I'm Marie Brennan, and I'm asking for your help on behalf of a friend. Emily Dare, a trans woman working in tech, has been largely out of work since January 2025, despite continual job-hunting; the contract that was supposed to give her financial security for a year or two was canceled after only a few months, and a six-month contract with another company was canceled before it began. She has burned through all her savings, and a recent surgery has left her with post-operative cognitive dysfunction -- a condition that will pass, but until it does, she isn't able to look for a job (or adequately perform one if she got it).

She is currently pursuing state disability insurance for support, but it's taking longer to go through than expected, and in the interim, she needs support for the basic necessities of life: rent, food, and medical care. Whatever you can give, however small, will go toward bridging that gap, so that she can remain in her apartment as she recovers from the after-effects of the surgery.