[fleecal]

Say it with me

Cheating is not the same as polyamory. Cheating is not the same as polyamory. Cheating is not the same as polyamory. Cheating is not the same as polyamory. ＣＨＥＡＴＩＮＧ  ＩＳ  ＮＯＴ  ＴＨＥ  ＳＡＭＥ  ＡＳ  ＰＯＬＹＡＭＯＵＲＹ

[intersectionalfeminism]

I have gotten questions on this blog in the past about how cheating and polyamory differ, so here is a brief explanation:

Healthy relationships, regardless of whether or not they are polyamorous or monogamous, involve trust, consent, and respect of boundaries. 

Polyamorous relationships are not cheating because the people everyone involved is consenting to a polyamorous relationship, boundaries are set up regarding the relationship(s) and how the polyamory will be explored, and the partners in the relationship trust each other. 

Cheating, contrary to that, involves a lack of consent, a breaking of relationship boundaries, and a lack of trust. 

So, for example,

Polyamory: Jamie has a primary romantic partner (Harper), a primary queer platonic partner (Jordan). He also enjoys casually dating other people. Harper and Jordan know about each other and are consenting and happy to both be primary partners of Jamie. When Jamie became partners with both of them, he made sure they were okay with him casually dating other people. Jamie also discusses his polyamory with his dating partners before they go out to make sure they are consenting to the situation as well. Jamie checks in frequently with Harper and Jordan to make sure they are all happy, and secure in their relationships, and they frequently have discussion about what they are comfortable with and what they want boundaries to look like in their relationships. 

Cheating: Jamie has two primary partners, Harper and Jordan. Jordan is monogamous and does not feel comfortable being with a polyamorous partner. Harper is open to a polyamorous relationship, but would like to have boundaries regarding sex because they feel that it is a very intimate act that should be reserved for primary partners. Jordan does not know about Harper, and Jamie lied to Harper and told them that he was not having sex with Jordan. 

[spicysugarbaby]

Sex worker PSA

Last night my client mentioned how after I came to his house the last time I popped up on his Facebook. He wanted to warn me that even if you turn your location services off (which I always do) it still tracks your location and if you’re in close vicinity with someone you will pop up on their Facebook. So now he knows my real name and info. Thankfully he’s very nice and warned me, just be careful ladies!! You don’t want your info in the wrong hands

[whoisdangerwoman-deactivated201]

Here’s a helpful thing: SEX WORKERS: CLIENTS ARE SEEING YOU ON FACEBOOK! HERE’S HOW TO STOP IT.

[theconcealedweapon]

Saying “We have Black Entertainment Television, so why don’t we have White Entertainment Television?” is like saying “We have turkey bacon, so why don’t we have pork bacon?”

We do have pork bacon. But because pork is the default for bacon, we don’t call it pork bacon. We just call it bacon.

The same is true with television. The vast majority of television is controlled by white people. But because white people controlling something is the default, we don’t call it white television. We just call it television.

Instead of complaining that you don’t have a television network that caters to you, realize that television caters to you so much that just calling it television means that it most likely caters to you.

[lagonegirl]

Are you a woman of color who needs money for college or grad school?

Here are 100 scholarships to choose from:

Unless otherwise stated, all minority scholarships are applicable to women from underserved ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians.

Arts Scholarships

Girls* Who Illustrate Awesomeness Scholarship 

Apply here.

Blanche E. Coleman Foundation Scholarship 

For more information contact the foundation using this information.

National Society of Arts and Letters Scholarships

Apply here.

Bev Sellers Scholarship

Learn more here.

BMI Foundation: John Lennon Scholarship 

Apply here.

Worldstudio Foundation AIGA Scholarship

Apply here.

Women in Film Foundation Scholarship Learn more here.

Education Scholarships

Nancy Larson Foundation College Scholarship Apply here.

Minority Doctoral Loan For Service Apply here.

National Academy of Education Spencer Dissertation Fellows Apply here.

STEM Scholarships

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Apply here.

Software Testing Scholarship Apply here.

ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship Apply here.

Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Apply here.

AWG Minority Scholarship Apply here.

National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program Apply here.

Stan Beck Fellowship Apply here.

APS Minority Scholarship Apply here.

AICPA Minority Accounting Students Scholarships Apply here.

Mae & Mary Scholarship Learn more here.

The Generation Google Scholarship Apply here.

Microsoft Minority Scholarship Learn more.

Charles Shelton Veterinary Medicine/Technology Scholarship Apply here.

Brown and Caldwell Minority Scholarship Apply here.

Surety & Fidelity Industry Intern and Scholarship Program Apply here.

¡Adelante! Fund Scholarships Apply here.

Elliott C. Roberts Scholarship Apply here.

P.L.A.Y. Scholarship Apply here.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships Apply here.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program Apply here.

National Medical Fellowship Scholarships Program Apply here.

SanDisk Scholars Fund Apply here.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Apply here.

General Merit Scholarships

Udall Undergraduate Scholarships Apply here.

Fulbright Scholars Program Learn more here.

Courage to Grow Scholarship Apply here.

BUICK Achievers Scholarships Apply here.

Coca-Cola Scholars Apply here.

Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship Apply here.

Burger King Scholars Apply here.

Roothbert Fund Scholarship Apply here.

Liberty Mutual  Scholarships Apply here.

State Farm Good Neighbor Scholarship Apply here.

LPGA Foundation Scholarship Apply here.

NCAA Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship Apply here.

Discover Student Loans Scholarship Apply here.

Scholarship America Dream Award Apply here.

AXA Achievement Community Award Apply here.

Catharine Lealtad Scholarships More info here.

Marine Corps Scholarships Apply here.

La Unidad Latina Foundation Scholarships Apply here.

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships Learn more here.

GE – Reagan Foundation Scholarship Learn more here.

Fundación Kinesis Scholarships Learn more here.

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Apply here.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Apply here.

Ronald McDonald House Charities African American Future Achievers Apply here.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Apply here.

Omega Phi Beta – Reach for the Gold Scholarships Apply here.

Questbridge Scholarship Learn more here.

Ron Brown Scholar Program Apply here.

United Negro College Fund Learn more here.

DAR American Indian Scholarship Learn more here.

Frances Crawford Marvin American Indian Scholarship Learn more here.

Business Scholarships

American Bus Association Diversity Scholarship Apply here.

FormSwift Scholarship Apply here.

17oxen Digital Marketing  Scholarship Apply here.

Les Dames d’Escoffier International Scholarship Apply here.

AICPA Minority Accounting Students Scholarships Apply here.

Morgan Stanley Richard B. Fisher Scholarship Program Apply here.

National Society of Hispanic MBAs Scholarship Program Apply here.

Herman J. Neal Scholarship Apply here.

HACU Scholarships Apply here.

National Black MBA Association Scholarships Apply here.

Surety & Fidelity Industry Intern and Scholarship Program Apply here.

The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students Apply here.

Minorities in Hospitality Scholars Program Learn more here.

RICOH Scholarship Program Learn more here.

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Learn more here.

Social Science Scholarships

ASA Minority Fellowship Program Apply here.

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program Apply here.

Harry S. Truman Scholarship Amount: $30,000 | Application Deadline: February Apply here.

American Library Association Spectrum Scholarship Apply here.

Fellowship on Women and Public Policy Amount: $31,000 | Application Deadline: September Apply here.

Jennings Randolph Peace Scholarship Dissertation Program Amount: $20,000 | Application Deadline: November Apply here.

Judith McManus Price Scholarship Apply here.

Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate & Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Amount: Up to $37,500 | Application Deadline: December Apply here.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Award Learn more here.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Scholarship Learn more here.

Law Scholarships

American Bar Association Jeanne P. Gray Diversity Scholarship Learn more here.

Backfire & Backfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship Apply here.

NALP Diversity Scholarships Amount: Up to $30,000| Application Deadline: Varies here.

Sidney B. Williams Scholarship Apply here.

Communications Scholarships

The Jacqueline Woodson Fellowship for a Young People’s Writer of African or Caribbean Descent Learn more here.

Proofreading.com Scholarship Apply here.

The LAGRANT Foundation Scholarships Apply here.

Leonard M. Perryman Communications Scholarship for Racial Ethnic Minority Students Apply here.

National Press Club Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Apply here.

Chips Quinn Scholars Program Apply here.

Allison E. Fisher Scholarship Apply here.

Emma Bowen Foundation Fellowship Learn more here.

source

The list with more art scholarships – here: http://www.scholarshipsforwomen.net/art/

I’m so happy more opportunities are coming up! Scholarships are in effect a gift of free cash. Free cash is very popular in every society and nation. So the applicant and recipient of scholarship money has worked very hard and has much to offer our society and is a deserved winner. It is still a free cash gift… GET IT! 

These presentations shows you how to write a winner scholarship:

application:http://www.thefreeschool.education/scholarships.html

#BlackGirls #EducatedBlack 

[swampvvitch-1990]

NoDAPL Dec 27, 2016

Now that the hype over #NoDAPL has died down, and everyone has gotten complacent what with the holidays and what not…

Morton County initiates yet ANOTHER assault unto Water Protectors during PRAYER (yet again) and makes even more arrests.

Nevermind that they refuse to remove DAPL workers who continually tinker away after the ACOE and the freaking POTUS denies the damn easement…ensuring that the already illegal construction is extra illegal….

This, after they explicitly made a statement about not backing DAPL should events not occur in their favor.

I am truly dumbfounded that people are STILL denying Anti Native sentiment, White Supremacy and Corporate influence of Police corruption surrounding the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

So like…you took the time off to spend with your families and now that that’s over all of you are back to harassing Native peoples?

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/12/water-protectors-arrested-shot-at.html

[boy-positive]

Normalize boys touching eachother without it being sexual. Normalize boys hugging. Normalize boys being affectionate. Normalize boys needing each other. Normalize strong friendships between boys.

[theslaybymic]

8 women on why they’re reclaiming the word “fat”

follow @this-is-life-actually

[theslaybymic]

There’s finally a photo filtering app that won’t whitewash people of color

When Alesha Randolph wants to post a selfie on Instagram, she knows there’s only one filter that is flattering to her skin tone: Sierra. Yes, Instagram filters can work against people of color.  But Randolph, a senior designer at Vox, and her fellow designers and engineers were tired of accepting it as a given. So they developed Tonr, a photo-editing desktop app built to enhance and affirm nonwhite skin tones.

Follow @this-is-life-actually

[eveewing]

“I think of too many of my white graduate students at Harvard who somehow feel perfectly comfortable calling me by my first name, but feel reluctant to refer to my white male colleagues– even those junior to me– in the same way. And I think about how my black students almost always refer to me as ‘Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot’ even when I have known them a long time and urge them to be less formal. The title indicates their respect for me, but also their own feelings of self-respect, that part of them that gets mirrored in my eyes. And besides, if their mothers or grandmothers heard them call me by my first name, they would be embarrassed; they would think that they had not raised their children right. So I completely understand when one of them says to me (n response to my request that he call me Sara after we have worked together for years), ‘I’m sorry, that is not in my repertoire, Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot.’

  These private daily encounters with white and black students are punctuated by public moments– too numerous to recall– when the humiliation of being called by my first name seems to demand an explicit response; when I feel I must react to the assault not only for my own self-protection, but also in order to teach a lesson on respectful behavior. I regard these public encounters as ‘teachable moments.’ I make a choice to respond to them; a choice that I know will both help to shield me and render me more vulnerable.

A few years ago I was asked to speak at a conference at the University of Chicago, a meeting for social scientists and their graduate students about race, class, gender, and school achievement. The other speaker was Professor James Coleman, a distinguished sociologist, a white man several years my senior who was well known and highly regarded for his large-scale statistical studies on educational achievement. Both of us came to the conference well prepared and eager to convey our work to fellow scholars. The language of the occasion was full of the current rhetoric of our disciplines; focused, serious, sometimes esoteric and opaque. I say all this to indicate that there was nothing playful or casual about either of our presentations. Neither of us said anything that suggested informality or frivolity. 

When we had finished speaking, the moderator opened the floor for questions, and several hands shot up in the air. The first to speak was a middle-aged white man who identified himself as an advanced graduate student finishing his training at another prestigious university. He began, ‘I would like to address my question to both Professor Coleman and Sara…’ I could feel my heart racing, then my mind go blank. In fact, I could not even hear his question after he delivered the opening phrase. I saw there having a conversation with myself, feeling the same rage that my parents must have felt sixty years earlier in Jackson, Mississippi. How can this be? How can this guy call him ‘Professor’ and me ‘Sara’? And he has no clue about what he has done, how he has injured me. I’m not even sure that the others in the audience have heard what he just said; whether they’ve recognized the asymmetry, the assault. Somehow, I must have indicated to Jim Coleman (we were friends and colleagues) that I wanted to respond first. He must have seen the panic in my eyes and my shivering body. I heard my voice say very slowly, very clearly, ‘Because of the strange way you addressed both of us, “Professor Coleman and Sara,” I am not able to respond to your question. As a matter of fact,’ I say, leaning into the microphone, holding onto it for dear life, ‘I couldn’t even hear your question.’ The room was absolutely still. I was not sure that there were any people out there who had any idea how I was feeling, any idea that I was on fire. But my voice must have conveyed my pain, even if the cause was obscure to them. ‘Would you please repeat your question?’ I asked the man, who had by now slid halfway down his seat, and whose face revealed a mixture of pain and defiance. ‘And this time, would you ask it in a way that I will be able to hear it.’ …My ancestors were speaking, reminding me of my responsibility to teach this lesson of respect; reminding me that I deserved to be respected.” - Prof. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Respect: An Exploration, Chapter 2

[micdotcom]

At last but not least, we saw the power of protest

[micdotcom]

People haven’t felt a whole lot of love for 2016, and for good reason. But this year also provided many people who make us hopeful for 2017. Here are some of the people that inspired us this year:

[intersectionalfeminism]

Over the past year there have been a number of reports in the news of Muslim people being assaulted and having their hijabs, burkas, and niqabs ripped off. (Examples: [1], [2], [3]) So you might be wondering:

What do I do if I see someone’s head covering ripped off?

1. In some cases, calling the police or an ambulance can be damaging to the victim:

Police is certain areas can perpetrate extreme amounts of racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.

Ambulance and hospital bills can cause extreme financial stress.

However, if the attacker is continuously aggressive or increasingly aggressive, calling the police may be vital to stop the situation. And if the victim is seriously physically harmed or unresponsive, it is vital to call an ambulance to potentially save their life.

2. If the attacker is not overly aggressive, and it is safe to do so, intervene:

Calmly but firmly say things to the attacker. Such as, “Get away from them.” or “I have called the police and they are on their way.”

If you are with other people, stand next to the victim. Groups of people are more intimidating than individuals, which may prevent the attacker from further antagonizing the victim. 

3. Make a note of what the attacker looks like, or take pictures of the attacker:

This can be used if the victim wishes to report the attack. 

Try to avoid getting the victim in the photo as they may not want photos of themselves without their head covering. 

4. Help the victim:

Offer them something to cover themselves such as hats, scarves, sweaters, or jackets. 

Ask them if they would like you to call an ambulance or the police. Some people may choose not to get police involved due to fear of police discrimination, police brutality, or for some, immigration reasons. Do not try to force them to get the police involved.

Ask them if there is anything you can do for them. They may not want you to help them. However, if they are upset / in shock and are having difficult answering, you may want to ask them more direct questions:

Offer to escort them somewhere else more private, such as a bathroom. 

Offer to call someone from their support system for them.

Offer to stay with them while they calm themselves (especially if they are having a panic attack), or offer to help them with some breathing techniques.

Comfort them and validate them. It can be surprisingly helpful to tell someone, “This wasn’t your fault. You did not deserve this.” 

Above all, respect and listen to them. If they ask you to look away from them, to not touch them, or to back away from them, listen to this and respect their autonomy. 

If you have any more suggestions or improvements to this list, feel free to reblog and add!

[lbpqs]

it’s hard not to notice how blindingly white a lot of lbpq media is, so i decided to make this list for all the lesbian, bi, pan, poly, and queer women of color looking for representation. i’ve only read or watched a few of these myself, so while i can’t vouch for most of them personally, i did my best to avoid media with bigoted portrayals. i added pretty much everything i could find but if i missed something, send us an ask and i’ll try and add it!

MOVIES

mosquita y mari

pariah

i can’t think straight

saving face

spider lilies

yes or no 1

yes or no 2

gay mean girls (short film)

black girl in paris (short film)

miao miao

the world unseen

circumstance

the chinese botanist’s daughter

fire

butterfly

sancharram

the incredibly true adventures of two girls in love

bessie

appropriate behavior

reaching for the moon

margarita

mississippi damned

SHOWS

the peculiar kind (webseries)

dyke central (webseries)

leslieville (webseries)

the march family letters (webseries)

empire (recurring)

the fosters (main)

grey’s anatomy (major)

the wire (major + recurring)

the l word (main)

glee (main)

pretty little liars (main + recurring)

true blood (major)

emily owens, m.d. (major)

white collar (major)

under the dome (main)

orange is the new black (major)

sense8 (recurring)

person of interest (main)

legend of korra (main)

revolutionary girl utena (main)

sailor moon (main)

survivor’s remorse (main)

PEOPLE

halsey (singer)

bai ling (actress)

samira wiley (actress)

bessie smith (singer)

stormé delarverie

mabel hampton (activist, dancer)

moms mabley (comedian)

michelle rodriguez (actress)

raven symoné (actress, singer)

angela davis (activist)

jewelle gomez (author)

gladys bentley (singer)

margaret cho (actress, comedian)

sylvia rivera (activist)

josephine baker (singer)

audre lorde (activist)

wanda sykes (comedian, actress)

frida kahlo (artist)

syd tha kid (singer)

BOOKS

the color purple - alice walker

ash - malinda lo

huntress - malinda lo

southland - nina revoyr

the house you pass on the way - jacqueline woodson

the second mango - shira glassman

the telling - ursula k. le guin

santa olivia  - jacqueline carey

the children of gavrilek - julie kriton chandelier

lies we tell ourselves - robin talley

from the notebooks of melanin sun - jacqueline woodson

afterworlds - scott westerfeld

tell me again how a crush should feel - sara farizan

not otherwise specified - hannah moskin

silver moon - catherine lundoff

fire - kristin cashore

otherbound - corrine duyvis

moon at nine - deborah ellis

the shattering - karen healey

the summer prince - alaya dawn johnson

ask the passengers - a.s. king

everything leads to you - nina lacour

liar - justine larbaliester

boyfriends with girlfriends - alex sanchez

love and lies - ellen wittlinger

she loves you, she loves you not - julie anne peters

lies my girlfriend told me - julie anne peters

when we wake - karen healey

while we run - karen healey

hard love - ellen wittlinger

love hurts - malorie blackman

kaleidoscope - alicia krasnostein & julia rios

love is the drug - alaya dawn johnson

the young elites - marie lu

geography club - brent hartinger

alex as well - alyssa brugman

desert blood - alicia gaspar de alba

the summer we got free - mia mckenzie

BLOGS

difeminawoc​

lgbtq-asians-united​

biwoc

queerwoc

fyqueerlatinxs

wocwholikewoc

[micdotcom]

Watch: This revolutionary multimedia project is teaching the world to become cliterate 

[sexetc]

Just in case you had questions about the clitoris.

[oh-archivist]

God okay so I’m going to say this now; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not risk your health or anyone’s in the form of getting a “cheap” binder of ebay or where ever. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save your $4-$10 dollars for those cheap ebay ones and put it towards a gc2b binder. Or if you want an Underworks go for that but I highly suggest gc2b. They’re about $40 (with shipping) and will last you WAY longer than any cheap ebay one. They are MEANT for lasting you. I wash mine many times week, wear it daily, Wear them daily. I have two. Had them for almost a year now. But I cannot urge you enough to PLEASE save up your pennies for a PROPER SAFE binder. Binders you can breathe in, binders you can move in, binders that don’t crush your ribs, binders that are comfortable, binders that are safe.

This isn’t a safe binder:

It uses clasps and not compression.

This is a gc2b binder; made by trans people for trans people:

These binders have no clasps but uses spandex to compress you safety. 

Measure your chest before ordering to make sure you don’t get one too small or too large.

Add-on (07/16): YOU CAN BIND NO MATTER WHAT YOUR GENDER ID IS. IF YOU GOT TITTIES, AND WANT TO FLATTEN THEM??? Bind! With proper binders. Below is a copy and paste from a FTM website so that’s why it’s heavy on the transgender and FTM phrases. But you can be a cis-women, agender, non-binary, transgender! This is literally for everyone who wants to bind!

UPDATE (07/12)

I wanted to add more information on where you can buy binders and info in general about binders

You can buy binders from these sites

@gc2b-apparel​ (OPs #1 Recommendation)

@shapeshiftersinc​

http://www.f2mbinders.com/ (AKA underworks)

http://www.t-kingdom.com/

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

http://en.nabeshirt.com/shop/

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)

[intersectionalfeminism]

Ah shit, I’m finally back.

[intersectionalfeminism]

[Image description: The image is a Tumblr submission. The submission is from someone who has put their name as “Leonidas” and their email address as “PoC Appropriated My Culture @ Gmail.com”. The message says: “I’d just like to point out that while PoC claim that white people wearing dreadlocks is cultural appropriation, the original wearers of the dreadlocks hairstyle were Neanderthals living in Europe around the last glacial period for about 100,000 years and Spartan warriors living in Greece. So technically, PoC appropriated “non-coloured” cultures.”] 

*logs onto Tumblr* 

*sees this as the first message in my inbox*

*logs off Tumblr*