COVER enough information out there. So I wanted to help provide more information about being a transgender male.” Transitioning from female to male comes with plenty of physical struggles. Hormone therapy is an essential part of the process since it stimulates the growth of facial and body hair, causes the vocal cords to thicken (resulting in a deeper voice), and changes the way body fat distributes itself (less fat around the hips and thighs, for example). For most transgender people, male or female, physical appearance is a huge step towards becoming more comfortable in their own skin. But hormones can only take them so far.
JUNE 2016
Dowling underwent top surgery—or a subcutaneous mastectomy—in 2012, almost three years after starting T. This surgery is the number one procedure sought by transgender men, for obvious reasons—it allows for a more masculine appearance and eliminates the need for daily “binding,” the process of wrapping breasts to make them appear smaller or non-existent. It was Dowling’s experience with top surgery that led to the inspiration for his clothing line, Point5cc. He started the company in 2011 to help raise money for his own surgery and has since kept it going as a way to give back to the community. The company developed the first-ever binder exchange program, which helps find a quality chest compression garment for transgender men
26
IN MAGAZINE
who wouldn’t be able to get one otherwise. It also hosts an annual Transgender Surgery Fund that raises money to put towards surgery for transgender-identifying men and women. As well, the company is about to add a non-profit organization called Point of Pride to its ranks; this will allow for more donations and give Dowling the chance to keep giving back to the community that helped him get to where he is today. Fitness is another thing that has been a huge part of Dowling’s life ever since he came out as transgender. “I couldn’t get on hormones right away. So I knew that if I wanted to look more masculine and feel better about my body, I could start working out. Working out made me feel empowered and strong in my masculinity,” he explained to IN. “I developed a better relationship with my body. When you’re working out, you’re looking in the mirror and watching your body change.” Exercise is something he had control over throughout the slow process of transitioning, and he stuck with it even though he had plenty of insecurities and days where all he did was compare himself to other men at the gym. That attitude was what eventually led him to enter the Men’s Health Ultimate Guy competition last year. “I wanted to show other trans