Our progress 2.5 months into fundraising.
A Collection of Connection
I love storytelling. Observing small moments, finding the magic, and spinning the moment into a narrative to share across a fire or a cup of coffee.
The impermanence - of both the initial moment and the storytelling itself - mystifies me.
I am a wallflower masked as an extrovert; not particularly fond of attention, though eager to uncover the stories of others.
Fundraising for Top Surgery immediately flipped this dynamic - placing me as the subject.
Most days, I feel uncomfortably "seen" - highlighting a degree of voyeurism I never desired, though leapt into with good faith and desperation.
Each time I press "post," for my fundraiser, I feel a twinge inside myself spark as I cross my own boundary of privacy - inflaming the tension between self-betrayal and self-preservation.
In those initial moments the exchange feels transactional - I sell you my story, you help me get surgery. A means to an end.
In the moments after that initial fear response, however, comes the communal transformation. Words of support. Reminders of fond memories. Visions of shared futures.
Fundraising for Top Surgery has turned into a collection of connection.
Each donation opens a door for community - creating a mosaic of virtual "coffee shop" moments.
Some, akin to a quick glance and a "thank you".
Others, an invitation to exchange stories and compassion.
Recently, I shared my fundraiser on Facebook, reaching out to my fellow Trans-community in various support groups and safe spaces. In this process, I received intergenerational support from Trans elders and youth. As expected, some elders offered guidance in resources and income streams.
Wildly unexpected, however, were the donations I received from Trans children.
These donations brought me to my knees.
Seeing my Venmo light up with $5 donations from middle schoolers looking down the road before them, centered me solidly on my path.
These donations reminded me of why I push through fear to press "post" - of why I choose visibility.
My initial steps of transition began with changing my pronouns several years ago, while working as a mentor in a youth climate leadership alliance. Working with youth helped me to hold the mirror of analyzation up to myself and notice my complacency in perpetuating the gender binary. At the time, I was fully aware of my genderfluid identity - though I wasn't actualizing it. I was continuing to socially and physically pass as a cisgender woman.
In this work, I realized my "mentorship" needed to move beyond climate action. By remaining closeted, I was allowing the next generation to do the work of gender liberation for me. When that realization clicked for me, I immediately jumped into self-actualization - determined to be the elder I myself had wished for.
These donations from Trans youth reminded me of how I got the courage to begin this journey in the first place. They remind me that my visibility is a component of a larger web of social healing and transformation.
As I continue into the final months of fundraising, I hold this truth as my guiding star.
Thank you to each of you for choosing to join in this collective healing. Choosing to commune in storytelling - to listen - affirm - and transform the foundations of our society.
Envisioning the Road Ahead - $3,922 left to go!
That breaks down to:
$49/day
Five $10 donations per day!
April 14 - Surgery Fees Due In Full
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