Hi guys, gals, and non-binary pals. My name is Phoebe and I’m a trans woman from Cleveland, Ohio. I started hormone replacement therapy in March of 2023 at age 24, after feeling really confused and lost from ages 11-23. HRT helped me to pull myself out of the funk, enough to imagine a life that I could be proud of. It has been a journey since then, with euphoric highs, dysphoric lows, and too-long-delayed self-discovery, but one that I feel I can, at last, claim as my own.

Having been in the 'in-between' state of hormones but no surgery for roughly 2.5 years, I feel confident in deciding that gender-affirming surgery is right for me :) I'm hoping to raise enough money that I can take time off of work to recover from this surgery (shallow-depth vaginoplasty).

I have Medicaid insurance which should thankfully cover the procedure itself, but need enough funds to cover three months' worth of expenses like rent, utilities, and debt payments while I’m unable to work (I work at a brewery as a barback, so there is a lot of physical activity required). I cannot rely on support from my immediate family. If you are able to offer help in any way (including just sharing this fundraiser with friends and allies that you know), it would mean the entire world to me and help me to feel at home in this body.