GC2B, founded by Marli Washington, is "proud to be the very first gender-affirming apparel company that is trans-owned and -operated," according to its website.
GC2B specializes in binders, pieces of clothing made of spandex and nylon that flatten the chest. Often, people purchase binders as a more effective alternative to other forms of compression gear, such as sports bras, when they are dealing with gender dysphoria.
Washington told Business Insider that he created the company in 2014 during his junior year of college when he was dealing with his own dysphoria, after evaluating the lack of binding gear options available to him.
"I would put it on and it would be OK for a little while, and then I would just start feeling more and more self-conscious about myself, and then I just figured that I could definitely design something better, so I took the time to do that," Washington said.
Since then, GC2B has rapidly grown into an internationally recognized company — with its Instagram page boasting over 146,000 followers. Washington said that its large following speaks to the larger need for transmasculine representation.
"I think beyond providing a product, we kind of created like the biggest platform for transmasculine or masculine-of-center folks to be able to see other people like them because, before our Instagram account, there really weren't any super huge accounts on any social media platforms that had accounts that looked like you or me," Washington said.
"I think that it's good for people to see that, and it's good for people to know that they're not the only ones struggling with their feelings, and that there's an actual company that exists and runs solely just to help them. And that's our main goal and there's nothing else."
GC2B's products come in a variety of inclusive colors and a wide size range in order to cater to all body types and skin tones. Washington said he also soon hopes to expand the company's products to cater to a more transfeminine audience.
In addition to the products GC2B sells, Washington said the company has set altruism goals for itself to help support marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community. GC2B partners with a number of organizations nationwide to help give back to the LGBTQ community by donating used binders and giving a large portion of its proceeds to advocacy groups.
Washington said that ultimately it's important for consumers to support LGBTQ businesses in order to build up a strong foundation for the community.
"The dollar is a strong thing, and I think it's important to continue to support people in your own community and to let those communities build themselves up by building strong foundations and businesses," Washington said.