Bite Down

As you know! Trans folks have a lot of anxiety about getting all of their Federal Identity Docs in order before The Trump administration takes charge on Jan 20th with his day-one promise to "end all federal agencies support for trans people AT ANY AGE" and "define sex as male and female and assigned at birth." He will follow the trans document restrictions of Florida or Texas.

This isn't just about dignity—these documents are needed for everything: employment, housing, and every other part of living a life. They're needed for crossing a border.

If trans people don't have affirming documents -- they are outed to everyone who sees it.

Employers, Landlords, COPS, Bar Tenders and Bouncers, and on and on every day. Little bouts of terror.

I'm Shadi Petosky, as you know I am a writer and producer in film and television. I am also transgender and part of a community who will be massively affected by recent election results. After the election, with just 10 weeks left for trans folks to update their documents. I told my followers on Instagram that I LOVE PAPERWORK and could help them with executive dysfunction, anxiety, other disabilities, or just plain old exhaustion -- get their at-risk Federal Documents done.

A few people also needed help with the nonwaivable fees, so I figured I'd ask Hollywood pals if they wanted to donate. They did.

Then folks told their friends, and before I knew it, I was doing 13-hour days, helping dozens of trans folks with their documents or complicated questions, filling out fee waivers for court orders, and sending folks ready to file help with their nonwaivable fees.

This is the end of week five, WITH FIVE WEEKS LEFT TO GO. I've redistributed $27,000 in donations to these fees and helped hundreds of trans folks get started and more importantly -- get filed. I've visited Federal Offices and called Consulates for retraining of poorly trained staff who have violated current federal rules and denied trans folks updates.

And the people getting help leave testimonials and send the sweetest messages of relief and thanks.

Even better, four other smart people who are excellent with paperwork have jumped in to donate their labor to this project full-time! Different folks have jumped in with research and data aggregation know-how. I'm proud of this team -- and with a background in interactive development and Executive Producing (NOT PINO) TV -- I know teams. We're fast, ya'll -- VERY FAST. We've developed a fantastic tech-assisted backend workflow to help as many people as possible personally and authentically in this remaining 9-week sprint.

We've got the political labor, the tech, and the data-- but we need the cash to continue to flow -- ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (after GoFundMe fees) of which goes directly to individuals in the charitable class of trans, intersex, and queer people with financial need who want to get their documents secure before they lose that right. We work with these people on a human and individual basis by volunteers, trained by a person with a social work background, to determine need and if they are ready to file -- then distribute a grant that has averaged $145 per person so far. Most of the people we help do not have financial need so it's an information only process.

All volunteer labor is free, and we have no "business" overhead.

GoFundMe requires me to tell you that they send me an ACH payment to my personal bank account, which I move from my bank account to Venmo and CashApp, or Zelle for people to pay their fees. I am radically accountable to this project and will provide public balance sheet reporting for 100% of these funds when the project is complete.

Many people are posting testimonials on Instagram -- which we reshare on our Instagram page. Folk have requested renewal funds for Driver's License and State ID with REAL ID, funds for quick replacement birth certificates because their family is no contact, and many unwaivable Passport fees -- as it's the only way that people in some red states can have a correct gendered ID. Passport Cards fit in wallets.

So far, individual redistribution has averaged $145 per person. However, many of the folks we are helping with process and paperwork don't need fee help at all—or will raise it with their local community.

We're not out here trying to start a not-for-profit or whatever. This is just people helping people -- good ol' transy mutual aid.

But for the next 9 WEEKS, we'll be working SEVEN DAYS A WEEK to focus our political anger on doing something real.

We'll help folks get their documents done until January 20th.

And help folks with fees as long as the donations come in.

Please help keep the donations come in and donate whatever you can.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Federal Trans Document Help Fund -- there is no name -- it's just what it is.