hi! my name is joelle (he/they), i am 24 years old, and i am raising funds for my top surgery. i am a Black and queer transmasculine person who has been medically transitioning since 2024.

i am an aspiring licensed clinical social worker and therapist, and i know i will pay this forward. i want the kids — especially the Black and queer ones — to know that they don’t have to fight to be seen and heard.

i haven’t always known that i was trans, but i have always known that something just didn’t click. it didn’t register to me as gender dysphoria until 2022. i could never picture myself in the future with the body i had before T, but now that i have been medically transitioning, i see more of myself every day. the last piece to feel me step into my full self is top surgery.

my entire procedure costs approximately $12,175. i have to pay that in full a month before my appointment and will only be reimbursed by my insurance $680. i chose my surgeon specifically for his experience and outcomes. he performs top surgery 6 times a week, and for a permanent procedure, that level of expertise matters to me. as a full time graduate student covering my own expenses, i am covering this entire procedure on my own, and every penny counts. i am raising $12,650 to cover the surgery itself plus recovery essentials like wedge pillows, a bag belt for when i can shower, and body wipes.

i am someone who has always lived my identity out loud, whether that’s publicly coming out in front of my high school at 18 or clicking the “he/they” pronouns box in graduate school applications. i’ll never stop being myself, even if relationships with loved ones change.

vulnerability is not something i have ever shied away from. those who know me know i draw inspiration from brené brown’s talk on vulnerability and lori gottlieb’s book maybe you should talk to someone. asking for help is hard, but i’m doing it knowing that i will be so much closer to my complete self. someone who can wear a t-shirt without feeling a binder or sports bra cling to his chest. someone who can go to the beach with his shirt off and just run around.

thank you for reading, and for any support you’re able to give. i can’t wait to return the favor and help everyone who comes after me.