Help Trans Refugees Alex and Emery Rebuild After Bike Theft

Hello! My name is Alex Petrovnia, and I have been a trans organizer and advocate since 2021. During this time, I have specialized in information organizing and digital mutual aid work! In 2021, I founded the Trans Formations Project, (https://www.transformationsproject.org/), a collaborative community effort to track anti-trans policy in all 50 states and nationally, as well as interpret them for people, not politicians! Through various fundraising efforts, I have raised over $30,000 cumulatively for trans community members in crisis... and unfortunately, the time has come where I must ask your help in return.

My husband, Emery, has been my rock and my most steadfast supporter throughout this time, and without his support, none of my work would have been possible. We met in 2020, came out together as transmasc in 2020, and started testosterone together in August 2020. In June 2021, we got his and his top surgery, and I founded TFP. Emery finished his PhD in 2022, we got married, and we moved from Pennsylvania to Missouri all in a three month span. We moved to St Louis, Missouri, to pursue Emery's postdoctorate studies at Washington University of Medicine there, but were interrupted.

Due to the high profile nature of my organizing, and my present and past history of writing that upsets bigots of all flavors, my personal security and safety has always been a concern. However, after the election in November, it was no longer safe for me as a relatively public organizer to stay in the jurisdiction of the state of Missouri. Although it was incredibly difficult, we successfully became internal refugees and relocated 2,000 miles away to Santa Cruz, California, where Emery was able to secure a second postdoc position.

Santa Cruz, famously, has been the most expensive renters market in the country for three years running. We are exceptionally grateful to have found a place to rent that suits our needs and that we can (very barely) afford.

Between my disabilities (hEDS, fibromyalgia, PTSD, ADHD) and my organizing history, finding traditional employment has been exceptionally difficult. While I make some money from my writing (Alex's Writing Archive ) and my garden shop (Alex's Garden Shop ), Emery's salary goes almost entirely towards rent, and my earnings vary and only partially cover other expenses.

To reduce costs because gas is expensive, and because Santa Cruz is famously undriveable, we invested the last of our savings into two e-bikes, a Velotric Discover 2 (Velotric Discover 2, retails at $2,000) for Emery to commute to work on and a Velotric Discover 1 (no longer sold, but retailed at $1,400) for me to get around town.

Despite us cable locking our bikes to each other and to a tree with the batteries stored elsewhere, our cable lock was cut and our bikes stolen. We filed a police report but have heard nothing. When we are able to replace our bikes, we will be storing them inside our locked home for the future.

Without these bikes, I have been driving Emery to work each morning (we cannot afford the campus parking pass to park it on campus), which is very expensive because of gas prices.

The full price of both bikes was $3,500. We are hoping to replace our bikes to restore our ability to transit around our new town, for Emery to be able to commute to work, for me to be able to easily run errands for my garden shop, and to support our functioning and independence.

Additionally, reestablishing my medical care for my various disabilities has been very expensive, and we are also seeking $1,500 to cover repaying some medical debts as well as to secure copays to continue the care keeping me minimally functional right now.

Thank you so much for reading, for considering our stories, for sharing, and, if possible, for donating to support us. Thank you.

UPDATE (8/3/25):

Hello everyone! Firstly, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has supported us so far. To say this is lifechanging is an understatement.

With the funds raised so far, we will be able to replace Emery's bike, allowing him to commute to work again! This is incredible news that will increase our quality of life dramatically.

Unfortunately, we have also run into some unexpected medical expenses regarding my disabilities, particularly to treat my PTSD, chronic fatigue and chronic pain, all of which have been debilitating recently and dramatically impacting both my quality of life and my ability to work.

We are hopeful that we will be able to pay off some medical debt, secure me reliable mental health care, and be able to enroll me in EMDR therapy.

Thank you all so much for your help, and for seeing us as real people, worthy of love and community support. It means more than you could possibly know. <3