Meet Vivian

Vivian (she/her) is a 40-year-old woman of transgender experience who has lived in Iowa for the greater part of two decades. When Vivian came out, it was not well received; the family unit she had built was not supportive, and divorce followed swiftly after. Her adopted family, influenced by propaganda about crossing the gender divide, completely cut her out. Faced with legal ramifications and the cost of defending herself and her right to be a parent in divorce proceedings, Vivian was forced to choose between giving up the financial security she had built both before and after meeting her soon-to-be ex or gambling on the courts agreeing to give her split custody of her child. Having grown up as a child of an ugly divorce with an absentee parent, Vivian's decision was not a difficult one with regards to what was best for her child.

However, this meant starting completely over: no savings, mounting legal fees, and a mountain of credit card debt and loans. She has worked to provide for her child first and herself second, barely finding at times the money to keep her hair removal going. Unfortunately, insurance has not been compliant in covering what they should.

"I just hope for the day where leaving my house doesn't also require me to put on my emotional armor of being a woman with a beard and dealing with the stares that come with that. This will greatly help me catch my breath financially, and I couldn't be more thankful."

Vivian is an avid reader and works to share that joy with her child. One of her favorite things to do is to create stories for her child that involve her favorite stuffed animals. That love for reading and storytelling has worked itself well into her voicework, and she also uses her skillsets to help others of trans identities find their true voice as well.