Help Trans Lesbians Leaving the USA

Hello,

I'm Marina, and my girlfriend is Faye. We are trans lesbians currently living in Ohio, and very quickly trying to get out of the country due to the political changes going on.

Faye and I met in 2020. We met online playing D&D, and quickly became good friends. By 2022 we knew that there was more there, but Faye lived in Australia, and I lived in the United States. It took a year of coordination, but Faye eventually moved to the United States in 2023 and we started dating. We always knew that visas and immigration status would be issues for us, but Faye's visa should have allowed us the next 4-5 years to save money and plan.

The United States is quickly becoming a very scary place for trans people and immigrants. In just the first few weeks of Trump's administration, we have seen people like Faye -- people here legally, with visas and greencards -- being detained and deported. We are hearing the horror stories of a greencard holder in New York being detained indefinitely for attending a protest, and another man being aggressively questioned on his immigration status. Being trans lesbians puts an additional target on backs, and Faye's especially as an immigrant.

I love my life in the United States. I love my house, I love to garden in the back in the spring. I love my neighbors. I love the dance community in town. I love the queer community here. When I moved from New York City to Ohio a few years ago, the #1 question I got from people in Ohio was "why?", but I truly have loved it here: but I love this woman more and I am praying to God that I do not have to separate from her.

The next steps are a work-visa in Australia, and in order to apply for that I need to pay $600 upfront, and then show that I have $5000 in my account. Thankfully, that $5k can be used toward flights and travel, and other moving expenses. After that, it is $10k to apply for a partner-visa, to apply for permanent citizenship to be with Faye.

I will be selling pretty much everything I own to help cover costs as well, but that takes time, and I need to apply for the first visa now. I am nearly too old to get approved, which means in just 5 months I will not be eligible for the visa I need.

If you are able to donate, anything helps.

If you cannot donate, please talk to your friends, family, and neighbors. Please pay attention to what is going on. Trans rights are human rights. Trans people are diverse and beautiful, and they have always been here and will always be here. To those who will continue to target trans people I will say, "inasmuch as ye have done unto the least of these my brethren, you have done unto me." Matthew 25:40. God bless.

Thank you for reading this far and for any support.

With love,

Marina