You’re invited to enter to win one of two box sets from Transgress Press that include the books Hung Jury: Testimonies of Genital Surgery by Transsexual Men and Below the Belt: Genital Talk by Men of Trans Experience.
Ends September 29. Enter now!
(Source: transguys.com)
This is Jyb, the owner of Transfit, at his gym in Bangkok.
In 2015, Jyb founded a gym exclusively for trans men and lesbians. The workout facility is meant to draw in trans men as well as women who want to train with Jyb and his all-trans-male staff.
Jyb is also appealing to another gender-based identity group that, in the West, might call themselves queer or non-binary. In Thailand they’re called “toms,” a word that borrows from the English word “tomboy.”
“A tom is a woman who dresses like a guy, cuts her hair like a guy and goes out with girls,” Jyb says. Many toms bind their breasts to appear flat-chested. Most prefer the pronoun, in Thai, that approximates “he” instead of “she.”
Some toms do identify as men, but many don’t.
Follow transfitgym on Instagram.
(Source: pri.org)
Anonymous asked: How can I safely start binding my chest?
You can buy binders from these sites
@gc2b-apparel (My #1 recommendation)
http://www.f2mbinders.com/ (AKA underworks)
http://www.lesloveboat.com/shop/index.php?language=en
http://www.danae.info/en/?___from_store=nl
http://showcase.designveronique.com/designveronique/shop/postsurgical/men-1.html
Used Binders
If you can’t afford a binder, don’t despair! Used binders are often passed on by post-op trans men or those whose binders may no longer fit. There are a few programs available that help distribute donated second-hand binders:
- In A Bind – Started in 2012, to date In a Bind has provided safe compression garments to over 1500 youth in need. Trans* masculine and genderqueer youth living anywhere in the USA can apply to receive a free binder. In a Bind depends on donations. Recently had top surgery? Go up or down a size? Find a style that works better for you? Donate those binders you’re no longer using!
- Black Trans Advocacy FTM Binder Grant
- MORF Binder Exchange – Since February 2011, MORF has been providing free binders to trans* masculine people in the UK and around the world. The free scheme (all you pay is the postage) has so far redistributed hundreds of binders. In 2014 alone, over 280 binders were sent out.
- FTME Free Youth Binder Program – Age 24 and under only; USA only.
- Replace the Ace – USA only
- Big Brothers Used Binder Program – Donation required
- Mazzoni Center’s Binder Recycling Program – Only for youth enrolled in P.A.C.T.S., Philadelphia.
- Point 5cc Tshirt Company – Free binder with purchase of t-shirt
- Come As You Are’s Binder Bucks Recycling Program – Canada only
- Qmunity Binder Exchange – BC, Canada only.
- Trans Fellas
- Northern Ireland Binder Scheme – Age 25 and under, N. Ireland only.
You can also try asking around for an inexpensive hand-me-down binder on one of themailing lists for trans guys or check out LiveJournal’s FTM Garage Sale and the FtM Sales, Swap, and Support group on Facebook.
How to Choose a Chest Binder
If you still remember your old bra size, you can find out your binder size by using theBra to Chest Size Converter Tool. If you don’t know your old bra size, you can measure yourself the old-fashioned way:
- Take a snug measurement of the fullest part of your chest using a tape measure (best if measured while clothed) and write that number down onto a sheet of paper.
- Measure underneath your chest where the crease is and write that number down as well.
- Add those numbers together and divide the sum by 2. This number will differentiate your size not only from brand to brand but from binder to binder as well.
Selecting a binder brand and style can be difficult: there are so many options that it can be overwhelming! Plus, there aren’t very many reviews of binders other than those about Underworks’ and T-Kingdom’s more popular models. After buying your binder, help make the experience easier for guys in the future by contributing your review to one of the review sites listed below.
Essentially, there are two types of binders: short ones and long ones. The short ones end right at your waist. The down side of these is that if you carry some extra weight, short binders tend to roll up and act more like a bra. The long ones can be pulled down past your waist by several inches, however it’s inevitable that it will still roll up. To reduce the chances of this, wear a belt. Choosing between a short and long binder has more to do with your body type, specifically your abdomen, and not your chest size.
Lastly, consider the location of the company you’re buying from. Buying from a company that’s closer to you can save you a significant amount of money on shipping costs.
How to Put On a Chest Binder
It might seem silly, but you’re probably going to need some help figuring out how to put on your new binder, particularly if you purchased one of the longer styles.
- Put your binder inside out and upside down.
- Step into your binder and pull the bottom of it up, ideally to your belt line. The binder should still be inside out and upside down.
- Use the sleeves as handles to pull the top of the binder (the end closer to your feet) up to your shoulders.
- Put your arms through the sleeve holes and adjust your chest to your needs. You may need to pull the bottom of the binder out from underneath itself if you don’t want it folded under. For others, leaving it folded under may help stop the binder from rolling up.
Don’t be disappointed if you look in the mirror and it looks like you have one big boob in the middle of your chest. You just need to adjust your chest. Reach in from the neck hole and push your chesticles down and out. You’re basically pushing your nipple toward your armpit to achieve the flattest looking chest possible.
FTM Chest Binding Tips
Very important: When binding, you should not by any means feel as though you can’t breathe or like you’re going to pass out from a lack of oxygen.
Binders aren’t the most comfortable things in the world. To make binding more comfortable, and to reduce the possibility of the binder moving around a bit, some guys wear a light shirt underneath.
Depending on the size of your chest, you may need to layer clothing on top of the binder to get optimal chest flattening. You’ll find that some of the shirts in your closet require you to layer more than shirts in your wardrobe.
You can swim in your binder. Just wear a sleeveless or sleeved T-shirt over it. Don’t worry if your binder seems less effective after a swim, this isn’t permanent. Simply wash it and it will go back to normal.
Your chest will look bigger than it really is when you look down at it. Check in the mirror for a more accurate side view.
Not all binders breathe well, and the reality is that you’re probably going to get hot. If you’ve already started testosterone, you’re definitely going to sweat. The build up of sweat can irritate your skin causing rashes and sores. Wearing a thin cotton shirt that breathes well underneath your binder may help prevent this. If you find this uncomfortable, try applying corn starch to your body before putting on your binder to help keep it from holding in moisture. If you’ve already experienced skin irritation of some sort, take care of it the same way you would an open wound. Washing the irritated area with anti-bacterial soap will keep it clean and help it heal faster.
Conclusion
Chest binding, as cumbersome as it may seem, can be very freeing for transgender men. There’s a plethora of quality FTM chest binding products available for body types of all shapes and sizes. Regardless of what you use for binding, please remember to put your health first. Now that you’re armed with all the information you need to find the right binder for you, go forth and feel more comfortable in your skin!
FTM Chest Binder Reviews
- Chest Binder Reviews Site: Written reviews of various chest binding products. Binders are rated for effectiveness, comfort, and discreetness.
- Binder Reviews’ YouTube Collab Channel: This is a collab channel dedicated to providing reviews of a wide variety of chest binders on different sizes and shapes of people.
(Note: These sites are no longer updated.)
More FTM Chest Binding Resources
- Binding Safely for Your Body: Tips for All Body Types and Sizes
- The 6 Best Tips for Binding in the Summer
- Hudson’s Guide to FTM Binding: Includes a complete list of other products you can use for chest binding, such as compression garments and sports bras.
- FYI Binding Tips: The Butchelor has some useful tips on how to put on a binder, how to keep it from rolling up, and how to wash a binder.
Do you have any tips about binding? Want to share your experience with a particular binder brand or model? Do you know of other binder manufacturers, particularly those outside of Asia and the US? Please leave your comments below.
Last updated: 05/20/16 (x)
Thank you for sharing the TransGuys.com Chest Binding 101 article! And for updating binder vendors as well. The original article is almost 6 years old and obviously a little out of date, lol.
Yan has a harrowing reminder of how haters in Uzbekistan treat transgender people.“There’s a scar left by a screwdriver next to my liver,” the craggy-bearded and long-haired transgender man says, describing how his college classmates attacked him in 1997 in Tashkent, the capital of this former Soviet republic, a mostly Muslim nation of 31 million. Here, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Uzbeks are routinely ostracized, harassed and abused.
Yet despite all odds, Yan had his sex changed officially from female to male, underwent a surgery — and wed his high school sweetheart. It took him three years of patience and insistence, intrusive visits to doctors and officials, threats of legal action, a scrupulous search for loopholes, and… a bottle of expensive brandy.
Learn more about what it’s like to be trans in Uzbekistan.
(Source: Los Angeles Times)
Photos from BBC Newsbeat’s recent documentary that follows two transgender friends as they travel back to Jamaica—one of the most transphobic countries in the world—to reveal their new identities to their families.
This is a well-done documentary with some positive outcomes. Watch now!
(Source: transguys.com)
I never planned activism as a career and had no idea I would still be doing this work. I was inspired to do it because I came out in a time when we were less visible and the unemployment rate for those of us that came out was almost 100%. I just didn’t want others to experience the horrors that I have had to experience and thought it was grossly unfair that one could be fired, killed or otherwise just for being trans.
(Source: forge-forward.org)
1. Find injection sites that work for you (“sweet spots”) and rotate them. The deltoid (arm), vastus lateralis (thigh), and ventrogluteal (hip/butt) muscles are acceptable sites for IM injections. The common dorsogluteal injection site is no longer recommended. (Doing T shots in your butt? Read this.)
2. Choose your gear wisely. Use a needle that is long enough to penetrate deep into the muscle. Use a larger gauge needle for drawing up, then switch to a smaller gauge needle to inject.
3. Shorten your cycle. If you’re injecting every 14 days, you might try moving to a 7 day cycle to see if injecting the smaller volume helps minimize pain.
4. Re-visit your injection technique. Air-lock or Z-track? Are you injecting straight in or does the trajectory of the needle shift during injection? Fast or slow? Small tweaks to your technique might provide big wins in reducing post-injection pain.
5. Warm up and relax. Have a hot shower or bath before your injection to warm up the injection site. While injecting, keep the muscle relaxed (and unflexed.)
6. Warm up your T. too! Hold the vial in a closed fist for a couple of minutes, run it under hot water or place it on a baseboard heater for a minute to warm the T. to room temperature or a little higher. Warm oil in a warm muscle will produce less pain than cold oil in a cold muscle!
7. After sterilizing the injection site with alcohol, let the skin dry. Penetrating the skin with the needle before the alcohol has evaporated can cause a stinging pain sensation.
8. Apply manual pressure to the injection site for 10 seconds before your injection. Be sure to maintain sterility!
9. After your injection, reduce pain and swelling by applying topical Arnica gel or cream, and then ice the injection site.
10. Some people swear by it, so massage the site after injection if you think it helps!
Excerpt from 10 Ways to Make Intramuscular Testosterone Injections Less Painful: A review of scientific studies sets the record straight on minimizing post-injection pain from IM injections.
(Source: transguys.com)
Have you ever worried about the possible long-term effects of being on Testosterone?
Well, you can relax because science has your back.
Italian researchers concluded in 2014 that “Testosterone administration in FtM subjects has a good safety profile” after finding “no significant serious adverse effects and no clinically relevant changes” in 45 FTM patients treated for at least 10 years with T.
Also notable: “Liver and kidney function tests did not show any significant changes.”
The aim of the study was to assess the effects and safety of Testosterone administration on body weight, lipid profile, hematological and bone parameters in trans men.
Source: Safety of More Than Ten Years Testosterone Administration in FTM Subjects. Cristina Meriggiola, MD, PhD, Antonietta Costantino, PhD, Carla Pelusi, MD, Martina Lambertini, MD, Alberto Bazzocchi, MD. Book of Abstracts, WPATH 2014 Biennial International Symposium.
Related Studies:
Largest Study to Date: Transgender Hormone Treatment Safe (2014)
Long-term cross-sex hormone treatment is safe in transsexual subjects.
Cristina Meriggiola M, Berra M. Asian Journal of Andrology. 2012;14(6):813-814. doi:10.1038/aja.2012.89.
Also see: Myths and Misconceptions about Testosterone - FTM Guide
Like a growing number of people, Garry who once identified as a gay man, now eschews sexual labels. Labels, as obliging as they can be, can also be suffocating. They can also present a breadth of rules, which for some is not how they want to play.“The older I’m getting the less I wish to identify as anything,” Garry says. “If you had asked the question two years ago I would have said gay male with some bi-tendencies, but these days I don’t do labels.
“Labels bring rules of expression, rules of nomenclature, a lot of energy is spent judging and I wonder whether we should spend more energy on understanding differences rather than on the judgement that labels can sometimes bring.”
Garry has also been inspired by the fortitude of his trans friends.
“Trans men I know have told me about their journeys and I just take my hat off to their resilience. The personal strength of my trans mates is extraordinary.”
(Source: gaynewsnetwork.com.au)
Going Out On Top: Remembering Matt Kailey
Matt Kailey was a pioneering author, blogger, activist, and nationally recognized speaker on transgender issues. Born in 1955 in Omaha, Nebraska, Kailey transitioned in 1997 at the age of 42 and identified as a gay trans man.
There are few souls who walk this earth who are willing to risk everything to stand up for what is right and help others. Matt was one of those people. – Denise Kodi
(Source: transguys.com)