Hi, my name is Rémi Gjørtz. I'm 29 years old and I am trans/non-binary and use they/them pronouns.

I am raising funds for gender affirming top surgery [1]. I currently live in Norway where they don't offer gender affirming medical treatment to non-binary people "due to a lack of research". I am therefore looking to go private. The cost of top surgery varies and so do the associated costs (consultation, travel costs, rent and bills, carer, post-surgery binder, etc.). I have saved up some money but it’s not enough, so I am reaching out to friends, family, acquaintances, community members, allies and strangers to ask for help to cover the cost of this procedure.* I would be eternally grateful for any contribution you can make - every little helps. If you’re not in the position to help financially, please share this fundraising page on social media or with close friends/family.

I was assigned female at birth and have struggled for a very long time with my chest. Before I hit puberty, I had nightmares about developing breasts and after watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy (season 2, episode 13) on TV, I prayed that I was intersex [2] so there would be a chance that boobs would never come. Unfortunately, this hope was crushed by the endocrinologist that confirmed I was a “young and healthy girl developing normally”. When my chest inevitably changed, I tried to hide that fact for as long as possible by hunching over my shoulders and wearing baggy clothes. When that was no longer effective, I admitted defeat in the battle against my own body and had what some would call a "makeover" - I grew out my hair and started wearing more feminine clothes even if it made me uncomfortable. I learnt to dissociate from my body and continued to masquerade as a girl/woman for many years.

Slowly over time, thanks to some supportive close friends, I started unlearning those survival mechanisms and live more truly as myself. I now present to the world in a masculine way and use a binder [3] to hide my chest, but this is not a long-term solution as it’s uncomfortable and hurts my shoulders. Whenever I’m not binding and I catch a glimpse of my reflection I am filled with disgust. I feel on edge whenever I don’t wear a sports bra or a binder.

I have wanted top surgery for several years but have been impeded by bureaucracy, finances, and the fear of the unknown. I also have ADHD which makes multi-step processes very challenging, as I get overwhelmed by where to start which leads to procrastination. I am now getting to a point where I can't wait much longer.

Please help me on my journey to becoming at ease in my own body.

Thank you x

[1] Top surgery, also called masculinization chest surgery, is a surgical procedure to reconstruct the chest by removing breast tissue and altering the size and position of the areolae and nipples to create a more masculine appearance.

[2] Intersex is a general term used to denote a person who is born with sex characteristics (reproductive organs, sexual anatomy, hormonal patterns, chromosomal patterns) that do not fit into an exclusively male or female classification.

[3] A binder is a chest compression vest made of nylon and spandex which compresses breast tissue to create a flatter and more masculine appearance.

*The funds that I am raising on GoFundMe will be used to cover the cost of the surgery, while I will try to cover the remaining associated costs.