While studying at the Potomac Massage Training Institute, Frances Reed became acutely aware of this fear while practicing on transgender and gender-nonconforming friends: “Time after time after time, for two full years, I heard ‘I would never have gotten a massage if it wasn’t for you.’ ” What will the therapist think? Will she laugh? Ask a hurtful question? Worse? Suddenly, getting a massage doesn’t just involve confronting a minor insecurity. While you were clothed in the lobby, you appeared male, but on the table, it’s clear you were born physically female. Maybe you thought about the ten extra pounds you’d like to shed, or the fact that you’d forgotten to shave your legs. If you’re like most human beings, you probably felt self-conscious about something the last time you climbed naked onto a massage table.
