Pay It Forward #3: Trans people are just people ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We've raised $4,035 so far!
Hello to the 1,615 hotties who subscribe to this newsletter! Thank you for being here.
There are a lot of new people here, so I want to take a minute to reintroduce The Pay It Forward Project. In response to the 2024 election results, we’re providing free financial coaching for queer & trans people who live in red* states. You can apply for free financial coaching using this link.
These free sessions are paid for by community members who donate to The Pay It Forward Fund. If you want to donate, you can donate using this link, or message me at leo@queerandtranswealth.org to become a monthly supporter.
To learn more about how this project works, read this introduction post.
*To clarify: In this context, red* states are states that have introduced or passed anti-trans legislation in the last three years. Red* states are not necessarily states that voted for Trump in the 2024 election. Here’s a complete list of these states:
High priority: Texas, Florida
Second priority: Montana, Idaho, Utah, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana
Third priority: Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, New Hampshire
Fourth priority: Alaska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia
We’ve raised a total of $4,035!
Since our last report on December 19, 2024, we’ve raised an additional $1,005, bringing our overall total to $4,035! Since the project started, we’ve funded 21 free financial coaching sessions. Thank you so much for your contributions <3
Here are some trends I’ve noticed since starting this project:
Trans people are just… people ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Weird headline, I know. But hear me out…
Some of the people I’ve met with for free financial coaching are:
going through a bad breakup
taking care of a sick parent in the hospital
grieving the loss of a friend
forced to keep working their 9-5 through these personal heartbreaks
starting businesses in competitive industries
navigating a brutal job market
recovering from months-long periods of unemployment
freeing themselves from the tight grip of Afterpay and Klarna
…just like everybody else.
Queer & trans folx are dealing with regular degular being-a-human-being-in-late-stage-capitalism life events. Having to drive hours out of their way to get hormones, wondering which public restroom will be safe, and dealing with homophobic relatives — on top of everything else — is an exhausting waste of time.
Coping with the stress of discrimination is robbing folx of the time they need to plan their futures.
For example, the simple act of budgeting takes quiet time for reflection and concentration. Even just an hour every two weeks to review your bank statements, plan for upcoming bills, and create a strategy to avoid getting into more debt would be a game-changer.
In this current political climate, I’m seeing clients spending that time doomscrolling or impulse-shopping to cope with the added stress. It’s heartbreaking to witness. I want to wrap each of these sweet clients in a warm blanket, give them a cup of tea, and tell them everything’s going to be ok.
Applicants need ongoing support to meet their financial goals
At the end of every financial coaching session, our scholarship recipients ask, “Are we going to meet regularly for a few months? Is that how this works?”
I find that people need me to hold them accountable so they can meet their goals and stick to their financial plans — especially people who juggle multiple savings goals and people who don’t have close friends with whom they can talk about money.
We have a pool of 133 applicants and counting, and it’s getting harder to discern how to use our funds. Do we prioritize someone from the applicant list who needs urgent support? Or do we prioritize someone who has already received a free coaching session but needs more support in the future? We’re taking our time to discern properly and communicate with folx.
For now, I want to encourage anyone with extra cash — whether it’s $10, $100 or $1,000 — to become a monthly supporter. Monthly donations would allow us to allocate funds to people who need ongoing support through multiple sessions instead of just one. Please email me at leo@queerandtranswealth.org if you’d like to become a monthly supporter.
Thank you for reading, and we’ll see you in 2 weeks for the next report 🫡