Chest binders in different skin tones
Point of Pride, a non-profit organization supporting trans people, has started a chest binder donation program. The goal is to provide chest binders to transgender individuals who may not be able to afford one otherwise.
What is binding?
Binding is the process of strapping down one’s breasts to appear flat-chested. It is typically done by trans men and non-binary/genderqueer individuals.
The donation process
Chest binders in good condition can be donated to Point of Pride. While some of their binders come from generous individuals, others are donated by their sponsor, gc2b, which provides high quality products. Their binders ‘use a special double panel, mixed material design to create a flat appearance, and they come in a variety of colors and styles.’
Point of Pride has no age requirement for requesting a chest binder, and they ship internationally. The only requirement to participate in the program is that you be on the transgender spectrum.
The organization also makes a point to be as discreet as possible in their shipping—nothing that says ‘trans’ or ‘LGBT’ is written on the package, which helps keep trans people who may not be out yet safe.
The organization
Based out of Eugene, Oregon, Point of Pride was founded in 2016. The organization was created by Point 5cc, a clothing company. Since 2011, Point 5cc has donated 20% of each item sold to an Annual Transgender Surgery Fund. Point 5cc receives numerous applications each year from trans people in need. They are able to donate thousands of dollars to help support people in the trans community, in addition to running chest binder and breast form donation programs.
Both Point 5cc and Point of Pride were founded by Aydian Dowling, a transgender man that has shared his experiences online since he began transitioning in 2009. Dowling began his advocacy work by running a successful YouTube channel with more than five million views. In 2015, Dowling broke into the mainstream by becoming the first trans man featured on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.
