Hiiii y’all! Recovery p1nky here. After a couple of weeks of going back and forth, multiple conversations with my best friends Josh & Mac, and battling the feeling that I didn’t deserve this—I wanted to come today with a request for support from the community.

I am María Rivera, although most of you may know me as p1nky or p1nkstar. I am a pop musician, DJ, promoter, multimedia artist, organizer, and transgender Mexican woman based in Austin, Texas. My practice focuses on collaborating with (& paying!) trans and queer artists to create empowering worlds for others to feel celebrated in. This year, as a way to give back to the community that has always taken care of me, I started a fundraising event “Serving Face” that in 2022 will have raised over $12,000 for other trans people in need.

For a few years now, my main personal goal has been to pursue the gender affirming procedures necessary for me to live comfortably in my skin and safe in our Southern communities. With so much support from my community, friends & chosen and given family, today I am writing “on the other side”, after being able to access these procedures. (Thanks in large part to y’all <3).

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances——namely last-minute surgeon cancellation which led me to have to seek care internationally, medical complications and additional unexpected medical expenses——my expenses were nearly double what I had budgeted for this journey.

This has left me with a medical debt beyond my personal means. I am not sure how to move forward without help, and this is why I am writing for support today. Although I am working two remote jobs to cover my living expenses while I recover, I don’t see a way in which I will be able to clear this medical debt while also prioritizing my health and recovery.

The amount requested by this fundraiser would allow me to offset my debt to a manageable place, so that I can clear the remainder myself in the next couple of months. If any, additional funds will be directed towards my next “Serving Face” event, which fundraises for the expenses of other trans people in my communities in Texas.

I am currently collaborating with other artists and pillars of the community on more fundraising opportunities, and will let you know more as those materialize. With your help, I hope to be able to hit the ground running with my artistic and community endeavors, debuting new music and projects, once I’m medically cleared to perform in 2023.

Thank you all, deeply.

– María

And if you would prefer:

Venmo: @p1nkstar

Cashapp: $p1nkstar

Paypal: [email redacted]