Sonali / India
“Hi,
My name is Sonali, I’m 22 years old and currently living in Delhi. I’m a pre-op transwoman (My legal name is Afroz Khan).
It’s been a year since I have begun to feel increasingly uncomfortable with my body. I started my HRT (Hormone Replacement Treatment) when I was working. I always wanted to have a breast implants but never had money. It’s way too costly for me.
I come from a conservative Muslim family in Mumbai. When I came out to them, they did not support me at all. My parents disowned me and turned me out of the house when I was 18. It has been four years since they have not contacted me. I tried to reach them but they had shifted out from the old address without leaving a trail.
I moved to Delhi and I’ve been surviving by myself since. Prior to the Covid-19 lockdowns I used to work in a call centre, I earned a bare minimum and was never able to save money for myself.
As I am coping with the inner gender dysphoria, social incidences keep adding to my anxiety. People around me have many times clearly boycotted me, called me names, even tried to assault just because I want to live my truth. Often times I have been forced to leave the place that I was staying at, because some random person in the neighbourhood would make no effort to actually get to know me, but still lodge a complaint to the owner that I am a bad influence to their kids. At my workplace, I had been going with my dead name and the wrong gender. Many of my friends have stopped talking to me when I came out to them. I am really sick of this transphobic mentality; all I want is to be perceived as a regular woman. How I look definitely comes in the way of that. Every curious stare from the strangers when I go out makes me realize that I am in a wrong body.
During the lockdown, I have lost my job. I had become really difficult to survive for me, as I don’t have savings too. I had been borrowing money from friends, even gone hungry for days. My full time Internship is about to start in the second week of November, which marks the completion of my Scholarship Diploma Course in Baking, so it is really important for me to attend. They will pay me a minimal amount at the end of six months.
I am still struggling with daily expenses, but above all, gender dysphoria and anxiety. Please help me raise the sum for my breast implants. Even with a job, I would earn max 14-16K, which would pay my basic bills (electricity, rent, transport, etc), but I wouldn’t be able to collect any savings, let alone an amount this big. I am in dire need of your support, please contribute and spread the word. Here’s the link to my fundraiser:
