In terms of materials I'm gathering: I've been focusing on oral history interviews, which I've been conducting in person and on the phone. If you know a partner, or are one yourself, please be in touch at transpartnerproject@gmail.com. The identity of all interviewees is protected through confidentiality and pseudonym protocols. We're also gathering representations from digital and media culture concerning partners; this is something that Jenna Caprani an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, is helping me with. Many thanks to Talia Linz former MA student at the Univerity of Toronto who helped me with this project in 2012. 

The following resources are related to this project:

Deborah Bright, "Mirrors and Window Shoppers: Lesbians, Photography, and the Politics of Visibility," in Carol Squiers, Ed., Overexposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography (NY: the New Press, 1999), 24-47.

Nicola R. Brown, "Stories from Outside the Frame: Intimate Partner Abuse in Sexual-minority Women's Relationships with Transsexual Men",  
Feminism & Psychology, Vol.29 No. 3, 2007, pp.373-393.

Nicola R. Brown, "The Sexual Relationships of Sexual-Minority Women Partnered with Trans Men: A Qualitative Study", Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol.39 No.2, 2010, pp.561-572. 

Nicola R. Brown, " 'I'm in Transition Too': Sexual Identity Renegotiation in Sexual-Minority Women's Relationships with Transsexual Men", International Journal of Sexual Health, Vol.21, No.1, 2009, pp.61-77. 

Nicola R. Brown, Queer Women Partners of Female-To-Male Transsexuals: Renegotiating Self in Relationship, Dissertation, York University, 2005.

Meredith L. Chivers and J. Michael Bailey, "Sexual Orientation of Female-to-Male Transsexuals: A Comparison of Homosexual and Nonhomosexual Types", Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol.29 No.3, 2000, pp.259-278.

Loree Cook-Daniels, "Dancing with Snipers," 1998. 

Loree Cook-Daniels, "Trans-positioned," 1998.

Holly Devor, "Sexual Orientation Identities, Attractions, and Practices of Female-to-Male Transsexuals," The Journal of Sex Research vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 303-315, Nov. 1993. 

Susan Driver, "Queer Femmes Loving FTMs: Towards and Erotic Transgender Ethics," in Krista Scott-Dixon, ed., Trans/forming Feminisms: Trans-Feminist Voices Speak Out (Toronto: Sumach Press, 2006), 112-121

Hines, Sally. "Intimate Transitions: Transgender Practices of Partnering and Parenting", Sociology Vol.40 No.2, 2006, pp.: 353-371.

Joslin-Roher, Emily & Darrell P. Wheeler, "Partners in Transition: The Transition Experience of Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Identified Partners of Transgender Men", Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, Vol.21 No.1, pp.30-48. 

Evie Kins, Piet Hoebeke, Gunter Heylens, Robert Rubens & Griet De Cuypere, "The Female-to-Male Transsexual and His Female Partner Versus the Traditional Couple: A Comparison", Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, Vol. 34, No.5, 2008, pp.429-438. 

Frank Lewins, "Explaining Stable Partnerships Among FTMs and MTFs: a Significant Difference?" Journal of Sociology, (2002) vol. 38 (1): 76-88.

Carla A. Pfeffer, "Bodies in Relation – Bodies in Transition: Lesbian Partners of Trans Men and Body Image", Journal of Lesbian Studies, Vol.12 No.4, 2008, pp. 325-345. 

PFLAG Transgender Network (TNET), Our Trans Children, 5th Edition.

Jacob Anderson-Minshall,  "Queerly Beloved: How A Lesbian Love Survived Transition." In Trans People in Love, edited by Tracie O'Keefe and Katrina Fox. 99-110. New York: Routledge, 2008.

Jane Ward, "Gender Labor: Transmen, Femmes, and Collective Work of Transgression", Sexualities, Vol.13, No.2, 2010, pp.236-254. 

Mediography

While there are many kinds of sources that take transfolk as their subject, this is a working list of multimedia projects that include the experience of transpartners (of both FTMs and MTFs):

Falling in Love with Chris and Greg, 2010

Check it Out Guys, Sherbourne Health Centre (Toronto) project designed to address the Pap-related needs and concerns of FTMs. The project included a series of posters used to spread word about the center's program.

Embodiment: A Portrait of Queer Life in America, 2010, a photographic and video archive

Everyday to Stay (2009), directed by Chase Ryan Joynt (Canada). This documentary provides an intimate snapshot into the lives of two couples as they navigate life and love through one partner’s gender transition.

Against A Trans Narrative (2009), directed by Jules Rosskam.  This film lulls viewers into what first appears (especially to those uninitiated in trans theory) to be “authentic” direct-address interviews with FTM trans folk, their partners and friends.  This super smart film presents the quandary of gathering a group of individuals to represent trans identity (when trans is about destroying categories) and exposes how other members of the queer community often project onto the transgender experience.

Diagnosing Difference (2009), created by Annalise Ophelian, is a feature-length length documentary featuring interviews with 13 diverse scholars, activists, and artists who identify on the trans spectrum (transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, and gender variant) about the impact and implications of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) on their lives and communities.

Define Normal, Thomas Beatie's website chronicles his experiences with the popular media exposure to his 2008 pregnancy. 

GenderVision #3 - Trans Partner: Gender & Relationship (2008) features an Interview with Helen Boyd and Betty Crow.  Boyd is a well-known transgender activist and author of the book, My Husbaned Betty, which explores the relationships of crossdressing men and their female partners, as well as her follow-up, "She's Not the Man I Married," a more serious and expansive examination of gender roles in relationships. 

She’s a Boy I Knew (2007), directed by Gwen Haworth, documents Haworth's transition from the perspective of her friends and family. 

The Aggressives (2005), directed by Daniel Peddle, features  6 NYC-based black and asian 'aggressive' (butch) women who are part of the black lesbian ball scene in NYC. They don't for the most part identify as trans, and seem wary of changing sex. Their girlfriends are femmes; some featured in the documenary. 

TransGeneration, 2004/5

Normal, 2003

Soldier’s Girl, 2003

Sir: Just a Normal Guy (2002), directed by Melanie La Rosa. Sir traces the transition of a 28 year old Oregon transguy named Jay Snider, who began his transition in 1999 and agreed to be the focus on this documentary. First sentence: "ever since I was a little kid I was a boy...." With a photograph from childhood, as in so many of these docs. He's narrating. Opening is 2 months before hormones, and doing an interview. Discusses watching Donahue Show at age 11 and seeing MTFs on TV, and has the epiphany. Then, after being butch for a while, reads Stone Butch Blues and realizes he's trans, and surgery etc. is possible.  Discussing coming out as trans. First person he told was his shrink; was really depressed. Divorcing from husband; dealing with being a dyke, or being trans, or both. Interview with his best friend and his husband (this is very unusual and ueer; have not seen this in any of the documentaries; he's a tattoo artist). Technically they are till married but they separated 2 years ago, amicably. Interview with a female friend. Finding others: on line, big FTM community, re: passing, barhrooms, hormones, etc. section on bathrooms and STPs. Discussion of surgey. 2 months on T: changs in hair, voice, etc. Sex drive increases, body fat redistributes, stress on liver. Name change. Coming out at work; passing. Ordinally, not wanting to identify as trans; wants to be a regular bio-guy (his term). However, no longer wanting to eradicate his female history. Does not want to turn into an 'asshole guy.' Interview with a transguy named Sean who dates cis-women, who considers himself queer; issues of invisibility for him as a queer person [29 min.] Interview with Kari, who was with Jay when he transitioned. She still defines as a lesbian, and suggests that if this were to change then they would probably break up since that's who she is.  Why should she have to change her identity because Jay has changed his? She doesn't think that's fair. Jay has been ostracized by his parents. Discussion of some reconnection to his family. 4 days before top surgery. Says he used to think of himself as queer, but doesnt any more--he has a regular life.  He feels like a 'regular straight guy,' but he's sort of in between the 2 worlds of queer and straight in terms of communities. No representation of the care involved with the surgey.  More interviews with Kari, post-top surgery; seems to be letting go of 'lesbian' as identity. Is relieved that Hay's not doing the personal inventory every single day; they seem good.  Now Jay feels 'done' with his transition; it's basically over. These days he feels like 'just a regular guy.' Oddly, and surprisingly, the very last intertitle says, simply that Kari and Jay got a divorce (hadn't realized they were married; thought he was married to the tatoo guy). Everyone's full name is listed except for hers (same thing happened in A Boy Named Sue). 

Southern Comfort (2001) documents the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transsexual. Eads, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, was turned down for treatment by two dozen doctors out of fear that treating such a patient would hurt their reputations. By the time Eads received treatment, the cancer was too advanced to save his life. Filmmaker Kate Davis follows Robert and a group of trans-gendered Southerners in this captivating and truly touching documentary [imdb]. Eads' partner is Lola, a transwoman he met at the Southern Comfort conference.

A Boy Named Sue (2000) is Julie Wyman's compelling documentary chronicling the transformation of a transsexual named Theo from a woman to a man over the course of six years. Theo's partner at the time, Lisi, plays a prominent role in the documentary. They also break up at the end. 

You Don't Know Dick: Courageous Hearts of Transsexual Men (1997), directed by Candace Schmerhorn and Bestor Cram.  Features six interview subjects who discuss their experiences from early childhood forward. Discusses coming out to parents and children, work associates, but not partners.  Also discusses the effects of testostorone.  Features interviews with Max Valerio, Loren Cameron, and Jamison Green.  Loren Cameron interview features Isabella, his partner. Durin the interview Loren says he's "the boss." They met prior to his transition at a lesbian event, and he was looking for a partner who could be with him through the transition since he knew it would be hard and he didn't want to go  through it alone.  Isabella: was attracted to butches and masculinity. Says that they are not as much as a confrontration as they were as a lesbian couple; they are more 'invisible' now. They can 'blend in' a little more easily. Discussion of having had top surgery; discussion of wanting bottomg surgery. Bathrooms and their significance. Learning how to be a man; watching others. Sex and intimacy: fear that they would have to give up having sex, love and intimacy because who would be with them, etc? But these fears turned out to be unfounded; not at all difficult. Brief interview with Max and partner Kyla. Discussion of sex. Section about Michael's mom and kids. 

Linda/Les & Annie: A Female-to-Male Transsexual Love Story (1990)

Other/Additional Sources

Fox, Katrina, "Lesbians in Relationships with Trans People," The Scavenger

Devor, Holly. "Sexual Orientation Identities, Attractions, and Practices of Female-to-Male Transsexuals," The Journal of Sex Research vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 303-315, Nov. 1993.

Walker, Lisa. Looking Like What You Are: Sexual Style, Race and Lesbian Identity (NYU Press, 2001).