Point of Pride's Chest Binder Program

Providing free chest compression garments to transgender youth and adults in need of support, in all 50 states and around the world!

The Problem

Chest binders are specially-designed garments that flatten the chest for a more masculine/neutral appearance, helping many transgender people live more authentically or feel more comfortable in their bodies. It can be challenging for people to obtain a binder: they are usually purchased online from only a handful of manufacturers, and they can cost $35-$70 each.

For youth without access to a credit card or for adults with limited resources, these garments are simply out of reach. As a result, far too many transgender people turn to unsafe binding methods that can cause strain or injury – including bruised or fractured ribs, inability to breathe and other irreversible damage. For this reason alone, we consider access to chest binders an important health issue.

Chest binders not only have a tremendous impact on our recipients' self-confidence, but also on their ability to live freely and safely when out in public, at the workplace, and at school. We regularly hear from our recipients how much receiving their binder was a powerful message of support and validation. Many trans people cannot purchase binders because they are usually only available online and can cost $35–70 each. As a result, many transgender people turn to unsafe binding methods such as duct tape or Ace bandages that cause injury.

Our program provides free chest binders to those who cannot otherwise obtain them.

The Solution

Point of Pride has given away thousands of free chest binders to transgender people in all 50 states and 45+ countries.

Funding via SharedNation will enable us to purchase, process, and ship chest binders to trans youth and adults in urgent need of this support.

Our organization is one of very few non-profits that offer free chest binders, and we are unique in that we have no restrictions on who may apply (i.e. age, gender identity, geographic location) to keep our program as inclusive of trans identities as possible.

We ship garments direct to our recipients in discrete packaging to protect their safety and privacy, and our program is 100% free for our recipients, including international recipients. For these reasons, our waiting list continues to grow very rapidly, which is why this grant opportunity is so critical in helping trans folks in need.

We communicate with our recipients every step of the process to ensure they get the right size garment they need, understand how to wear it safely and comfortably, and feel supported in their identity.

Recipients self-report that they:

rely on unsafe binding practices (such as using duct tape or Ace bandages) far less
feel far more safe about their gender presentation while in public
feel their health is better supported because they are compressing their chests more safely
note a positive impact on their mental health and self-confidence, especially if they are still in the closet or not affirmed by their families or friends.