Saturn's Surgery (FFS) and Creative Pursuit Fund

People often ask me who my trans icon is, and my answer has always been Michael Jackson. When I was a kid, I didn’t even know you could actualize yourself—but he showed me it was possible. Still, the road to embracing my identity has been a long one, from those early moments of discovery to starting hormone therapy, and now, finally, to surgery.

On April 23, I will undergo one of the most transformative experiences of my life: facial feminization surgery. This procedure is a huge step in further aligning my outer appearance with my inner self, and I couldn’t be more excited. But along with that excitement comes a challenge. I’ll be out of work for quite some time while I recover, which means I’ll need support to cover my expenses during that period—things like rent, utilities, food, aftercare, and transportation.

I’ve worked consistently in nightlife since I was plucked from a club line at 18 (I won’t say how long ago that was—respect the lady!), but if this career came with PTO or medical leave, I’d be in a very different position right now.

Over the years, people have asked me countless times how they could support me. Now is the time I truly need my community’s help. I’m not someone who takes asking for help lightly, but I’ve realized that even the strongest of us sometimes need a hand.

But this isn’t just about financial support. It’s scary to transition in today’s world. The constant malignment of trans identities in politics and culture weighs on me more each day. I’ve had to be strong for so long in an environment that often feels hostile to people like me. After all these years, I look forward to giving myself the space to heal — in more ways than one.

I deserve the space to acclimate to my body and mind, even in a country that doesn’t always support someone like me to do so.

I deserve to feel seen, celebrated, and safe.

I deserve rest.

Despite all these challenges, I haven’t slowed down when it comes to my dreams. The past few years have been anything but quiet for me. In addition to working on my latest album, I’ve been finalizing a film that documents my transformation over the last three years. Documenting my experience has been so important to me—as a Black trans woman, I know how powerful it is to see our stories told in media and to create visibility for our community.

This documentary project, now nearing completion, has been completely self-funded. My hope is that after my surgery and recovery, I’ll not only be healed but also have a little breathing room to finalize this film and finish my next album (title to be revealed soon!). Being able to complete these projects means the world to me—they’re the culmination of years of work and a testament to my resilience and creativity.

I want to thank every single person who has supported me, recommended me, respected my rates, and kept me afloat over the years. I am endlessly grateful for all of you. Now, I’m asking for your support in a different way. I pray that these funds will keep me afloat while I recover—until I’m ready to pop back out and show you all how well the doctor did me, and how much lighter my mind feels after.

I pray that after this, I’ll finally have an agent (if you’re reading this, call me!). I pray that I become a self-sustaining artist—in music, live performance, film, television, modeling…

I know I deserve these things. I don’t have them yet, but I’ve built everything I have from the ground up, and I’m not going to stop now.

I anticipate world domination after this — thanks for helping me get there.

Love,

Saturn (Keeping the name, by the way!)