Hello and welcome friends, family, and supportive strangers. This is Jordin, they're 23, transmasc, use they/he pronouns, and is pursuing top surgery so that they may live more comfortably in their own body.  Jordin is one of the most treasured people in my life, and it is my pleasure to be setting up this fundraiser for them.

Let me tell you a little more about Jordin, and my experience seeing them grow and transform into the wonderful person they are today.

When Jordin and I first met in 2019, I was newly out as transfemme and gender was always on my mind. We would hangout and talk about gender, transition, and some of the discomfort that I had felt before I came out. Slowly, I began to hear Jordin relate my experiences to their own. As we talked more about their experiences of gender, it became clear that Jordin was preparing to launch into the terrifying and liberating world of gender exploration. 

After some time apart, we met up again to play pool and chat about life. I remember the thrill of Jordin telling me that they had begun using they/them pronouns, and us connecting over the freedom we felt with being ourselves. Every word was a precious gem to me. It wasn't a struggle to understand or feel understood between us.

Then, I didn't hear from Jordin for a while and missed them dearly. It dawned on me that they'd become my confidant, and that I'd been theirs. Quarantine began and persisted, and I started to think that Jordin was maybe gone for good.

Nearly 10 months, I received a message from them out of nowhere. Overwhelmed with relief and joy, I knew that I didn't want to feel apart from them ever again. When we risked it to see each other, their voice absolutely floored me. Hearing the testosterone, and seeing the sly smile creep across their face filled me with a feeling that I haven't ever been able to properly describe. All I know is that I had seen them for who they truly are, maybe for the first time since we met.

The times we've shared together since then have often left me crying (tears of trans joy, don't worry) and I could not be happier to be sharing a part of my life with this absolutely terrific human being.

Every now and then since our reunion, Jordin talks about top surgery. It quickly became clear to me that this is something they need to feel truly comfortable in their own skin, and not just tolerating their body. But the cost of top surgery was getting in the way. It should come as no surprise that receiving gender-affirming surgeries in this country is costly, due to the perceptions of law makers and insurance companies that these surgeries are purely cosmetic. Gender-affirming surgeries are life changing, often life saving, and everyone deserves to feel authentic and whole in their body. After months of urging Jordin to let me set up a fundraiser, they finally gave me the okay. 

Jordin has just had their consultation appointment and has a tentative date for the end of September. The surgery is estimated to cost $11K, so we're hoping to raise $12K to pay for the surgery itself, offset the fundraiser fees, and maybe provide a little bit of extra support to Jordin during their recovery time.

Thank you for your time, and please consider donating and/or sharing! Every little bit helps and you'll be making a profound difference in Jordin's life. Seeing their excitement fills me with more of that indescribable feeling, and I'm looking forward to supporting them and loving them throughout all of the transitions to come. 

With Love, Tears, and Sunshine,
Aspen