Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding

I liked that the book showed various perspectives from people who bind for various reasons, especially someone who had been binding since the 70's. I also liked the scientific data and the fact that it's a book about binding health written by trans people who understand that people bind for various reasons. I really felt like the goal wasn't to get people to stop binding altogether, but find a way that's safe and manageable for them. The worksheets and exercises seemed like they'd be very helpful for helping people manage their binding! I got top surgery over a decade ago and tend to look back at my binding days through rose-coloured glasses sometimes, because it was the first taste of freedom I felt. But this book definitely made me show more remember the drawbacks (especially the ace bandage days, ouch!)  When I was younger we knew all of these risks, but we didn't have a lot of options aside from "bind" and "don't bind"--of course most people picked the first one! I'm glad we have this resource that was taken from real trans experience and knowledge to give us ways to manage healthier binding and mitigate health problems.  show less

This is an invaluable little resource for people interested in chest binding, whether new to the idea or having experienced issues with it in the past. The information is presented through personal narratives, offering a look at various experiences and feelings. Depicted are gender dysphoria, why or why not a person may choose top surgery or hormonal therapy, potential dangers from unsafe binding, and alternatives such as trans tape. The "Tips and Tools" section of the book is amazing, demonstrating exercises to accompany binding, suggesting areas for introspection, and illustrating ways in which a person might reflect and track their own feelings more objectively. A must-include for library shelves.

Affirming your gender can be joyful and safe! If your current binding method isn't doing it for you, experiment with other methods. There is a better one out there for you. 🏳️‍⚧️

I read this to improve my understanding of the non-binary and transmasc experience of binding, and to inform my work in a general NHS counselling service, which is accessible for trans clients.

This graphic guide has personal accounts of several people who bind, advice on safe binding, exercises devised by physiotherapists specialising in trans healthcare, and some reflective exercises to develop insight into personal goals and and what may foster movement towards them

Kobabe and Peitzmeier provide an excellent introduction to the subject, with plenty show more of practical information for its main target readership. show less

This was such an excellent volume. I would buy a copy for any young trans person just beginning on their journey in chest binding. This was a good mix of personal stories, experiences, and good advice for binding healthily and safely. I was really interested in learning more about trans tape as well since I had really only heard about it briefly from my non-binary trans wife.

We need more books like these, they could literally be saving lives and preventing injury in young queer trans folks.

Nice work, Maia Kobabe -- way to leverage your power to help people directly. This slim volume is full of very useful information for anyone exploring binding. It takes a holistic view of the costs and benefits, and is very much based in the research co-author Sarah Peitzmeier has collected and participants have shared. Visually appealing, thoughtful, kind. Gives readers many questions to consider and ideas for how best to support their journeys.

Stories and information about chest binding from university researcher Peitzmeier and award-winning author/illustrator Kobabe, who's known for Gender Queer: A Memoir (2019).

Through anonymized, illustrated interviews, female-assigned people of various ages, races, and genders share their experiences with chest binding. Within these meaningful personal stories, they touch upon issues of mental health and describe how binding has made them feel more at ease in their bodies, as well as some of the physical issues that can arise when binding. The authors approach the topic from a harm-reduction standpoint, providing advice on ways to minimize these problems without giving up binding entirely. This book is a valuable resource for people who show more bind or want to bind, and the stories are full of snippets of wisdom, such as never to use ACE bandages or plastic wrap. Unfortunately, the last third of the book, which is dedicated to offering direct advice, does not thoroughly compile the information discussed earlier in the stories: The content is excellent, but the presentation is disorganized, with self-reflection worksheets, brief tips, advice in comic format, data, and simple physical exercises all thrown together, making the book difficult to use as a reference work. For example, Kobabe and Peitzmeier suggest choosing a binding method that is “kinder to your body” or trying a different style of binder, but readers must rely on self-reflection or comb through the interviews to determine exactly how to follow this advice.

A realistic, affirming guide to binding. (Graphic nonfiction. 14-adult)

-Kirkus Review show less