Buck Angel

Born in Los Angeles, California, on June 5, 1962, Buck Angel, whose birth name was Susan Butch, experienced gender dysphoria from early life. Growing up as a tomboy, his childhood was marked by feelings of alienation, bullying, and subsequent self-medication with alcohol and marijuana. These struggles culminated in multiple suicide attempts in high school and a period in a psychiatric institution. At 17, Angel worked as a female professional model, but his internal conflict intensified. At the age of 28, with the help of a therapist and an endocrinologist, he began his gender reassignment journey, starting hormonal transition with testosterone and later undergoing chest reconstruction surgery. He consciously chose not to have bottom surgery due to perceived technological limitations at the time. This decision became a defining element of his later public persona as “the man with a pussy.”

Angel’s career took a significant turn in the adult film industry. He founded Buck Angel Entertainment and produced and starred in films under this imprint. In 2005, he became the first trans man to appear in an all-male film from Titan Media, “Cirque Noir.” The same year, he participated in a groundbreaking sex scene with trans woman Allanah Starr in “Allanah Starr’s Big Boob Adventures,” which received an AVN Award nomination. In 2007, Angel made history as the first and only trans man to win the AVN Award for Transsexual Performer of the Year. His adult film work, including the 2008 film “Buckback Mountain,” brought him visibility and platforms. This visibility evolved into a broader role as an activist and sex educator. In 2010, he spoke at Ideacity in Canada on masculinity and appeared in Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better Project.” His educational work includes the award-winning four-part series “Sexing the Transman XXX” (2010–2015), which won “Most Tantalizing Trans Film” at the Feminist Porn Awards in 2012, and biographical documentaries like “Mr. Angel” (2013) and “The Trans List” (2016).

Beyond film, Angel has engaged in various entrepreneurial and advocacy efforts. He launched BuckAngelDating.com in 2012, a dating website for trans men, and in 2016, he collaborated with Perfect Fit Brand to design a sex toy aimed at reducing gender dysphoria for trans men. His work extends to public speaking engagements, appearing at events like Sex Week at Yale and Stockholm Pride. In 2015, he co-founded Pride Wellness, a cannabis brand, which operated until 2021, followed by another cannabis delivery service, Wings Of Wellness, in 2020. Angel also gained recognition in the art world when British artist Marc Quinn included a life-size sculpture of him in a global tour in 2010, now a permanent fixture at the Art Gallery of South Australia. His diverse career highlights a continuous commitment to advocating for trans visibility and education.