Petition to Make Binders Easily Accessible

I was reminded of a post I came across on Tumblr a while ago and thought it would be a great thing to share here.

Tyler Castro of Freehold, NJ has started a petition through Change.org in hopes to get big chain retail stores such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target to start selling chest binders in their establishments.

Why Is This Important?

• Since binders can be so difficult to obtain, many transmen resort to unsafe binding methods such as ace bandages and tape.
• Unsafe binding - either with dangerous methods such as bandages and tape or with binders that do not fit properly - can lead to broken, bruised, or floating ribs, suffocation, deformed or collapsed lungs, tissue and muscle injury, back and spine issues, and decreased blood flow. 
• Being able to try a binder on in-store makes the purchase safer and reduces the risk of buying one that is dangerously small or too large.
• Right now binders are only available for purchase online, and not everybody has access to the Internet to do so.
• Transgender youth who cannot come out to their guardians or people who are not yet out to those they live with would then be able to purchase one in store without anyone else knowing.
• While there are organizations that can sometimes help FtM's get a proper binder, these obviously cannot help everyone and are in short supply. Plus, binders are usually used so they are not as effective and do not last as long as a new binder.
• While definitely cheaper than top surgery, binders are still expensive and making them available in-store eliminates shipping costs.

As of today Tyler's petition still needs a little over 3500 signatures to reach the number he needs. Signing is free and can be anonymous! 

Click here to check it out and support the cause.

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Chest Binder: A compression vest used to give the appearance of a flattened chest, typically used by those who are FtM.

Transmen/FtM: (Synonymous terms) A transgender individual who is female to male.

Transgender: Someone whose biological sex does not align with their gender identity.

Top Surgery: Chest reconstruction surgery done to create a male-appearing chest.