Help Raz Get Their Gender Affirming Surgery!

Raz is getting phase 1 of Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) on April 6 in Seattle! This is something they’ve been dreaming of for a long time. They’re fortunate enough to have insurance that covers this set of procedures, but they still have to pay out of pocket for special high-deductible health insurance to cover it (and spend two separate weeks in Seattle recovering from the surgery). Their partner, Annie, will be taking off work to support them during this time. Phase 2 will happen later this summer or fall. This GoFundMe will cover both phases.

The funds here are to support both Annie and Raz’s costs of traveling to/staying in Seattle, Annie’s lost income, the extra out-of-pocket costs that Raz is having to pay to get the insurance that covers this surgeon, and any incidentals that may arise.

Questions you might have:

Wait but I like how they look - they’re beautiful!

They’re very grateful for that sentiment! And while we don’t think they necessarily have to justify this decision to the world, vulnerability in this moment might help generate empathy for them and other trans folks. Here are their words:

Since I was a pre-teen, I hated the way I looked. I’d always make silly faces in photos to cover my own discomfort. Then I started cracking through my little baby trans shell and learning more about bodies, gender, and hormones. And I learned that what male puberty does to the face is quite literally all of the things I hated about it. I used my photoshopping skills to test out the feminizing results of this surgery. For the first time since I was a child, I finally saw what I always expected to see when I looked at a picture of myself. Me. I wept and never doubted this was right for me.

Also, look, our society determined that my body is political - and there are a lot of Grade A assholes who don’t know me but have decided a lot of things about me. I’m exhausted from being stared at in the supermarket. Gaped at. Snickered at. Feeling unsafe. This is a step in the direction of simply being able to exist in public spaces and not worry *quite as much* about being harassed, beaten, or murdered like what has happened to so many of our trans siblings. I want the world to do better, it should and I will keep pushing to do so, but I’m honest about reality here.

What’s Facial Feminization Surgery?

It’s actually a set of smaller, but still major face surgeries to undo the impacts of male adolescence on the face. Here’s a nice little link for you.

But wait, aren’t they gender queer, not a trans woman? Why Facial Feminization?

Again, no justification necessary here, but since you’re reading this, a great moment of education! Raz identifies as trans femme nonbinary. A mouthful that to them means: the binary gender construct is total garbage and is dragging us all down, AND they’re pretty realistic about the fact that much of our society is constructed with a binary lens. That means if they must be viewed through the binary lens (legal things, outside of their social bubble, etc), they would like that lens to read as feminine.

Why Seattle? Isn’t the Bay one of the best places for trans care?

It is! Unfortunately, very few world-class surgeons work with insurance companies and also don’t have 2-5 year wait lists. Raz was super lucky to discover Dr. Tommy Liu’s incredible work after a long and heartbreaking period of research and failed attempts. It became clear that two trips to Seattle were worth it for this.

Is there any other way I can support Raz and Annie through this process?

Yes, there is! A Meal Train has been set up for them for the dates that they will be in Seattle. (This option is unfortunately only available to folks who can financially contribute or people local to Seattle).

What can I do to support if I can't contribute financially?

Just sharing this GoFundMe page is incredibly helpful! The more people that see this, the closer we will get to our goal :)

Thank you so much for reading! Please share this GoFundMe with folks who may be interested in helping Raz achieve their dreams!