My name is Francis, and as a trans person in the UK, I don’t have free and easy access to gender-affirming healthcare.

Like many other trans people, I have already spent years on the waiting list for NHS treatment, and will spend many more years waiting for even my first appointment. Because of this, I have made the decision to seek private healthcare.

I am looking to raise 10k to go toward the cost of top surgery. This also includes fees for the necessary psychological assessment, medical consultations, and follow-up care. I'm excited and surprised to have got a date in Autumn 2023. This is much sooner than I anticipated, and so I am trying to get together as much money as I can before then. It has taken me a long time to accept that I need this surgery and can have it, and longer still to realise I can ask for help in getting it.

There is a vulnerability in asking for help from friends and strangers, and this is powerful. While I wish we could all get the means of transition we choose freely and with ease, I’ve learnt that there is no shame in asking and receiving. Anything you can give or do to help, even if it is just sharing this fundraiser, I would be incredibly grateful.

Love and power,

F