April 5, 2016 (New York, NY) – The Jim Collins Foundation (JCF), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to fund gender-affirming surgeries, is thrilled to announce our 2016 grant recipients and open up a new grant cycle, starting April 15, 2016. This is the first year JCF offered two grant options for those seeking surgical grants. General Fund grants cover 100% of the medical fees associated with the gender-affirming surgery. Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy Fund (Hembrough Grants) cover 50% of the medical fees associated with the gender-affirming surgery, requiring each recipient to … [Read more...]
2016 Grant Recipient Bayne
I wish I could say I always knew I was a boy or at least point to a moment of epiphany when it all made sense, but it wasn't like that for me. I just always knew I was "wrong" in some very deep but inconceivable way. I started down a path of slow self-destruction around age 10. I cut, burned, starved, refused to speak, punched walls, pushed people away, drank, etc. I finally sorted it out in my mid to late 20s. That was over a decade ago. Being trans in the deep South is a daily struggle – from the narrow-minded perspective that is so common to the physical torment that is the reality of … [Read more...]
2016 Grant Recipient Katrina Dawn Stewart
Since I transitioned in 2001, I have given back to the GLBT community at the local, state, and national level through leadership, advocacy and education. This work was in response to my own need to build the safety nets of support I needed as I began living authentically. That work developed into a passion to both make the road of transition easier socially for others and to break through to create understanding in the communities I touched so as to be the change I wanted to see in the world. While at times frustrating and challenging, this has given me joy and has satisfied my heart. At 44, … [Read more...]
2016 Grant Recipient JC
My name is JC, I'm 23 years old and I live in Seattle Washington. Since my earliest memory I have always known that I was different. At pre-school age I can recall asking my mom to wear her night gowns and high heels. Not wanting to upset my dad we would always wait until he left for work. Growing up my best friend was also my neighbor, her name was Emily, I would spend most of my days at her house playing dolls, dress up and my all time favorite game pretty pretty princess. I have two older brothers, Josh and Jason, they both excelled at sports and it was a major passion of theirs. From a … [Read more...]
Barriers to Care Still Prevalent for Transpeople in the US
The story of Caitlyn Jenner’s journey has made headlines across the world in recent weeks. However, most transpeople still face significant barriers to accessing self-affirmative health care. In this article, Jim Collins Foundation President, Kylie Aquino, discusses the obstacles to care that many transpeople still have to overcome...read full article … [Read more...]
Jim Collins Foundation Announces 2015 Grant Recipients
March 31, 2015 (New York, NY) – The Jim Collins Foundation (JCF), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to fund gender-affirming surgeries, is thrilled to announce our 2015 grant recipients and open up a new grant cycle, starting at midnight tonight. Jim Collins Foundation 2015 Grant Recipients include Alexander, Alexandria Fresh, and Rose Groeschel who share their stories at jimcollinsfoundation.org. “On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we are pleased to share the powerful stories of our grant recipients: Alexander, Alexandria, and Rose,” said Kylie Aquino, JCF President. “Like … [Read more...]
2015 Grant Recipient Alexandria Fresh
My first step in self acknowledgement was in 8th grade when I came out to my mother, telling her that I was attracted to men but did not like being called gay. My attraction was like any other girl my age. Later on, I met my first transwoman at the age of 14. She was a pageant girl from Atlanta, and she was absolutely beautiful. I was fascinated with how she became who she was, and the more she and I developed a relationship, the more I knew that this was who I was; this was the answer to all of my questions. I experimented with dressing up in private on the weekends, when I was with friends, … [Read more...]
2015 Grant Recipient Alexander
At 34 years old, I have lived a few lifetimes of pain and what seems to be bad luck. To the point where I just begin laughing about it, it was like a routine. It took me years to finally realize that by surviving, I had become a stronger person with enough compassion to want to make a difference in the lives of others. When I got the call about being one of the grantees of the Jim Collins Foundation, it seemed unreal. So few dreams come true in our lifetimes, and I have received one of mine. It has been hard to describe. It feels like I am living inside a great dream, and every time I think … [Read more...]
2015 Grant Recipient Rose Groeschel
At first, I didn't think there was anything wrong me. I knew I was a girl, until my preschool teacher told me I couldn't play with the kitchen set at playtime. I cried and told her, "I have the same one at home. Why can't I play with this one?" Her answer was the beginning of a journey down a dark lonely road. "It's for girls," she said, "You're not a girl, you're a boy. Boys play with boys' toys; go play with the Lincoln Logs or trucks!" From then on, every single night when we said prayers, I would wait until Mommy left the room and pray, "Dear God, please make me a girl." Many nights, I … [Read more...]
Krysallis Anne Hembrough Gifts Legacy Funds to Jim Collins Foundation
JCF Announces New Board President and Vice President Friday March 27, 2015 (New York, NY) --- The Jim Collins Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant available through the Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy Fund, for JCF grantees who are able to match each dollar received. The Jim Collins Foundation will continue offering gender-affirming surgery grants from its general fund, which covers 100% of medical fees. Applicants may only apply once per grant cycle and must choose to be considered for either the General Fund or the Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy Fund. The next JCF grant cycle … [Read more...]
A Growing Number of Trans Americans Are ‘Crowdfunding’ Their Gender Transitions
At 19 years old, Lexi Richardson came out as transgender to her father. A Navy SEAL with a penchant for being "very strict," she said, he reacted with a swift, all-too-familiar response: Richardson had to go. "He provided me with an ultimatum," she said. "I could live at home or I could dress like a woman. So I said, BYE!" Without a permanent home or the financial support of her parents, the salt in the wound, Richardson said, was the crushing reality that she may never be able to afford the gender-confirming surgery she longs for. In a last-ditch effort to change that, Richardson launched a … [Read more...]
Gender-Affirming Surgeries Are No Laughing Matter
Jim Collins Foundation Statement on Offensive "Sarah Silverman Closes the Gap" Video The Jim Collins Foundation is deeply offended and saddened by the video produced by National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and Sarah Silverman as part of the Equal Payback Project. As many people have noted in the controversy since the campaign launch, the video makes light of transgender people's lives, and it neglects to mention the sky-high rates of employment discrimination and poverty that transgender people face. We call upon NWLC to take down the video immediately. It was created at the expense of the … [Read more...]
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