Get The Duck Out of Florida
Donation protected
Hey, friends! Amanda and Andy, here. We’re two fat queerdos who have decided to grow together and continue to care for each other for years to come. We both love each other deeply and want to see each other thrive and be happy. In order to do so, we first need to get to a base point in existence that is rooted in contentment and safety.
We currently live in Tallahassee, FL. Yes, the same town that FL Governor Ron DeSantis lives in (down the street and around the corner from us). We were not planning on living here forever and was actually looking to move further South for the tiiiiiiiiiiniest bit so we could be closer to friends. There was hesitation, mostly due to the cost of living and the fact that it’s still hot, but was highly considered. There are more opportunities for Amanda’s careers in art and higher education and Andy’s career in the food industry. After we found it was even more expensive than Tallahassee, we started looking elsewhere. We figured out what our wants and mandatories for our new town of residence needed to have. So, we chose Pittsburgh, PA! ✨
Some highlights of our decision:
- LGBTQ+ protection laws
- career incubator for the both of us
- affordable (fun fact: tallahassee and pittsburgh rentals are about the same price)
- East coast, no further South than North Carolina (we’re tired of boiling every day and need to be able to get to our families within a day’s time)
- close-ish to NYC without being so close
- music scene
- decent (if not impeccable) food
- COMMUNITY
As we were figuring things out and budgeting on how long it will take us to safely and wisely get there, we realized that this move needed to happen sooner, rather than later, due to the escalating political climate in Florida. Because of state government, the following things have / will impact us:
- Our identities- Not only as individual beings, but as a couple. It’s not just that they won’t be respected, but we’re not even acknowledged. Andy will not be allowed access to life-saving processes and procedures to help him navigate everyday life. There have been Naz*s popping up more and more in public spaces around Florida. With Amanda being Jewish and both of us being queer, it’s not safe for us to live in a place that is so blatantly supportive of hate groups. Who lets Naz*s post up so comfortably outside of Disney World?!?! Amanda and Andy have always been clocked for queer (even when they did not know it) based on appearance and Amanda cannot stop themself from looking Jewish, so? I bring this up first because it’s a nice segway into…
- Our careers- Andy has been bullied, had opportunities passed from him, and had his life threatened all due to his identity and all happening at work. Amanda’s field of study is art and body politics. Not only will these laws progress to the type of work Amanda will be able to show within spaces in Florida, but they will also not be able to work within the education system. The subjects they teach often involve artists and themes that will not be allowed to be studied or even discussed. These classes will soon be seen as inappropriate and be defunded / removed. It’s already hard to find a teaching job in Tallahassee and it just got harder.
- Cost of living- In Tallahassee, they just passed a $1.8 million bail-out for a developer (who is a genocide-denier and a campaign manager for a city commissioner’s election run) that will be using tax-payer dollars to put a brand new distillery on the South side of town. The biggest college in the city just bought two airplanes while the fine arts building has barely been upgraded. We are tired of our money going to a place that doesn’t even pretend to care about us, but will help their friends while screaming, “BUT THIS IS ~*FoR You*~” in our faces. And please believe there is a connection to tax-payer dollars and that purchase.
- Community- The folks and friends that we personally have are already gone or are planning on leaving, as well. There are some family members that we will come back and visit (yes, billy, jennie, dylan, hank, pete, and our restaurant fam [pho me, el jalisco, mayuri]- this means you, too), but everyone else is just not here. We have felt as though all things new within the city is just not for us, which leaves us feeling left out and forgotten. Having our friends come to us is not really an option, either. Most folks feel that visiting is not safe for them due to their own identities and others don’t want to spend their money here- both super valid things.
All this to say, it just makes sense for us to move. We understand that moving is a privilege, but also, sometimes, a necessity. Us moving is absolutely, truly suicide prevention for both of us.
But, why so much?
We are foreseeing a lot of expenses coming our way, since we are moving quite a few states away. We will be utilizing PODS to move our things. We need to potentially grab a storage unit once we move. We may need to break our lease. It may take a while for Andy to find a job once we get there. We will need to take at least one trip to see apartments before we move. First month, last month, security deposit, move-in costs, becoming residents to a new state (vehicle registrations, licenses), etc. Not to mention GFM’s fees that they love to tack on. If you want to donate, but want to use other sources, feel free to send them to:
- venmo: @amandakleinhans / @quigz_deluxe
- cashapp: $amandadlk / $QuigzDeluxe
- paypal: @AmandaKleinhans
But, what do ducks have to do with this?
Duck is our couple name/ship name/team name. A(ndy) Qu(igley) A(manda) K(leinhans). AQuAK. A duck. Duck. Quack.
So, when is this happening?
Our goal is to move out is ASAP, which could be next week or next year, but the cut-off for us to be here will be February of 2025. We will be moving at that point in time no matter what. If you’re able to donate and we’re able to make our goal, then we will be able to comfortably move within the next year / year and a half. The amount we are asking for is about half of what we predict is needed. We plan on using savings money to cover the rest. If we’re able to surpass our goal, we will be closer to moving to safety / our new home. ✨
Organizer
Amanda Kleinhans
Organizer
Tallahassee, FL