Support Gabriel's Escape to Safety in Portugal

Hello friends, I'm Gabriel, mostly known to you as Kamrah. I'm an international teacher and performer of raqs sharqi (belly dance) and fusion, and many of you have taken classes with me or seen me perform. Many of you know that I am transgender, and that I have faced significant difficulties due to it.

It is with a heavy heart but hope for the future that I leave the United States for somewhere where I won't be openly persecuted for who I am. The fight over transgender Americans and our right to exist has reached dangerous levels, and I now fear for my safety. I've already been targeted multiple times online, I have been harassed, sued, and doxxed for being transgender and pushing back against the hate. I don't want to dwell on that here, but I have put background information below for those who are wondering why it is so important for me to leave the United States, even though I live in a "safe" blue state.

To make it all worse, I was let go from my day job, and my unemployment has run out. Bills are mounting, and I'm running out of time to get out of the US. I have been planning leaving the US for over a year, but the loss of my job has set me back, and the future is looking grim.

I already have plans to flee to Portugal in place, but I have had several other bills come up that have now made it impossible to afford to leave the US easily. I'm running the risk of my visa being denied and being trapped in the US. Due to rising costs, if I stay in the US and can't get a job, I will soon be homeless. I'm asking for any help that you can give me so that I can start a new life away from the building hate here.

What I am fundraising for:

I'm asking for $7000 to recoup the costs of moving to Portugal so that I can have my savings to tide me over while I find a job in Portugal. My plan is to stay in Europe (hopefully Portugal) until I become a citizen.

Bills covered:

If I make the initial $7000, I'm aiming for a "stretch goal" of another $2000-4000 so that I can easily bring my cats to Portugal with me. Currently, they will be cared for by friends, but having my silly furballs with me will help my mental health immeasurably. Once I have stable housing, I will bring my cats to me. The money will cover costs associated with vet visits, immunizations, and flights required to import animals to Europe.

Background information:

For those who want to know why it is imperative that I flee the US, and that staying is no longer a viable option for me, here is some information you might find helpful.

Currently, there are already 2 states to which I cannot legally or safely travel: Florida and Utah. There are 7 other states where I could potentially have issues with travel or teaching due to the interpretation of their anti-transgender bathroom laws: Louisiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Mississippi, Alabama, and North Dakota. With over 660 anti-transgender bills being considered in 2024 ALONE and with Trump being re-elected, it's clear that transgender Americans are about to lose a lot of rights.

Trump has made it clear that he will try to ban being transgender AT ANY AGE. Most of the bills proposed have been about stopping transgender children from transitioning (a distraction - children under 18 don't transition medically unless they are given puberty blockers which are safe, reversible, and used for non-transgender children with precocious puberty but that is beyond this scope). This election cycle, the GOP spent a combined $215 million in anti-transgender campaign ads (this amount is likely higher, as this does not include money spent on cable or streaming ads), more than ads concerning housing, immigration, and economy combined.

The writing is on the wall: the transgender community is not safe under a Trump administration.

"But you're in a blue state"

Yes, I am privileged to live in Chicago, where Governor Pritzker has vowed to protect transgender Illinoisans. But his ability to protect us from federal bans is questionable.

Trump has vowed to ask Congress to pass federal legislation that recognizes only two genders assigned at birth. I was born in a state that does not allow changes to birth certificates under any circumstances, so if any legislation like this passes, I will be forcibly de-transitioned on paper. Texas has already stopped allowing gender marker changes on documents, and has plans to roll back all gender marker changes. Similar legislation may pass federally, which would impact identifications like my Social Security and passport. This will effectively trap me in the United States as I would be unable to travel unless I de-transition medically as well. For me, that would be a death sentence.

Trump has also vowed to investigate care providers, hospitals, and drug companies that offer care to transgender individuals. I could lose access to my hormones, which would kill me as my body no longer has a way to make my own hormones.

My life is in danger in the US, and this is not an exaggeration.

In Chicago, I have also faced defamation, doxxing, and harassment for being transgender. Being in a "blue state" does not shield anyone from transphobia.

If you've gotten to this point, thank you for paying attention. I'm sure this was as hard to read as it was to write. Please consider donating to help me get out of the US and away from Trump and his policies.