# Support for the parent of a gender-questioning child? Please? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204 "2014-11-20T22:05:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/201 "2016-04-13T14:20:11Z")
> [@papergirl](#): > > I think Ace bandages are inadvisable. There are sites online for buying binders, but I’m pretty clueless about it. Right now we are making do with slightly-small sports bra. I know this sounds really silly, but my male transgender friend likes to use control-top pantyhose. Cut off the legs and cut out the crotch and flip it upside down, and you can just put it on over your head like a sports bra (there will be two little strips left as “straps” over the shoulders). More skin-conforming and skin-colored than a sports bra, too. He was never well-endowed though so it worked well just like that for him. I imagine the efficacy varies per person. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/202 "2016-04-13T14:55:24Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Now I dont get this because I work with several women who dress like men and have short haircuts and all, and their are 2 girls on my sons hockey team like that, but they still are women to the core. So those women are not trans. What’s not to understand? ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/203 "2016-04-14T01:42:53Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > I know this sounds really silly, but my male transgender friend likes to use control-top pantyhose. Cut off the legs and cut out the crotch and flip it upside down, and you can just put it on over your head like a sports bra (there will be two little strips left as “straps” over the shoulders). More skin-conforming and skin-colored than a sports bra, too. He was never well-endowed though so it worked well just like that for him. I imagine the efficacy varies per person. Not a bad idea! This might be a good standby solution. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/204 "2016-04-14T02:30:16Z")
I googled “breast binding dangers” and this was one of the [sites](http://www.ftmtopsurgery.ca/blog/ftm-faq/health-consequences-chest-binding/). Here’s some more [tips](http://www.idontdoboxes.org/your-friendly-neighborhood-binding-safety-guide/). [Go Ask Alice](http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/breast-binding-safety) has some advice as well. Good luck to you, **papergirl** and your child. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/205 "2016-04-14T04:31:31Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Now I dont get this because I work with several women who dress like men and have short haircuts and all, and their are 2 girls on my sons hockey team like that, but they still are women to the core. Stone butch is a whole 'nother category to dykes. Possibly even falls under the intersex label now. I am often asked by kids what I am, a boy or girl? My stock answer is “confusing”. Menopause is doing a number on me, now is the first time in my life I have ever wanted to be a bloke but as I said, I am often mistaken for one (women love dragging male security guards into public toilets to have me removed). ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/206 "2016-04-14T04:35:14Z")
if you knit socks, are they too bulky to wear in shoes? Enquiring minds… StG ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/207 "2016-04-14T11:43:22Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > if you knit socks, are they too bulky to wear in shoes? Enquiring minds… > > StG Depends on the yarn and the size needles you use. I generally use fairly fine yarn and size 0 needles, so the socks fit into most shoes. (I was knitting with bamboo needles once and a little girl asked me if I was knitting with toothpicks, which should give you some idea of what size 0 needles are like.) Sorry for the hijack of this thread but I am somewhat obsessed by knitting socks. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204/208 "2016-04-14T13:28:22Z")
I’m obsessed with sock knitting too…to the point that I’m trying to decide if I want to tattoo a basic shorthand sock pattern on my body. 🙂 I knit bulkier socks than KayT, because I don’t have a lot of patience. I wear them with shoes, but they probably wouldn’t please everyone as they have a bulkier feel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-for-the-parent-of-a-gender-questioning-child-please/705204.md?page=10)