Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hey, guys. Just wondering, has anybody tried just going swimming without a shirt, sans surgery? I always thought it was odd, since typically, gynecomastia isn't illegal to have, and that's all it is, really. So, just wondering if anybody's tried this. Share your experiences!

In public?  I have had gynecomastia for 40 years, and I don't hit the beach not wearing at least a summer suit.

(A secluded beach is another matter altogether)  ;)

No  I haven't tried this.

I want to, but it's illegal in every province except Ontario. That and I don't like seeing my chest not being flat.

Totally legal where I am, plus there's some clothing optional beaches in the area. I've never done it but during trans march there's a lot of trans people without top surgery marching shirtless.

It would be interesting to see what would happen, especially if the guy had a beard and was legally male, since I don't think you can arrest a man for indecent top exposure..

I would never do it though.

I might if my chest was smaller.

I wouldn't consider it.  It's not a matter of whether people on the beach see my moobs and think "man boobs" - my dysphoria doesn't allow me to look at or feel the sensation of them freely moving about.

Nope-With my extremely large gut and massive jiggly puffs of destruction that probably wouldn't be such a good idea.  I can hear the phrase "kill it before it lays eggs" run through my mind now.

I did go outside topless a few days ago though but it was so dark and around like 1 am so no one saw.  I was outside for a few split seconds and then I came back in.

Once or twice I've been outside and saw that there was no one around and decided to go topless, but never when there was any chance of any one seeing.  I've got a pretty small chest so I actually find it less dysphoric to be topless as I feel that's a "male" thing to be able to do but it's just not socially acceptable and I don't pass anywhere near well enough to be able to argue with anyone over men being allowed to be topless in beaches/while swimming, but if I could and there wasn't that many people around I might try it.

If I had chest hair I might consider doing that.  Unfortunately I'm not genetically predisposed to chest hair so I'm not holding out much hope.

I'm really lucky because I live in a rural area, and I do find chances to swim/kayak, etc.,  in just trunks (swimming holes out in the woods, etc.). It's fun and all, but I know once the moobs are out there's no chance to pass if someone were to come upon me. Whereas, in a binder and tank top, I can pass.

I hate that word 'topless'--it just sounds so female-oriented to me. I just say, shirtless, took my shirt off, etc. Would a cis guy call it 'topless'? Just wonderin...

You know, now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever heard a guy use the word 'top' to refer to a shirt in any context. Curious.

I read of a heavier guy who was very hairy after T who had rather large moobs (as in way bigger than the usual cis-male big moobs). He was doing some roofing and it was hotter than Hades so he took his shirt off.  On his roof. In public.  In his neighborhood.  Nobody batted an eyelash.  I guess you can get away with it if you are that hairy and look very masculine.

Me, I wish I had hair to hide my scars.  I have gone shirtless on a beach, but it was fairly empty.  I'm afraid now with all the trans men in the media that my scars are an obvious giveaway and I am stealth.  So shirts and rashguards it is for me.  Though, I am getting (cough, cough) old, so maybe I can say lung surgery and get away with it.


Jay

I agree with the folks up top- swimming shirtless was possible for me earlier in my transition, but I never did it because once the shirt came off, so did any possibility of being correctly gendered.

ive swam in a pool shirtless but never around other people i can pass in water shirtless or lying down but once out of the water the illusion is gone.

Maybe if I had top done but the only thing i consider topless now is a double sports bra or a binder. If I'm not flat or flatish...its just doesn't work for me

Quote from: sneakersjay on July 20, 2012, 12:24:49 PM
  I'm afraid now with all the trans men in the media that my scars are an obvious giveaway and I am stealth.

I completely agree with this. Thats why I hate ftm stuff being in the media at all. Im fine for people to be "out" in their lives, but I dont like when they go public with it, and heighten chances of people then being suspicious of my scars.
  But anyway, before surgery, the last time I went swimming was around age 12. I just couldnt after, I didnt want to deal with my body. As for swimming shirtless, well, if I had my own pool (which practically noone does in England) then I may have done, if I could guarantee not a living soul would have seen me! Then maybe.

Ive been swimming once after surgery so far. I was about 3 months post op, went to Amsterdam with my girlfriend (didnt do drugs, before you suspect :p) and went swimming there. It was good to do it somewhere my mind could completely associate with distant - distant from anyone I may know.
It felt great being in the water. But walking around, I did feel very self conscious of my scars and my hips too actually. It needs working on.

I've never done this but have thought about it. My chest is pretty small now and I have a lot of chest hair but my nipples are on the bigger side... so I don't think I'd be able to pull it off. I'd probably confuse the hell out of some people though, lol. Can't wait to one day feel the cold water of an ocean directly against my chest.

Quote from: lexical on July 21, 2012, 07:11:54 PM
I've never done this but have thought about it. My chest is pretty small now and I have a lot of chest hair but my nipples are on the bigger side... so I don't think I'd be able to pull it off. I'd probably confuse the hell out of some people though, lol. Can't wait to one day feel the cold water of an ocean directly against my chest.

Nipples?  there are cis men with larger nipples

Areolas?  there are cis men with larger areolas

I specify between the two because I found out recently that 99 percent of the internet trans man crowd thinks nipples and areolas are the same thing.

Quote from: sneakersjay on July 20, 2012, 12:24:49 PM
Though, I am getting (cough, cough) old, so maybe I can say lung surgery and get away with it.
Jay

just the scars are a result of you being in a car accident or something

Quote from: Andy8715 on July 21, 2012, 09:54:21 PM
Nipples?  there are cis men with larger nipples

Areolas?  there are cis men with larger areolas

I specify between the two because I found out recently that 99 percent of the internet trans man crowd thinks nipples and areolas are the same thing.

lol, I know the difference but yeah i meant areolas... said nipples instead because i just hate that word. feels very female to me for some reason, even though i know dudes have them too.

I went swimming in a creek with just my girlfriend and it is a completely secluded area over a large hill with a lot of trees although there is a house a lit bit down from it and I swam in the creek shirtless with my swimming trunks on.

I really wanna do this at some point. I'm trying to figure out logistics of how to do it without having to go to a nude beach.

Quote from: Charlizard on July 19, 2012, 06:30:48 PM
Hey, guys. Just wondering, has anybody tried just going swimming without a shirt, sans surgery? I always thought it was odd, since typically, gynecomastia isn't illegal to have, and that's all it is, really. So, just wondering if anybody's tried this. Share your experiences!

I haven't been out without a shirt pre-op, but been around transguys who have and no one seemed to care. But its not illegal here (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) for anyone to have their shirt off, so I'm not sure what the reaction would be in places where its explicitly illegal for people assigned female at birth to have their shirts off.

Quote from: Edge on July 19, 2012, 07:09:37 PM
I want to, but it's illegal in every province except Ontario. That and I don't like seeing my chest not being flat.

Actually, there are no laws in Canada that state explicitly that assigned females cannot go bare chested in public. The only time when there's been problems is when people misinterpret the Indecency Act, but any form of nudity that is not overtly sexual is entirely legal in Canada. Unfortunately, depending on where you are, if you're around fundies who have a problem with it, they might make trouble for you. But its becoming more common these days for people to accept that assigned females going shirtless isn't "indecent." Though if you live in a small town...that's a different story.

But just be aware that it is NOT actually illegal.

I am an avid swimmer and have been able to deal w my dysphoria enough in the past to swim shirtless. I'm quite large chested and rather like the feeling of them floating, it's as close as I can get to them actually being not there currently. However, a place would have to be super private for me to do this.I don't know of anywhere id be comfortable. In my city females are legally allowed to be topless in public but few are because then they have to put up with all that sexualization of thier bodies.
I'm pre everything and def cannot pass without binding, often not even then, so if I went shirtless I'm sure I'd have to deal with the sexualization crap, which would bring on heaps of dysphoria.
I too eagerly await the day I can feel the ocean, a river, a lake, a pool on my bare chest.