Help a queer neurodivergent musician
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Dee and I’m a neurodivergent trans woman from Edinburgh. I have spent a large part of the last two years homeless since my parents sold our house, and while I now have a flat with my nesting partner Marianthi, we are in danger of losing it because of the debt I have built up over the months of homelessness means I struggle to pay my bills each month. My parents are incredibly unsupportive and refuse to recognise I was ever homeless (in my dad’s case) or won’t accept that they were responsible (in my mum’s case). When my parents kicked me out, I was close to finishing my degree but this took an extra two years, in large part due to the stress of my situation. I was approved for a loan of £8000 by the Student Loan Company however I never received this money due to the university failing to confirm my student status with the SLC, all the while I was unable to claim Universal Credit due to being classed as a full time student. I am now thankfully in a situation where I have enough money coming in to pay my bills each month, but because I have many outstanding bills and debts the majority of my income goes to these instead. I work as a freelance musician and music teacher, but a combination of unmedicated ADHD and anxiety caused by my financial situation severely limits the work I can take on, and means I am largely relying on benefits to get by each month.
Any donation helps, even a small amount, and if there is any left over after clearing my debts I will donate it to charities working with trans people in the UK.
Organizer
Dee Surtees
Organizer
Scotland