Arnaud Pontin (Image : AI / Gay Globe)
Gay Globe recently offered you a series of articles on prostitution and the lives of male escorts in Western countries. However, one subject still remained to be addressed, as it is more delicate and frankly much harder to publish, given the far more secret and confidential nature of these individuals’ lives. Here is the story of Léo, a trans FTM escort from Longueuil, south of Montreal.
Léo is a 24-year-old trans FTM person. What does FTM mean? In the trans world, FTM means “Female to Male,” referring to a person assigned female at birth who identifies and lives as a man. In French, the expressions “trans man” or “transmasculine” are also used. In plain terms, it refers to a person born female who undergoes a transition to become a man.
Some trans men no longer have breasts following surgery, but very few undergo full surgery of the genital organs, because unlike trans women, the functional viability of the reconstructed organ is rarely fully achieved.
Léo agreed to a video interview with me a few days ago and, to my great surprise, it was very difficult for me to imagine that he could have been a woman before his transition. He is very handsome, with light blue eyes, a small “guy’s beard” he clearly owns, and frankly, he was perfectly my type. But our meeting was not about his appearance, but about his profession as a professional escort.
Léo explains that becoming an escort was not part of his original plans. After his transition, he went through a very difficult period in which finding stable employment was almost impossible. Despite his masculine appearance, many employers seemed uncomfortable when they learned he was trans. The looks changed, calls stopped returning, and gradually he found himself financially isolated.
At first, he says he saw sex work as a temporary solution. The internet allowed him to connect with a curious clientele, often attracted to his FTM trans identity. Quickly, he discovered a more complex environment than he had imagined. Some clients were respectful, attentive, and simply looking for a human presence without judgment. With them, Léo says he regained a certain self-confidence, especially after years of hating his body before his transition.
He also describes the positive sides of the job: fast money, the feeling of regaining control over his image, and the ability to set his own boundaries. Unlike many traditional jobs he had before, he could choose his schedule and his encounters. Some clients came back regularly and even developed a form of emotional attachment to him. “Sometimes I felt more like a psychologist than an escort,” he says, laughing.
But the downsides have been many. Léo speaks about the immense loneliness that often accompanies this profession. He still hides his work from part of his family and several friends. He also mentions fetishizing clients who did not see him as a man, but as a sexual curiosity. “That’s what hurts the most,” he confides. “When someone pays to see you, but still refuses to respect who you really are.”
He also says he has experienced worrying situations: last-minute cancellations in questionable locations, aggressive clients, or men unable to accept his boundaries. Over the years, he has heavily filtered his appointments and refuses many requests that give him a bad feeling.
Léo admits he has never experienced violence or rape, but some clients turn out to be manipulators who would like to use him as a freak show. “They present themselves as agents, but in reality they are just disguised pimps trying to make money off what I am. But this is very rare, and I leave quickly when I encounter those people.”
Between reality and the future
I asked Léo whether he intended to continue doing this job for long, and as someone very realistic about appearance and age, he is aware that he will not retain his youthful beauty for much longer. Nature being what it is, the body of a trans man is often unpredictable, and his main fear is that the attributes that make him desirable will fade. FTM trans people rarely know their aesthetic future, or almost never.
It took a great deal of courage for Léo to agree to this interview on such a subject while showing his face. His name is, of course, fictitious to protect his privacy, but we hope his experience helps shed light on a very hidden aspect of the life of an FTM trans escort.