I’m not really sure how to start this without just being honest. My name is Pope and I am a transgender man trying to escape a toxic living situation and be closer to my chosen family.
I’ve spent a long time trying to make my life work with what I've got—trying to be patient, telling myself I can handle it, that I can keep pushing through because I've weathered worse. But the fact of the matter is that it’s breaking me down in a way I don’t think I can come back from. I don't think I can survive my life the way it is now. It is painfully exhausting to wake up every day feeling stuck living a life that doesn't feel like mine. It's unbearable and it scares me.
Safety for me lives in Virginia. I have a solid support system who see me as I am, not the smaller and quieter version of me. Being with them would mean safety. It would mean finally having the space and the freedom to live authentically. It would mean finally being able to breathe. I would be getting out of a situation that is actively damaging my mental health and into one where I have support, safety, and a shot at building something that feels mine.
Right now, I’m trying to make that happen by July 2027. I want to give myself the opportunity to do this correctly, but I cannot do it on my own.
The money raised here will go toward:
- Moving costs: getting myself and my things to Virginia. While I don't have very many possessions, I don't want to leave behind what I do have. I also have my animals and they have to come with me.
- Housing: deposits, rent, and getting settled
- Accessing gender-affirming care and mental health support
- Basic living expenses while I get on my feet
I don’t like asking for help like this. I don’t know how to do this on my own, but I cannot stay here until there's nothing of me left.
If you can donate, share, or even just read this and hold a little space for me: thank you. It means more than I can put into words. I remain hopeful that there are kinder tomorrows.
Organizer
