“Put a shirt on!”
It’s a pretty common thing said to me. It makes me wonder- Is it because I was born Female that so many people insist having my shirt off is me being ‘topless’?
•••••
Cis-men walk around daily, post IG posts, FB, Snapchat, all of it- and are seen as ‘ok’ no matter the age, size, color, anything- to have a shirt off. But once Transmen who work their ass off the AFFORD Top Surgery start posting shirtless photos- it’s now seen as ‘too much’ or ‘topless’.
•••••
I don’t wear a shirt in the Summer time mostly because I work daily in my studio with no a/c and only a garage door as my ‘window’. It’s hot, humid, and damn I work my tail off! Plus, I paid good money to have this surgery done to feel more in my skin, why wouldn’t I want to be proud of that accomplishment?!
•••••
But we continue to tell Transmen to ‘Put a shirt on’. •••••
I say- TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF!
You aren’t too fat.
You aren’t too skinny.
You aren’t not ‘manly’ enough.
You aren’t too black or too white.
You aren’t post-op? Who cares?!
You are female identifying? Who cares?! ••••
I say #freethenipple! Or maybe you don’t even have nipples?! Let those non nipple chests out of their cages!
•••••
STOP letting people make you feel SHAME because you are confident in yourself enough to be shirtless.
•••••
Let the bare chests FREE!! #Ftm #loveyourself #itsfreakinghot #summertime #freethenipple #femaletomale #transgender #stopshamingnow #topsurgery #femaletomale #alionsfears #aydiandowling”— Aydian Dowling, in an Instagram post accompanying the above image
It’s a pretty common thing said to me. It makes me wonder- Is it because I was born Female that so many people insist having my shirt off is me being ‘topless’?
•••••
Cis-men walk around daily, post IG posts, FB, Snapchat, all of it- and are seen as ‘ok’ no matter the age, size, color, anything- to have a shirt off. But once Transmen who work their ass off the AFFORD Top Surgery start posting shirtless photos- it’s now seen as ‘too much’ or ‘topless’.
•••••
I don’t wear a shirt in the Summer time mostly because I work daily in my studio with no a/c and only a garage door as my ‘window’. It’s hot, humid, and damn I work my tail off! Plus, I paid good money to have this surgery done to feel more in my skin, why wouldn’t I want to be proud of that accomplishment?!
•••••
But we continue to tell Transmen to ‘Put a shirt on’. •••••
I say- TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF!
You aren’t too fat.
You aren’t too skinny.
You aren’t not ‘manly’ enough.
You aren’t too black or too white.
You aren’t post-op? Who cares?!
You are female identifying? Who cares?! ••••
I say #freethenipple! Or maybe you don’t even have nipples?! Let those non nipple chests out of their cages!
•••••
STOP letting people make you feel SHAME because you are confident in yourself enough to be shirtless.
•••••
Let the bare chests FREE!! #Ftm #loveyourself #itsfreakinghot #summertime #freethenipple #femaletomale #transgender #stopshamingnow #topsurgery #femaletomale #alionsfears #aydiandowling”— Aydian Dowling, in an Instagram post accompanying the above image
DDstar1me
Ayd-man I hate to say it but ya gotta develop a thick skin.
I’ve been called F*g, N**er…etc. Focus on the positive people in ya life. Those are the only people that matter. Everything else is just noise. Live ya life. Don’t let social media carve the path you wanna make in this life.
It’s easier said, but it’s the truth. a lot of the times people ain’t sh*t!.
Be strong man.
Ari Gold
Spoken like a true woman.
JED08
I gotta agree with Aydian on all counts. Guys walk around shirtless all the fucking time. There isn’t any good reason that it should be different with him.
ErikO
@Ari Gold: Very true. If “he” were actually comfortable pretending to be a man she would not have gone on some rant about not wearing a shirt or what people say when she does not wear a shirt.
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
Oh yeah be comfortable with your body after you’ve changed it with drugs and surgery. Not before. That would just be crazy.
DarkZephyr
@Ari Gold: Spoken like a true bigot.
1898
It’s Dowling, not Downing.
1898
He’s gorgeous and if I had his body I’d be shirtless 24/7!
Charlie in Charge
Woah what’s with the crazy comments. He looks great and judging by lots of other Queerty articles we seem to like topless dudes around here.
Sukhrajah
If I were around Mr. Dowling – we would have a one major problem. I would be burning every shirt he has!
1). That BODY!
2). Those Tattos!
3). Those Eyes.
4). His Story.
5). Most importantly His Heart – talk to him once, and it will change your perspective on perspective.
As far as I am concerned – He is more an Man, than I – and the only people who take issue to him being shirtless are people that are not confident in their own manhood, identity, and sexuality.