Help Luna recover from a gender-affirming surgery

UPDATE – July 4th, 2025

I'm having surgery in Guadalajara July 8th!

The last four months have been an incredible, humbling, wild, and exhausting journey. I’ve been moving nonstop — pushing myself past what I thought I was capable of — cooking, teaching, sharing, organizing — all in effort of making this dream a reality.

Since launching this fundraiser, I’ve completed 8 pop-ups, 4 workshops, 2 food festivals, speaking engagements, and countless collaborations across 6 states. And thanks to the kindness of everyone who supported me, I’ve made it through.

I was able to cover the cost of surgery, CT scans, bloodwork, flights to Mexico, and a recovery house — all out of pocket, which has exhausted all my resources. I’m so close. But I still need an extra $4K to allow my body the time it needs to heal properly over the next 6–8 weeks.

This extra support will help cover:

This is the part where I allow myself to slow down, to receive, and to be held by the people who love me. It’s not easy to ask — but I’ve realized that allowing others to care for me is also part of the transformation. I’ll be relying on the love of my chosen family and extended community to get through these coming weeks.

Along the way, I've met so so many beautiful souls, and I've also been shown that I have a calling to fulfill. I’m now freelancing full-time, with gigs lined up starting in September. I look forward to building a sustainable future for Neighborhood Molino, dreaming up free/affordable programming for our community, cooking with intention, and continue collaborating with people I deeply admire.

Thank you for allowing me to share my love with you through food.

Thank you for helping me feel more at home in my body.

Thank you for giving me a life I can be proud of.

Thank you for walking alongside me on this path.

There are no words to express the mountains of gratitude this alien body of mine can hold.

With all the love in my heart,

Luna <3

Other ways to donate + support:

Venmo: @luna_vela

Cashapp: $lunavelaa

& keep booking me for gigs!

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Below is the original message I wrote when I first launched this fundraiser:

ORIGINAL: Holis! Hi — my name is Luna Vela, I'm a community cook, molinera, cultural anthropologist, and artist born in North Mexico and based in Austin, TX. I’ve spent the last 7+ years pouring my love into nourishing my community, preserving our region’s cultural foodways, and collaborating with organizations and individuals to create spaces and worlds we feel celebrated in.

I am writing to ask my community, near and far, for support in helping me get a gender affirming surgery that would help me live my life more peacefully, which is all I yearn for. As I’m sure you’re aware, things are getting really scary here in Texas and across the U.S. in terms of trans rights. My work takes me to rural areas and across borders where I want to feel more comfortable in my own skin . This would help me navigate the world with a sense of safety and confidence, alleviating some of that perceived danger and dysphoria.

I am asking for your help to reach this amount ($10k) which is more than I hoped to ask for, and less than what I actually need to get this procedure done. I had a final consultation scheduled this week that was cancelled since the surgeon I was working with quit working for the insurance company, and is no longer taking insured patients. A result of the political state of things. The other surgeons that take insurance in Texas for this surgery have eternal waitlists and mixed reviews which are forcing me to find an alternative. In my case, was finding a surgeon in Mexico where I feel at home. The procedure itself costs $20K USD- I will be using all my savings, working full-time, as well as taking on as many gigs as I can handle the next several months to make up the difference, cover travel, and to prepare for recovery which will put me out of commission for at least a month and a half. Those who know me, know I love to work hard and will find a way to make this happen.

I love my community and family in Texas so much, and want to continue to live and work here as long as I can even with the odds against us. I’ve overcome so much in getting to where I am today, and need your help to keep doing the work I love to do-- nourishing others. I dream of a future where we can all feel safe in our ancestral homelands. Thank you so much for reading this far, and am forever grateful for any donations or support given in this time.

With all the love in my heart,

Tlazocamati / Muchas Gracias

<3

other ways to donate + support:

Venmo @luna_vela

Cashapp: $lunavelaa

& book me for gigs!