The first time I ever bought bandages to bind with my mom caught me, and subsequently took me aside for a little chat about me being "ashamed of my body." And then reminded me that I was "female." (She actually used that word, which was a little weird.) I didn't say anything, mostly because it was the day after the 30 hour famine and I was tired, hungry, and disoriented.

Binding hurts me, too. I mostly save it for special occasions, like Grad. (I got sir'd and dude'd so much that day. It was awesome.) Otherwise I just wear really baggy shirts. I wish I could wear tighter shirts without feeling so self-conscious, because I'm (not very secretly) a total emo boy. I have the Chucks and everything!

I think you were the first person who ever knew me as a boy. It was really, really scary and exciting- I worried that you'd be weirded out, or angry maybe, if I told you. I'm glad you weren't.