Boxers Under The Tree - An Initiative in support of transgender youth

Aisle is committed to creating sustainable period products for every body. Extra emphasis on every. 

Since we know that not all women bleed and not all who bleed identify as women, inclusion is vital. As the first period care brand to remove gendered language from all our marketing, we are committed to offering gender-inclusive products that fill an essential gap in the period care industry. And as advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, we wanted to show our allyship in a meaningful way that gave back to people who really needed it.

The Initiative

Inspired by @transanta, we launched our very own #BoxersUnderTheTree initiative from December 6th - 17th. Our goal was to help over 100 transgender and gender non-conforming youth feel seen and loved by providing them with gender-affirming period underwear.  In addition to our own donation, for every order of Aisle Boxer Brief period underwear, we allocated 25% of the proceeds towards additional donations. 

To invite additional community support, we also accepted donations directly to the initiative, setting up a donation option that accepted payment for a pair of Aisle Boxers to be sent straight to a trans-gender youth.

The Response

Aisle used our Instagram account to put out a call for applications from gender non-conforming people to receive a free pair of period boxers. The overwhelming number of responses we received were very insightful, heartfelt and vulnerable. We’re so grateful to everyone who took the time to provide insight into how trans and gender non-conforming people navigate their periods within an industry that is fraught with gendered language.  

With a starting goal to donate 100 pairs of our absorbent Aisle Boxer Briefs, thanks to the help of our community, we were able to double that goal and donate and ship over 200 pairs directly to trans youth across North America & Europe!

The Impact

An all-too common symptom of transitioning is a feeling of gender dysphoria. This is the feeling of discomfort and anguish a person experiences when their assigned gender doesn’t match their gender identity. The conflict between their physical body and how they feel about themselves can sometimes cause crippling distress which can be especially difficult for youth. When you add period pain, period cramps and other complications into the mix, as well as overtly-feminine products and language, the feelings of anxiety can be heavy.

The effects of gender dysphoria vary from person-to-person but many people told us that that gender-affirming period underwear like our period boxers makes having a period a little more bearable. Many appreciated knowing we offered plus size period underwear that would truly fit their body. The security of wearing absorbent and leakproof period underwear also gave them comfort. These are the reasons our #BoxersUnderTheTree campaign exists. 

“I feel so dysphoric when I get my period, and my discomfort is amplified when I can’t wear my normal boxers. I’m so grateful that this donation exists!” - S.L

“Im a non-binary person who has a complicated relationship with my cycle, and being comfy is key to my mental health” - K.M.

“As a non-binary individual it can be very dysphoric needing to wear specific underwear, pads or tampons constantly. Having briefs be a 2 in 1 helps so much more during that time of the month.” - J.M. 

The feedback from people who received our period underwear donation makes it worth every minute. We love a gender-affirming moment  🙌