I have a friend

[WifeofWrenchette]

who wants to transition and is moving to Florida. She doesn't have much money. Is there a foundation or a resource place that helps pay for SRS in Florida?

[Raynefall]

Unfortunately as far as I know there is only one Foundation that might help. It's for people around the country though. It's called the Jim Collins Foundation. But the chance of having your friends surgery paid for is very slim. It looks like 300:2 based on information given on their site. I can only assume that the number of applicants probably grows in number every year. Doesn't look like they have a lot of support either. So I doubt that the amount of surgeries given away would be increased very much per year. Plus it would only cover one surgery. Not the whole process.

So yes there is a way.... But at the same time your friend has to be realistic. There is no magic way to have your costs paid for. If there was then a lot more of us would have transitioned. It takes a lot of time and money. But if there is truly a need for it then you wont stop working towards it. I am in the exact same situation. So what am I going to do? I am going back to school and getting a degree. To land a good job and to finance my own transition process.

I would love it if someone were to walk up to me and say "Hey. I will pay for it every step of the way." Then I might consider waiting on college. But thinking realistically that will never happen. That is a fairy tale dream that I have done away with now.

[WifeofWrenchette]

Unfortunately as far as I know there is only one Foundation that might help. It's for people around the country though. It's called the Jim Collins Foundation. But the chance of having your friends surgery paid for is very slim. It looks like 300:2 based on information given on their site. I can only assume that the number of applicants probably grows in number every year. Doesn't look like they have a lot of support either. So I doubt that the amount of surgeries given away would be increased very much per year. Plus it would only cover one surgery. Not the whole process.

So yes there is a way.... But at the same time your friend has to be realistic. There is no magic way to have your costs paid for. If there was then a lot more of us would have transitioned. It takes a lot of time and money. But if there is truly a need for it then you wont stop working towards it. I am in the exact same situation. So what am I going to do? I am going back to school and getting a degree. To land a good job and to finance my own transition process.

I would love it if someone were to walk up to me and say "Hey. I will pay for it every step of the way." Then I might consider waiting on college. But thinking realistically that will never happen. That is a fairy tale dream that I have done away with now.Thanks for replying. She's on another board with me and I've tried to get her to come here, but for some reason she doesn't want to. Anyway, I'll relay the information. This may burst her bubble quite a bit I'm afraid so I may wait a little a while. Her wife just told her she has found someone else and wants a divorce (just after he told her he wants to transition). It pains my heart so.

I wish you luck with your transition and future plans. It seems like you are on your way to who you need to be.

Peace and hugs~

Wrenchette

[Raynefall]

It's not a problem. I am sorry to hear about all of this. Especially with the information I just gave you. Please give your friend my condolences and best wishes. I am sure it can't be easy right now.

It really is unfortunate that this is such a big deal to most people. I do consider myself very fortunate with my gf. She not only supports me in it, I believe she actually enjoys it more! Never thought that possible in a million years.

I appreciate it. I will need all the luck I can get with just the College Algebra. Lol. I have never been too good at math.

[Stephenie S]

You know, I read these posts often here. "Oh, I can't afford transition." I don't believe you.

SRS is just not that expensive. If you want it, REALLY want it, you will find a way. If it's just a fantasy to you, then dream on, but for those who have to, the reality is that it's less than the cost of a new car. And you only have to look at the auto industry to realize that thousands of new cars are sold and bought every year. In my neck of the woods, a new Subaru Forester goes for at least $23,000. That's MORE than SRS in Montreal, and a LOT more than SRS in Thailand.

Can't afford it? Bull twaddle. People buy new cars all the time. Drive a clunker instead. I think this is just one more excuse for those who would rather fantasize than actually do anything concrete about it. You really expect someone ELSE to pick up your tab?

S

[whowhatwhen]

Except those who can barely afford to put food on their plates, let alone even dreaming of looking at a clunker.
I would expect someone to pick up the tab, yes.

In a civilized and empathetic world SRS would be covered under UHC.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

The world, civilized or not, has never been empathetic, and never will be..
the western world is more enlightened than its ever been , but is still filled with confusion at best and hatred at worst about us...

expecting someone to pick up a tab for anything is naive and ignores 6000 years of human existence...that's not say there is not charity in the world, there is... but expecting it?? i can only say good luck...especially as it relates to GRS...only another transsexual or a close family member would ever be interested in helping one of us out.

you can say that this is just my cynicism vs your idealism....that would be true, but the facts are the facts..

the analogy about a car is completely incorrect... a car is an asset... a vagina is a vagina...perhaps an asset to one of us but worthless to others... because a car is an asset, $23,000 can be paid off over time, and the loan is relatively easy because the asset depreciates slowly... you can't hock your new vagina... its not bull twaddle... saving up $15,000 is a pipe dream for people making minimum wage or in that range, or going job to job...

[Stephenie S]

Sorry dear. But people buy new cars all the time. And end up, of course, paying WAY more than the $23,000 initial asking price. Do the same thing. Charge it. If you want it badly enough you'll figure it out. And, BTW, a car is NOT an asset. It depreciates immediately and continues to do so VERY quickly. How much is your vagina worth? And how quickly does IT depreciate? Ask anyone who has one if they would sell it for $23,000. Would you get many takers? I doubt it. Mine appreciates (and is appreciated) daily. Worthless? I don't THINK so. No way in Goddess's green earth, thank you very much.

But I wholeheartedly agree with whowhatwhen. In a truly civilized society SRS would be entirely covered under Universal Healthcare. That's a dream I can get behind anytime.

If you cannot even LOOK at a clunker maybe you need to get a job. That's how you get money in our society today.

Stephie

[Kaitlyn Michele]

well as a person who earned 6 figures in the finance business all i can say is its difficult for me to argue with you because you don't know what you are talking about, and barely understand what i'm talking about..

It's certainly true that there are people that whine about not having the money, and it does not go unnoticed by me that some of those folks could easily afford it if they wanted it bad enough...that's a valid point..

but MANY people cannot afford ANYTHING that costs $10,000 or $20,000..especially in today's economic environment...why make them feel worse just because you have yours?

[RachelOKC]

It's funny, you often read on these boards that TS's must be prepared to lose everything, yet here's assertions that buying a vag is like buying a new car. Just go somewhere and pay for it.

I went to a job fair for transgender folk last week and saw a lot of people who were HURTING and probably really had lost everything. Some of them looked like they could hardly afford a razor or a decent haircut, I wonder if they could go out and buy new cars?

[LeaP]

A lot of people are hurting out there. Those who do have assets like equity in their houses often find that selling them is hard, takes a looonnngggg time, and yields less than they hope. Many people not only can't afford $10k or $20k, they are struggling to put food on the table. So while I get that there are people who whine as they plunk down their downpayment for their new boat (or whatever), they're the exception. There are people in the forum who are students or live check-to-check.

[Aprilrain]

I'd like to be there for the conversation with the loan officer when one goes and asks for money for a vag:lol:

[My Lady Marsea]

Not sure if I can like post this, but I'll give it a try. Anyway, I was reading a kewl on line magazine called "Frock' for TGs and saw an ad that pertains to this. It's a SRS special in Thailand for $8500.00 everything but airfare and hotel included. Might as well been so totally like 85 mil or wutever, yeah I'm one who can't afford 23 grand for a new car much less with interest lol. Anyway if mods allow this here's the place: Satoritg.com. Geez, maybe if I should like live so long they'll be the way computers and flat screen TVs have come down in price LMAO. .

[Raynefall]

So you are telling me that I can just walk up to a dealership and buy myself a new vagina? I don't need to go to therapy or pay for hormones? No real life experience as a woman? So what you are saying is that I don't need to pay any up front costs before even getting to SRS? So I can just save everything up for it? Sorry... I know this is very sarcastic but that was pretty rude.

Yes if a person wants it bad enough they will EVENTUALLY have the money to pay for it. But the cost of living is only rising. The job market is still in terrible shape for anyone without a degree. Even those with a degree are having a tough time. So it's not like you can walk up to a business and say "Please let me work here!" To which their response would be "Sure!". That is a fairy tale to believe that you live in a world so easy. That people can just finance a $10,000+ loan for something that does not contain any monetary value at all. The banks would laugh in your face and send you on your way. If there are a lot of people complaining about something then it is usually true.

So please tell everyone here again how easy it is to earn money for the average person. Please go look at some statistics and realize that a lot of people out there can barely afford the rent/gas/electricity let alone food every day of the week. I for one know exactly how tough it is. You obviously have no clue.

[WifeofWrenchette]

My friend that wants to transition only has a "temp" job right now. She is going back to Florida to her old "accounting" job in order to pay for therapy and HRT treatments, but since her wife just told her she wants a divorce she'll be on her own as far as money. I suggested she rent a room in someone's house to lower her monthly payments, which she is going to do, but the wife has also saddled her with the car payments, $400/month and she has student loans outstanding. That's why I was asking if there was a foundation or charity or something. I will mention Thailand to her. She's really new to all this so she may not know. I really, really wish she'd come here, she needs support right now. She keeps vacillating between wanting to kill her self and looking forward to her new life. I keep trying to encourage her. I think in a couple of weeks after she's moved back to Florida and the dust settles on the divorce I'll break the news about the funding issue. I don't know how much money accountants make, but if she can get rid of the car note and keep expenses down maybe she can save up for surgery.

Is it considered plastic surgery? Because I think there is a company that finances that. I've forgotten the name now, but I'll try to look that up.

Thanks for all the responses!

[Aprilrain]

She keeps vacillating between wanting to kill her self and looking forward to her new life. I keep trying to encourage her.

I think in a couple of weeks after she's moved back to Florida and the dust settles on the divorce I'll break the news about the funding issue.

I Know all too well what that feels like it sucks, even if you feel like your not helping I'm sure your words of encouragement and support mean the world to her, keep trying!

The cost of transition is no big secret and if she has done any research at all she should already be aware of this. If she is an accountant she should be able to make decent money but more importantly know how to save money by budgeting, something a lot of people just don't get. Obviously she needs to sell the $400 a month car and get something cheeper!

[Stephenie S]

well as a person who earned 6 figures in the finance business all i can say is its difficult for me to argue with you because you don't know what you are talking about, and barely understand what i'm talking about..

It's certainly true that there are people that whine about not having the money, and it does not go unnoticed by me that some of those folks could easily afford it if they wanted it bad enough...that's a valid point..

but MANY people cannot afford ANYTHING that costs $10,000 or $20,000..especially in today's economic environment...why make them feel worse just because you have yours?

OK. Point taken. I know I can get cranky sometimes. I work HARD for the ability to have the things I need and I am aware that for some people that may not be an option. It took me until I was in my forties to realize that the world did not owe me a living and that if I wanted things I was going to have to MAKE it happen. I was not intending to offend anyone.

I do think the car analogy is a valid one. I drive a well maintained 1995 model and I am continually amazed at the amount of money those who work under me (and make far less than I do) seem to be willing to spend on a brand new model. Advertizing may have something to do with this.

S

[Stephenie S]

OK guys. I was a bit off base there with my comments. Sorry. I do know the economy sucks. My house is worth less than I paid for it 10 years ago.

BUT, maybe you can tell ME how I managed to afford the things I do have when all those around me can't.

I can tell you. HARD WORK. Sacrifice. Budgeting. Planning. And here's a big one. TWO INCOMES. Two jobs. That kinda comes under the hard work part. The car stuff comes under the sacrifice part. I see LNAs coming to work in huge brand new American iron. Looks nice. I'm sure it's fun too. But just a wee bit expensive, don't you think? Buying a brand new tricked out pickup will set you back almost $30,000. Put that money into your savings account.

Schooling is far easier to pay for if you are broke. State and city community colleges graduate students ready to work at well paying jobs in two years or less. My BFF, a single mom, is just starting nursing school. She will graduate making at least $30.00 an hour and probably have a job before she graduates.

Hormone therapy is cheap, cheap, cheap. Come on. WalMart is $4 per month per script. You can find that in your couch. Or maybe skip one Latte. Gender therapy can be had on a sliding scale from many healthcare professionals. Surgery in Thailand is far less expensive than in the US or Canada.

Is this out of reach for some? I guess maybe so. But I still think those who want this badly enough can do it. You can talk about it. You can complain about it. You can whine about it. Or you can buckle down and do it. Another of my BFF went through bankruptcy to transition. If you want it you will find a way.

Stephie

[Aprilrain]

I do think the car analogy is a valid one. I drive a well maintained 1995 model and I am continually amazed at the amount of money those who work under me (and make far less than I do) seem to be willing to spend on a brand new model. Advertizing may have something to do with this.

S

the point isn't wether people can get car loans or not the point is they don't give loans for vaginas (or penises) they just don't.
Yes, there are a couple of companies that provide loans for cosmetic surgery but you must already be in a fairly decent financial situation to be approved for such a loan and the interest rates would kill someone living off minimum wage even if they did get the loan.

Car loans are a proven money maker for banks and people in the US feel they NEED a car for WORK so they pay for the stupid car. With a car loan there is collateral, the car! If you fail to pay, the bank repossess your car!
Vagina/penis loans are not proven money makers and there is no collateral, nothing to repossess.
thems the breaks

[Maddie22]

You know, I read these posts often here. "Oh, I can't afford transition." I don't believe you.

SRS is just not that expensive. If you want it, REALLY want it, you will find a way. If it's just a fantasy to you, then dream on, but for those who have to, the reality is that it's less than the cost of a new car. And you only have to look at the auto industry to realize that thousands of new cars are sold and bought every year. In my neck of the woods, a new Subaru Forester goes for at least $23,000. That's MORE than SRS in Montreal, and a LOT more than SRS in Thailand.

Can't afford it? Bull twaddle. People buy new cars all the time. Drive a clunker instead. I think this is just one more excuse for those who would rather fantasize than actually do anything concrete about it. You really expect someone ELSE to pick up your tab?

A.) I know that SRS is cheaper in Montreal and really cheap in Thailand. However I have HUGE trust factors with going somewhere else outside of the US for any kind of surgery. That trust factor goes beyond just medical trust as well.

B.) Comparing SRS to a car is the most ridiculous analogy I've ever heard. People are getting loans for these cars, they are not buying them with cash. The banks are lending out more money for new cars than they have since the recession hit. While a car isn't an asset and depreciates, there is still a value to the car that the bank can get some of their money back if their investment goes wrong. It's much harder and much more stringent to get a credit for SRS because there is no value to the bank for doing so if someone were to default.




Schooling is far easier to pay for if you are broke. State and city community colleges graduate students ready to work at well paying jobs in two years or less. My BFF, a single mom, is just starting nursing school. She will graduate making at least $30.00 an hour and probably have a job before she graduates.


Stephie

Schooling is not easier to pay for. It's easier to get money to pay for school because most of the time they are loans. I graduated a few years ago, and since the federal government insures all their student loans, the loan companies are forking over loans because it is a win win situation for them. The borrower is paying back those loans for anywhere between 10 - 25 years. Tuition prices are going up and entry level salaries are stagnant which means it is not getting easier to pay for, it is getting harder.

Real unemployment for the younger work force and recent college graduates is much higher than the rest of the country. I fall into this category. With student loans and other living expenses, it is not as easy as you make it out to be to just fork over $23,000 to fly to Montreal for SRS. The job I moved to St. Louis for was not an average 9-5 job. When I got home at 6 or 6:30, I was still responsible for checking and answering email. Not sure how many second job employers would have appreciated me constantly being on my phone checking email for someone else. That's not to say I wasn't looking for another job, but it's not always easy to get a second job. It takes time to secure. The first job also paid under $30,000. When you take into account after taxes and monthly expenses I'm not left with a whole lot.

You may want to start looking at the whole picture instead of just bits and pieces.

[Raynefall]

Well I am sure that we all agree with you on one part Stephenie. That being if you really are looking to get it done than you will find a way. You will work hard to achieve it. But the bottom line is that most people are having troubles right now.

Then there is also talk about surgery in Thailand.. Well you also have to pay for a passport and tickets to get there. Plus a couple days where you stay on your own before going in for surgery. It's not just let's fly to Thailand and all I will have to pay for is surgery. It's a little more than that. Cheaper? Yes.. But it's still going to cost around $10,000 with all expenses.

Let me tell you one thing though. I understand where you are coming from on this. I hate people that bitch and whine about not having any money, yet they don't do anything to change their situation. There are those people out there. But a lot of the people that I have seen on this site complaining about it usually have jobs. It's just hard out there right now unless you have been with a company for so many years.

Just a little perspective. In my area we used to have 5 Blockbusters. Now we only have one that remains open. So that is another 25+ people out of job. A lot of the places around here never lose employees because of the economic situation. They can't afford to quit. So now these 25+ people are also looking for a job along with the other jobless people and their only real choice for a job is Walmart or McDonalds... Which in my area are also very rarely hiring. Especially the McDonalds up the street because they tend to only hire the kids from Columbine High School. So everyone does like I did. Fill out 100's of apps and hope for a call back. Yes you can go to college, but let's face it. Not everyone is cut out for college. I for one am afraid of the Math.. I am terrible at it. But I am still going to try so I can have a better life and go through the transition process to reach my dreams.

[Stephenie S]

Oh for goodness sake, people. The car thing was just an example of one of the ways I save money. PLEASE don't get your panties all in a bunch over a car loan.

If you have to have the surgery you will figure out a way. Otherwise you are just pissin' and moanin'. There are other ways. Maybe, like some above, you don't really need surgery to be happy. But if you do need it then beg, borrow, or steal the money, LOL! Maybe you could even earn it. But do SOMETHING! Working towards a goal and achieving it is amazingly rewarding. Complaining about it is amazingly depressing. Take your pick.

S

[Traci Elizabeth]

who wants to transition and is moving to Florida. She doesn't have much money. Is there a foundation or a resource place that helps pay for SRS in Florida?

Yea right! I have a bridge I can sell you too.

And are you sure this "friend" is not in reality YOU?

Trust me on this one, if there was a State that helped pay for SRS. ALL of us gals would be residents of that state!

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Sorry if i got a little high and mighty...

...I happen to know alot of about econ/math/finance... in 2012...its about the worst time ever for a person below median income in the US to save up for surgeries.. my expertise was modeling..
. car loans(purchases) are a particularly bad comparison to a surgery....
you can't say i'm saving up for surgery, so i won't buy that car..
if you don't own a car, you still need to PAY to get to work..and if you need to sell it later, you can..

You can't substitute having your body right for a ride to work... that's what was going through my mind...

the best example would be saving up for a trip...you spend it, its gone...anyway...I'm a big fan of personal responsibility...it really is on each of us to get the $$, but i would not underestimate the difficulty of it in this economy...

[elizabethamy]

we're all better off demanding (whether TS, TG, CD, already transitioned, SO, admirer, whoever) that health insurance include coerage for transition, including all the surgeries and procedures. There's already abundant evidence for its validity and it should be covered. This would help a tremendous number (though not all) transitioners in the U.S.

[WifeofWrenchette]

Yea right! I have a bridge I can sell you too.

And are you sure this "friend" is not in reality YOU?

Trust me on this one, if there was a State that helped pay for SRS. ALL of us gals would be residents of that state!Yes, I'm sure it is not me.

I'm the wife of a cross dresser. A very happy wife.

I met the person on another board, like I said. I reached out when she wanted to kill herself over this situation and am trying to help. I can tell you their screen name and the name of the other board if you wish??? It's all there in print for you to see if you doubt me.

I'd be more than happy to tell everyone here or send it in PM if you would like.

The reason I came "here" asking is that I usually post on other sections of the forum, but I read that SRS can cost upwards of $100,000. Now this friend was telling me his wife is wanting a divorce and she'll be homeless until she gets her first check in Florida, yada yada and I wanted to be able to tell her if there was a foundation or somewhere she could get help to transition. That is all.

I really had no clue about Thailand, cheaper surgeries or that hormones were cheap, etc. I was only going by the amount that I read of $100,000 and wanted to give this person some "HOPE" to make the journey and survive.

[Stephenie S]

Nope. No such organization. But there's plenty of help available right here and on other boards.

Your $100,000 figure could be about right or it could be wildly inflated. Some spend FAR less. One could run through a hundred grand pretty easily. But I think $40,000 is probably a bit closer to what most spend. Most people spread it out a bit over several years also.

S

[Kathryn Martin]

I would support that number of $40,000.00. I spent $5,000.00 on wardrobe, $10,000.00 on electrolysis, and $25,000.00 on HRT and SRS. Plus Minus a couple of grand.


Nope. No such organization. But there's plenty of help available right here and on other boards.

Your $100,000 figure could be about right or it could be wildly inflated. Some spend FAR less. One could run through a hundred grand pretty easily. But I think $40,000 is probably a bit closer to what most spend. Most people spread it out a bit over several years also.

S

[Kaitlyn Michele]

One "tactical" problem for all of us is that for the $$ to come in...(and this is slowly happening both from insurance and tax deductions), isnt it going to have be called a disorder??

to me personally , i am ok with that... even tho i know my gender variance is just a "normal" way to be a human being, it causes a disorder that hurt me deeply....so i parse it in my mind that my gender is not my disorder, its my feelings around it and how they hurt me...

maybe another way to think about it is that it's a birth defect... i like that thought, but its a tougher argument for cisgendered people to swallow, because our genetics are usually male

the other practical issue for us as transsexuals are questions like this..

Would your rather be a passable woman with a P**** , or a non passable one with a V****A?? we will never agree...its easy to say BOTH, but its hard to argue that facial surgery is non cosmetic to cisgender people...lots of really unattractive people suffer deeply and would greatly benefit from "cosmetic" surgery...and some would argue even the V***A is artificial and therefore cosmetic, and that we should just change our names , get some hormones and deal with looking like a guy, and having a P****..
and some of us do exactly that!!!

its a really prickly issue...

[WifeofWrenchette]

I found the name of the company that finances medical procedures. It's supposed to be for any medical procedures so maybe they will finance this for her. It's called "Credit Care".

Just wanted to update those that might also want to contact them.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Credit care is very well known.. they are legitimate but predatory lenders..

they promote a low or 0% rate if you pay it off quickly, but they know you can't.

looking at their page..."Purchase APR is 26.99%" its a better deal to max out all your credit cards

I'm not saying ignore them, just be careful and fully understand every aspect of the loan if they give you the credit..and use them only as a last alternative, and in the minimum amount required

[Aprilrain]

I reached out when she wanted to kill herself over this situation and am trying to help.

Thank you wenchette, without people like you this journey could be fatal for some of us. I'm sure your show of support alone will help your friend immensely.

Unfortunately transition is expensive and there are no magic solutions, even in places where SRS is "free" there are many cost that are not covered like FFS and hair removal that really are essential to the process for the vast majority of TS women. Many here have it right you must want this bad enough to not let it kill you first though that doesn't make the financial situation any easier or even possible in some cases

[Traci Elizabeth]

Yes, I'm sure it is not me.

I'm the wife of a cross dresser. A very happy wife.

I met the person on another board, like I said. I reached out when she wanted to kill herself over this situation and am trying to help. I can tell you their screen name and the name of the other board if you wish??? It's all there in print for you to see if you doubt me.

I'd be more than happy to tell everyone here or send it in PM if you would like.

The reason I came "here" asking is that I usually post on other sections of the forum, but I read that SRS can cost upwards of $100,000. Now this friend was telling me his wife is wanting a divorce and she'll be homeless until she gets her first check in Florida, yada yada and I wanted to be able to tell her if there was a foundation or somewhere she could get help to transition. That is all.

I really had no clue about Thailand, cheaper surgeries or that hormones were cheap, etc. I was only going by the amount that I read of $100,000 and wanted to give this person some "HOPE" to make the journey and survive.


Your original post did not imply any of this. Nevertheless, don't take our comments so seriously. Many of us, myself included, try to add a little humor to our responses whenever we can because we all know, that transitioning is at minimum "very serious," life altering, and could lead to our demise.

[kimdl93]

I can't speak authoritatively, since I haven't been through the process, but my understanding is that transitioning is more than the surgery. Perhaps your friend can use the next year or so to get her life in order, settle with her ex and start saving up. In the mean time, she could focus on incremental changes that would lead her towards full transition.