Gender Expression

GENDER EXPRESSION FUND

The Gender Expression Fund (GEF) is a fund of £2,000.00 for the purpose of providing no-interest grant payments to transgender; non-binary, and gender-diverse/questioning students to enable them to purchase products, that help them live in their true gender identity. Students will be able to request a grant of up to £100 per academic year.

ARU Students’ Union - Gender Expression Fund

Why was the GEF set up?

The Union recognises the potential financial burden that can be faced by students undergoing any level of gender identity transition. To ensure students can live as their most authentic self, regardless of their economic background, we have created this fund to allow students of any means to buy items that most match their identity. The project was led by a trans member of staff at the SU, and other trans staff and students were consulted in its development.

What can I buy with the GEF?

The GEF is for the purchase of items that can help trans (trans being used as an umbrella term including non-binary and other non-cisgender identities) students live as their true self. This could include chest binders; packers; tucking underwear; makeup, and clothes that align best with a trans person’s identity. You can also use this fund to pay for travel to and from therapies and medical appointment, or to pay for a registered deedpoll. This fund does not cover paying for long-term therapy or medical treatments; however, you could use it to pay for travel to and from appointments.

Who is eligible to access the GEF?

To access the GEF:

  • You must be currently studying at Anglia Ruskin University
  • You must have a trans identity (transgender; non-binary; gender-diverse/questioning; etc.)

How do I access the GEF?

If you wish to apply for money from the GEF, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Your application will then be reviewed, and the outcome emailed to your chosen email address with next steps.

Who has access to the details submitted?

Applications and the information you provide will be accessible and viewed by ARU Students’ Union’s Chair and Vice-Chair of the Equity; Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group, Rose Guy and Jo Bunkle. All information will be kept confidential and in line with our Privacy Statement, and solely used for the purpose of allocating access to the GEF.

I’ve submitted my application, what happens next?

Once you’ve submitted your application it will be reviewed by our above named staff. They will check what you are applying to use the fund for aligns with the types of items listed above. You may be contacted for further information regarding the items you are purchasing e.g. if you are purchasing one binder, we may ask if you’ve considered purchasing two for when one is in the wash. You will never be asked to ‘prove’ your gender; be asked to disclose personal information, or circumstances beyond what is as required by the form. Once funds have been approved you will be contacted to notify you of the decision and that funds will be with you soon. If your application is denied you will be contacted with the reason as to why.

 

If you are interested in applying for the Fund for gender-affirming products, please take a look through the dropdowns for the item(s) you are interested in so you have all the information you need before submitting your application.

I’m interested in…

A Binder

Before ordering a binder it is important to know that the health risks of binding are almost entirely unstudied and unknown. Using a binder is frequently accompanied by undesirable symptoms such as back, chest or shoulder pain, overheating, shortness of breath, itching and bad posture. There are also more serious but rarer effects such as scarring, swelling, rib fractures and respiratory infections.
  • - Make sure your binder is the right size, binder companies may have different sizing so doublecheck before ordering.
  • - Avoid binding for more than eight hours in a day
  • - Never sleep in your binder
  • - Take rest days where you do not bind as much as you can
  • - If you start to feel pain, especially chest pain, take off your binder
  • - If you suspect something is wrong, see a doctor as soon as possible
  • - Never use “homemade” binders made from elastic bandages, duct tape or plastic wrap
  • - Only use binders from reputable brands. Ask others if you’re unsure if a brand is reputable or not
You may know which binder you want already but if not below are two that we recommend:
  • - gc2b - gc2b was the first gender-affirming apparel company that is trans-owned and operated, and they can now ship binders from the UK. They have a huge collection of colours, stock XS to 5XL for most of their collection and have full, half and racerback options. You can look at products here and find their sizing guide here.
  • - Spectrum Outfitters – a UK based gender-affirming apparel company that make binders out of recycled plastics with a lining inside. Their binders only compress from the back to give the wearer more room to breathe with very strong corset fabric in the front which holds the wearer’s chest flat. You can look at their binders here and their sizing guide here.
Making sure you order the correct size binder is important to binding safely. Always check the sizing guide on the brand website to make sure you are ordering the best size for you. For some brands like g2cb you can contact them for personalised sizing assistance and a member of their team will walk you through the sizing process. If you aren't sure how to measure yourself for a binder, G(end)er Swap have a handy video guide which will walk you through the process.

A Packer

You may know which packer you want to apply for via the fund but if you don't know what is on offer, take a look at some brands we've found:
As well as your packer, you may also need to get special items to keep your packer in place if you don’t already have them. Depending on cost, we are happy to cover one of these to go along with your packer too. Below are some potential options:

A Stand to Pee (StP)

You may know which Stand to Pee device you would like but if not below are some options. We apologise for the gendered language on some of the websites, unfortunately there are not many StP brands in the UK.

A StP packer

If you are interested in a Stand to Pee device and a packer then a Stand to Pee Packer might be for you. This combination product means you can have the shape that a packer provides and the utility that a Stand to Pee provides all in one item. Currently, the only place in the UK you can get one is from LoveHoney. If you want to order this product you may also need packing underwear/a harness to keep it in place which you can find in the packer section.

Tucking underwear

Extended tucking can lead to discomfort and potentially lead to medical issues as well. If you want to tuck but aren’t sure how to go about it safely, please take a look at this information from TransHub which includes links to other guides about how to tuck safely.
If you are interested in applying to the Fund for tucking underwear or gaffs but aren't sure what brands are available you can find some below:

Trans makeup

We recognise that the use of makeup is not necessarily a gendered thing, and the artistry and expression found through makeup styles can easily transcend gender norms. However, we’ve included guides to using makeup to help cover things like beard shadow/5 o’clock shadow, as well as less gendered guides to using makeup.
If you want to buy makeup that is designed specifically to be genderless, or must makeup in general, here are some brands we recommend:

Where to find clothes...

Getting potentially a whole new wardrobe can be a daunting and expensive task. The dating app HER has put together a great guide for trans folks when it comes to buying clothes in the UK. It includes advice for buying online and on the high street! Did you know that the British Red Cross charity is signed up to a Trans Friendly Pledge? Charity shops are a great way to buy clothes that are cheap and better for the planet!
Here are a few clothing brands designed specifically for and with trans people in mind:
 

Need more information or seeing something missing from this page? Email inclusion@angliastudent.com.

 

Ready to apply? Fill out the form below!