Loges

Well I bind my chest and that’s quite difficult to do that every day and like, because it’s quite painful, so I definitely think surgery would help that a lot because I wouldn’t have to do that every day.

Could you describe the kind of the process of binding?

It’s quite painful really on the ribs because it’s just like, really tight around the chest when I flatten them out, it does restrict breathing and it’s really not the best but it’s what most people do to try and pass.

And how do you feel about it?

I think it is quite good that like companies have made these things that can do that but I think it’s, there a lot of misinformation about the different ways to bind. Like people say to use bandages which is a no, duct tape – no… I think there should just be a lot more information on ‘this is how you bind, this is how you shouldn’t bind’.

Okay can you tell, can you tell me a bit more about the do’s and the don’ts?

You should only wear it for like 8 to 10 hours at the most, you shouldn’t wear doubles of them, you shouldn’t use any kind of duct tape. You shouldn’t use bandages because they’ll just close and restrict the breathing. You need to take a rest. Just like make sure you’re not overheating from them.

How do you deal with all that stuff?

I just try and like work out like if I go to work and then I have to like stay home and then go out with my friends for a bit I will have a break then and make sure I’m okay. There’s some days were you can’t do that so it’s just like making sure that 9 out of 10 days you’re able to have a break.

I think it’s quite positive if you stay in like the social bubble of like trans positivity but then like when you branch out and there’s like people spreading transphobic things and like people making videos about their opinions but I think it’s quite good really because like if someone meets one of those a lot of the community will like try and move that away and like not bring attention to it.

So when you say like the bubble of tran’s positivity what do you mean?

Like everyone’s kind of like just being positive and like anyone who is being disrespectful or anything they’ll just remove and it’s just like their own safe place like there’s a lot of Facebook groups I’m in like [support group] and it’s like you can put anything in there and people will help and it’s like if there’s anyone who’d not supposed to be in there they’ll just get them moved.