Hey ✌️

My name is James. I’m a senior in high school (graduating in May 2026) who has just turned 18 and I am a trans guy. This fundraiser is my attempt at learning to let myself ask for help when I need it. That’s not so easy for me to do. In this case, I need some help with funding my top surgery. I’ve been trying my best to save up, and while I’m doing decently, it’s still nowhere near enough.

If you’re not aware of what that is, FTM (female-to-male) top surgery is essentially a double mastectomy with additional elements to it to achieve a masculine-appearing chest as the end result. It, along with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), is the most common and sought-after gender-affirming care for trans guys. It allows for improved quality of life due to lifting both the mental stress and physical challenges that come along with binding or taping a pre-op chest - which sometimes doesn’t even help enough to pass (be perceived as your gender identity) and be safe in these trying times for trans people.

Living in a very red state (UT) while being trans is very difficult, especially with how the social and political climate currently is. I’d had plans to physically and legally transition before going to college out of state somewhere easier to live (I’ve applied to go to Harvard with financial aid, and it’s looking pretty good - wish me luck), but a couple of things have made that much more difficult to achieve:

#1: With the Trump ban on federal IDs being changed for trans people, I will only be able to change my gender on state IDs, such as my license and my birth certificate. I’ll be able to change my name on both state and federal IDs, but with my Social Security and passport gender markers not matching my other IDs, I will be put at risk for employment, housing, travel, and more. I may be unable to do study abroad programs during college as I’d hoped, and other challenges because of this also arise. Not to mention, I also have to pay for all of that as well.

#2: The insurance that my family previously had would’ve covered more of the cost of this surgery than the new one we have since my dad got a new job. I was already not going to be able to raise enough money on my own before surgery (target: April 2026), and now I have roughly a thousand extra dollars I need to raise before then as well.

#3: During the school year, I am unable to keep a job. This is due to a couple of factors, some of which I won’t be sharing here online as I don’t feel comfortable doing so, but one that I will share is that my school load is just too big. Not only do I have regular coursework, but I also have two language courses I am trying to keep up with (Spanish and ASL) and am also working towards an Associates degree by the time I graduate. My school and homework load tends to take up the time a full-time job would.

And #4: I have to raise all the money myself.

I hope that you will be willing to help me. Donating anything at all would help so much, even just the cost of your morning cup of coffee. If you can’t donate, please share this GoFundMe online or personally with friends if you’re in a position where you’re able to do so. I, myself, am currently unable to share or promote this in any way due to where I live and the people around me, so anything helps. Thank you.

Note: To better protect my privacy and safety, I have filled out this fundraiser with a different name and with the zip code of my state’s capitol rather than my own city. If you know me personally, please stick to using this name here. Thank you for your understanding.