Transphobia Makes Chest Binding More Dangerous

[Jessica_Rose]

Transphobia Makes Chest Binding More Dangerous

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/transphobia-makes-chest-binding-more-dangerous/ar-BB1m1Rup?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=78b770ce57314356ab36533c9c65dd57&ei=34

Story by Maia Kobabe and Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier (May 2024)

Chest binding, or wearing anything to flatten the chest in order to appear masculine or androgynous, is one of many ways that transmasculine and nonbinary people can affirm their gender identity and harmonize their physical presentation with their sense of self. Some people bind in order to "pass" as male at times when being visibly transgender could be dangerous. Others bind for the mental health benefits, documented across multiple studies, of being able to move through the world feeling at home in an authentic identity. But despite these life-changing benefits, anti-trans activists focus on the risks of binding, such as shortness of breath, skin abrasions, or shoulder pain, and seek to restrict the practice.

Binding scares anti-trans activists because of its accessibility. Unlike hormones, binding requires no prescription; unlike state-ID changes, it requires no paperwork.