Olympia's 25 to make it past 25

Thank you for reading, and for any other contribution you can offer, I deeply appreciate it.

My name is Olympia , I’m a 25 yr old afro-latina transwoman who grew up in Brooklyn, I made this GoFundMe page to raise funds for my gender affirming surgery . For anyone who doesn’t know what a gender affirming surgery is or why it matters let me share some of my story.

The journey to this moment hasn’t always been so promising, I live with the fear that the day I truly see myself will never come. I’ve spent roughly 20 years of my life facing brutal violence from the ways testosterone scarred me, everyday I try and thrive, still I find myself in danger, at risk, and feeling awful; I do not have my freedom. The statistics on the life expectancy of black transwomen due to violence makes me feel like i only have a few years left.  As a child there were things that didn’t add up, I couldn’t use the bathroom  I wanted, wear the clothes that I saw fit, or express myself as the person I am in the world without harassment or physical violence. I have spent my life subjected to traumatic experiences that could never be erased, these are parts of myself that helped me survive. I have always been resilient, but maybe too afraid to vulnerable to share how I got here; sleeping on park benches, being forced to enter a broken foster care system, creating a house on apartment buildings roofs, i can hold my own, or at least I’ve tried to.

Now, I am asking for support to get to the next chapter of my life. There wasn’t a place I could turn to that truly embraced my womanhood without the gawking and taunting of my physicality.  I seceded to a dark place where i started to isolate myself in what I thought was safety but in fact was a deep depression. I lost time and misplaced really important parts of me due to my social inactivity that i can’t get back. What i have is the promise and hope in a future that allows me to create new moments that I only dreamed of, and a family. I cannot imagine a future where I am afraid for my life constantly, I will not live my life this way anymore, I have a desire to walk down the street holding my pride in my heart, with insecurities in my diary and not on my face.This social anxiety is causing a rift between me and my success, the vision is there and this would be assisting me on the journey to freedom . 

Everyday I try and heal a little more but its difficult when i have trauma to process everyday and the emotional labor it takes to get there, even though I'm full of magic, I'm still human and in need of great support.

This surgery will make me feel much more connected to life, excited to take part in the world, and live fully in myself. There have been too many days where I fear and dread going outside because I know that my life can come to an end. The violence i face EVERYDAY makes it extremely difficult for me to manage life on a day to day basis, from a multitude of photos taken of me by random people, to people yelling at me that I am a MAN, the threat of escalated violence everyday I walk and ride the train, and the bias and mistreatment from repeatedly correcting the store clerk to the NYPD officer who thought it was okay to ask if my breasts were real. This will not make my life perfect but it will be a DREAM  come true!

Im asking for $25,000 because:

My surgery is $18,000 - I’ve spend over a decade researching, viewing photos, spent time chatting with the doctor, and have been talking to the patients before and after.

Airfare for two (my partner Sasha & me) $2,500 the surgery would be taking place overseas. It is very important to have someone with me to assist with my healing and recovery.

$1,500 would go for the cost of living for 3 weeks over seas while I heal from surgery including required follow up appointments.

$1,700 for rent, utilities, and living costs at my current apartment with my partner while we are away.

I am so grateful to have had the support of community to feel like i can actually do this!

There is Special Donors incentives, they go as follows:

Donate $100 and you get a personal thank you card and shout out.

Donate $500 and receive a signed DVD copy of my short film (I am  (HEAR) and all of the above
 

Donate $1,000 and receive a healing crystal, a thank you call and signed copy of one of my poems and a DVD copy of my short film (I am (HEAR)

Donate 5,000 and receive a free in person meeting & screening of my short film “I am (HEAR)” in your hometown/city. You will get a thank you card and shout out and a 6 month update of my process and a signed copy of one of my poems ( U.S. only apologies)

Donate 10,000 and receive an amazing thank you package including all of the above AND an amazing thank you dinner with me and my husband ( U.S only apologies)

Thank you sooo much for taking the time and energy out for this really important process for me.

Hugs and love, over and out

Love,

           Olympia!