Patrick Califia
Encyclopedia
Patrick Califia born 1954 near Corpus Christi
, Texas is a writer
of nonfiction essays about sexuality
and of erotic fiction
and poetry
. Califia is a bisexual
trans man
.
family. He came out as a lesbian
in 1971 in Salt Lake City
, Utah, and changed his name to Pat Califia, taking the surname Califia
after the mythical Amazon. After getting involved in consciousness-raising work in the area, he bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco
in 1973, bringing an interest in sex education
to work on the San Francisco Sex Information
switchboard.
His first book was Sapphistry, a non-fiction work which described butch-femme
sexuality and BDSM
safety and practice in a non-judgmental tone. Subsequently, he published work in lesbian
, gay
and feminist
magazines, including a long-running sex advice column in The Advocate
. In 1979, as a student in psychology
at San Francisco State University
, his research was published in the Journal of Homosexuality
.
With the founding of SAMOIS
, Califia shifted focus to the lesbian experience of BDSM
and made a major contribution to the diversification of the leather subculture
. He contributed to the book Coming to Power
published by Alyson Publications
. Another book, the Lesbian Sadomasochism Safety Manual won the 1990 Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year
. Califia founded the leatherwomen's quarterly Venus Infers in 1992, and in 1996 was co-editor (with Robin Sweeney) of The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader, a sequel to Coming to Power.
During this period Califia was both writing about queer studies
and gender identity
and coming to terms with these issues on a personal level. During the mid-1990s, Califia decided to transition, adopting the name of Patrick.
Since the 1990s, Califia has had fibromyalgia
, which has reduced his ability to type or write. He is currently in private practice as a therapist (he is a licensed marriage therapist and family therapist in the state of California
). He continues to publish his work and attend leather community events.
Califia's most recent book is Boy in the Middle, a collection of erotic stories. He is currently working on a number of other projects including a book on FTM
sexuality.
His pornographic works were often seized by Canadian customs until he fought a court case to allow them to be accepted. Afterwards he wrote of his amusement at finding that anti-porn feminist Catherine Itzin
's book Pornography: Women, Violence and Civil Liberties was seized under the very law she had helped to establish, while Califia's books were recognised as acceptable by that law. Califia fought against anti-pornography legislation co-authored by Catharine MacKinnon
.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, Texas is a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of nonfiction essays about sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and of erotic fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Califia is a bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
trans man
Trans man
A trans man, transman, trans guy, or FTM is a transgender or transsexual man: a person who was assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male....
.
Biography
Califia, assigned female at birth, was born into a MormonMormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
family. He came out as a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
in 1971 in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah, and changed his name to Pat Califia, taking the surname Califia
Califia
Calafia is a fictional warrior queen who ruled over a kingdom of Black women living on the mythical Island of California. The character of Queen Calafia was penned by Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo who first introduced her in his popular novel entitled Las sergas de Esplandián , written...
after the mythical Amazon. After getting involved in consciousness-raising work in the area, he bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1973, bringing an interest in sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
to work on the San Francisco Sex Information
San Francisco Sex Information
San Francisco Sex Information is an all-volunteer, 501 non-profit organization that provides free sex information via the World Wide Web, e-mail, telephone, and online social networking...
switchboard.
His first book was Sapphistry, a non-fiction work which described butch-femme
Butch and femme
Butch and femme are LGBT terms describing respectively, masculine and feminine traits, behavior, style, expression, self-perception and so on. They are often used in the lesbian, bisexual and gay subcultures...
sexuality and BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
safety and practice in a non-judgmental tone. Subsequently, he published work in lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
magazines, including a long-running sex advice column in The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
. In 1979, as a student in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, his research was published in the Journal of Homosexuality
Journal of Homosexuality
The Journal of Homosexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal This forum for research into same-sex desire examines sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. In the fall of 2005, the Journal celebrated its 50th volume.- History...
.
With the founding of SAMOIS
Samois
Samois was a lesbian-feminist BDSM organization based in San Francisco that existed from 1978 to 1983. It took its name from the fictional estate of Anne-Marie, a lesbian dominatrix character in Story of O, who pierces and brands O...
, Califia shifted focus to the lesbian experience of BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
and made a major contribution to the diversification of the leather subculture
Leather subculture
The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures...
. He contributed to the book Coming to Power
Coming to Power
Coming to Power - Writing and graphics on Lesbian S/M was a 1981 book edited by members of the lesbian feminist S/M organisation SAMOIS. It is an anthology of lesbian S/M writings....
published by Alyson Publications
Alyson Publications
Alyson Books, formerly known as Alyson Publications, is a book publishing house which specialises in LGBT fiction and non-fiction. Former publisher Don Weise described it as "the world's oldest and largest publisher of LGBT literature" and "the home of award-winning books in the areas of memoir,...
. Another book, the Lesbian Sadomasochism Safety Manual won the 1990 Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year
Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year
The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair, commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to the book with the oddest title...
. Califia founded the leatherwomen's quarterly Venus Infers in 1992, and in 1996 was co-editor (with Robin Sweeney) of The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader, a sequel to Coming to Power.
During this period Califia was both writing about queer studies
Queer studies
Queer studies is the critical theory based study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and cultures. Universities have also labeled this area of analysis Sexual Diversity Studies, Sexualities...
and gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
and coming to terms with these issues on a personal level. During the mid-1990s, Califia decided to transition, adopting the name of Patrick.
Since the 1990s, Califia has had fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
, which has reduced his ability to type or write. He is currently in private practice as a therapist (he is a licensed marriage therapist and family therapist in the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
). He continues to publish his work and attend leather community events.
Califia's most recent book is Boy in the Middle, a collection of erotic stories. He is currently working on a number of other projects including a book on FTM
Trans man
A trans man, transman, trans guy, or FTM is a transgender or transsexual man: a person who was assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male....
sexuality.
His pornographic works were often seized by Canadian customs until he fought a court case to allow them to be accepted. Afterwards he wrote of his amusement at finding that anti-porn feminist Catherine Itzin
Catherine Itzin
Catherine Lenore Itzin was an Honorary Research Fellow in the Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations Research Unit, Department of Applied Social Studies at the University of Bradford...
's book Pornography: Women, Violence and Civil Liberties was seized under the very law she had helped to establish, while Califia's books were recognised as acceptable by that law. Califia fought against anti-pornography legislation co-authored by Catharine MacKinnon
Catharine MacKinnon
Catharine Alice MacKinnon is an American feminist, scholar, lawyer, teacher and activist.- Biography :MacKinnon was born in Minnesota. Her mother is Elizabeth Valentine Davis; her father, George E. MacKinnon was a lawyer, congressman , and judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit...
.
Non-fiction
- What Color is Your Handkerchief: A Lesbian S/M Sexuality Reader (ed), SAMOISSamoisSamois was a lesbian-feminist BDSM organization based in San Francisco that existed from 1978 to 1983. It took its name from the fictional estate of Anne-Marie, a lesbian dominatrix character in Story of O, who pierces and brands O...
, 1979. - Pat Califia: "A Personal View of the History of the Lesbian S/M Community and Movement in San Francisco", 1981. in: Coming to PowerComing to PowerComing to Power - Writing and graphics on Lesbian S/M was a 1981 book edited by members of the lesbian feminist S/M organisation SAMOIS. It is an anthology of lesbian S/M writings....
: Writings and Graphics on Lesbian S/M. Alyson Publications, Boston, 3rd ed Oktober 1987, ISBN 0-932870-28-7 - Sapphistry: The book of lesbian sexuality, Naiad Press, April 1988, ISBN 0-941483-24-X
- Lesbian Sadomasochism Safety Manual, Alyson Books, June 1988, ISBN 1-555833-01-2
- Advocate Adviser, Alyson Books, June 1991, ISBN 1-55583-169-9
- Forbidden Passages: Writings Banned in Canada, Cleis Press, November 1995, ISBN 1-57344-019-1
- Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism, Cleis Press, July 1997, ISBN 1-57344-072-8
- Sensuous Magic: A Guide for Adventurous Lovers, Masquerade Books, January 1998, ISBN 1-56333-610-3
- Bitch Goddess: The Spiritual Path of the Dominant Woman, Greenery PressGreenery PressGreenery Press is a publishing house based in Emeryville, California specializing in books on BDSM, polyamory and sexuality, with over 50 titles in print. Most titles are non-fiction, but a smaller number of fiction titles and memoirs are published under the Grass Stain Press name...
, December 1998, ISBN 1-890159-04-2 - Public Sex: The Culture of Radical Sex , Cleis Press, June 2000, ISBN 1-57344-096-5
- Speaking Sex to Power: The Politics of Queer Sex, Cleis Press, November 2001, ISBN 1-57344-132-5
Fiction
- Macho SlutsMacho SlutsMacho Sluts is a 1988 book of erotic short stories by Pat Califia, published by Alyson Publications.Exploring S/M fantasy concepts, it includes the stories "The Calyx of Isis" and "Jessie" along with six other shorter works, "The Finishing School", "The Hustler", "The Surprise Party", "The...
, Alyson Publications, November 1988, ISBN 1-55583-115-X - Doing It for Daddy: Short Sexy Fiction About a Very Forbidden Fantasy, Alyson Publications, December 1994, ISBN 1-55583-227-X
- Doc and Fluff: The Dystopian Tale of a Girl and Her Biker, Alyson Publications, May 1996, ISBN 1-55583-369-1
- The Second Coming: A Leatherdyke Reader, Alyson Publications, July 1996, ISBN 1-55583-281-4
- Melting Point: A Collection of Erotic Short Stories, Alyson Publications, November 1996, ISBN 1-55583-380-2
- Diesel Fuel: Passionate Poetry, Masquerade Books, May 1997, ISBN 1-56333-535-2
- No Mercy, Alyson Publications, June 2000, ISBN 1-55583-542-2
- Mortal Companion, Suspect Thoughts Press, May 2004, ISBN 0-9710846-9-6
- Boy in the Middle: Erotic Fiction, Cleis Press, September 2005, ISBN 1-57344-218-6
External links
- Pat Califia—A three-part interview at technodyke.com
- The First Duty of a Revolutionary is to Survive, a 1995 interview published in the free quarterly San Francisco leather zine Cuir Underground