Help Ridley Relocate Somewhere LGBTQ Safe!

Hey there! My name is Ridley and I’m a Hispanic transgender man trying to leave Florida.

My home state is legislating into law bills that effectively criminalize my existence and threaten the well-being of transgender people of all ages. These hateful pieces of legislature include, but are not limited to:

SB 254 - criminalizes medical care for trans youth, ends telehealth access for medical care for all trans Floridians, and lets courts dissolve custody agreements in favor of an unsupportive parent.

SB1421 - denies legal recognition via birth certificates for all ages, denies all gender-affirming care to minors, dramatically restricts access to care for adults, denies private insurance coverage to the extent care is available, and revokes licensure for health care providers who follow standards of medical care for transgender Floridians.

HB 1521 /SB 1674 - bills that would ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, punishable with a 2nd-degree misdemeanor. Prohibits gender-inclusive restrooms and changing facilities in schools, private businesses, public shelters, healthcare facilities, and jails.

And these aren’t even the tip of the iceberg. There are almost 500 pieces of anti-trans legislation that have been proposed across the USA in the year 2023 alone. The situation in Florida is so dire that Equality Florida has issued a travel advisory for LGBTQ+ individuals and others, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long-term travel, or relocation to the state.

Unfortunately, I am not the first and won’t be the last person to make the difficult decision to leave family and friends in search of someplace safer in the wake of these policies.

This brings me to the creation of this fundraiser. Your donations would go towards:

But most importantly of all, your donations go beyond moving. They would also help fund my transition. Things like:

The road ahead is long and your support along the way would mean the world to me. Thank you for your time, energy, and support in helping a young man live his life as it was meant to be: with safety and dignity!

Edit - 8/22/23: I want to take a moment to everyone who’s lent their support to my fundraiser. Between savings and what was donated, my partner, our dog, and I were able to safely relocate from FL to PA. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

However, as of 8/21/23, tragedy has struck our home. Both my partner and I lost our jobs. We were given no grace period, no warning. We have no source of income now and any prior savings went entirely towards the cross-country move. We’re doing our best to rectify the situation in a timely manner, but it’s daunting. We may be homeless in less than a month.

I will probably be closing this fund raiser and establishing a new one in the coming days. Thank you again for your support.