According to a Florida transsexual fighting for custody of his children, sexual identity lies between the ears, not the legs. But on Wednesday, his wife testified that, regardless of Michael Kantaras' sexual transformation, his identity will always be that of a woman.

"Michael says he has the heart and the brain and the soul of a man," Linda Kantaras testified, pounding her fist into her palm as she continued. "But I'm sitting here in the courtroom under oath telling you he doesn't. There's a difference. There's a difference, your honor."

In an extended and at times tearful entreaty to Circuit Court Judge Gerard O'Brien, Kantaras emphasized what she called the "whole point of this whole thing" — that Michael Kantaras' transgendered status will prevent him from being a good father to their children.

"Michael Kantaras is a woman who thinks that he is a man," said Kantaras. "You cannot think you're a man and have man characteristics and be a natural man."

In her third day on the stand, Linda Kantaras zeroed in on ways she thought her husband's transsexual status has affected their children, Matthew, 12, Irina, 10.

Her son, in particular, was robbed of a male role model, she testified.

"Through this whole trial, through all the psychologists, through every conversation I've ever had with my son, my heart bleeds for him, your honor, because he was deprived of his natural ability to be a boy, his natural mockings of a man, his natural instinct to do things as a little boy does."

Kantaras broke into tears as she described watching her son urinate sitting down because that was how he thought all men went to the bathroom.

The blame for what some might call an experimental marriage — she married Michael Kantaras in 1989 knowing he was born as Margo — was partly hers, she admitted. "I never thought about my two little kids. I never thought that it would have an impact on Rina marrying a man," Linda Kantaras testified. "I never thought that it would have an impact on Matthew growing up to be a man."

Though the Kantaras' children are the focus of this Pasco County divorce battle, the testimony has largely centered around Michael Kantaras' status as a transsexual who has had his breasts, ovaries and uterus removed but never had a penis implanted.

While Kantaras, a baker at a local Sam's Club, says he can be as good a father as any other man despite his transsexualism, Linda Kantaras says he is not a man, and should not be allowed to be a father to her children.

On Wednesday, Linda Kantaras told the court that her husband's transsexualism had not only prevented him from being a good father, but had also made it impossible for them to consummate their nine-year marriage.

"When I look at Michael, I see a woman," Kantaras testified then.

On cross-examination Wednesday, Michael Kantaras' lawyer Collin Vause pressed Linda Kantaras on the sex question.

"Mrs. Kantaras, for nine years you must have done something for sexual satisfaction, didn't you?"

"No, I did not," she said, grinning.

During Vause's cross-examination, Linda Kantaras appeared uniformly frustrated with the lawyer's questions. She referred to the lawyer as "Collin" even after instructed by the judge to call him by his last name and regularly leveled cold glares at the attorney while swiveling in her chair.

Vause also called a rebuttal witness who told the court about a racy discussion she had with Linda Kantaras and another friend before the couple separated. "She used to like to give Michael blow jobs and that he said she gave the best blow jobs," said Denise White, recounting the discussion that took place over sandwiches.

During another conversation, White testified, Linda Kantaras told her that her husband wore a "strap-on" during sex.

On cross-examination, Linda Kantaras' attorney, Claudia Wheeler, tried to bolster her client's position by inferring that Linda Kantaras had talked about her oral sex prowess simply because she wanted to fit in with the other women. "She didn't just blurt out that she was good at giving blow jobs, did she?" the lawyer asked.

"No," said White, admitting that the declaration was out of character.

Linda Kantaras will resume the stand Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The trial is being broadcast live on Court TV.