Toys for Trans* Boys: "Couch Surfers" by Trannywood Pictures

 Front & Back Covers

Title: "Couch Surfers: Trans Men In Action"
Studio: Trannywood Pictures
Year: 2008
Run time: 1 hr 21 mins

Cast:
'Lube Boy'
Mark Van Helsing
Ian Foxe
Dex Hardlove
Peter Pleas
Ian Sparks
Brett McCloskey
CJ Cockburn
'Cupid'

Contents:
Disc 1 - Feature Film
Disc 2 - Bonus Footage, preview of "Trannywood Gone Wild"
Educational pamphlet: "A First Timers Guide To Playing With Trans Guys"

How this film breaks boundaries and crosses genres:
In each scene of this film you see two, sometimes three, guys fucking, sucking, licking, jerking, or fisting each other. From twinks to bears, fully clothed to no clothes. Nothing is left to the imagination here. Each scene is unique and tailored to the actors involved whether it's cis-men fucking trans-men or trans-men fucking trans-men.

Why this is a political film:
As soon as you open the case inside is a pamphlet titled "A First Timers Guide To Playing With Trans Guys." Not every porn film you open up will have this kind of educational material inside of it. The film also very brazenly pushes the practices of safer sex by showing use of condoms and latex gloves as barriers between the cast members (most of whom are current or former employees of Eros SF.) Eros SF is one of the few gay male bathhouses in the United States to openly welcome Transgender men. This has been a source of controversy in both the cis- and trans- gay male communities.

My favorite scene:
The middle to end of the first major scene where Ian Foxe starts out being fucked bent over a couch and then eventually on the floor by 'Lube Boy'. What appealed to me the most was that you never knew if Ian was being fucked in the front or in the ass. It left a little mystery to the imagination and made for an appetizing scene.

My Rating:
I give this a 3.5 out of 5. For my personal taste there wasn't enough anal fucking and I would have enjoyed some cis-man on cis-man action. It was also slightly awkward for me to watch this film as I know 'Cupid' in real-life. I do have to give kudos to Trannywood for being one of the few studios to produce FTM Porn that isn't fetishizing the community in a negative way.

A shout out goes to Early2Bed for having this in their store and supporting Trans* and Gender Non-Conforming (as well as Feminist!) porn companies. It's great being able to buy locally and support small businesses.

Toys for Trans* Boys: Underworks 983 Binder

Thanks to Early2Bed I'm now able to purchase my Underworks binders locally here in Chicago. I personally wear the Triptop - or the 983 model - in an XS. I've also tried the 967 and 988 models but found them unappealing due to the length and having to tuck them into my pants.

Underworks 983 (Tritop) binder.

So, what's it made from?
The Underworks 983 is 70% nylon and 30% spandex. The front half of the binder is three layers while the back side is one layer. It's impeccably well-sewn together and generally lasts for up to 6-8 months of daily wearing before the material starts to tear.

What sizes does it come in?
This binder is available in a wide range of sizes. Here's the list:
XS (28-30")
Small (31-33")
Medium (34-36")
Large (37-40")
X-Large (41-44")
2XL (45-48")
3XL (49-52")

Some health risks to be aware of:
If you're like me and you bind almost daily you don't want to wear your binder for more than 8-10 hours a day. The longer you wear it the higher your risk of muscle fatigue and too much compression on your ribs. It's not really advisable to sleep in your binder or work out in your binder. Yes, I've done it - and I honestly don't recommend it. After nearly 10 years of almost daily binding I now suffer from muscle disconnection problems in my back and shoulders.

What's the packaging like?
The binder comes folded in a clear plastic, sealed bag. There's a sticker on the front telling you which style you've received. Not exactly discreet, fellas.

How do I clean it?
Throw it in the wash with everything else and lay it flat to dry. From my experience throwing it in the dryer wears out the materials quicker which means it'll get loose faster.

How the heck do I get this thing on?

Source: (Tyler a.k.a. copper-rose)

Pull it over the head? Nope. Stuck.

Step into it and pull it up? Yup!

Then push the chest down and out.

The white is newer and fits tighter.

During the day I find that the hem tends to roll a bit and I do have to pull it down to re-adjust the fit but that's more of a minor annoyance than a major problem. I'm roughly 5'3" and 135lbs. In sports bras I wear an XS/S. Assuming I measured correctly that gives me a 33/33/32 bust and 35" waist.

What do you like and dislike about this binder?
I personally LOVE! this binder... with one exception. My major dislike point for this binder is the shoulder straps. No matter which color I get this binder in (available in black or white) the straps are too long for it to bind properly. I've had to modify every Tritop I've owned. I generally cut off between 1-2" of the strap using normal scissors and then sew the straps back together. After the modification my chest doesn't come near as close to popping out of the top of the binder. I also found that my chest appears flatter after the modification. Otherwise I give this binder a 9/10 for comfort. When layering my shirts you can't even tell that I'm wearing it! The other dislike I have for this binder is wearing it during the summer. It gets extremely hot when I'm out running errands in the city but this can't be avoided. Until something better comes around or gets my attention this is the binder I'll stick with.

Modified Tritop.