Support a Black Trans Activist in Need

For the past 13 years, I've dedicated my life to supporting others in need after surviving homelessness myself. As a Black Trans activist, I've poured my energy into creating change and lifting up those who needed a hand. That dedication to helping others has sometimes overshadowed my ability to help myself or ask for help when I needed it. Today, I'm taking the difficult step of acknowledging that even the strong have weak moments, and this is one of mine.

I'm facing a perfect storm of challenges that have left me in urgent need of support. Effective June 20, 2025, I'm being laid off from my main job as Community Engagement Coordinator in the Behavioral Medicine department at Massachusetts General Hospital, where I've been conducting Trans-specific research. This position, funded through Harvard University's Center for AIDS Research (funding taken from Trump), has been my primary source of income and health insurance. Simultaneously, since January 2025, my consulting business has lost multiple contracts due to the withdrawal of DEI funding. On top of these financial blows, I now need to relocate in Boston—a notoriously expensive housing market. Despite smiling through it all, I've been in panic mode since receiving this news a few weeks ago.

I'm reaching out to ask for your support during this critical transition period. My goal is to raise $18,000 to provide a financial cushion that will help me secure new housing, maintain health insurance coverage during the gap between jobs, and sustain myself while I rebuild my income streams. This amount would give me the breathing room to navigate this challenging period without facing homelessness again—a situation I've worked tirelessly to help others avoid.

Your contribution, no matter the size, will directly impact my ability to maintain stability during this unexpected transition. It will help cover housing deposits and initial rent payments in Boston's expensive market, bridge the gap in health insurance coverage which is crucial for my wellbeing, and provide basic necessities while I secure new employment and rebuild my consulting business. Most importantly, it will give me the mental space to focus on finding sustainable solutions rather than being consumed by immediate survival concerns.

I've spent years advocating for others and building community support systems, never imagining I would need to lean on those same systems myself. Yet here I am, reminded that we all need help sometimes. If you're able to contribute financially, I would be deeply grateful. If you can share this fundraiser with your networks, that support is equally valuable. And if you have job leads or affordable housing connections in the Boston area, please reach out. Thank you for considering my request and for reminding me that the community I've helped build can also be there for me when I need it most. Even the strong have weak moments, and your support helps ensure those moments don't define our futures.