Congratulations to Veronica, Alexa, and Christa! Each of them has been awarded $1,000 in financial assistance towards their gender-affirming hair removal services.
The Electrolysis Support Program provides free or greatly discounted permanent hair removal services for trans femme folks who cannot otherwise afford them. It is a competitive program due to our limited resources: this cycle, we received 200+ applications this cycle and were able to select three recipients for support.
Veronica B. is a trans woman of color from Maryland. She is an immigrant who is currently unemployed and living with mental health challenges.
She writes, “I have been job searching for months, but have not had any success yet. I feel I am trapped in a vicious cycle where I need to go out more to connect with people and engage in networking so I can find a job, but doing so feels like torture because of how self-aware I am of how my face looks. At the same time, I cannot afford electrolysis because I do not have a job.” She is optimistic for a future where she feels comfortable, confident, and able to go freely outside in public.
Alexa B. is a trans woman from Massachusetts. She lives with a serious disability in which certain sensory inputs, including tactile sensations like shaving her face, trigger seizures.
She shared, “Every morning, I’m forced to choose between the crushing depression and social anxiety of not shaving my face, OR risk having massive panic attack and seizure from shaving.” These panic attacks and seizures are debilitating for Alexa, so she is eager to have laser hair removal and live her daily life far more comfortably and easily.
Christa O. is a trans woman and combat veteran from Maryland. Following her military service, she began her transition while working as an emergency first responder. Unfortunately, she faced discrimination and threats of violence from her coworkers as a result of her trans identity and was forced to leave her job for fear of her safety.
Employment has been a challenge since, and Christa struggles to stay afloat financially. Additionally, her health insurance specifically excludes trans related care, so permanent hair removal services are an important step in her transition – not just for affirming her gender, but for her safety navigating public spaces.
For interested future applicants, you may learn more about the program and apply here.
If you’d like to support this program, you may make a donation here. Thanks in advance for your generosity!
Written by Point of Pride
Point of Pride provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care.
