Hello, my name is George and I’m a thirty-one year old gay trans man living in London. I’m also a bookseller, sometimes writer, friend, son, brother, uncle and nephew. I like the sea, simple carbohydrates, small dogs, knitting and incredibly sad songs.

What I’m fundraising for

My dear friend Amber is helping me to raise funds so that I can access gender-affirming healthcare privately. I need to raise £8,000 for surgical chest masculinisation (also known as a bi-lateral mastectomy or top surgery).

I have a large chest that I bind every day to help alleviate dysphoria. This has caused issues with my muscoskeletal and respiratory health, as well as compounding chronic back and neck pain that I’ve had since I was a teenager.

I won’t speak at length about gender dysphoria but I will say that it affects the way I move through the world, the connection I have to my body, my relationships, and increasingly tests the limits of my mental and emotional wellbeing.

Thanks to help from the community, I was able to start HRT at the beginning of 2023 and I see a life and future for myself that I hadn’t been able to before. However, it becomes clearer with each day that I’m not able to put off this surgery any longer.

Why I’m fundraising for private healthcare

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that trans healthcare in the UK is in crisis, and does not meaningfully exist within the NHS. I first requested a referral to my nearest GIC (Gender Identity Clinic) in 2021. Projected timescales for first appointments at this GIC are around a decade. If I ever am able to access surgery on the NHS, I would most likely be in my mid-forties.

I’ll be getting surgery outside of the UK as it’s considerably cheaper, and the money raised will pay for medical costs, plus flights and accommodation for myself and my sibling, who will be taking care of me.

Like most people, I live paycheck to paycheck and make just about enough to get by each month. I don’t have savings and don’t come from a wealthy family. The only way I will be able to access this necessary healthcare is with help from my loved ones and the wider community, who mostly are also struggling to get by. I’m aware of the enormity of this request and I don’t make it lightly.

Asking for help feels deeply vulnerable, and I’ve delayed taking this step for a long time because of this. I’m deeply grateful for anything you can donate, and for sharing with your pals and networks.

George <3333