Help a Trans Woman to Survive

Hi.

When I started this campaign last summer, it was after I had come out as a trans woman, and it was truly the happiest time of my life! After decades of self-hatred and repression, to FINALLY be honest with myself and the world and be authentic (even with what few decades I have left), was liberating. It was joyous! It made life worth living and my life specifically worth living!

I knew I was going to need help paying for the healthcare and medical needs to transition to my authentic self. So I started up this campaign and friends and strangers have been generous and I was able to get much of the starting work done!

Now... things have changed. Transgender people have always been particularly disliked (in modern America). But up until about November 2024, very low key and not enough to touch my newfound gender euphoria!

Since last November, especially since this January, and almost daily since, the heated and extremely dangerous attacks on transgender folk have escalated and the overt hate has become overwhelming. Worse, the current federal government literally wants to eliminate transgender people. At the very least, make it difficult at best to live.

I became an authentic, happy person at my core for the first time in my life only a year ago and have experienced, early on, incredible hope for myself and my life! And now, my main concern isn't how I'm going to be paying for an out-of-pocket surgery charge (which under pressure from this administration, my insurance isn't going to cover soon anyway), but whether I'm literally going to be alive by the end of the year.

I need to leave the US. Or, at the VERY least, be prepared to leave at a moment's notice.

Fortunately, help from this very campaign early on, allowed me to update my passport, Real ID, birth certificate, etc., with my proper name and gender markers. So until the Executive Order is signed that says all of that is "fraudulent," I can still travel out of the country. But my options are limited at best.

Canada does not yet allow people fleeing from sexual/gender persecution from the US to be granted protected refugee status yet. So if I flee there, I would need to be able to afford to live there until they do.

Some Scandinavian countries like Norway (which I am increasingly of the desire and goal to ultimately move permanently to) are more active and accepting of transgender refugees, but it's still plagued with difficulty and requires a great deal of cost.

My "cheapest" solution is to drive up to Canada and try to live there until I can be classified a refugee, but that requires Visas and a significant amount of cash.

The more likely solution to get protections, is fly to Norway, but that also requires a great deal of cash.

Unfortunately, my circumstances currently are no different from when this campaign was only to fundraise for medical and gender affirmation care: What savings I used to have was eaten up by trying to survive a lay-off 2 years ago. And my current finances are paycheck-to-paycheck the best of months. I need help being able to accomplish anything beyond just the very basics to have shelter and food and utilities.

The circumstances have remained the same, but the need has become more dire. It's not just "supporting a trans woman live authentically," it's now helping a trans woman to just live.

I know, also thanks to the current administration, a LOT more people need help! A lot more families, especially BIPOC, Brown and Latino, people and families, are being devastated. Everyone's cost of living is increasing. And it's going to get worse. The ability to help others is shrinking as the call to help others is increasing. I can't expect anything, and naturally, I'm doing my best to find Plan Bs and Cs and Ds, alternative solutions to surviving....

...but any help would be so very appreciated!

Thank you!!

Deirdre

*****

(keeping the original campaign description here for... posterity? A reminder of a previous more innocent, joyful time?)

Hi friends!

So, after a very long journey, I very recently came out as a transgender woman. It's an absolutely incredible discovery of acceptance and moving into a new and authentic life as myself! The person I was always supposed to be! Albeit, rather late in life....

Unfortunately, joy and authenticity is expensive in our society. The costs of transitioning to my authentic gender is rather significant, and while I live rather meagerly, my paycheck to paycheck situation really needs help in making everything happen.

Fortunately, most of the major costs (e.g. surgeries) are covered by insurance! (I consider myself extremely lucky there!) But the copays and deductibles and out-of-pocket are still rather significant. Not to mention all the other related costs:

Hormone replacement, hair removal, hair restoration, legal costs, associated medical costs.

The bulk of the costs are going to be encountered within the first year. HRT has begun, but there are more consultations and preparatory appointments and then eventually 3 total surgeries in addition to possible voice adjusting surgery (it usually takes several months of voice training to determine whether surgery is necessary). Ongoing costs (such as the continuing HRT, the voice therapy, hair removal) are estimated to run on for up to 16-18 months, while incidental minor costs (such as clothing and "living life") have a large up front necessity then a quick drop-off.

All told, my out-of-pocket estimates to make the transition over approximately 18 months comes to about $12,000.

Honestly, absolutely anything can and will help so very much!

I've established a savings that is being used exclusively for transition costs and, well, to be forthright, it's pretty much empty.

I know we all, every one of us, are in tight places and pretty much no one has expendable funds to help others; but, if anything can be spared to help, I'd certainly very much appreciate it!

(OH! If there's a particular aspect, process, procedure, whatever that you would like your donation saved and used for, please feel free to comment that and I'll make sure it goes in the kitty for that item!!)