help bowie kick his dysphoria's ass !!!

Heya! My name is Bowie and I am a 19-year-old black trans person. I'm making this GoFundMe to raise money for my medical transition.

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(TW: discussion of transphobia + homophobia, brief mention of s/a)

I've known I was queer ever since I was young. I never felt comfortable in my own skin, and could never figure out why. I was first exposed to the LGBT community when I was 6 years old; I was watching Glee with my aunt and grandmother, and the scene where Kurt and Blaine kissed had just played on TV. I immediately had questions.

"Did those two guys just kiss?"

"Are guys allowed to do that?"

"Can they get married?"

My aunt laughed, while my grandmother shifted uncomfortably and dodged my questions, until I asked, "Can girls kiss, too?" That one seemed to strike a nerve. It was then that my grandmother frantically changed the channel, and told me to never talk about girls kissing again.

I learned the words "gay" and "queer" a few years later after one of my classmates had gotten in trouble for calling his peer the f-slur on the playground. I was floored, unable to believe that there were words in the English language out there that existed to describe my love for other people and that there were people out there that felt the same way I did. Even with all the hate existing around me, I felt free.

As I continued to exist as a queer individual in a predominantly Catholic and politically conservative social climate, I learned more and more about my community, namely through connecting with trans youth around the world. I made many friends by sharing my art and music.

In June of 2019, at the age of 14, I came out publically as transgender. I bought my first chest binder, but it was quickly confiscated, so I cut my hair short, started going by my middle name, and wore a suit to my friend's sweet 16.

Going to a private Catholic high school, I was the token trans kid in my grade, and as such, I dealt with a lot of shit. In my sophomore year of high school, a group of upperclassmen stole my uniform sweater and threw it in the toilets. I've gotten my skirt lifted, as a means to "see what I really was". I was harassed out of the girl's locker rooms. At the end of my senior year, I was recorded and publicly humiliated after calling out my classmate for being transphobic. I was robbed of a prom experience because I felt too unsafe to go. My deadname was called at my graduation. Due to not "following traditional Catholic values", I was never able to get justice for the way I was treated.

(TW over!)

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Now that I am an adult, I can begin the process of medical transition. I am starting HRT in June of 2023, and I would like to get top surgery and a hysterectomy in the future. While I am fortunate to have housing, my family is tolerant rather than accepting, so I will have to pay for my transition expenses out-of-pocket. The funds from this GoFundMe will be used to cover the costs of my testosterone, needles, legal name change, and transportation to and from the medical center where I am recieving treatment. Any extra money raised will be put aside to cover the copay for my top surgery.

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8.22 UPDATE: I have updated the donation goal, as my parents' home has become an increasingly unsafe place for me to be. Over the summer, I have suffered emotional, sexual, and physical abuse from my father that is growing steadily worse. I anticipate being taken off his medical insurance in the near future, which will increase the amount of money I have to spend on testosterone each month. I am currently looking into housing near my university to stay in next summer, and I would like to start saving up for top surgery, as I will have to pay for it, as well as transportation to and from the hospital and supplies for my recovery.

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If you can't donate, that's super okay !! :) I would appreciate it loads if you were to share this fundraiser. Every penny counts.

If you would like to donate but GFM just isn't working for you, my Venmo is @bowiefarrokh and my Cashapp is $starcandiez ! 

Thank you so much for reading my story.

With all the love in the galaxy,

Bowie Omar-Farrokh ★