Hi y’all.   While the last year has been incredible, both professionally and creatively, my personal life has been six kinds of hell.   The fall out from a pair of long term polyamorous relationships slowly turned into a constant barrage of gaslighting, coercive control, and abusive behavior on my person from those I have been cohabitating with for the past four years.  

In the last year especially, COVID and the pressures of a cancer diagnosis and an immensely transphobic medical establishment actively hostile toward treating the undocumented and uninsured added the kind of stresses that broke down the last few bonds of civility in my household. 

While I am now documented, covered by Medicaid, and have had the tumors in my jaw, mouth, and face removed, I am (of this writing) less than three weeks into a long post-surgical recovery (they had to excise about two inches of jawbone, among other lesser issues).  But during this recovery things have come quite severely to a head.

In short I need help.

In preparation  to leave this abusive living situation my efforts were discovered and I have now been given an ultimatum to be out by month’s end.

Understand that for the last four (and in some cases much longer) years I have been wholly dependent on these people -I lack a bank account of my own, I have no car, my phone, my bus card, etc. is all in their name.   It seemed helpful, even comforting once, given that I had access to none of these things as an undocumented person but that was a long time ago – and now I recognize the control for what it is. 

Lacking any other social resources or ties in the greater Seattle area for the most part, I’m looking down the barrel of finding the least transphobic shelter while I try to find better for myself.   There are waiting lists at most shelters in the SeaTac region – they were overwhelmed before COVID and that’s only gotten worse.  Many shelters have multiple week waiting lists.

I have applied to a number of housing and assistance programs but most of such show preferential treatment to those women with children – a position I cannot take issue with.  But it does leave me with fewer options. Many shelters in the Seattle area will only take those with families and others, be they women’s shelters or simply homeless “shelters”  simply won’t take a trans woman.  And for reasons of both principle and practicality I will not hide this fact.

Any aid you can provide will help me stay fed, hydrated, and hopefully somewhat presentable while I try to find job placement, and get more permanent housing assistance.  

I am still very much in recovery from surgery and your support will also enable me to get to and from my doctor’s appointments. 

Any aid you can provide will be greatly appreciated my friends. Thank you. 

Why should I help her?  Here are a few additional details and answers to common questions follow.  

You're an Artist?

IF you are not familiar with my work and would like an idea what I can do when not overwhelmed with basic survival needs, read on. 

My games work (DreamingGynoid studio) has its own patreon and of course I’m selling 21 ebooks on our itch.io page and drive thru rpg.

I am co-editor at The Viridian Door literary magazine.   Other irons in the fire this would be contributing to would include

the Maenad Survival Guide 

Several chapbooks  and a novella, plus all number of individual poems, essays, short stories, and the like.   

If any of these projects or honestly just my general design ethos and goals appeal to you pl;ease consider supporting my work

About the Maenad

Trans queer poly kinked, mad, and Proud, . The Maenad is a transgender goddess who writes poetry, prose, creative non-fiction, rules, and essays. . Her work has appeared in lots of super groovy places - Beyond the Underground, ZiN Daily, the Fahmidan Journal, Red Planet Magazine, Wicked Gay Ways, at 365 Tomorrows, Madwomen in the Attic, and the Gongfarmer's Almanac.  Her work has been anthologized in Vulcanalia 21 by Lupercalia Press, Corporeal volume 1 and the next volume of Engendered, both by KithBooks.  She has work appearing in Bone Milk volume II by Gutslut Press,   The Ishtar Cycle, a work fo trans erotic liberation, is available in print and e-book from Lupercalia Press.