Help Josie Get Back On Her Feet For Her Birthday

My name’s Josie Wreck. I’m a 1st gen transgender Xicana musician, curator, devoted community organizer with a long history of uplifting and empowering community through music, grassroots volunteer work, and as a social worker connecting families to community resources they need during the day.

I am asking for financial support from my community to help me move on from a traumatic event, and to move toward peace, stability, healing, and joy.

Background:

I was physically assaulted at an after hours nightclub in Los Angeles on February 4th, 2023 by someone who did everything in their power to harm, humiliate, and dehumanize me in the middle of crowded dance floor. I was antagonized by this person as soon as I started dancing with friends, he approached me with middle fingers waving in my face, told me i had “balls” for showing up to the club, and after I declined to follow him outside he struck me on the head with closed fists, I attempted defending myself before getting knocked to the ground where he continued his assault by pulling my hair, dragging me by my shoulders and swinging down at me repeatedly before someone jumped between us to intervene. As i was standing up, he reached over, tore my fastened hair off my scalp and threw it across the room in the center of a crowded dance floor. Security tried escorting me off the premises, but after advocating for myself and telling them i was the one that got attacked, the misogynistic transphobe who attacked me was asked to leave.



The authorities weren’t called to the scene. I was confused, beaten, it was 3am at an after hours and people didn’t want the party to stop, so I made an IG story detailing the attack and stayed with friends for a bit before heading home. I made two more IG posts going into further detail about my assault, describing my history with this person, and my posts started getting removed. The person was sending followers to report and take down my posts in an effort to silence me and disrupt the momentum my story was gaining, because it turned out he’s notorious for assaulting other women and femmes in the music scene, as well as for creating a hostile environment of bullying, harassment, and spreading toxicity to others. I took to Tiktok and made a couple of more videos that garnered thousands of views and reshares, and I wound up filing a report over the phone.



I sustained injuries. He gave me a concussion, it felt like i had a broken rib, i had bruises all over my torso, back, and legs. It was painful and challenging to move and lift up my right arm and shoulder (a weird pain that still exists depending on the angle I move it). Apart from physical injury, this person also stripped my sense of safety. Without elaborating too much, I haven’t felt safe going to work, being at home, or being too visible in my hometown of Santa Ana. I spent 3 consecutive months crashing on people’s couches in LA about 4 nights a week. I made multiple visits to urgent care and the ER. Two weeks after my assault, I got into a car accident after getting lost on the freeway 25 minutes south of where I live on the drive home.



He tried intimidating me with a cease and desist letter from an attorney citing “slander” and “loss of business”. I filed a restraining order which got temporarily granted but was dismissed at the hearing because I showed up under prepared. He filed a retaliatory restraining order which got dismissed, but we now have a mediated court document stating we have to keep physical distance from each other. It’s just been 4 months since my assault, and I’m beginning to receive harassing text messages on my phone that are deadnaming me. 

Where I’m at now:

I’ve had some incredible experiences since coming forward with my story. I’ve connected with so many supportive people in the community, with music legends and idols, I was even interviewed for the LA Times in a story focused on the rise of anti trans and anti drag legislation and violence. With all that being said, it’s hard to move forward without income or financial stability. I’m still on unpaid leave of absence from work after exhausting all sick and vacation time as a result of my assault. I was on a 3-month waitlist for therapy and only just started talking to a mental health professional because services are backed up everywhere. It’s hard to move forward when my sense of security’s been compromised. I’ve accrued so much debt with medical expenses, the car accident, loss of wages and income, legal documents and multiple court visits, gas and food from constant travel around LA and OC. I’ve been playing shows, but the gigs aren’t enough to sustain me.

The support I need:

I need help relocating so I can feel safe, I’m also trying to finish working on my record and return to curating and organizing shows which is my passion. I’m hoping to raise $20,000 for my birthday gofundme - These funds will help me pay back due bills, my car, support my move, help fund my recording, and assist with living expenses and mental health services I need during these turbulent times. Thank you for reading this.