Go Gabby Go (Transportation & Medication Fund)
Donation protected
If you don't know me, my name is Gabby/Venus. I am a Black, queer, disabled, and immunocompromised trans femme from a rural area (for those this information is relevant to). If you do know me, you know that I've been a very active member in any community I've been a part of, and I've spent half the last decade doing mostly unpaid nonprofit work around social justice. Currently, I'm working with an organization that manages Title X services in my state, and ultimately my goal in working with them is to make those services more welcoming to and accessible for trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming people. Particularly those in rural areas.
All that to say, I'm not unemployed, but I am and have been unpaid for much of the community-based work I've done and am doing. And in order to continue to do so, particularly in these times, I'm in need of a car. I have recently secured housing in Columbia that will last for the next 5-6 months, which I'm excited about, but a lot of work I already do (+ paid work I hope to do) as well as my medical needs require me to be able to travel. I usually take buses and trains with whatever I can scrape together, but I can no longer take that risk. Especially not when I'm called on to do work from my hometown area, where the entire household I would stay in is also immunocompromised.
I would like to be in a position where I could focus on saving for gender confirmation procedures for myself, but being able to get where I need to go safely relieves me of the bulk of my gender-related stress. I experience most violence during the process of getting somewhere, rather than once I'm inside a space. I expect to spend at least $3,500 to get something reliable enough to travel between The Bootheel, StL, Columbia, and Jeff City for work. It will also be used to transport kids and other immunocompromised people I help to care for. Anything beyond what I spend on the initial purchase will go to insurance, other registration/inspection/maintenance costs, and my continued access to my daily meds + hormone replacement therapy during this time. Thank you for your time and support.
All that to say, I'm not unemployed, but I am and have been unpaid for much of the community-based work I've done and am doing. And in order to continue to do so, particularly in these times, I'm in need of a car. I have recently secured housing in Columbia that will last for the next 5-6 months, which I'm excited about, but a lot of work I already do (+ paid work I hope to do) as well as my medical needs require me to be able to travel. I usually take buses and trains with whatever I can scrape together, but I can no longer take that risk. Especially not when I'm called on to do work from my hometown area, where the entire household I would stay in is also immunocompromised.
I would like to be in a position where I could focus on saving for gender confirmation procedures for myself, but being able to get where I need to go safely relieves me of the bulk of my gender-related stress. I experience most violence during the process of getting somewhere, rather than once I'm inside a space. I expect to spend at least $3,500 to get something reliable enough to travel between The Bootheel, StL, Columbia, and Jeff City for work. It will also be used to transport kids and other immunocompromised people I help to care for. Anything beyond what I spend on the initial purchase will go to insurance, other registration/inspection/maintenance costs, and my continued access to my daily meds + hormone replacement therapy during this time. Thank you for your time and support.
Organizer
Gabriella Justice
Organizer
Columbia, MO