Hi, this is a difficult ask but I currently don't have many options.

I am a Black trans woman and mother who is trying to keep her newly stable housing and I have currently hit a roadblock because now my freedom is in jeopardy. I have recently been made aware that I owe a delinquent amount of child support and my choices are pay it, give up my parental rights or go to federal prison. The last two aren't really options for me and would be so devastating for me and my child. I have been in her life from the very beginning and the only reason I'm on child support is because as a young 22 year old my father told me it was the right thing to do and now I am suffering the consequences of my own actions that were made out of pure ignorance and misunderstanding.

I have been dealing with housing insecurities since I was 25 and I turn 33 next month and I've been recently able to turn things around. A few years ago I was stabbed right after finishing Esthetician school and I was hospitalized and had to get hand surgery which greatly affected my ability to find many jobs. I was also living in an abandoned home with several trans anarchists who looked out for me, and helped me find the stable housing that I have currently.

I owe an amount of nearly 15k in child support and It would be so helpful to avoid going before an Indiana judge, risking prison time and experiencing all the anxiety that comes along with that. The only reason I ever leave Chicago to step foot in racist, transphobic Indiana is to see my daughter and I would like to keep it that way for my safety and peace of mind. I would be forever grateful for any amount donated, as this is a difficult cause to crowdfund for given the circumstances.