Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding - Paperback

by Maia Kobabe (Author), Sarah PhD Peitzmeier (Author), Maia Kobabe (Illustrator)

The bestselling author of Gender Queer presents an illustrated guide to chest binding, blending real-life stories and research-backed advice from University of Michigan professor Sarah Peitzmeier.

"A unique, thoughtful, and evidence-based book perfect for individuals of any age considering binding or for readers interested in understanding the practice more thoroughly."--Booklist, starred review

"Provides health information in a readily accessible manner that is otherwise difficult to find in science-based resources."--School Library Journal, starred review

Breathe arose from the need for a resource for folks considering chest binding as gender-affirming care. Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier interviewed twenty-five people of different ages and backgrounds about their journeys with binding, and then she and Maia Kobabe combined excerpts from those interviews with evidence-based resources on binding into this extremely accessible guide.

This book is both a practical resource for trans and nonbinary folks and an engaging and perspective-broadening read for anyone interested in what it means to be on a journey of expressing one's gender in ways that are joyful, healthy, and affirming.

Author Biography

Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) is the author and illustrator of the award-winning and bestselling Gender Queer: A Memoir, the most banned book in America in 2021 and 2022. E and eir work have been featured in Time, NPR, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and many other outlets.

Sarah Peitzmeier (she/her), PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and School of Public Health. Her mixed methods research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of gender-based violence, as well as LGBTQ+ health and HIV. She has received funding for her research from the NIH, CDC, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research and is best known for her research to understand, screen for, and intervene to prevent intimate partner violence in transgender populations, as well as her work around the health impacts of chest binding in transmasculine individuals. Her ongoing work includes intervention development studies to prevent campus sexual assault against transgender undergraduates and cisgender women undergraduates. She received her PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2017.