Hi everyone,

Before saying anything else, I encourage you to support other trans individuals and St Louis tornado relief efforts before donating here. The disaster devastated North St Louis and there are some incredible relief efforts underway. I recommend actionstl.org to donate funds or time.

I'm overwhelmingly lucky to be at a point in my life where I can afford to get facial feminization surgery, but I've taken on $20k in medical debt to access this gender affirming care. Asking for help is something I have always struggled with, and I know there are people in my community struggling more than I am. Any amount (truly any amount) goes such a long way toward alleviating debt stress and being able to afford regular expenses.

I have always had trouble looking at myself in the mirror. I tried, earlier in my life, to embody the masculine ideal that people demanded and expected from me. Now that I'm two years into my transition, I'm so much happier with how I look, but I still see photos of myself and see the boy I had to pretend to be. It's baked into the structure of my face. I know when other people see me or talk about me, it may not be as obvious, but I've always been unable to look beyond it. It surprises me every time I am gendered correctly, and I think this will help change that.

Thank you for all your support and love. The queer community in St. Louis means everything to me.

- Marchesa