Meet D., 2019 Annual Transgender Surgery Fund Recipient!

Congratulations to D., who has been awarded $6,200 towards her gender-affirming surgery!

D. is an undocumented transgender woman from Mexico. She is also living with a disability/chronic illness, and quickly learned since she migrated here in the early ’90s that her options – for healthcare, health insurance, employment, and so much more – are severely limited. In Mexican culture, the oldest children become the caretaker for their family members, so in addition to supporting herself, she is also providing for her four brothers and sisters as well as her parents. She’s tried many times to fundraise on her own to afford her gender-affirming surgery, but has never been able to raise more than $100 in the past.

D. is very involved in her local communities as an activist and volunteer to provide support to other undocumented people, specifically people who (like her) are without health insurance and safe access to medical care. Once she receives her surgery, D. feels she will be far more confident in public: “[Right now] it’s difficult for me to have confident conversations and connect with people. I will have less fear of being attacked or harassed in public. I will have more concentration at work and will be able to help more. My smile will be genuine and not an effort for people to like me.”

D. in her own words:

Español

“Mujer Trans Migrante de México. LLegue a los Estado Unidos en el 1990s para realizarme como persona. La vida me a puesto muchos obstáculos: cuando llegue a este país, llegue con la ilusión de poder empezar mi tratamiento de transición y tope con la realidad de que aquí tampoco había recursos para mi.

En [mi estado] no hay leyes que protejan a las personas Trans de discriminación en el trabajo y por esta razón no se me haces posible contar con un trabajo estable y ahorrar para mi cirugía de género.

Sueño con despertar un dia, verme al espejo y sentirme liberada. Sueño con poder empezar mi propio negocio, para poder sostener a mi madre y familia, sueño con despertar a un [mi estado] donde no hay discriminación y yo me siento segura, completa y puedo sonreír verdaderamente por que me acepto al 100%.

Mi camino empezó en el 1990s cuando tomé esa decisión de migrar. Ahora en el 2019, estoy más cerca que nunca a poder lograr mi meta de cirugía de género. Mil Gracias. Juntos lograremos el sueño de la liberación.”

English

“I am a proud trans woman and migrant from Mexico. I came to the United States in the 1990s to fulfill myself as a person. Life has put many obstacles in my way: when I arrived in this country, I arrived with the illusion of being able to begin my transition treatment. I had to face the reality that there were no resources for me here either.

In [my state] there are no laws that protect trans people from discrimination in the workplace and for this reason it is not possible for me to have a stable job and save for my gender surgery.

I dream of waking up one day, seeing myself in the mirror and feeling liberated. I dream of being able to start my own business, to be able to support my mother and family, I dream of awakening in [my state] where there is no discrimination and I feel safe, complete and I can truly smile because I am accepted 100%.

My path started in the 1990s when I made that decision to migrate. Now in 2019, I am closer than ever to being able to achieve my goal of gender surgery. A thousand thanks. Together, we will achieve the dream of liberation.”

D. plans to have surgery in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates!

Note: For D.’s safety, we have modified or removed identifying details about her story.