We are raising funds to help a WA Trans Kid’s fight in court so they can seek the best healthcare available. The kid knows who they are and doesn’t understand why their un-affirming family won’t let them be themselves. Or why they are making the courts get involved in how the Trans Kid get to be a kid. This story involves a minor so we will not be sharing identifying details to protect the minor from online/offline abuse or hate.

We are a coalition of the affirming family members, chosen family, neighbors, and community members who want to see this kid not only survive – we want them to THRIVE – with dignity, autonomy, and the freedom to be a kid who doesn’t have to think about fighting in court against their own family to be who they are - a kid. We want this kid to feel our love and support.

PLEASE JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

We invite you to join us as a monthly donor at one of the following suggested contributions below or one of your choosing. Our goal is to raise $6-10,000/month (see FAQ below) and we personally would love to see at least 250 donors since this is the bicentennial year for the country, and we would like to show that love is greater than hate in this here US of A.

If 250 people donated $24-$40 per month we could meet our monthly target

Each donor circle level honors a Trans Patron of Dignity, who all fought to be true to themselves and inspire us. We hope these trans ancestors’ energy and lived experience support us in our endeavor to help our Trans Kid be a kid.

Donation = ‘Donor Circle Name’ Level honoring a Trans Patron of Dignity

Each donor circle level honors a quote or writing by the honored patron.

The FAQ below will go into some of the details of how we plan to support our Trans Kid with the funds raised.

FAQ:

What support costs will the funds go to?

Legal costs: lawyer retainer fees, filing costs, affirming parent’s missed wages, and the estimate for each day at court is about $10,400 per court date. We are not sure how many court dates it will take at this level of court. If it escalates to the appellate court level the cost per day starts to go up to an estimated $50,000 per court date

Medical costs: the family currently has access to medical care so much of this will be covered unless the care landscape within WA state changes. Right now, the fundraiser is primarily for legal costs, but we wanted to name the reality of the attacks on trans people in this country right now and that in the future this might be a cost where funds may be used.

Why a monthly campaign?

A legal battle is an ongoing expense with moving financial targets. We want to make sure this family that has been financially stable doesn’t suffer from the ongoing court battle. We do not feel that justice should be decided by income status and so we want to fundraise to support this Trans Kid’s fight.

This legal fight could take years, and we want to help alleviate as much financial stress as possible by planning for the long-term reality of this battle. The estimated time this could be in court is as little as 3 months (best case) to 5+ years (worst case).

We hope some of you will choose to be with us for the long haul and choose to become part of the Trans Patrons of Dignity circle of support.

Can I just donate once to help with the current costs?

If you prefer to donate one time whatever amount you choose will help us sustain this kid’s ability to be a kid living their best life – all donations matter to us and you will continue to receive the campaign updates.

Why is the monthly funding target $6-10,00/month?

We need $25,000 as soon as possible to pay off the current legal fees. After that we want to start helping save towards the next court dates and the worst-case scenario of having to go to appeal.

Also monthly means the people like you who want to support our Trans Kid can choose a monthly affordable amount and stay engaged with us as we support this kid through the upcoming years of struggle to be themselves in and out of court.

Aren’t there already groups that fund this sort of thing?

Currently this is a mutual aid funding area that is not as well funded as other lower cost trans support items like: moving costs, legal fees for name changes, medical surgeries, or other isolated costs. Since legal costs are ongoing and can fluctuate – many nonprofits and groups stay away from them as the cost to help per person is very high which means individuals like this Trans Kid and their affirming family must face this burden alone. We will also be applying for any funds we can find but so far, the research hasn’t turned up many. If we receive outside funds from one of these that we apply for it will be included in the fundraiser update emails.

What updates will donors receive?

Due to the nature of the privacy concerns for the minor, we will not be providing details that might make the Trans Kid or family members identifiable. Donors will not receive court dates or locations or any sensitive information. Donor communication will be handled by the organizer and supported by the volunteers. We are trying to reduce the labor by the beneficiary family completely. We, the volunteers, are taking on this fundraiser so the affirming family can reduce stress and help the Trans Kid be a kid as much as possible.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Hello, I am Rachel Luke, a WA state licensed mental health counselor who works with teens and adults of all genders in person and over telehealth. I am an avid volunteer in the areas of food scarcity, arts, and 2LGBTQIA+ rights. I also garden, play RPGs, make ceramic art, have been adopted by several cats and am honored to be called an aunt and godparent.

In the past year I have run several GoFundMe campaigns for community members supporting their medical expenses. This will be my first time volunteering to assist with a legal fee campaign that focuses on longer term support – I hope you forgive any mistakes and know I am doing my best to honor the privacy of the family and updating the donors.

I am also supported by a few other community members who are helping with art, social media graphics, and outreach. To raise and protect our Trans Kid takes a village to care and nurture their dignity and freedom. I thank each of you for your behind-the-scenes support and care.

ABOUT THE BENEFICIARY

To protect the beneficiary’s privacy, GoFundMe allows beneficiaries to use a pseudonym publicly – the money will go directly to the beneficiary, and the organizers and volunteers have no access to the funds.