Binding at work.

[Banf]

One of my friends suggested I wear my binder to work once in a while, and was certain it'd be fine. But I'm not so sure! I'm not out in general at work yet, only him and one other guy knows about my transness. Everyone else of course sees me with short hair and boyish clothes but I don't think anyone has come to any conclusion except perhaps I'm not completely straight.

Although I have had some interesting comments.. I grumbled once that the ladies toilets were on the opposite side of the pub, while the mens were right next to us.. One of the guys goes "Wait what, you use the ladies?! :O" in kind of mock surprise. P:
Another guy who hadn't even known me very long asked me randomly if I could choose would I rather be a man or a woman. I said very plainly "A man." and we ended up talking about it for a long time.
Seems when people do mention something it's about gender not sexuality, which is nice!


Anyway about the binding.. My friend said people shouldn't be staring at my chest anyways, that it probably won't register. I said if he went into work with a purple feather sticking out of his fly zipper, that would be totally not weird because people shouldn't be looking anyway?

I can imagine that a lot of people have no idea about trans stuff, and I don't want them jumping to silly conclusions/judgements when they do notice me binding, if they haven't had the chance to actually talk to me about it.

I'm not wrong, right? o: Because it is tempting, and I would love to wear the thing at work, where I spend most of my day and enjoy the company of many people. It's a pretty liberal workplace in a pretty liberal city. Do people even notice/care about these things?

What are your experiences of starting binding at work/school before officially 'coming out'? Think it's wise to just let people come to their own conclusions?
I've been thinking about a big 'coming out' event as has been suggested online and stuff, and I'm not really excited by that. I don't want a big fuss about it. :/

[sneakersjay]

I started wearing men's clothes and my binder well before coming out and nobody noticed.


Jay

[LordKAT]

I started wearing men's clothes and my binder well before coming out and nobody noticed.


Jay

same except for my boss, he didn't say anything tho.

[spacial]

What's the worst that can happen?

[Greg]

I really don't think anyone would notice/mention it. Just go for it, I say.

[Alessandro]

I started wearing men's clothes and my binder well before coming out and nobody noticed.

Same here.  Binding doesn't help me pass but it does help me to look in the mirror. 

[Ryuu]

When I started binding, no one noticed except my then bf. So I'd say as long as you aren't around anyone who's not overly interested in your moobs, you'll be fine.

[MuddyFrog]

I started binding a year and a half before I came out at work. Two years if you count the weekend and after work binding when I wanted to go to the skatepark. People even if they notice the last thing they want is a write up for saying something about your chest. I never did get comments during that time. Before binding I wore baggy or layered to hide my chest not to mention the hunching so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. Wait I did have one comment after I started binding it took me a while to connect the dots. As I said before I hunched in and down. The comment was "Are you getting taller?"

[Adio]

I binded for years in high school (and college) without anyone noticing.  My mom was scared that people would pick up on it and wonder where my chest was, but no one ever did.  At least not aloud or not to me.  And I went from having a very large chest to almost completely flat overnight.  I say go for it.

[Radar]

I've been binding all day- including at work- since May (I think) and not a single co-worker has said a word. And it's quite obvious that my moobs have "gone away". So, who knows.

[Kris]

Hmm i don't know I never really thought about it to tell you the truth. I bind every day I go to work. Sometimes I won't bind like if I hurt or feel sick I wont wear it and nobody says anything but more people as in customers call me a girl and not sir but I am about a large C so when I'm not wearing it you can tell. I told one of my co-workers that I bind because we were talking about how many shirts he wears to work. He was really cool about it but everybody else never said anything. They still look at me the same. Some of my girl co-workers even flirt with me now. So I say just do it and if anything is said make a joke like "Ah your a creeper why you looking at my chest anyways" lol About the coming out thing...Nobody needs to know unless you feel like sharing. So if you feel like you want to make your chest flatter do it.

[Silver]

They probably won't notice or at least, won't say anything.

[Nimetön]

They probably won't notice or at least, won't say anything.

That's hilarious.  How could they say anything?  How do you broach that subject at the office?

"Look, ah... Carla... about the, ah... well, we've noticed an absence here in the office, really... two absences, I should say.  Like a pair of old friends have gone missing... Makes the guys lonely, eh?  Ah, no, you don't know what I am talking about, do you... how shall I put this... *ahem*"

- N

[Silver]

"Look, ah... Carla... about the, ah... well, we've noticed an absence here in the office, really... two absences, I should say.  Like a pair of old friends have gone missing... Makes the guys lonely, eh?  Ah, no, you don't know what I am talking about, do you... how shall I put this... *ahem*"

[Elijah3291]

well either they wont notice.. or they will notice but not say anything.. I mean they arent going to say, "stop binding your boobs, I want your boobs showing" thats sexual harassment lol.  if they see that your chest isnt showing then they will probably not say anything about it, it would be rude to say "where are your boobs"

I dont have personal experience b/c I transitioned inbetween HS and college..

[Banf]

Wow, I really am surprised by these responses! :O I would have thought people surely would be a bit more observant.

Alright well I'm going along to a transgender meet thing tomorrow, so binding for work will mean I don't even have to change in the toilets before that, woo. I'll try it!

When I'm out with work buddies we often get "What can I get you boys/lads?" at a bar etc, even if I'm up front. They don't poke me about it anymore, so maybe they won't be surprised about a flat chest even if they notice.. p:


Haha, Nimeton! Well the atmosphere in the 'office' is not exactly like that, yeh see. We're basically a bunch of big kids put in a room together and told to make video games all day. Pretty sure at least certain people won't hesitate to say something if they notice! :p

[Ryuu]

"Look, ah... Carla... about the, ah... well, we've noticed an absence here in the office, really... two absences, I should say.  Like a pair of old friends have gone missing... Makes the guys lonely, eh?  Ah, no, you don't know what I am talking about, do you... how shall I put this... *ahem*"

[sneakersjay]

I had been in the process of transitioning but wasn't yet out at work.  I was about to have my hysto, and I had mentioned that I was going to be having surgery (don't remember how it came up).  One of my coworkers pipes up, oh, what, are you having a boob job?  So clearly he had noticed.  I just went with it and said, no, that's in December (when my top surgery was scheduled).  Just not the boob job he was envisioning, LOL.


Jay

[Jamie-o]

I started binding about 8 months before coming out.  As far as I know, only one person noticed.  He didn't actually say anything, but I caught him trying to check out my rack, and looking utterly perplexed when he didn't find anything worth ogling.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

I went back to binding recently after living for almost a year as a girl again...and people didn't notice, or didn't say anything. I had to say outright, "I'm going back to living as a man, and I want to be called Leo," in order for them to think anything of it.