Sexual Fantasy in Cisgender, Transgender and Non-Binary People

Introduction & objective: Object of desire self-consciousness (ODSC) is described as the perception of one’s own sexual and romantic desirability, and emerged as more relevant in women compared to men (Bogaert & Brotto, 2014). The construct reflect how we believe others view us and not necessarily an accurate representation of another’s view, but it is still relevant in terms of sexual functioning. The following study is aimed to investigate differences in ODSC themes in the sexual fantasies of individuals with different gender identities. Method & sample: A total of 228 self-identified cisgender (147 women and 81 men) and 65 transgender (20 binary and 45 non-binary) participants completed a sexual fantasies questionnaire (SFQ; Bogaert, VIsser, Pozzebon, 2015) that include a subscale of ODSC themed fantasies. A measure of objectified body consciousness was also included (McKinley & Hyde, 1996). Results: Gender differences in ODSC themes are at odds with previous studies. No significant difference in the endorsement of ODSC fantasies was found between cisgender men and women in our sample. Cisgender and nonbinary identified people showed differences and a significant higher endorsement of ODSC fantasies was found in the former. Objectified body consciousness showed a correlation with ODSC themes in sexual fantasies, without any gender identity differences. Conclusions & recommendations: ODSC themes in sexual fantasies appeared not to be characteristic exclusively of women’s sexual functioning. In our sample, no significant differences emerged in sexual fantasies between cisgender men and women and binary transgender people.