While the resources here overlap with many of the other subjects covered by this site, we’ve gathered them here in order to have a collection of resources for trans and non-binary people in one place.

People under the trans umbrella, which includes anyone whose gender identity or expression does not match the one they were assigned by birth, can have a difficult time finding information targeted specifically to them. Legal recognitions for trans people vary by state and by country.

The resources collected here include legal information; information on sexual health, mental health, and access to insurance and healthcare; and information on transitioning, hormones, and chest binding.

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Healthcare and healthcare rights

Finding physical and mental health care as a trans or non-binary person can be difficult and confusing. Fortunately, a variety of organizations have put together resource pages with information on health, rights and discrimination, and finding healthcare providers and insurance.

The National Center for Transgender Equality breaks down healthcare rights, what to do when experiencing discrimination, and which laws offer protections for trans people who are seeking health care.

The DC-Area Transmasculine Society’s directory of resources includes information on transition, hormones, sexual health, and legal issues such as name changes.

UCSF’s Center for Transgender Excellence has a compilation of health resources and information, including manuals, guidelines, and fact sheets in English and Spanish.
 

Chest binding

Chest binding is frequently used by trans and non-binary AFAB people as a part of their gender presentation. While it is often a necessary activity in terms of gender presentation and mental health, binding can negatively affect the person’s physical health when done improperly or too frequently. Currently there has only been one academic study on the health effects of chest binding. After interviewing 1,800 people, the study found the most common factor associated with pain and other negative health effects was the number of days per week that people bound their chest, while the number of hours per day that people bound largely did not affect their health. In terms of binding method, sports bras, whether layered or not, had the least impact on health, while commercially-available binders showed the greatest correlation with negative health effects, possibly because they involved more compression than the other methods. The researchers recommended that, in order to prevent negative health effects, people should take days off from binding when possible, avoid using materials such as bandages or tape when binding, and be aware of the risks of using commercial binders.

 

Source: Peitzmeier, S., Gardner, I., Weinand, J., Corbet, A., & Acevedo, K. (2017). Health impact of chest binding among transgender adults: a community-engaged, cross-sectional study. Culture, Health, & Sexuality, 19(1), 64-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2016.1191675

 

University of Maryland/DMV-area resources

The University of Maryland maintains a page of resources and policies for trans students at UMD. It covers student communities, name changes, restrooms and locker rooms, on- and off-campus housing, healthcare, and incidents of harassment and discrimination.

In addition to their general directory of resources, the DC-Area Transmasculine Society has a database of healthcare and mental health providers in the greater Washington D.C. area, with reviews by and for trans people.