- When Chloe Freeman started carrying notebooks, they couldn’t find one that fit all her needs.
- In November, Freeman founded a new queer welfare company called For Them to sell something better.
- “The feedback we get is so overwhelming,” Freeman told Insider.
Loading Something is loading.
Starting a queer welfare business was not always Chloe Freeman’s plan.
But when Freeman, a non-binary actor, began wearing binders, pieces designed to flatten the appearance of a person’s chest according to their gender identity, they couldn’t find any that would provide the compression they needed without restrict your breathing or movement.
They were far from the only ones in their binding experience.
Chloe Freeman.
Courtesy of Chloe Freeman
“Everyone I spoke to in the community, from a bookbinder’s perspective, had a problem,” Freeman said. “No one I spoke to told me, ‘It’s perfect. I love it”.
Since so many transgender and non-binary people could not find binders to meet their various needs, Freeman decided that they would put a new one on the market.
Freeman’s company, For Them, launched in November with two products that hundreds of trans people helped plan and design: the binder and a cannabinol infusion lubricant (CBD).
The products are designed directly in response to the contributions Freeman received from the online queer community. Freeman knew what they wanted in a folder, but they also wanted to hear from others about what they needed.
“I’m just a person,” Freeman said. “I have a set of experiences. I just felt I needed help.”
For Them is “The Binder”.
For them
Through Facebook groups, Reddit threads, phone calls, and more, Freeman sought opinions on what products to create. They then asked for input on each iteration of the products.
They call it a “co-design” process – one that bridges the gap between business and customer to create community-led products.
Many commercial products on which the queer community relies to express its identity are created by companies that are not LGBTQIA-led.
A 2017 study found that 97% of people who used binders reported at least one negative physical side effect, most commonly back pain, overheating, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. Serious side effects such as scarring and rib fractures can also occur, and a binder that does not fit well makes it much more likely.
Binding can be relieved
gender dysphoria
and improve people’s mental health and life satisfaction, but many people who come together say they don’t feel the pieces are optimally designed for their body, as evidenced by the painful side effects that can limit its ability to use binders over time.
For Them is “The Binder”.
For them
Instead, For Them aims to offer a radical change in the world of products made for a community by corporations whose leaders do not share the experiences of that community. Freeman knows where most binders fail because they have also used binders personally.
“The feedback we get is so overwhelming,” Freeman said. “I am just happy to be here [they’re] feeling that I feel. “
The For Them folder consists of four compression panels, creating a breathable and flexible product that still compresses the chest, according to the brand. It is also reversible, so the user can choose between two necklines depending on the look they want.
Freeman said For Them, and more than 500 of its customers, tested dozens of materials before deciding which fabrics to use in the final product. The bookbinder is locally sourced and sewn in New York City by a women-run company.
It is mailed in sustainable packaging and comes in “all sizes,” Freeman told Insider. They said that instead of the traditional labeling nomenclature of small, medium and large, the bookbinder is measured by chest measurements.
For them “The fluid serum”.
For them
Comfortable, gender-affirming garments, such as binders, allow trans people to present themselves safely as themselves, and that, Freeman said, is a key part of well-being. So is enjoying intimacy the way you feel best.
This is where the other For Them product comes in, a lubricant made with CBD and coconut oils. It’s called Fluid Serum, a look at the queer concepts of gender and sexuality as “fluid”.
“Gender queer and expansive people have sex in so many ways,” Freeman said. “We know that sex can be sex and not include anything related to the genitals, so we wanted to create a product that talked about the expansive nature of our community.”
The For Them online community requested a product that enhanced sexual experiences without having a list of ingredients that they did not recognize. CBD oil enhances the feeling, while coconut oil makes it comfortable to use on any part of the body, depending on the brand.
For Them is “The Binder”.
For them
Freeman said conversations about what products the community needed took place primarily online. Just before launching For Them, they created a server on the platform
Discord
.
Hundreds of LGBTQIA + users gather daily through Discord to talk about everything from For Them products to members’ questions about gender affirmation surgeries. In fact, Freeman recently organized a question and answer session with a non-binary doctor through Discord after members discussed issues accessing trans-informed health care.
The server became much more than a feedback center for For Them products; it was transformed into a much-needed digital sanctuary that supports LGBTQIA + people of all ages, genders, races, and locations.
It’s important to note that it provides a space where members ’experiences will be used to inform the creation of future products, products that Freeman hopes will help queer people live their most authentic lives.
“Our community is everything,” Freeman said. “As for me, I’m just one person in this community, and we have a very diverse community, and that’s what I think is so wonderful. The masses will tell us where to go. This is our roadmap. “This is our source of truth.”
