Once upon a time, I would have had all the money I needed, but that source was my grandfather who died. All the money I get now is from SSI. The only thing I'll be able to afford without a headache is HRT. Everything else depends on whoever is willing to help. So, if I suddenly ended up with millions I would help someone with all that they need, because I could use that help right now.

Some might call me wealthy, I think that would be a mischaracterization. I am the kind of person that quantifies things, my wage is actually public information as I am a government worker, it's been published in the St Louis Post Dispatch a few times, and it's well under 50k a year.
Still I find my employment and accompanying benefits satisfying. It's been a challenge from dropping out of school, to truck driving through my twenties to prying my way into government work. My destiny of transition has taken a bit over fifteen years to achieve critical mass, and two years to execute.
It's not an overnight process and I don't support it to be so, nor should it be a give away. I do wish that people in the future have an easier time than I did, Not sure where to go with this other than what I already support, healthcare including therapy coverage.

Wynternight, I think that you ask a very interesting albeit sensitive question.  It would be good if some of the very few wealthy transgender people were to create some kind of foundation etc., but I fear that they would be swamped, and politically speaking, accused of supporting frivolous or morally questionable aims.  In my experience, only the rich in the USA have had the money and will (and tax breaks?)  to do this.

I think we need to consider other ways to contribute - time, effort, a bit of behind-the-scenes manipulation of the political and industrial classes, volunteering to help what is often a badly organised community, and so on...

Julia

What really sucks for me is that I was in Oregon from May 2013 to May of this year, waiting and waiting for my Medicaid to be approved. Well, it finally did after I came back to Texas. Oregon's Medicaid will cover transgender health starting next year. If I had known this then I would have found a way to stay. :/

http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/08/15/oregon-removes-state-medicaids-trans-exclusions

Quote from: Julia-Madrid on November 08, 2014, 10:30:41 AM
Wynternight, I think that you ask a very interesting albeit sensitive question.  It would be good if some of the very few wealthy transgender people were to create some kind of foundation etc., but I fear that they would be swamped, and politically speaking, accused of supporting frivolous or morally questionable aims.  In my experience, only the rich in the USA have had the money and will (and tax breaks?)  to do this.

I think we need to consider other ways to contribute - time, effort, a bit of behind-the-scenes manipulation of the political and industrial classes, volunteering to help what is often a badly organised community, and so on...

Julia

A topic came up last night in the support group I attend that got me thinking. The issue brought up was a dearth of providers in Anchorage, or providers who are known to the community, who are knowledgeable and willing to take on trans clients. The idea that came to me was, if there aren't people who provide medical and psych services to the community then we make some who do. We contact people in our localities, ask them if they're willing to work with us, and teach them how to do so, who we are, and what we need.

If no support system exists then create one. Perhaps that's the grassroots kind of effort we need to create change.   

Quote from: Illuminess on November 08, 2014, 10:31:03 AM
What really sucks for me is that I was in Oregon from May 2013 to May of this year, waiting and waiting for my Medicaid to be approved. Well, it finally did after I came back to Texas. Oregon's Medicaid will cover transgender health starting next year. If I had known this then I would have found a way to stay. :/

http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/08/15/oregon-removes-state-medicaids-trans-exclusions

Is it possible for you to move back?

Quote from: Wynternight on November 08, 2014, 12:39:08 PM
Is it possible for you to move back?

I don't know anyone up there anymore, and I can't afford it. Plus, I've made new friends since coming back to Texas. So, here I stay, for now. I do want to return eventually, but only when I know for sure that it's possible. God, I miss Portland...

Quote from: Illuminess on November 08, 2014, 01:12:17 PM
I don't know anyone up there anymore, and I can't afford it. Plus, I've made new friends since coming back to Texas. So, here I stay, for now. I do want to return eventually, but only when I know for sure that it's possible. God, I miss Portland...

I can't imagine trying to transition in Texas outside of Austin. Where in Texas are you?

Quote from: Wynternight on November 08, 2014, 01:31:47 PM
I can't imagine trying to transition in Texas outside of Austin. Where in Texas are you?

Houston, Clear Lake City. I'm less than an hour from Galveston. I have to live where it's cheapest for me, and right now I only pay $200 a month to rent a room with some friends. After rent, meds, phone, gas and food I don't have much left out of my monthly check. I wish I had a job writing all day like for Cracked or some alt. news webzine.

Quote from: Illuminess on November 08, 2014, 02:08:50 PM
Houston, Clear Lake City. I'm less than an hour from Galveston. I have to live where it's cheapest for me, and right now I only pay $200 a month to rent a room with some friends. After rent, meds, phone, gas and food I don't have much left out of my monthly check. I wish I had a job writing all day like for Cracked or some alt. news webzine.

Damn, up here in CT the cheapest you're getting a room in an apartment is like $450, and that's absolute floor cheapest. But then it's probably evened out by the social net for the poor being larger.

But to the question, yes wealthy people do have a privilege in regards to the financial aspects of transition as they do with most things financial, it's an inherent part of having lots of money vs having little money.

Quote from: 23 Skidoo on November 10, 2014, 01:32:52 PM
Damn, up here in CT the cheapest you're getting a room in an apartment is like $450, and that's absolute floor cheapest. But then it's probably evened out by the social net for the poor being larger.

But to the question, yes wealthy people do have a privilege in regards to the financial aspects of transition as they do with most things financial, it's an inherent part of having lots of money vs having little money.

Wealth is privilege. Just a fact. I kind of wish I had some. Right now I'm a multi-hundredaire.

Quote from: Wynternight on November 10, 2014, 02:12:04 PM
Wealth is privilege. Just a fact. I kind of wish I had some. Right now I'm a multi-hundredaire.

I have less than $50 in my bank account right now.

Mine is just over 3 digits, woot!

Money should not be a factor in whether people "get" to live.

Be it food, shelter, safety, security, medical care, or equal protection under the law.

People with a lot of disposable money have more access to these things, which is unfortunate not because they have access, but because others do not.

As a short-term solution, it is absolutely wonderful that there are people out there who donate what they can afford to help others. That is an absolute blessing, and I am personally and generally grateful to Susan, all donors to this site, and all people who have donated money (or even time, or a listening ear) to trans people in need of therapy, HRT, surgery, etc.

It would definitely be great to have more developed institutional solutions, from large-scale grant programs to insurance coverage to expanded welfare programs (not in the sense of a welfare check, more like the way the word is used for the "welfare state" systems in place in stone European/Nordic countries that ensure financial stability for education, child-rearing, and personal and professional growth).

My ideal society is one in which all people's basic needs are provided for. I have been told my views would change if I ever had a decent amount of money, but I truly hope that would not be the case, as like many others here I would like to put any wealth I accumulate toward helping others in my communities.

I think the major thread connecting all of us here is care and compassion for others. Many people come here questioning their identity, their sanity, their very lives, and then end up sticking around to help others come to terms with those same questions. Clearly this is a community with a lot of support to give - some of it financial, a lot of it emotional.

While wealth would ease a lot of my concerns about transition (not having to transition at work because I could afford time off, financial independence from emotionally unsupportive family, lower burden of costs of medical transition, ability to buy all new clothes to fit a changing body and avoid dysphoria), I would still need a great deal of emotional support. And that is the thing that is great about this community. It provides what money cannot buy.

If I had money, I would very likely feel an obligation to help others financially, just as I currently feel an obligation to help others emotionally because I have a mind and a heart that make me capable of doing so.

I, like Cindy, am kind of reluctant to reply to this post. But no one owes me anything. If I want it bad enough I will find a way. It is just what I may be willing to do. I don't really want to go too much into it but I ain't no angel with white feathery wings and I don't want anything from anyone because then I will feel I owe them. Unless it is someone that I will spend the rest of my life with and trly love. Other than that, nah. No one owes me anything and I owe no one anything either. I just owe myself.

Let me start off by saying, I am not rich and have never been rich. With that said, I managed to lose everything. My home, job and had no savings. I moved back home to start over. While staying at home I knew that this would be my only chance to transition. I took the chance and went for it. I found a job that pays well, but still not enough for me to move out on my own. Yet, I still decided to put what I had saved into my transition. I went to therapy, received my letter after 3 visits, and paid cash to my current doctor that does not take insurance to be put on T. My name change also was expensive and still not complete. I do have insurance and they covered at least the blood work but I will soon age out of my parents policy. Now that I am on t, I can manage the cost. I still need top surgery and I am saving up for it. I am well aware that I do need to move out of my parents home soon, so I must come up with a plan. I feel fortunate to be able to cover my costs but at the same time have failed to move out. A selfish act? Maybe, depends on how you see it. I made my bed, now I must lay in it. My family does not know that I am transitioning. I just started T a week ago. Already my voice has dropped. Changes are happening quickly. I have no idea what my family will do or say. Do I feel bad that I have gone through transition in secrecy, no because I feel more sad and alone that I can't share my transition with family. My work knows and are just as excited as I am about my current changes. I have no idea how my family will react and have an idea that it wont be so good. I have no idea on what I should do, except to continue to work hard, save to at least afford to live in someone's closet and afford top surgery by next year.