Gentle men and seahorses, winter is upon us! As someone who has spent almost a quarter-century of winters in the upper Midwest, I thought I’d share some of the methods I’ve developed to stay warm and happy while the elements do their thing.
Pro Tip #1: Set your binder on the radiator
…for a minute or two before you put it on! Because damn, you guys, those things can get cold. If you don’t wear a binder, try it with your socks, or your undershirt, or whatever else. It’s the small things.
Pro Tip #2: Take baths!
Another perk of taking a bath is seeing your future in the soap suds.
I realize this may be a controversial suggestion, given that there are bath people and there are shower people. So, shower people, adapt this tip to fit your own proclivities and needs. The main point is that there are few things nicer than HOT WATER when everything else around you is cold and dry. One perk of a bath is that it allows you the perfect time to do all your radical reading and agenda plotting. My copy of Gertrude Stein’s Lifting Belly is still drying out from a little plunge it took into the tub just yesterday. If you really want to go all out, get some essential oils or bath salts to drop into the water—it’ll really make you feel like a queen.
Pro Tip #3: Get the support you need.
Between winter blues and general holiday stress, these next few months aren’t the easiest of the year, even for people with the most wonderful of families. Add to that being a queer and/or trans person, and the question of going home can be really stressful. In Borderlands, Gloria Anzaldúa writes about a former student of hers—a lesbian—who thought that the word “homophobia” meant, “fear of going home.” More than just being a misunderstanding of the word, I think it’s actually pretty poignant. If your family doesn’t support who you are, consider spending the holidays with chosen family instead, or doing both.
Pro Tip #4: Give support where you can.
Keep tabs on friends who seem to be having a hard time, and reach out. Also, winter is a really hard time to be homeless, as many queer and trans folks are. If you can’t afford to donate financially, think about other ways you can share—maybe find a new home for your lightly used winter gear, or volunteer your time to a local soup kitchen. (But rethink giving your change to the Salvation Army…)
Pro Tip #5: Stay active.
Stay in shape. Finish what the beavers started.
Personally, I’m thinking of taking up snowshoeing. Sex also helps. Dancing, too.
Pro Tip #6: Make this chili.
one yellow or white onion, diced
one green pepper, diced
one or a few cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of beans (kidney, black, whatevs)
2 large cans diced tomatoes (at least one of them should be fire-roasted, if possible)
chili powder
oregano
s&p
Done? Okay, now serve it over macaroni and cheese. Just trust. It’s a Wisconsin regional thing (the mac part) that I have really, and I mean really, taken to.
Pro Tip #7: Go forth and bundle!
Winter will be over eventually.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
i kind of feel like winter is the best season to be a trans guy/binding person/etc. So many layers and that one particular layer of nylon and lycra isn’t sticking to you constantly!
@Neil, that’s so true re: the layers. I spent most of last summer trying to find the perfect man-tank that would not look weird with my binder…
Man tanks are tough. I eventually just went with a black Underworks binder and it just looks like I’m doubling up on tank tops. It’s not ideal, but it works!
I know some “seasonal binders.” They just can’t take binding in the NYC summer heat. Very understandable.
Thanks for the post, Oliver!
Man, yeah, seasonal binding is totally understandable. Thanks for reading, Sawyer!
Try adding a spoonful of (unsweetened) cocoa powder to this chili. Trust me.
That sounds great. I’ve tried a cocoa chili before and it was delicious.
great post, oliver! winter here in sweden can be really difficult. it’s dark from 2 pm to 8 am every day and there’s usually snow up to everyone’s hips. not to mention the arctic winds that roll off the baltic sea! i’m thankful for glögg parties and game nights and potluck dinners and damn good insulation. one of the most important elements of survival in scandinavia is the heating! every building and public transportation area is blasted with heat! warm, delicious heat.
take this recipe for glögg (you can alter the amount), and put on your holiday sweater!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-swedish-glogg/
Hey Elliot. That’s so much darkness and snow! Good opportunities for dapper layering though, right? Sounds like you have a lively and social winter, though, which definitely helps. I just might have to make that recipe this winter…
Thanks for this Oliver! I’m terrible at winter and I’ve been trying to make a point of being more proactive about keeping myself happy this year. One thing I would add: Sunny Gummies. They’re sour lemon chewable vitamin D and they seem to make a huge difference in maintaining winter sanity.
As for baths vs showers, I used to be a shower person but my first REAL winter made me a bath person. And salty baths are great for soothing those muscles you’ve strained with too much vigorous…dancing. Oh, and I especially like the bit about putting your binder on the radiator I don’t wear a binder but I have similarish winter changing technique that I just posted about the other day (1ladyface.blogspot.com).
I haven’t heard of those Sunny Gummies. That’s an awesome idea – I’ll keep an eye out for them! And oh yes, I’m happy to hear that your first REAL winter converted you to baths.
Things I dislike:
#1 – being cold
#2 – um, I’m not sure. But being cold is definitely number one.