The Art Of Bentley Monet

Bentley Monet

I talked to Bentley Monet from the Phoenix band Snailmate, regarding his new clothing line Bent Fashionable Trans Merchandise, which is launching on Etsy, October 1st . Bentley is a friend of mine and was my first ally in the Phoenix music scene. He was a sound engineer at The Rogue Bar, which was the first bar I ever played at as I Am Hologram. Before that night, I had only played at art walks in Scottsdale & Tempe, with my own equipment. There was quite a learning curve that night, utilizing my atypical setup in a bar/venue setting. Bentley was compassionately Patient & took the time to make sure all my gidgets & gadgets worked properly. ever since then, I have followed all that he does. Snailmate is one of my favorite bands here in Arizona. their originality, work ethnic, & gratitude towards their fans is inspiring to me. unfortunately, The shutdown derailed their touring train, which has previously brought them to places in Europe, Japan, & South America. Did they stop creating? Not even close. Bentley has decided to follow his passion for self expression, art, & fashion by creating an online store filled with his imagination. Let’s take a peek into the wonderfully gifted mind of Bentley Monet in Bentley’s own words.

Bentley Monet - Rip My Chest Off Tee

“Howdy! I am Bentley, the drummer and manager of Snailmate. I also make a lot of art outside of my band (painting, screen printing, videos, etc.) I always keep trying to find new ways to fight for equality. I have always wanted to be some type of fashion designer, I even took classes in school for it, but I SUCK at sewing. That's part of why I got into screen printing. I don't make the actual clothes, it is fun to take my art (or my friends art) and turn a boring Tee into a fun thing to wear!”

Kalen Lander

“This new clothing line is a collaboration with Kalen Lander (from Snailmate). He is a better graphic designer than I am, so I give him ideas and he helps them come to life. I do the printing and online listing/promo. We are a great team! There are not a lot of trans related brands out there, so I wanted to start something that trans people and allies can connect with, while still being cute and creative. Since I am FTM (Female-to-male) Transgender, Kalen and I were thinking of how to play on words and we came up with Bent Fashionable Trans Merchandise (Bent FTM)” 

Bentley Monet - Teet Yeet T-Shirt

In response to my question “What in the world is Teet Yeet?”

"Haaaaaaa! Well The Urban Dictionary definition for "teet" is "the nipple. nothing more, nothing less" and The Urban Dictionary definition for "Yeet" is "To discard an item at high velocity". It's just a play on words for Top Surgery. FTM and Nonbinary folks are getting their chest removed to feel more comfortable in their own body. I did NOT make up this term, it's been in the community for a while. I am also a part of this podcast called Transdemic. My friend Kris in Moodie Black started it for us to talk about trans issues in our every day life and in the media. We also have different trans guests every couple of episodes to share their personal story. Every episode is different and unfortunately quite a few celebrities have shown their true colors on transphobia so we've had plenty to talk about so far." 

Bentley Monet - Scar Buddy Hoodie

Random Bentley Fact: He can go through an entire bottle of Tabasco Sauce in one meal!

“As far as favorite designs, I am really happy with all of my Scar Buddy merch. It's a simple design I drew up, but I think it is adorable and matches my feelings since I've had top surgery. It comes in a Tee, Hoodie, Mug, Stickers, and hell, even a Hat and Beanie! I am already brewing up my winter holiday designs. I love winter fashion. Let's just say I'm trying to pull off an ugly sweater ;)”

“My hopes and goals for this business is to be inclusive to everyone, I plan on doing 3-4 drops a year. I want trans people to find the designs which are relatable, but also want Cisgender people to enjoy the clothes as well. I would love to get to the point where I can afford to donate to charities and help LGBTQ+ youth.”

In response to my question, “Anything else you would like to add?”

“Thanks for reading the interview! You can check out my merch before it goes live on Instagram. It'll be for sale on October 1st on Etsy. I want to thank everyone for their interest in the line and I believe if we keep continuing the fight for equality we will get there one day!”

I would like to add a thank you to Bentley for giving me the opportunity to write about him and for being my very first article. Snailmate also has been posting cooking videos which are hysterical. Below are some helpful links regarding LGBTQ+ friendly doctors. If you or someone you know may be able to help or are in need of help finding allied doctors, please refer them to the links below. 

if you Know a LGBTQ+ friendly Dr/Therapist/Surgeon? Any country, add them here.

Looking for a LGBTQ+ friendly DR? Find one here!

If you would like to know more about Transgender folks here is a FAQ link