Pinar’s Top Surgery Fund

Hi Everyone!

My name is Pinar and I am a queer 34-year-old person living in Istanbul, Turkey. I am a freelance translator, writer and queer/trans/feminist activist.

Just to clarify right away; I identify myself as non-binary, which means I don't really fit in on either side of the normally expected "male" or "female" in our society. Gender is way more complex than 1 or 2, black or white, male or female. Gender is a spectrum, a sliding scale, something way more malleable than rigid and I'm somewhere in the middle of it all. if you have questions about this and me, you are welcome to ask anytime, I'm always happy to talk about it.

I'm in the process of a gender transition and feeling amazing about it! I'm making some changes to my body that will help put it into alignment with how I feel on the inside and have always seen myself.

I am planning to get gender affirming surgery (top surgery,) this fall (hopefully in October 2019). In medical terms, that is a double mastectomy with nipple grafts. It is a surgery that is typically associated with transgender men but can also apply to many queer - nonbinary people. I am one of those!

As a 34-year-old person, this is absolutely a huge deal for me. I have been waiting for this day for such a long time. I am living in Turkey and job opportunities are extremely limited for me concerning the possibilities to feel safe and comfortable at workplace. Thus I have been working as a freelance translator. Which also means that I am actually earning way too little, don’t have any private health insurance that can cover such surgeries and my social security insurance does not cover the surgery as it is not possible for non-binary people get these surgeries covered by social security in Turkey (which means that as a non-binary person myself not going through regular medically assisted gender affirming- transition process as some trans people do, I have no ways of getting the costs of this surgery covered by health insurance)

The money issue!

The estimated total fees are around €2500 to €2600, which include the hospital facility fee, anesthesia fee, and the Surgical Fee.

I won't be able to use my arms for quite a while, which will get in the way of many things, including work, but supposedly the pain isn't too bad - so I'll be immobile but not too uncomfortable.

I am asking for your help personally. Every penny contributed is going directly to paying my medical bills from the surgery, or paying my rent as I need to take some time off from work after the surgery. Please give what you can, and share this amongst your network.

Thank you all so much for being so supportive of me during this wonderfully special time in my life.

With Love and Solidarity,

P.

PS: As you can see at the rewards section, I am willing to give little gifts for donations. I’m unprofessionally doing some collage art work as a hobby. I would be more than happy to create some personalized postcards or posters as a way of showing my gratitude to your support!