Meet Merci

Merci (she/her) is a 28-year-old Black trans woman. Transitioning has been a long and hard road, especially living in a rural red-purple state that presents unique challenges in getting care. Getting her surgery consultation alone took being on a two-year waitlist, and that was without hair removal or any of the necessary letters. Merci has spent the majority of the past two years in recovery and eventually opened the first LGBTQ sober living house, acting as its first manager.

Most of Merci's day revolves around helping other addicts and alcoholics get into treatment. "I hope being at the intersection of being of color and transgender helps people see that addiction doesn’t discriminate," she shares. In her downtime, she assists her sponsees and spends time with her fiancée.

"Receiving this care will mean being able to not have to smother my face in makeup to look acceptable, and go about my life without facing open aggression and misgendering," Merci explains. She expresses profound gratitude for the grant, acknowledging that the debt from life and transitioning would have made it impossible to accomplish what she needs to do, or at least very financially burdensome. "Thank you so much!"