from society. This was not well received by his family, and according to Angel, "They were going to put me in a mental institution." Unaware of the existence of treatments for gender dysphoria such as hormone replacement therapy, he lived for years trying to conform to expectations of femininity, during which time he took drugs and drank alcohol. Though he was employed as a female professional model, he was generally dissatisfied with his identity and existence, and "was not loving life". He turned to running as a means of isolation and source of validation. Gender transition Angel was unable to find appropriate help for completing his gender transition during his adolescent years. He eventually met a therapist who affirmed his gender instead of viewing him as a "gay woman". Angel began researching various methods of medical transition, and began this process at the age of 28. Angel and his therapist got in contact with an endocrinologist who worked primarily with transgender women as opposed to transgender men.