Hi, I'm Vic and I'm ready to be shirtless in public for the first time. And to not sweat my wotsits off in a binder in summer, nor badly remove chest tape with the wrong type of oil. My chest dysphoria has been with me for a long time but has reached a peak in recent years. I'm 41 years old now, and it's nearly four years since I birthed my twins. And now I want to be the Daddy I know I can be. I want to swagger with my chest held proud.
It's not just about the money - I want to feel you, this community loving me into being. I want our collective love and rage to become my body-aligned and my chest re-birthed.
I promise you this - I will live well and I will chicken-dance badly and laze around and twirl about my house and in front of you all without feeling like I need to cover up. I will wear shirts unbuttoned to the navel, open waistcoats, and maybe leather harnesses. This fundraiser is about making my top surgery scars into the most precious and powerful thing I could wish for - monuments to you, to this community, who have for always uplifted, saved, and supported trans people like me.
This surgery costs a lot of money - £14K to be exact and we all know that this surgery will not be available to me on the NHS for in excess of a decade - this is much too long and I simply can't wait. We all know that gender affirming surgery is life saving, but so is community. Trans people can't live without their community, which I why I come to you now.
I have managed to finance my psychiatric assessment for a gender dysphoria diagnosis (£550), and a referral. I've also managed to finance the initial consultation with Andrew Mellington (£200). The main costs are for the surgery itself, and a hospital stay at Nuffield Hospital in Brighton in April 2027. The cost of this is just shy of £14K. With money I'm putting aside, I hope to be able to finance £4K, which leaves £10K to pull together. Whatever money we make will go towards the surgery costs. I'm also currently in the process of organising a fundraising event/party which will take place in October (details TBC very soon!).
Thank you, I love you. Always in solidarity.
Vic