My name is kell arbor (fae/faer) and I am a person who is trans, queer, and HIV+. In the massive funding cuts of HIV work and work centering trans/queer peoples, I have lost my job a second time. in less than 6 months.

Pride Center of VT Board members have decided to "pause operations" as of 10/10/25. Staff were given a 24-48 hour notice of job terminations. We are waiting to hear if we will receive our final paychecks. This is an incredibly harmful way for staff to be treated and I have named such to our Board.

For many months (years for some of us), we have been asking our various Boards to fundraise and create contingency plans so that our work can be sustained through these difficult times, especially as our secured grants are paid through reimbursement so organizations need to front all operating costs. Unfortunately, there have been little to no meaningful attempts at securing funding and now the impact is extremely painful. Including the Board now launching a fundraising campaign AFTER staff have been terminated and the physical space shut down.

The overnight stoppage of life saving services for trans/queer people like our anti-violence Safe Space warm line, free HIV testing, and health navigation support is intolerable; these services are critical for so many and our Board has made a decision without engaging any of the brilliance of our incredible staff team.

I will not stop the work of harm reduction and sex edu-tainment for trans and queer people, even as the Pride Center is left to wither into the shadows. This job termination is a financial emergency for me. I have limited part time hours at another workplace and will be scheming plans to create more work for myself, however, in this immediate moment I am asking for financial help from those who can.

I am incredibly grateful for contributors. Funds raised will be to get me financially through the next couple months and to continue to do the trans queer joy filled work that I do. This is a devastation to our community, a dismantling of one of the most amazing work teams I have been a part of, and destabilizing to me personally. Please donate and share this with people who can.