Help Vanessa Survive Prison

My best friend Vanessa is empathetic, loving, humble, and generous to a fault. She loves her friends and chosen family and always strives to make others around her happy. Unfortunately, her life is a living hell because of brutal transphobia in the male prison she is incarcerated in. Guards and fellow inmates bully and assault her and steal her personal belongings. Male officers regularly strip-search her, despite her human right to be searched by a same-sex officer. On top of that, coronavirus is raging in the prison and Vanessa rarely has access to masks and must make them herself from T-shirts.

Vanessa desperately needs funds for legal fees as she continues to fight against the pharmaceutical company whose drugs disabled her, as well as several PREA complaints. She also needs money to purchase food from the commissary, because her chronic illnesses make the standard institutional meals unsuitable. She also needs stamps to correspond with outside allies, tablet funds so she can enjoy music and movies, gender-affirming items such as bras, and masks to protect her from coronavirus.

A small amount of money to you or me would mean the world to Vanessa. It would help her feel more human in an oppressive system that seeks to dehumanize her on a daily basis. If you’re unable to donate, sharing would also be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading and sharing.

In solidarity,

Vanessa and Charlie