My name is Sophie and I’m writing this on the behalf of Adrian (they/he), one of my very best friends. Adrian is an LA-based, genderfluid trans masc Latine set designer and artist seeking community support in their gender-affirming journey. After over a year of deliberation and mental, physical, and emotional turmoil, they have begun taking steps towards receiving top surgery!

Adrian’s partner Jessica and I have collaborated on this GFM campaign to raise funds to cover the cost of their surgery, since their insurance will only partially cover it. Donations will also go towards food/meals and living expenses, as he will be unable to do physical labor for a minimum of one month while he recovers.

Adrian is truly one of the best people I know. He is a generous, selfless friend to all and is always going out of his way to support friends, strangers, and community members alike. They have been denying themself this life-changing procedure for far too long, but it cannot wait any longer. He deserves the peace of mind and gender euphoria that top surgery will provide, as well as stress-free healing in the aftermath of this operation. Please join us in pouring all that love Adrian gives others back into them and showing them that their community’s got them, too. ❤️

Here are some words from Adrian:

Growing up in a very conservative Christian context made it difficult enough to come out as gay, so being genderfluid felt like too great a leap I couldn't share. My dysphoria never felt like enough to warrant any action; this self-erasure and denial of fluidity caused a lot of cognitive dissonance, but engaging in queer and trans spaces has saved my life and given me the space to grow into myself. I also owe so much of my sense of safety in myself to Scribble's transembodiment group which provided transmasc identifying folks with a space to explore difficult questions and individuation,

which I will always be grateful for, even if this peace came seemingly "later" in my adulthood, as opposed to having been able to do this as a teenager during puberty.

I have been binding and taping my chest for a long while, which is not only expensive but also comes with multiple forms of discomfort and pain—scarring, shallow breathing, and still some dysphoria, to name a few. I find myself having to choose between the lesser of these types of discomfort every single day, which has exacerbated my anxiety and causes me psychological distress. I constantly try to gaslight myself into thinking “I don’t need this (top surgery),” but it has become apparent to me that denying myself gender-affirming care is no longer an option.

I am emotionally and physically supported by my family, my partner, and my best friends in this decision. Financially though, my insurance only covers so much. I am not in a position to fully pay the medical costs ($10k before the coverage kicks in), plus needing food ordered/made (simple groceries) and of course taking time off of work. I am grateful my primary job provides leave, but since I freelance as a set designer to cover my rent and additional costs of living, I will have to take at least a month off of hard labor/building jobs.

Every time I do a good tape job, I am immensely more comfortable and expressive in my body than ever before. I can only imagine how life-changing undergoing full top surgery will be for me, and the day I can receive the operation cannot come soon enough. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and support.