It’s 1.17am. You’ve closed the porn tab and opened a fresh one to ask Google if you’re gay. As post-wank admin goes, this is a lot to be getting on with.
On the evidence of that tab alone? No. A straight man can fancy a trans woman. If you also find yourself attracted to men, you can take that seriously in your own time. There’s no need to settle the whole thing before your phone runs out of battery.
The category that climbed the charts
In its 2025 year-end report, Pornhub said its “Transgender” category grew by 58 per cent worldwide and became its second most-viewed category. In the UK it came third, behind MILF and Lesbian. That puts trans porn in the company of two of the most familiar categories on the site. The numbers tell us what people clicked on. How those viewers describe their sexuality is harder to know. Pornhub’s 2025 Year in Review
There’s a better clue in what some men say about their own sex lives. In a 2016 study, Cathy Reback and her colleagues interviewed 16 straight-identified men who’d had occasional sexual encounters with trans women. The men often talked about being drawn to conventionally feminine looks. Some said their partner’s penis was central to the appeal. Others preferred to leave it out of the encounter altogether. Even within that very small group, the same label covered very different desires. Culture, Health & Sexuality
When the glamour is part of the kink
Porn has never been especially interested in what anyone looks like on a wet Tuesday at Tesco. In some trans porn, as in plenty of other porn, femininity is dialled up for the camera. Think big hair, immaculate make-up and lingerie that took longer to put on than it’ll spend in the shot. If that kind of glamour already does it for you, there’s a familiar appeal right there.
For some viewers, the extra charge is a specific body type. For others it’s the idea of a woman taking charge, or of taking a role themselves that they’d feel awkward asking for in bed. Sometimes the thrill is doing something they’ve told themselves they’re supposed to find off-limits. That feeling can be part of the kink. It comes from the viewer and the rules he’s absorbed about what a straight bloke is allowed to enjoy.
However, one Reddit user we spoke to who wished to remain anonymous revealed “For me, the thrill is knowing that the performer is probably enjoying the sex as much as I would. Watching female performers always leaves me with the empty feeling that they’re probably faking it all. In trans porn, you can see with your own eyes that they are properly into it. They’re usually gorgeous women with that little something extra, which gives away how turned on they are.”
Some fans are still getting their heads around the bodies they’re attracted to. In a 2019 interview with XBIZ, Dubai recalled being asked, “How did you get a dick put on?” Her answer was pretty efficient. “No, dear, I got tits. It’s the other way around.” XBIZ
What do trans escorts and performers say?
The number of trans escorts operating throughout the UK and globally appears to be soaring, if adult companion listings are anything to go by. Websites such as Birch Place list hundreds of transgender escorts working throughout the UK. When it comes to the sexuality question, trans escorts probably have as good an insight as anybody.
We asked Bella Natasha, a trans escort based in London, what type of men seek her companionship.
Bella reveals “Ha – it’s straight men. Always straight men. It actually makes me laugh when people suggest they must be gay. It couldn’t be further from the mark.
“They’re normally guys who are very comfortable with their sexuality. Sexually experienced guys, often with wives or girlfriends, looking for something a little exotic and exciting.
She adds “Believe me, gay men are not interested in trans women. It’s obvious when you think about it. If you’re a straight man, it’s not because you are specifically attracted to a woman’s genitalia. If that were true, it would follow that all straight men must be attracted to men with vaginas. It’s a ridiculous notion. So it’s perfectly OK for a man to be attracted to a smoking hot woman with a little surprise.
“Clients often tell me that the main thing they love is the thought of a gorgeous, very feminine woman, who loves sex, and is visibly turned on. Having a throbbing cock is a visible sign to your lover that you’re horny, and it’s not all an act. These guys see it as an extreme version of feminine sexuality.
“Of course, other men just love exploring anal sex too, and not all female partners are into exploring that with them.
Bella concludes “I definitely think ‘shemale porn’ has broken down taboos when it comes to having sex and relationships with a trans woman. We still have a long way to go, and there are definitely men who still wouldn’t feel comfortable openly dating a trans woman. But I see first hand the number of guys who are just really attracted to trans women, and for me, that’s a great thing.”
What happens when you close the tab?
Trans escorts have been advertising online in Britain for years. A 2019 UK study documented trans workers on two major adult-services platforms. Its figures count profiles, which leaves the number of bookings and whether they’ve risen an open question. Researcher Monique Huysamen interviewed eight men who spoke about paying for sex to explore desires involving trans women or men in secret. For some of the men she interviewed, a booking offered a way to act on a desire they felt unable to talk about publicly. UK sex work report · Journal of Gender Studies
Natassia Dreams, a trans adult performer who previously worked as an escort, has seen what that appetite for secrecy can look like from the other side. In an interview with Wired, she described how mainstream porn can cast a trans woman as “that little dirty secret”. She’d like to see more trans writers and directors and more stories where trans women get to be romantic leads. She also said people on dating apps expect her to be the person they’ve seen in her videos. Wired
You can fancy a performer, have a thing for a particular kind of body and still give the woman in front of you room to tell you what she likes. And if you’re still awake at 1.17am looking for an answer, try a better question. What did you actually find hot? Your answer will probably tell you more than the name of the category did.
