Hi, my name is Sal Khan, and my pronouns are he/ they. I currently live in Jamaica Plains in a coop only for the next two months, June and July. In august I might be homeless and unhoused if I’m not able to secure long term and stable housing.  I am a 32-year-old openly queer activist and former journalist from Pakistan escaping persecution, death threats, and intimidation due to my work, and have been living in the United States (mostly the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) since 2019. I am organizing this GoFundMe to find better housing, a studio or one-bedroom apartment to rent for myself, and for my 12-month-old American shorthair kitten named Leo before the month of May.  I am searching for apartments in the Greater Boston Area (GBA) where rents are not cheap. I am raising this money because, Leo is just not my cat, he is my registered emotional support animal, my only child and I miss him a lot and want him to be with me. I have not been able to live with Leo for the past seven months because my present roommate has cat allergies and is not a very supportive or friendly person to live with. My current landlord has given me till May to find a place because he is selling the property by then.  I need to find a new place that’s affordable and safe but the issue is that I have also been unemployed since December 2022. I lost my only full-time job in retail on Thursday, December 8th, 2022 after complaining about being harassed and intimidated by one of my managers. I escalated the issue to my former employer but to no avail, they helped me, instead I was laid off and have been out of employment ever since. I was already struggling with a myriad of mental health challenges due to a lack of progress on my political asylum case, the stress of retail work, and social isolation, and this loss of employment have all adversely affected my mental health. Due to my hectic retail job and my immigration woes, things were getting worse and worse and I was dealing medical issues. I dealt with a long history of trauma, grief, bullying, and discrimination I have faced as a queer person but also to come to terms. I need to be with my kitten Leo, as he means a lot to me and is my baby. I am aiming to raise $10,000 before May, in order to find a studio or one-bedroom apartment in the Greater Boston Area for me and my kitten. This includes the realtor agent's one-time fee ($2,000), first month and last month ($4,000) and security deposit and move-out cost, and other miscellaneous charges ($4,000). I would significantly appreciate all the contributions given to me. Your money is an investment in an individual that wishes to inspire more people around them to do good and be kind to everyone regardless of where they are from, who they love or what is the color of their skin.  I am a progressive-minded queer community organizer, aspiring poet and writer, and lover of mother nature on their path of recovery and healing. I wish everyone out there, those who know me and those who don’t but are interested in helping me at this time of crisis to do so because your help would mean that my life in America would not fall apart.  A little more about me, I am also a second-year full-time student at a Boston-based Community College where I am studying Psychology and aspire to be a therapist serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQ+ communities. I strongly believe that animals especially pets can be therapeutic beings and my baby Leo has surely been a blessing to me. I would also appreciate it if folks can Venmo, PayPal, Cashapp, or Zelle me directly to avoid having to pay the hefty transition fee to GoFundMe. I would appreciate all help of any amount; please share, and ask your friends and like-minded folks to help a fellow queer human in need. Thank you and have a lovely 2023. Alternate donation platforms: Venmo: @MSalKhan PayPal: @salmanall Cashapp: $imgreenguru

Ana-Luisa Anaya

AA RW

EPM van Lierop

Nicole Eigbrett

Jordan Meyers

Emily Mo

Janhavi Madabushi

Anonymous

Michelle Wing

Help Sal be with his pet cat Leo

Help Sal be with his pet cat Leo

Still $8,300 to go. Help us build momentum.