Please consider donating to my gender affirming top surgery fundraiser! You can read my story below:
Dreams do come true, but for a pretty hefty price! When I think of my childhood, I remember running around the neighborhood with my friends in my boxers. Yes, you heard right, just my boxers. I was young, shirtless, and free! Eventually the mom’s in the neighborhood would tell me, “you won’t be able to do that forever” and I had absolutely no idea what they meant. I would reply, “of course I can!” and ran off to skateboard or swim or play tag or cause whatever trouble we were getting into that day.
Needless to say, puberty was a rough awakening for me and I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror wondering; what I would wear, where I would work, where I would shop, who would I be when I grew up?! These questions ebbed and flowed as I tried to fit in with my peers before eventually came out as a lesbian and started to dress more masculine again. Still things never felt right and even in a blazer, blouse, and pants to attend a cousins wedding I stood in the mirror and sobbed; this was not who I was and I knew it. That feeling continued for years; my body was an uncomfortable outfit I couldn’t just step out of after a few hours. With a lot of help and support from friends, therapists, groups, and co-workers, I was able to come to a full understanding of my identity as a trans man and come out to my family; and ha, I thought that was the hardest part.
Then I saw the ticket price for gender affirming top surgery! Despite a handful of federal antidiscrimination laws, most public and private insurance providers have exemptions in their policies for certain transgender-related procedures. This leaves the patient (me!) with out of pocket expenses between $6000-$10,000. And that’s just the surgery! In order to get a consultation with a surgeon, I have had to see a therapist for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, see a specialist for hormone therapy, etc., which all come at an extra cost. Many transgender people seek medical treatments to align their bodies with their gender identities. Doctors say these procedures can help alleviate severe emotional distress linked to gender dysphoria, but not surprisingly, a lot of patients can't access them in the US because of the cost.
I ask that you please consider making a donation to my top surgery fundraiser; a monumental step in affirming my identity as a trans man.
If you cannot donate, I encourage you to volunteer at a LGBTQ+ organization, read up on LGBTQ+ issues, or do more research about how you can support the LGBTQ+ community. Educate yourself, be open and understanding, be patient, be kind!
Thank you,
J