Help Xio's Fight Against UIUC for Trans Rights

Hi, I’m Dr. Xiomara Cervantes-Gómez!

I’m a transgender Latina scholar, survivor, and former Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I have now filed a multi-million dollar federal civil rights lawsuit against the university, exposing how it failed to protect me from domestic abuse, sexual assault, and gender-based violence—and then retaliated against me for speaking out.

Over the course of six years, I endured institutional discrimination, harassment, physical assault, sexual violence, and smear campaigns by colleagues and graduate students. Each time I sought protection, the department and university administration escalated retaliation. I was ultimately wrongfully terminated in 2024, while the university promoted and protected those who harmed me.

This lawsuit isn’t just about holding one institution accountable — it’s about exposing a national pattern of harm facing transgender women faculty in academia. It represents a broader fight for safety, dignity, and justice in spaces that claim to be inclusive but are complicit in violence.

Why I’m Fundraising

My request to waive filing fees was denied, which means I am now personally responsible for court costs upfront. I am representing myself as a pro se litigant, because despite years of searching, I’ve not been able to secure legal representation willing to take on this high-stakes case. I cannot wait any longer: deadlines mean that if I don’t move forward, I lose the chance to bring this case at all.

Your donation will help cover:

Court filing and administrative fees (now my responsibility after the waiver was denied)

Travel to Champaign to file documents and attend hearings

Document preparation, printing, and service costs

Living expenses while I pursue this case full-time with no institutional support

Expert witness fees, court reporting, and transcription costs

Emotional and logistical support to sustain me through a complex and retraumatizing process

Why I’m Representing Myself (for Now)

I want to be clear: I’m representing myself not because I want to—but because I have to.

For over two years, I’ve tried to secure legal representation. Very few firms are prepared to take on a case like this—one that involves discrimination, sexual violence, and systemic retaliation against a transgender professor of color. I am still seeking counsel, but I cannot pause the fight while waiting.

Your support allows me to keep pushing forward—on my own terms—until I am no longer fighting alone.

Why This Matters

This is one of the first federal lawsuits of its kind. It has the power to shift how we talk about institutional betrayal, the weaponization of Title IX, and the treatment of transgender women of color in higher education.

When survivors take strategic legal action, we don’t just uplift one story—we challenge a culture of silence and impunity. We show that even powerful institutions can be held accountable.

Please Join Me

If you believe truth deserves protection…

If you believe universities must be held accountable…

If you believe trans women of color deserve safety and dignity…

Then please donate what you can. Share this campaign. Help me fight back!

I’ll keep you updated as this case unfolds—and as we work together to change how institutions treat survivors.

With gratitude and fierce hope,

Xio