Donation protected
Hi! My name is Crystal (Instagram @crystal_ology), a woman of trans experience, and I need your help.
The Ask
Every trans person is different, and so is our transition. I don't know how best to express the distress, fatigue, and defeat I feel in facing my transexuality later in life. Exposure to testosterone through puberty has altered my "secondary" sex characteristics (body, face, voice, etc.) in ways that I dissociated from for decades. Counseling has helped, hormones too, and some things will never change—but surgical procedures exist, proven to improve the quality of life for trans women like me.
I am asking you to help me improve my quality of life, revise what feels like damage, and give me a chance to exist in this world before I'm bones in a box.
I grew up with a lot of shame in asking for anything. My bio family won't accept me as transgender, I don't have their support, and surgery to alleviate my dysphoria remains incredibly out of reach.
On top of my paid work, I continue to be a published writer, a creative colleague and collaborator, and manager/editor of a literary nonprofit—all unpaid/volunteer labor. I've given a lot of myself to the literary community for free because I've had the privilege to and because I believe in the power of art to transform the world. I'm still fighting to change institutional practice, but still caught in this fucked up world, I'm struggling to keep my head above water, and I'm at the point of asking for something from you. Can you help? <3
Caption: Every day is a smoke and mirrors act of makeup and body padding to avoid public harassment and to feel like me.
The Plan
There are few trans surgeons worldwide and fewer with the experience and expertise to bring trans joy without painful complications. Because of this, trusted surgeons are booked out years in advance. The waiting game means heartache, but never getting there is a hell of a lot scarier. So, without the means, I've started the process of consultations to get on their calendars. I'm hoping something changes for me between now and then so I can say yes to myself and not have to cancel.
Most insurance plans that claim to cover trans care are obsessed with genitals. For women, only bottom surgery is covered, and anything related to "secondary" sex characteristics is considered cosmetic and not covered, despite the evidence and support of the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) standards of care.
- Electrolysis: 1.5 years and $1,800 in with another 6 months (?) ahead.
- Vocal Surgery & Tracheal Shave: (CARE RECEIVED) 12 Jan 2023, with Dr. Courey! The procedures became possible when my employer struck vocal surgery & tracheal shave from their list of exclusions after I raised holy hell about the cis bias/transphobia of their genitals = gender trans care policy, which is the UHC standard. Hospital bill before coverage? $29k. With insurance? $500. Stayed with a very gracious friend for two weeks while I recovered and received checkups, so with travel, cost, and stay, I whittled both procedures down to ~$1,200? With your donations, that means access to procedures that my insurance/employer refuses to cover.
- Bottom Surgery: Added to waitlist and hoping to receive care in summer 2024. Otherwise, scheduled with Dr. Bowers for summer 2025. Required a $1k downpayment, plus $110 for a second supporting letter from a counselor. Completed the required pre-op 5–10 laser hair removal sessions, thankfully covered by insurance at $25 copay each. Now paying $75 a session out of pocket for electrolysis to complete hair removal ($750 and counting).
- Facial Feminization Surgery: 10 Dec 2025 surgery scheduled with Dr. Keojampa. Not covered by my new insurance. Required $200 consult fee, $5,000 downpayment. Average cost: ~60k. :|
