TRANSGENDER
Trans Ask: To Yeet or Keep the Teets?
Little tiddie privilege
Let’s talk boobs — but not in the way you may think. We are going to talk transmasc chest masculinization (top surgery). A transmasc writer I follow on here, V, posted a short article about boobs, tiddies, chesticles. Or rather, about eliminating said parts, and it got me thinking…
Healthline explains top surgery like this:
Top surgery is a reconstructive surgery performed on the chest for those who wish to alter their chest size, shape, and overall appearance. This surgery is typically performed by a plastic surgeon that has specific training in transgender or gender-affirming surgeries.
Let’s clarify a few other definitions because labels can be confusing for those not firmly within the trans community (including other queer community members), allies, and baby-trans who are still learning they are so so very much NOT alone.
The below definitions are from LGBTA+ Wiki:
- Trans men are men who were not assigned male at birth, most commonly referring to men who were assigned female at birth (AFAB). Trans men may also identify as transmasculine, though not all transmasculine individuals are trans men. [Author add-on: This little nugget of information was crucial at the start of my questioning journey.]
- Transmasculine, or transmasc, is an umbrella term for individuals who were not assigned male at birth (AMAB) whose gender identity is partially or fully masculine. This includes trans men, and non-AMAB trans individuals whose gender is masculine in some way. [Author add-on: I use the term masc leaning. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being Femme and 10 being Masc, I fluctuate from 5 to 7 — so masc leaning]
- Non-Binary Individuals: Any individual whose gender identity is not fully, solely and/or always aligned with their assigned gender at birth (AGAB) may identify as trans. [Author add-on: As an umbrella definition, I’m not a fan of this description as it suggests that our gender ‘sometimes’ fits with our AGAB and completely erases intersex individuals. My (umbrella) definition of non-binary: An individual whose gender is not defined completely as man or woman. Not all non-binary people or Gender Non-Conforming (GNC) people use the term trans and not all whose gender is neither end of the supposed binary, use the label non-binary.]
- Transitioning refers to the act of beginning to live as one’s actual gender, rather than the gender they were assigned at birth. Transitioning can be social and medical. [Author add-on: You can also legally transition with a name change and/or gender marker change, etc. — it’s not that simple but it is considered transition. Also, not all trans/non-binary/etc. individuals transition and there is no such thing as an absolute definition of ‘fully transitioned’.]
Trans =/= Medical Transition
Note that transitioning in any shape or form is not a requirement of the trans or non-binary identity. Each to their own in every way. I was once asked what I was ‘transitioning’ to since I was non-binary. I understood why the question was asked — because the trans-normative narrative is still focused on the gender binary and the assumption that if I am not woman, I must be man, and therefore, I must want to be all things physically man. It doesn’t work that way.
Trans men, transmascs, non-binary individuals (please note, I am using umbrella terms here), and others may choose to rid themself of the pesky chesties and undergo top surgery also referred to as:
- The teet yeet
- Teetus Deletus
- Top crop
- Top chop
- Titty guillotine
- Attic remodeling
- Boobectomy
- De-Tittery
- Or whatever other fun name you can come up with to avoid a personal dysphoric hell!
Top surgery is not cheap or easy and no one undertakes it without thorough consideration. In their article, V wrote:
Now, I know that starting this journey for me means that part of my transition will be top surgery. However, I have to wait at least six months from the start of hormone replacement therapy. So, not only is this a countdown to even I start T, but a countdown to No Tatas!
** Update: Since writing this article, V’s profile and stories have sadly disappeared. I’m hoping they will be back soon!
This was part of my response to V:
I feel ya! They were always just a pain in the… chest, but when I embraced my non-binary trans ass, they became another level of annoyance, reminder, and dysphoria. I feel grateful that I’ve never been ‘big’ (and now I know why I was always super happy about that).
But I had a little more to say, hence, this article. Because I feel like this top surgery thing is interesting. There is somewhat of an expectation that if you come out as trans-masc, you will want top surgery ASAP, and for many, that is indeed the case. Don’t get me wrong, if I could wave a non-TERFY wand and chant Teetus Deletus and be done with the useless overgrowths, I would, but as I’ve explored my gender and allowed myself to experience dysphoria (now that I have a name for it), I’ve realized that something I want (and wanting anything is very new to me) is to see what my body can do with a little boy juice.
Boy juice, also known as:
- Super Soldier Serum
- Testoteroni pizza
- Cock-a-cola
- Anticistimine
- Cis-be-Gone
- T
is testosterone as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Trans men, transmascs, non-binary individuals, and others will sometimes choose to correct their body’s possibly faulty internal hormonal production through HRT to feel more themselves.
I am one such trans-masc non-binary individual.
Ty Turner’s T Chest
But ever since I started watching Ty Turner on Youtube, I’ve wondered about what is possible for my body. You see, Ty hasn’t had top surgery. He has been on T for six years and his masculized chest is the work of hormones and muscle-building exercise.
Ty Turner is the reason I decided not to even consider the teet yeet until I’ve been on T for at least 12 months. Of course, I know I’m privileged in that choice because my chest dysphoria is minimal in comparison to many. Plus, I’m in Australia where there is no minimum HRT requirement prior to a consultation for top surgery. I also know that if I do decide after 12 months that I want to go down that path, it will be a long and financially arduous one.
I’m not ready yet. Maybe I never will be.
But I’m right where I need to be, for now.
Teetus Deletus is a goal for so many trans men, transmascs, non-bianry individuals, etc. and can alleviate chest dysphoria but it’s always an individual choice. Top surgery is expensive but it can, and does, save lives. My decision to wait twelve months takes nothing away from the urgency of others. In fact, I created Project Mass Teet Yeet to try to help those desperately trying to fund their surgeries. It’s not much, but it’s what I can do, for now.
** Please note, Project Mass Teet Yeet is a page where I’ve gathered links to top surgery funding pages (with the owners permission). It is not a paid site, there is no pop-up, nor is there any advertising or affiliate links.
