Intro, names, and binding

[espreite]

Hello, I'm Kai. I'm 17 and FtN...ish. My actual gender is neutral, but the filter between me and the world changes from male to female and other stuff. I'm preparing to tell my parents that I'm trans within the next two months, so I will probably be asking a lot of things. Right now I'll just start with a couple questions

Comments

[kengr]

My experience (MtFish) is that if you otherwise look male, folks will overlook a fair bit of breast development.

[snakey]

That doesn't exactly help the OP feel comfortable with their own body. :/

[kengr]

It may not have been phrased as well as it coiuld have been, but my point stands. If *other* things* say "male" to a stranger, they'll ignore a lot bigger than an A cup.

I've been sirred with a *D* cup. I am somewhat overweight though.

[moonspark]

T-kingdom seems to work well for skinny guys with small chests. or underworks.

[cykotyks]

Hudson's Guide has some good tips for DIY binding and links to carriers of binders and compression shirts.

As far as nicknames go, in my experience, most people don't really seem to question nicknames all that much. My entire group of friends from my college all had nicknames - half of them I only know by their nicknames XD It may just be that group, but it just seemed to be such a normal thing that nobody really cared. If people do question it, just tell them that it's a nickname and they'll probably leave it alone.

I'm not sure I'd recommend changing the name with your teachers - I'm assuming you're a senior in high school, so you'd only have this last semester left. If/When you go to college, you can probably inform your professors there about it without much difficulty, but informing your high school teachers just seems like it'll cause more problems than it'll solve, at this point.

[espreite]

I'm actually just a junior, so I have another year and half. The main reason I was seriously considering informing my teachers of the name change was because three out of four of them are from the social studies department, which has a reputation as being really awesomely pro-LGBT.

The big problem for me is, how do you tell people who've known you for years to call you a different name? I've been introducing myself to new people with it, but... COLLEGE, WHEREFORE ART THOU SO FAR AWAY YET???

[misguidance]

I'm FtM, and I'm currently going through the awsomely sucky experience of telling all my parents' friends that I have a new name now. These are people who knew me when I was a kid, and who I haven't seen for two years. The best thing is that not only do they know me as my old name (and have done for 20 odd years) but I have also attained with them the title of 'Mrs Jones's Daughter' too. >_>

The only way to do it is just take a deep breath and *do* it. You don't have to be confrontational or anything, just if they mention your old name smile and say 'actually it's _______ now,' or 'by the way, my name is _____ now.' Some people will ask questions, but you don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to. 'Because I am using this name now' is as good a reason as any. ^__-