Fund Van's documentary "Do Something"

Fund Van's documentary Do Something: Trans & Non Binary Experiences by July 18th, 2021 (last day of San Diego Pride)! This is a chance to show your support during this Pride season!

The Stonewall Riots of June 1969, largely led by LGBTQ+* people of color & trans folx, sparked protests around the country that ignited the push for equal rights. Yet, more than fifty years later, trans folx remain among the most marginalized groups. We experience higher rates of discrimination & harassment than our cis* counterparts, & as a result, we have lower life expectancy. We are also at a greater risk for suicide as trans folx are twice as likely to think about & attempt suicide than cis LGB people,* with 1 in 3 trans youth under 18 attempting suicide in the past year.* Even worse, in the continuing struggle for justice, our needs are often last in priority, or altogether ignored.

When our stories do get told, they often get co-opted by those outside the community. It's high time for us to control our own stories. My documentary, Do Something: Trans & Non Binary Experiences, centers 8 trans &/or non binary folx as we share with you some of the challenging discriminatory experiences we face, as well as what helps affirm us. The project is by & about trans & non binary realities that we share and that invite the broader world to understand our experiences in our own words.

Your contributions will fund the compensation of the interviewees, video editor, & marketing/ legal teams for their time as well as support them in gaining access to medical care, pain management, housing, mental wellness, & other basic needs. Your dollars will actively contribute to the wellbeing of these community members, while also assisting us in creating ways to help our stories get out into the world.

If the goal of this GoFundMe looks like a lot of money, please consider your expenses per month and that this is helping over a dozen trans & non binary people. The participants in this documentary include folx who are trans, non binary person, neurodivergent, have disabilities/are disabled, queer, POC, Black, and many more marginalized identities.

You will receive a signed copy of Van's book, Exploring My Identity(ies) if you contribute $250+

Contributions under $100 are greatly appreciated. ANY amount helps, with our thanks.

1* Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer/Questioning & Other Identities (LGBTQ+)

2* Cis is a person whose identity is the same as what the person was assigned at birth.

3* McNeill, J., Ellis, S. & Eccles, S. (2017). Suicide in trans populations: A systematic review of prevalence and correlates. Psychology of Sexual orientation. http://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000235

4* Centers for Disease Control (CDC), January 2019.

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