Help Riley Flourish

What Is This Fundraiser For?
Hi, my name is Gillian (they/them). This fundraiser is to assist my dear friend Riley (they/she) with the costs of a vaginoplasty, breast augmentation, education, and housing. The money raised will go towards:

     •       Vaginoplasty: $9,000 - $16,000

     •       Breast Augmentation: $8,000 - $10,000

     •       Tuition: $30,000

     •       Rent and Utilities: $800


Who Is Riley?

Riley is a 23-year-old transgender nonbinary femme person. We met in the Fall of 2019 while dorming at college. She is now only one semester away from graduating with a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies! Since the Summer of 2020, when Riley first came out as trans, I have seen them come alive. Their soul is fierce, and they have stopped at nothing to live their life with integrity. It is a gift to celebrate in their joys. They are my family.

What Happened?
Unfortunately, Riley's biological family has not reacted to Riley’s coming out with the same enthusiasm as others have. Enraged and utterly disappointed do not even begin to describe how I feel about the situation they have singlehandedly put Riley in.

 

Over the past year, their family has attempted to aggravate and intimidate them. These attempts include hiring a private investigator to stalk and harass Riley, sending family friends across state lines to harass Riley at their home, and making constant phone calls to Riley's doctors' and counselors' offices to obtain confidential information.

By 2022, Riley’s family’s attacks had become increasingly deliberate. At the beginning of April, her family drained her savings account. Gone were the funds that would have been used for her gender-affirming surgeries, education, and housing. These acts of violence are methodical and aim to sever Riley from medical, financial, and mental health resources.

Why This Is Important

With the money we raise through this GoFundMe page, Riley can be given the resources she needs to survive and flourish. Your support not only goes towards Riley's physical and spiritual survival but also serves as a tangible refute against transphobic violence. The financial disempowerment that Riley has faced can be combatted with financial empowerment.

Whatever amount you give is deeply appreciated, but please keep in mind the true nature of our healthcare system: a machine that dismisses the import of gender-affirming surgeries, placing on the path to gender euphoria every legal, fiscal, and social barriers possible, such as steep healthcare costs, selective insurance coverage of gender-affirming medical care, and the hoops one must jump through to be approved for said medical care. My hope is that these funds will alleviate at least some of the stress that accompanies the uphill battle of realizing self.

Closing Thoughts

Though I cannot do much to fix the situation on my own, the next best action to take is to lean on Community. Together, we can support and uplift Riley. What has been stolen from her by her family can be supplemented with allocated resources from the community. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your consideration and support. Your collective contribution makes a difference.