Patrick Califia

Patrick Califia (born Pat Califia; March 8, 1954) is an American writer of non-fiction essays about sexuality and of erotic fiction and poetry. Califia is a bisexual trans man. Prior to transitioning, he identified as a lesbian and as such, wrote for many years a sex advice column for the gay men's leather magazine Drummer. His writings explore issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender roles, and have included lesbian erotica and works about BDSM subculture.

Early life and education

Califia was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and grew up in Utah in a Mormon household. He came out as a lesbian during his early twenties, and he moved to San Francisco in 1979, where he became involved with the lesbian sex magazine On Our Backs.

Career

In the 1980s, Califia became a highly influential sex radical, feminist, and advocate for BDSM rights. He was a member of the group Samois, a lesbian-feminist BDSM organization in San Francisco, which was the first lesbian BDSM group in the United States. Califia's writings in this period argued that BDSM was a valid form of sexual expression for women, and that it could be part of a feminist sexual practice.

In the 1990s, Califia decided to transition from female to male, a process he has written about in his collection of essays Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism. He has continued to write on issues of sex, gender, and identity, and his work has been influential in both the feminist and the transgender communities.

Personal life

Califia has a son, Blake, who was born in 1999. He has written about his experiences as a parent in his book The Future of Our Families.

Works

Califia has written numerous books and articles on sexuality and gender. His works include Public Sex: The Culture of Radical Sex, Macho Sluts, No Mercy, and Doc and Fluff: The Dystopian Tale of a Girl and Her Biker.

See also

• List of transgender people
• List of LGBT writers
• BDSM and feminism