We are a group of friends whose lives have all been touched by the generosity and love of Donald Gallagher.

For decades, Donald has given freely of his creative talents to support and uplift the community, fight for social justice and feed our spiritual souls. Now medical debt has imperiled his security and his home, and we are determined to help him, to give back and make sure he can live his remaining years in the home and the neighborhood he loves and to which he has given so much.

In the scheme of things, our fundraising goal is modest, but it will allow Donald to weather this debt crisis and make some financial transitions, regain his financial independence, and be secure for his remaining years.

After a lifetime of donating to our communities through queer visibility, activism and the arts, Donald is now in serious danger of losing his home and possessions. We need to help him. The next few months will be critical in setting up sustainable arrangements for Donald. He desperately needs your help now. Please be as generous as you can in supporting Donald’s transition into safe and comfortable late-life arrangements.

If you have been touched by Donald's love for the community, whether through his work restoring the Grace Church Van Vorst Episcopal by hand, through his musical activism with the Stop Shopping Choir or his charitable work through the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, now is the time to rally and join our GoFundMe Campaign.

Donald has always given the community his world-class artistic talent for free, from the love of his heart, while supporting himself with more day-to-day gigs. As a working artist, he did not have the health insurance coverage to pay for most of the very expensive radiation treatments he needed in the last couple of years. In order to stay alive, he charged those medical costs to credit cards at 25% interest, and now he is in danger of losing his home.

Our goal is to help Donald recover from these usurious medical debt payments so that he can remain in Jersey City as a beloved icon of our community.

We hope that people will give as a thank you for the beauty and inspiration with which Donald has already gifted us through the years.

JOY IS A POWERFUL FORM OF RESISTANCE AND LIBERATION!

Since we're lucky enough to have a cultural treasure in our community, we need to support him! Many of you know and love DONALD GALLAGHER. Donald is an artist who’s always cared about beauty and spirit rather than money, and as he gets older, he needs some help.

Many of us know and appreciate Donald in one of his various roles:

Member of Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir:

The Stop Shopping Choir is a radical performance community using music, language, and creative direct action to work for the Earth. [https://revbilly.com/]

Stonewall Veteran:

One of the originals who was present at the Stonewall in 1969 – a defining moment of queer liberation.

Artist:

A painter who single-handedly beautified the entire interior of Grace Church in Jersey City, with authentic historical detail. He is also a master painter of faux finishes. [Instagram: recreation Gracechurch]

Musician:

A trained singer, Donald is a member of the West Village Chorale.

Radical Faerie:

The Radical Faeries are a group of queer people who look for a spiritual dimension to their sexuality. Their shared values include individual responsibility rather than hierarchy, gender fluidity, feminism, and respect for the Earth. [https://www.radfae.org/]

Spirit of liberation:

Donald is instantly recognized wherever he goes, with his multicolored hair and exuberant clothing. He makes friends with anyone who stops to chat with him and helps those in need – he is overwhelmingly generous with whatever he has. He is a symbol of personal freedom of expression (something we must cherish in these dark times). He creates beauty, spreads joy, and offers a path to liberation.

Member of the NYC (dis)Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence:

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® are an Order of queer and trans nuns. They believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty. Founded in 1979, the Sisters are devoted to community service. They use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency, and guilt that chain the human spirit. [https://www.thesisters.org/]

Yes, JOY IS A POWERFUL FORM OF RESISTANCE AND LIBERATION!

PLEASE SUPPORT DONALD NOW!