Buck Angel is a dude who makes a living having sex with other dudes in movies with names like “Buckback Mountain,” “Pig Ass,” and “The Buck Stops Here.” He has huge muscles and tattoos, smokes expensive cigars, and lives in Mexico where people don’t give a shit about anything. But that’s not what makes this dude so cool. Buck Angel is exceptional because he has a pussy instead of a dick.

Buck Angel started his entertainment career way back in ‘80s as a super skinny, super hot, fashion model named Susan. Seriously, he was so hot even Howard Stern wishes he could go back and “do him” (although the feeling isn’t mutual). Modeling was great for a while, but Susan knew she’d never be happy as a woman. So she became a Buck instead.

The Guardian recently sat down with Angel to find out what happens when chicks stop being chicks and start being dudes with vaginas who fuck other dudes for money and fame (or something like that).

Part One: On Being A Man With a Pussy

SFBG: Hey Buck, before we get started, I just want to get one thing straight: you’re a transsexual, right? I admit I’m not too familiar with guys who used to be girls. What do you call yourself?

Buck Angel: Ok, well, I’m obviously not a very politically correct person so this might sound weird, but here’s the deal: a transsexual is someone who changes his or her sex so obviously, I am a transsexual. I’ll always be a transsexual, but I don’t live my life that way. When I think about transsexuals, I think about people who are in the process of going through a sex change. That’s not me. I’m finished with my sex change and I’m a man!

SFBG: So you’re just, like, a dude?

Angel: Exactly.

SFBG: What about your pussy?

Angel: I’m a man with a pussy, dude. It is what it is.

SFBG: Well, here’s a question you’ve probably never heard before: when you’re in a public place and you have to take a piss, which bathroom do you use?

Angel: Ha! I get that question all the time. I understand why people are curious, but come on! Could you see me going to the ladies room looking like this? I’d be arrested! I am a man and my pussy has nothing to do with it.

SFBG: Okay, well, I noticed that in a lot of your videos you fuck dudes. So does that make you a gay man with a pussy? I mean, is that how you identify?

Angel: No. I’m just a sexual person. I’m open. I mean, technically, I guess you could say I’m bisexual. But that’s not how I look at it. It’s more about the person to me than the gender. My business is different though. My customer base is 80 percent gay men, so I guess it’s kind of gay porn that I’m doing, although that continues to change as I get more successful.

SFBG: What do you make of that? I mean, I guess I’ve always assumed that gay men are specifically attracted to other men’s assholes/dicks and that they all think vaginas are gross. So… is it hard to keep a gay man hard with your pussy? And what about straight men? If you’re having sex with a straight man, do you assume that he’s really gay?

Angel: Good question. The reason I think gay men are attracted to my work is because I am a man. I am a very macho man and gay men love that. The pussy is just one small part of who I am. I think they are attracted to my strong sense of self and sexuality. It’s true that there are many gay men who’re focused on just the cock, but there are also many who think that being man is more than that, and that when you get down to it, my pussy is just another hole. I have had some difficulties with men staying hard, but I think that just happens to some guys when the camera is on. It’s certainly never happened in private! Believe me, once they get a taste of my pussy, they just keep coming back. As far as straight men go, they’re not really interested in my work. I totally understand that because I am a man and they are attracted to women. Straight men tend to go for male-to-female transsexuals.

SFBG: Do you think some of your success relies on the novelty value of you being the only “Man With a Pussy” on the scene?

Angel: Uh, partly, yes. But I also think it has to do with the fact that I’m offering something new. You know, maybe your average porn watcher has always fantasized about a person like me, but they’ve never been able to see it until now. Or maybe they’ve never thought about a man with a pussy, but then they find me and they get turned on. The bottom line, I think, is that men are much more open to sexual exploration and I offer a break from the norm. When the normal stuff gets boring they can turn to me.

SFBG: Well, you were a woman once, right? How did you get into porn?

Angel: I started a long time ago, behind the scenes, as a fetish porn producer. I was doing some work on a transsexual woman website and it just came to me. I was like “Wow, there isn’t even one Web site for transsexual men.” So I just did it. I took control of my own image and product and just launched my own website.

Part 2: Porn god Buck Angel talks about other people’s reactions

SFBG: How did people in the porn industry respond to you when you first opened shop?

Angel: Oh man, it was really rough at first. People just thought I was weird, I guess, and they didn’t want to give me a chance. They didn’t want to talk to me, they didn’t want me at their shows, nothing. But, I’m a fucking pioneer, you know, and that’s just how it is when you set out to do something totally unheard of. The situation has changed a lot since I’ve become so successful on my own though. I mean, I just won an AVN award and that’s huge! But it wasn’t easy getting here.

SFBG: What about before you were a producer? I always wonder how peoples’ families respond when their kids go into porn, and for you I imagine it must have been extra hard. I mean, you kind of hit them with a double whammy, like, “Oh, hi mom, I’m gonna stop being a woman now, and, by the way, did I mention I’m also gonna start doing porn?” How did that go down?

Angel: Honestly, my parents were cool with it. But my decision to do all of this came at a time when they had long disowned me for being a drug addict. So, as I was starting my sex change and developing a career in porn, I was also rekindling my relationship with my parents and I think they were proud of me for simply getting sober and doing something. The bottom line is that they just want me to be happy. They knew that my problems with drugs and alcohol came from frustrations with my identity, so they weren’t really shocked about my decision to change my sex.

SFBG: And what about the porn stuff?

Angel: They were super cool about it, like I said. I’m lucky to have really supportive parents who are proud of my success, regardless of the industry it happens to be in.

SFBG: Come on, dude. Somebody must have freaked out on you.

Angel: No way, man. I have great relationships with my sisters and with my parents. They see me on talk shows and stuff and they can tell that I’m happier than I ever was as a woman and it makes them feel good, I think. I’m really open about everything I do and I think that’s the key. If I wasn’t so open with who I am and with what I do, it might seem weird, but I’m totally cool with it so they are too.

Part 3: Becoming Buck Angel

SFBG: Do you think your involvement in porn helps you maintain such a strong sense of self?

Angel: For me, yes. I know that’s not the case with other people, but porn has definitely helped me feel more confident.

SFBG: Well, you certainly seem more confident and outgoing than other trans people I’ve met.

Angel: Like I said, my family has a lot to do with that. Many people who choose to change their sex don’t have much of a support system. But that’s never the determining factor. I had to do a lot of work on my own end to get to the point I’m at now. I went through a lot of therapy and a lot of tough times before I felt good. Lots of trans people have trouble adjusting because they take the easy way out and just do the hormone thing. But this is a mental situation — probably more so than a physical one — and people aren’t putting the time in like they should. They’re just jumping on this trendy transsexual bandwagon and fucking themselves up in the process. It’s, like, cool to be a transsexual now, you know?

SFBG: It’s difficult to do though, right? I mean, isn’t there a standardized process you have to go through?

Angel: There is, but you can always kind of get around that. I took my time in therapy and then found good doctors, but I notice a lot of people these days are just, like, scoring hormones and injecting themselves without even thinking about how the drugs fuck with your mind. I mean, some people don’t even go to the doctor! And then, five years down the road after they’re all fucked up both physically and mentally, they’re like “Fuck, I wanna go back!” I mean, a woman can’t just grow a mustache one day and then decide she doesn’t want it anymore. This is a life-changing path. I changed my life!

SFBG: It’s like a tattoo times a hundred.

Angel: Exactly. If you’re not absolutely sure about things, you should not do what I did.

SFBG: But you didn’t actually do it all the way, right? I mean, you don’t have a dick. What’s up with that?

Angel: Well, I really wanted one for a long time, but the technology just isn’t there yet. Maybe in 10 years, it will be, but not now.

SFBG: Do they just not work or something?

Angel: They don’t fucking work, dude! That’s the thing. You can’t get hard, you can’t have an orgasm, and you can’t even pee through most of them. Also, they’re really hard to make. They have to cut skin off your back and pull tendons out. It’s just too much. And look, if someone told you they could give you a bigger cock, but that you’d never be able to come again, would you do it?

SFBG: Nope.

Angel: That’s what I’m talking about. They just can’t make a good dick right now and until they can, I’m happy with my pussy. Besides, those things are really expensive and my business is based around the fact that I have a pussy. I don’t even think about it anymore, to tell you the truth. And as far as my sex life goes, I have tons of dildos so nobody’s complaining. Trust me!

SFBG: You’re talking about your wife, I’m guessing. How was that at first? Did you hide your junk from her for a while?

Angel: No fucking way. I’ve never hidden this from anyone.

SFBG: I was just wondering because you always hear stories about chicks-with-dicks going home with straight guys and then getting in trouble when their stuff pops out.

Angel: A lot of transsexual women do that and yeah, they wind up getting the shit kicked out them or killed. Not only is it dangerous to hide your true identity, but it’s also really disrespectful toward yourself and to the people you want to date. Honesty is really the only way to go in that situation. If the person you’re going home with is into it, then they’re into it; and if they’re not, they’re not.

Part 4: Porn god Buck Angel talks community and the future

SFBG: How do you fit into the GLBT activist scene?

Angel: I’m not so into it. I mean, I certainly respect the GLBT community, but I’m more of an individualist. I do what I do for me. As far as a specific FTM transsexual community goes, I’m a little wary. I mean, they were nothing but critical and rude when I was first getting started. They were very disrespectful. They thought I was misrepresenting the transsexual-man community and I was like “I’m not representing any community. I represent Buck Angel!” They’ve shown a little more support recently, but my initial experience with the FTM community left a bad taste in my mouth.

SFBG: It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if you were just a regular actor right?

Angel: Exactly. But because I show sexuality, I’m suddenly cast as negative role model for transsexuals. The most frustrating part is that, like I said earlier, I don’t identify as a transsexual. I’m a man. You know, I’ve gotten so much shit from people and had so many labels thrown at me that I just can’t care anymore. I don’t care what anyone thinks about me…except maybe my wife.

SFBG: Is that why you live in Mexico? I thought you lived here in SF for some reason.

Angel: Man, people always think I’m from San Francisco. I have no idea why. I mean, I’m originally from Southern California, and I’ve spent lots of time in SF. But I’ve never actually lived there.

SFBG: I guess I just always assumed that this is one of the only places on earth where transsexuals don’t get harassed every time they go to the grocery store.

Angel: Well, SF is a great spot, but it’s not the only tolerant place in the world. I lived in New Orleans for a while and that was fine until that big ass hurricane came and fucked everything up. That’s when I moved here.

SFBG: Is Mexico a pretty safe place for people who live your lifestyle?

Angel: I live on the Yucatan Peninsula –which is a lot different than other parts of Mexico– and, yes, it is safe. It’s like living in Europe or something. I mean, people never ask weird questions about my personal life and they don’t seem as judgmental as people in the states do. I moved here for that reason and also just because I wanted to get away from the whole Bush Regime thing back home. Mexico’s a great place for someone in the porn industry. There just aren’t as many rules and restrictions, ya know? Also, the weather’s fucking beautiful and the rent is cheap. I own my own home down here, with a pool and a maid and all that. I could never do that in San Francisco.

SFBG: Ha! You should see my place, dude. It’s like four walls and a roof and it costs more than a six-bedroom house in Michigan.

Angel: That’s what I’m talking about. I love Mexico, man.

SFBG: Well, if I’m ever down there I’ll stop by for a visit. Wrapping up here, though; what’s your goal in porn?

Angel: My goal in porn is to get away from the whole “freak porn” thing. I want to make films that are sexually positive. My stuff isn’t specifically for transsexuals; it’s for people who feel like they don’t fit in the box. Some people think my work is degrading or that it’s not sexy, but some people think it is sexy and that’s just as valid as anything else. The thing about my porn is that it transcends boundaries and I just want to keep pushing the envelope.

SFBG: So what does the future hold for Buck Angel?

Angel: I’m just gonna keep doing what I’m doing, you know? I’d like to maybe work with Joanna Angel on some sort of brother and sister thing. That’d be cool. Other than that, well, I’d like to get some more muscles going.

SFBG: Are you serious? Dude, you’re ripped! You could kick my ass, that’s for sure.

Angel: Ha! Yeah, sometimes I think I have body dysmorphia, you know? I just can’t seem to get big enough. It was really hard to get this big because I used to be a professional runner, but I put the time in because I think my size ads to my mystique. I really like being this big macho man. Woof!