We need your support to continue this work. For those of you new to my regular appeals, I’m coping with two court cases, one in Family Court and one in Federal District Court. Plus, I have a defamation legal action hanging over my head b/c of my work to Protect Trans Kids.
My source of income is Social Security Disability Insurance SSDI – about $1500/month. Rumor has it I’ll be getting a $37 increase in March. I’d say ‘woo hoo’ but it is actually welcome news.
Blogging is far from lucrative. The ads generate maybe $40. We have some regular monthly donors about another $40. Everything else comes out of my pocket – web hosting, domains, email accounts, web design, pro versions of plug-ins, software, security, subscriptions, etc.
This is my 20th year of blogging so that is thousands.
It supports the blogging, including our memorial series, our Q&As, our hyper-local reporting.
It supports our social media sharing. I share at least 75 posts daily across 12 channels, highlighting articles and content that reflect my values and I hope will pique yours. I engage people who respond. I also share spontaneously throughout the day. This consumes a lot of my time.
It allows me to pay for parking and other costs of going to events to review.
It helps me buy groceries. I do use food banks, but I need to keep stretching my money for legal fees. My future is very uncertain so applying for “programs” is not viable. Trust me, I’m a social worker, so I know. I spend a lot of time explaining this to people who don’t know the systems.
Speaking of social work, I am regularly approached to help people navigate systems, find resources, and problem solve. I think of that as an extension of the blog, of building communitty.
I do a tremendous amount of unpaid labor and don’t regret a bit. But these court cases could become impact litigation. That’s going to be emotionally and financially tough.
I love this work and this blog, but it is my only asset. If my legal costs mount as we defend domestic partnership and federal civil rights in court, this is the only thing I have to sell. That would be a terrible choice. 20 years of work, gone. But as everyone reminds me, I have to take care of myself first.
Ideally, you can sign up to donate $5 or $10 monthly using Patreon or PayPal. Consistent income helps a lot.
Or a one-time or occasional donation to my GoFundMe, Venmo, or Zelle also helps.
Let me admit, I am terrible with updating donors exclusively because I’m really busy creating content anyone can share. But I try.
Please help me.
GoFundMe bit.ly/HelpLGBTQBlogger
Venmo @Pghlesbian
CashApp $Pghlesbian
Zelle sitnscoop@gmail.com
Patreon Pghlesbian
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