by William Dean
(06/02/04)
Tristan Taormino calls Morty Diamond "an energetic, quirky cross between Andy Warhol and a young Paul McCartney." Morty is a Toys in Babeland staffer, a performance artist, writer, and film creator. Morty (FTM) came out as transgender at the age of 24 and is currently setting the porn world on fire with his creative festival showings of Trannyfags, billed as the first true porn flick showing transmen in hot action. I interviewed Morty recently to get beyond the film to the underlying motivations and effects Trannyfags is having on the sexuality community.
WD: We're seeing a real flux among transition people lately, even to the definitions applied: FTM, New-Half (in Japan), bio-men, and now transman. Is it a good thing that we're learning new ways to call transitional people or will this eventually pass like a trend and we'll have to widen our general definition of what "man/woman" is all about?
MD: I think whenever we add to the vocabulary of how to describe gender identity, it can only be a positive factor in our lives. Think about how words like FTM, transman, and trannyfag come to light. At one time these were all new words that people started to identify with. It starts to change language, identity, thinking...really everything.
I love meeting individuals who have made up new words to describe their gender identity or sexuality. These words travel far and wide, with people picking up the terminology and making use of it for themselves. I think this exploration of language is crucial to the movement of gender freedom.
When we widen our ideas of what it means to be "man" or "woman," we are making a positive change. Many people are preoccupied with gender labeling everyone they see, and the great thing is I see that changing...gradually. I try to be very respectful of the people around me and many times will ask someone what words I should use to identify them. I don't want to call someone transgender when they identify more with another word. Also, I don't want to call someone "he" when they really identify with the pronoun "ze."
With the addition of new words to describe ourselves is also the need to be aware that new words exist. I would like to see more people become more respectful about how we view each other and what words we use. I personally see no harm in simply asking, "Do you prefer 'he' or something else?"
WD: You've been involved in the art, music, and performance worlds for several years now. Was there inspiration along the way and encouragement to develop a transman film or did people just think WTF?
MD: Inspiration comes first from the ones who have paved the way for me...Christopher Lee, Buck Angel, Del La Grace, and a few others who have made trans pornography. After watching these artists work, I decided that I wanted to be a part of the movement. I was also profoundly provoked by the lack of videos out there featuring transmen. I just went for it full throttle once I had the money to get started. Now that the experience of producing Trannyfags is over, I can look back and say without the help of my close friends and my wonderful girlfriend, I would have never finished this movie in the time I did. The encouragement came in the form of friends offering help for little or no money. I have such amazing friends surrounding me that I must name off those who helped me immensely with my vision: Becca Cohen (editor, culinary genius), Lee Krist (camera man, all around helper), Rhani Remedes (person who kicks my ass in gear), and of course my girlfriend Kris Alexanderson.
WD: How did you go about recruiting the talent for Trannyfags? Was it like "Hey, I'm a transman, you're a transman, wanna make a movie?" or more complex?
MD: Word of mouth was a large part of casting. Once I put the word out to my friends in San Francisco I had many people contact me. One non transman I found through craigslist quite randomly, but he really worked out! The casting process was actually pretty painless -- people are just more open minded in San Francisco to doing stuff like this. In regards to the transmen they were all very excited to be apart of the newest transman porn, and many contacted me saying they would like to help me out any way they could.
WD: What's the reception been like for Trannyfags at the venue showings so far?
MD: Very positive! I get so inspired when people come up to me and thank me for making this porn. A lot of people have never seen porn that features transmen, so they have nothing to reference my video to. It's lovely to have someone tell me this is the first transman porn they have ever seen and that they thought it was super hot! I have had many trans and genderqueer people tell me, after seeing the movie, that it is well-made smut.
If it is someone within the trans/genderqueer/intersex/gender defiant/gender variant community giving me their review of Trannyfags I listen to them extra hard.
I am hoping that they see my work as vital...something they can get behind and support. Trannyfags will shape some people's perception of what we look like with our clothes off. To show trans bodies having sex is very powerful, and now that I have put these images out there for all to see, I want to make sure they are seen in the correct light.
WD: You're also working on a new print anthology, due to be released in September. Can you give us a brief preview of what readers can expect?
MD: From the Inside Out is an anthology that consists of transgender, genderqueer, third gender, and gender variant writers. They were given the opportunity to write about anything that has to do with changing gender identity, from dating to family issues, and it's all talked about in a very real and open way in this anthology. All of the writers were born female and came to realize how little they identified with that sex. This book shines light on those who identify as FTM (female to male) and also sheds light on those whose gender is more fluid (genderqueer, thirdgender etc.). It is the first anthology of its kind to put all of these talented writers together in one book, writing one main theme yet with vastly different experiences.
WD: Now that you've opened the concepts of trannyfag movies and literature, what's next? Could you foresee a mainstream film centered on transmen?
MD: Of course I can see a mainstream movie centered on transmen. There have been a few already, Boys Don't Cry most notably. I am through with seeing trans people in films who get killed simply for being trans. I am looking forward to a movie where the trans person is alive and healthy and has a long delicious love affair, with minor drama about the fact that the character is trans.
