
Fundraiser for Jungle's Gender Affirming Surgery
Donation protected
Hi everyone, my name is Jungle from Seoul, South Korea.
I’m writing this to ask you for your help and support.
As some of you may know, I began hormone replacement therapy in May 2021. It took me a very long time and a lot of deep consideration to make the decision to overcome the difference between my gender assigned at birth and my true self.
As a matter of fact, I started HRT back in 2004, with surgery in mind. But my family forcefully stopped the transition against my will. I was continually harassed by my family and commanded to live as a “normal person”. So I decided to live a “normal life”. This was the beginning of a very dark journey that ultimately led me to where I am today. But I can finally now say that I am grateful for that journey.
I was living a so-called “normal life”, but it was never normal for me. I was always keeping a huge secret about who I am in my heart. I lived in disguise in many ways, but I never forgot who I was, even at the point when I almost gave up everything. All the obstacles actually helped me to be stronger and accept who I am.
When I got back on HRT last year, there were lots of positive changes in my life. I started sharing the deepest secret of who I am and started opening up my heart to the world. And the world started opening up to me. Until that point I had never appreciated or loved my body. It was more of a frustration; an embarrassment. But then I started accepting and liking myself every day. I started to do other things that I’ve always wanted to do (most importantly using music as a way to express myself freely). It’s a new concept for me to have a vision of the future, it’s something I never did before. Now I can say that I look forward to tomorrow and the future. I’ve decided that life is about self-creation, not about being carried away in the stream of life. I finally feel like I am living life fully and with authority over myself.
This June will mark one year of HRT for me, at which time I can get gender affirming surgery. I have been saving some money, but it probably will take years for me to fund my surgery and get it done. It also takes time to heal and recover. So I decided to ask for your help and support. My hope is to get the surgery this summer.
I hope to receive surgery and fully recover by the end of this year and start living this precious life authentically as myself. Any donation that you may make, whether big or small, means so much to me. I have been afraid to make this request publicly, but I know that the support I receive will be both practical and also a huge emotional support.
Thank you so much for your support and for taking the time to read my story.
안녕하세요, 정글입니다.
오늘은, 여러분들께 도움과 응원을 구하기위해 글을 쓰게 되었습니다.
2021년 5월, 저는 호르몬치료를 시작했습니다.
태어나면서 주어진 성별과 자신이 느끼는 성별의 불일치를 극복하기 위해, 오랜시간 고민을 통해 내린 결정이었습니다. 사실 저는 2004년에 정신상담과 호르몬치료를 시작했었습니다. 하지만 가족들에게 이 사실이 알려지게 되면서 치료를 멈추게 되는 것은 물론 정신과치료를 받으며 ‘평범한 삶’을 사는 것을 강요받았습니다. 그렇게 저는 ‘평범하게’ 살아보게 되었습니다.
사실 그다지 평범하지도 못했던 ‘평범한 삶’을 살아가는 동안에도 늘 ‘내가 누구인지’에 대해서 잊지 않고 살아왔고, 2021년 모든 것을 내려놓고 스스로가 편한 모습으로 살아보겠다고 다짐하게 되었습니다.
호르몬치료가 시작된 이후, 제 삶에는 많은 변화가 찾아왔습니다. 스스로를 받아들이고 세상을 향해 마음을 열자, 새로운 세상이 펼쳐졌습니다. 누구에게도 이야기하지 않던 비밀들을 나누고, 자신을 아끼고 사랑하는 법을 배우며, 비로소 삶이 온전한 형태를 되찾아가는 것을 발견했습니다. 그리고, 삶의 목표를 재설정하는 중에 평생 하고싶었던 일들을 해내기 위해 공부도 시작하며, 주체적인 삶을 살아가고 있습니다.
호르몬치료를 시작한지 1년이 넘으면, 성확정수술을 받을 수 있게 됩니다. 엄청난 금액을 모으느라 몇년이라는 시간을 더 보내기보다 여러분들의 도움과 응원을 받아, 올해안에 성확정수술을 받고 싶습니다.
사실 개인적인 결정에 대해 공개적으로 도움을 구하는 것에 대해 고민이 많았습니다. 하지만 여러분의 도움외에도 마음이 담긴 응원이 제게 큰 힘이 될 것임을 믿고 도움을 청하기로 마음 먹었습니다.
올해가 지나가게 전에 수술과 회복을 마치고, 제게 남아있는 시간을 행복한 모습으로 살아가고 싶습니다.
여러분의 소중한 시간을 들여 제 이야기에 귀기울여주셔서 감사합니다.
I’m writing this to ask you for your help and support.
As some of you may know, I began hormone replacement therapy in May 2021. It took me a very long time and a lot of deep consideration to make the decision to overcome the difference between my gender assigned at birth and my true self.
As a matter of fact, I started HRT back in 2004, with surgery in mind. But my family forcefully stopped the transition against my will. I was continually harassed by my family and commanded to live as a “normal person”. So I decided to live a “normal life”. This was the beginning of a very dark journey that ultimately led me to where I am today. But I can finally now say that I am grateful for that journey.
I was living a so-called “normal life”, but it was never normal for me. I was always keeping a huge secret about who I am in my heart. I lived in disguise in many ways, but I never forgot who I was, even at the point when I almost gave up everything. All the obstacles actually helped me to be stronger and accept who I am.
When I got back on HRT last year, there were lots of positive changes in my life. I started sharing the deepest secret of who I am and started opening up my heart to the world. And the world started opening up to me. Until that point I had never appreciated or loved my body. It was more of a frustration; an embarrassment. But then I started accepting and liking myself every day. I started to do other things that I’ve always wanted to do (most importantly using music as a way to express myself freely). It’s a new concept for me to have a vision of the future, it’s something I never did before. Now I can say that I look forward to tomorrow and the future. I’ve decided that life is about self-creation, not about being carried away in the stream of life. I finally feel like I am living life fully and with authority over myself.
This June will mark one year of HRT for me, at which time I can get gender affirming surgery. I have been saving some money, but it probably will take years for me to fund my surgery and get it done. It also takes time to heal and recover. So I decided to ask for your help and support. My hope is to get the surgery this summer.
I hope to receive surgery and fully recover by the end of this year and start living this precious life authentically as myself. Any donation that you may make, whether big or small, means so much to me. I have been afraid to make this request publicly, but I know that the support I receive will be both practical and also a huge emotional support.
Thank you so much for your support and for taking the time to read my story.
안녕하세요, 정글입니다.
오늘은, 여러분들께 도움과 응원을 구하기위해 글을 쓰게 되었습니다.
2021년 5월, 저는 호르몬치료를 시작했습니다.
태어나면서 주어진 성별과 자신이 느끼는 성별의 불일치를 극복하기 위해, 오랜시간 고민을 통해 내린 결정이었습니다. 사실 저는 2004년에 정신상담과 호르몬치료를 시작했었습니다. 하지만 가족들에게 이 사실이 알려지게 되면서 치료를 멈추게 되는 것은 물론 정신과치료를 받으며 ‘평범한 삶’을 사는 것을 강요받았습니다. 그렇게 저는 ‘평범하게’ 살아보게 되었습니다.
사실 그다지 평범하지도 못했던 ‘평범한 삶’을 살아가는 동안에도 늘 ‘내가 누구인지’에 대해서 잊지 않고 살아왔고, 2021년 모든 것을 내려놓고 스스로가 편한 모습으로 살아보겠다고 다짐하게 되었습니다.
호르몬치료가 시작된 이후, 제 삶에는 많은 변화가 찾아왔습니다. 스스로를 받아들이고 세상을 향해 마음을 열자, 새로운 세상이 펼쳐졌습니다. 누구에게도 이야기하지 않던 비밀들을 나누고, 자신을 아끼고 사랑하는 법을 배우며, 비로소 삶이 온전한 형태를 되찾아가는 것을 발견했습니다. 그리고, 삶의 목표를 재설정하는 중에 평생 하고싶었던 일들을 해내기 위해 공부도 시작하며, 주체적인 삶을 살아가고 있습니다.
호르몬치료를 시작한지 1년이 넘으면, 성확정수술을 받을 수 있게 됩니다. 엄청난 금액을 모으느라 몇년이라는 시간을 더 보내기보다 여러분들의 도움과 응원을 받아, 올해안에 성확정수술을 받고 싶습니다.
사실 개인적인 결정에 대해 공개적으로 도움을 구하는 것에 대해 고민이 많았습니다. 하지만 여러분의 도움외에도 마음이 담긴 응원이 제게 큰 힘이 될 것임을 믿고 도움을 청하기로 마음 먹었습니다.
올해가 지나가게 전에 수술과 회복을 마치고, 제게 남아있는 시간을 행복한 모습으로 살아가고 싶습니다.
여러분의 소중한 시간을 들여 제 이야기에 귀기울여주셔서 감사합니다.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jungle Yoon
Organizer
New York, NY
Patrick Lee
Beneficiary