Hi! I’m Bridie, I’m 27 years old, and I'm a transmasc actor born and raised in London, UK. I live and work here as an actor and teacher, and have been feeling my way through my transition for the last five years.

These photos, taken at Trans+ Pride 2025, show me at my happiest. It's the most at home in my body I’ve ever been.

Unfortunately, it’s neither comfortable nor sustainable, involving a concoction of trans tape to minimise my chest, and double-sided tape to keep my clothes in place. Sensitive skin, chest tightness and the financial cost of taping mean that it is a rarity.

Although until recently I wore chest binders on a daily basis, I've recently had to massively reduce my wearing of them due to chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Binders don’t fully eliminate the shape of my chest; I slouch, I either avoid mirrors or obsess over my reflection, and I put my body and self-esteem through the wringer daily trying to make myself look smaller. The mental noise of dysphoria greatly impacts my mental health as I try to reckon with and push away the fact that the person in the mirror just isn’t who I am.

Medical transition has always felt impossible. Even after deciding to follow the path of getting top surgery - a decision I've spent years deliberating to be sure it's the right path for me - the costs associated meant it felt far too distant to ever seriously consider. Though I am on the waitlist for the NHS’ gender identity clinic (GIC), wait times are now up to a record high of seven years for a first appointment. So, through self-funding, fundraising events and other projects in the works, and by reaching out to my community to help reach my goal of £7,500, I am determined to seek this life-changing gender-affirming care and allow myself to live fully and comfortably in my own skin. This procedure will truly improve my life exponentially. And that’s where you come in!

Any and all money raised will go towards covering the costs of surgery and recovery. I truly appreciate any donation, no matter how small, from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me to get to this point, and encouraged me to ask for help. You’ve made this feel possible x