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A transgender Liverpool John Moores student has raised almost £150 in order to buy binders to flatten their chest and lower body to look more manly.

Zak-Louis Gilmore, 19, has struggled with his body for as long as he can remember.

Only transitioning from female-to-male in August, he wants to test binders in order to see if he would then want hormones and surgery.

The events management first year student told the ECHO of how uncomfortable they feel in their own skin and what changing their figure would mean to them.

He said: “I’m not happy with the way I look. My figure is the worst, it’s really obvious that I’m female.

“With not being in the right body, depression can be high, but I’m more confident than I was.

“At my worst, I just don’t want to leave the house and I don’t want to get out of bed – I feel ashamed of myself and don’t want other people to see me.”

He says JMU have been very supportive of his transition but other people have not been so understanding.

“Some people at university don’t agree with it.

“If someone calls me ‘she’ that knocks me down to phase one.

“I really dont like it and, when I correct people, they challenge me.”

He says he has always known he was male, but was afraid to come out.

“My ex didn’t take it well, now I’m with my girlfriend who supports me.

“Since I was a child I never felt comfortable being female, and I never will.

“I wasn’t in the right body, bras were always my idea of hell.

“Dolls were never my thing... I always played with action men.”

Binders cost around £30-50 and Zak says he wants a double binder, which has double reinforced powernet panelling throughout the front for extra chest and stomach compression, to remove any bulges.

Originally from Stoke, Zak says the binders would be a huge boost to him.

He said: “It would mean the absolute world, I could be myself and feel so much better for it. It is horrible not being able to be who I am.

“I want to express myself and be the person I’m meant to be - a binder will help me along.”

Having raised almost the whole target in 18 days, Zak posted saying: “Keep sharing and donating by all means as this just means even more binders can be bought!”

To donate to his GoFundMe appeal, click here .