(The point of this post is not necessarily to be boosted; it's as an informational reference post that I keep pinned for anyone to read as they so wish. If that makes sense.)

I finally found a job, after almost a year of unemployment. The problem is: it's out of town, and I will be eating way too much gas¹ if we try to stay where we are now (especially given that the pay is barely above minimum wage). As it so happens, we've been trying to move out before years end², so the location works out. It's just the order of operations that sucks.

We're a queer, trans couple. I'm able to hold down a job, but due to physical and mental health issues, she's still unable to, and has not been able to access the appropriate supports. I am committed to going back to school next year, to get myself into the trades, so we should be doing okay once that happens. We just need to get on our feet first.

I'm only asking for what we need. Nothing more. If I fuck up the calculations, I'll cover the difference. Additionally, I've chosen to sleep in my car, in order to keep gas costs and wear-and-tear at bay, as long as I possibly can.

I am still actively searching for employment closer to where we currently are. When we do manage to move, if I have to stay with friends here to keep a job: so be it.

I've put together a list of expenses. If anything changes, or I've made a mistake, check back here to see. Any edits will be made as an addendum, at the very end of the post. If it's just a small error, I will cover it myself.

=-=-=-=

For my partner:

• Rent $625 (covers rent: 550 and internet: 75)
• x2 Food $150 (14 meals, 12 drinks, misc. hygiene)
• Marijuana $140 (pain; MH management)
• Prescription Meds $60 (2 monthly)
• Misc. $20 (anything we forgot; helps absorb any transfer fees)

$1145 total / month

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For me:

• $65 (full tank gas; frequency is variable)
• $40 (phone bill)
• $20 (miscellaneous expenses)
• $40 (food, once every other week)

$300 total / month (assuming 4 tanks)

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¹ I would have to fill my tank at the end of every other day. Gas prices absolutely do not allow for this. (I'd be looking at something like $450 from every paycheck, just towards gas). I have been trying to find employment in town for almost a year, with no success, not even from fast food places.

² This is not a frivolous want. The place we're in is causing us worsening physical and mental health issues, and it is in an active state of disrepair. As in, "landlord refuses to address obvious mold/drainage issues and broken floor in bathroom" disrepair.

=-=-=-=

(Edit space)

(Aug. 26) On ¹, I noted gas as being filled every other day. I miscalculated that; it would be at the end of every fourth day (or the arrival of the fifth, if my mileage is good enough). That's still $390 - at minimum - from every check.

[Edit: I did have the amount of refills right. Since I can't guarantee I'd be working every day, the 390 is the number I'm going to stick with.]

(Aug ??): We have a friend who's offering to let us stay with her, but that's gonna take a few months until she's ready to pull the trigger. I'm just gonna eat the cost on my car, and hope I can get some help with that or the other living costs until then.

Aug. 30: I deleted the GFM, as we're not going to be living on our own (and I also have major concerns about having to publicly display my full, legal name on the platform). Therefore, the cost is much less upfront, and something we may be able to manage on our own. As of now, I just need help with food/med/gas costs. Everything else, including rent, should be okay.

Sep 28: Situation has changed, in favour of being able to stay in my car. However, it is taking a toll on my physical/mental health, and I'm still actively searching for in-city employment.

Sep 29: I never actually explained why my partner has such specific food needs. Long story short: my roommate and my partner have wildly conflicting needs, and the former prevents the latter from doing a lot of things she needs to do in order to, well, live. (Not said with resentment; simply stating a fact) Basic things like hygiene, keeping herself fed, and even leaving our room - they are a massive struggle for her as a result. I do what I can to help her, but right now, I'm barely at home to do so.

Our housing is also in a state of active deterioration, including the appliances, so with the things that do still work correctly: single-servings heated in the oven are the most consistent way for my partner to keep herself fed while I'm gone. She can also be prone to repetitive eating patterns, so this isn't a need that a food bank can easily meet.

This is one of the many things we're trying to mitigate by finding new housing, where she will be able to make and store her own food, at her own pace, without worry of having to fight with herself, or attempting to work around someone else's inconsistent needs to be able to do so.

Oct. 3: I did not receive a government payment today. Essentially: Canada decided that they paid me too much in tax returns in 2025 (I tried to use a free tax tool and I fucked something up, but I have no idea what), and they've been taking from whatever benefits I would have been paid ever since. I also have $56-something that automatically gets taken from me once every mid-month, because of this. I agreed to the latter, in the hopes I could pay it off, but between losing my job and slow-drowning at a minimum-wage job...yeah. It's been rough going on that front.

Edit: Only $40 to go

(I had to up the goal from 80 to 130, because Canada decided that I should have a tax debt repaid at the exact same time that I got paid. So if you're wondering how $50 evaporated: yep.)

My partner is due for a refill on two of her meds (should be available tomorrow). We were able to get enough food for the next ~4 days, pay rent and bills, and pay for my meds. I have $6 in my account now.

$130 gets her med refill, her safe food+drinks, and basic hygiene stuff (soap, toilet paper) until we next get paid.

See my pinned post for a better explanation of where we're at financially/situationally, but the short version is that I've been unemployed since January. My partner and I are both trans, and we have several currently-unresolvable physical and mental health issues. Until we get back on our feet, those health issues will continue to remain unresolved.

As usual, please help people in greater need first. Even a share goes a long way ❤️

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

(Canada e-transfer) argentumlumiere@gmail.com

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #TransCrowdFund #QueerCrowdFund @mutualaid

:boost_request: 90/130 to cover meds and basic expenses?

Only $40 left go go. Please share if you can ❤️

Edit: I had to up the goal, because Canada decided that I should have a tax debt repaid at the exact same time that I get paid. So I'm already down 56 dollars. The goal had to go up from 80 to 130, to recoup some of that loss.

My partner is due for a refill on two of hers soon, and I need to pay for my own as well.

(I'm going off T, and need birth control to help manage some issues that will come with that)

See my pinned post for a better explanation of where we're at financially/situationally, but the short version is that I've been unemployed since January. My partner and I are both trans, and we have several currently-unresolvable physical and mental health issues. Until we get back on our feet, those health issues will continue to remain unresolved.

As usual, please help people in greater need first. Even a share goes a long way ❤️

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #TransCrowdFund #QueerCrowdFund @mutualaid

(36/1217) Need help to pay an outstanding balance on my car insurance :boost_request:

Still struggling to make any progress towards this goal. I've been unemployed since January, unable to afford car insurance since February, and I need to be able to (safely and legally!) drive my car in order to have any decent job. We also need to be able to use my car to get into the city, as we plan on moving out for our physical and mental wellbeing ASAP.

I'm supporting myself and my partner off of a single unemployment check, and only barely manage to meet our basic needs. We're both trans, and she's unable to work, so it's been rough going to say the least.

As usual, please help people who are in more immediate need, and even a share helps. :blobfox:

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

@mutualaid #MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #TransCrowdFund #HelpFolksLive2026

(36/1217) Need help to pay an outstanding balance on my car insurance

See above for details. In essence: I have been unemployed and job-searching since January, and unable to afford car insurance (and therefore, unable to drive) since February. We need to move out of the city before years end, and it's highly likely that I'll end up needing to take a job that requires me to use my car.

As usual: please only contribute if it won't put you out, and please help people in greater need first.

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

@mutualaid #MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #TransCrowdFund #HelpFolksLive2026

(36/1217) I need to pay off the balance on my car insurance. :boost_request:

I was laid off back in January, and been unable to find a job since then. Since February, I've been unable to afford insurance payments, so I've been unable to safely use my car.

Unfortunately, the few jobs I can get with my level of physical ability/education require I be able to access a car. (Whether that be due to distance/non-proximity to transit, needing to use my own car for the job, or needing to be on-call.)

Additionally, due to my partner's worsening physical and mental health, we've made the decision to try looking out of the city for a job, and a place to live on our own.

Because of this, we absolutely need access to a car, in order to access things we need in the city. Things like my partner's doctor, our meds (at least until we can get them transferred), and (most likely) my employment.

Anyways, because I couldn't (and still can't!)¹ afford it, the balance went to collections. They've been harassing me for months, and I have been scrambling all that time trying to figure out what to do. I'm at my goddamn limit, and I don't see any other way out of this than asking for help to get it done.

I've included the email below, detailing what I owe. I'll be able to cover the Paypal fees - I just want this gone, so we can stand a chance of getting on our feet again.

I don't want to be forced to take a car-dependent job and to drive without insurance. Not only would I risk another run-in with the cops (last time was because I forgot to renew my registration), and risk having my license suspended as a result: I can't imagine what would happen if a collision happened without insurance.

¹ i am on unemployment, but because it's supporting myself and my partner, it's barely even enough for the basics. Sometimes, not even that much.

As I usually say: please help people in worse/more urgent situations first.

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

@mutualaid #MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #QueerCrowdFund #TransCrowdFund #HelpFolksLive2026

spam tong

You know how some Americans use "Mississippi" to help count out seconds?

Is there a commonly-used equivalent in your region? #AskFedi

been tired today bc i didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and i fucked something up experimenting with a shader yesterday, so i decided to just restart the Unity file (no major loss)

• note to self: make a basic sample scene in a throwaway file, in order to experiment with shaders

anyhoo, i'm still trying to do a little bit. started on building more of another level (mostly just trying to do a passable recreation of Edmonton's skyline), and i'm trying to do some little stuff because i feel like i'll piss myself off too much trying to do headscratchy stuff

good news: i can, technically, drop that level into Unity as-is, so i'm gonna count that as another point of progress

Can confidently say i finished another location today (details come later; see above post), and it, too, is in a usable state.

Also confirmed my suspicion, that flat colouring (experimenting with whether or not gradients work with this style) is going to look pretty good with a dither filter on top 🥺

Edit: I forgot, I wanted to mention that there's an extra inspiration for one of the mannequins - and I also got that finished today!!

May 29 update: started a new location today

offhand, i think i have 5 out of 20 locations in a usable state. not finished, but usable is good enough for me (helps me to avoid bike-shedding)

context: i'm making a surrealist walking simulator - aka, making the kind of game that i would like to play

i'm feeling like i can take on a bit more work for it again, and i've simplified the art style since then

(the coding will be annoying, but i know that part will just take practice, and my project is not complicated - well, relatively speaking. i definitely should have started with ren'py, but...i'm stubborn, basically)

Take some time to search for artistic work by trans people.

Feel like picking up the HP books secondhand? Use the money you would have spent on them, and buy a book written by a trans person instead. Peruse some comics and TTRPGs by trans people.

Wanna watch a movie, or a TV show? Go find something made by trans people. Can't find a way to directly support the artists? Talk about it. Help get eyes on it.

Feel like playing Hogwarts Legacy, or wanna buy the old HP games? Use that money to get a game made by trans people, instead. Is it currently free on Epic? Go find another free game, instead. Whether the dev is trans or not, at least you can say you tried something new.

Feel like picking up the soundtracks? Go find some trans music, instead. Feel like listening on a service you already pay for, like Spotify? Again: seek out some trans music, instead.

Go use the money you would have spent on HP (even if only secondhand) to support us instead. Trans people - especially trans women - often get snubbed in the arts, despite having a significant presence in them. Who knows? You might find something you truly love in there.

If you're still gonna pirate/steal the HP stuff, then fine. I can't stop you from that, and I won't try. She gets no money out of that, and I understand having a childhood fondness for something like this. But don't give her the exposure by talking about it. She has stated her intent to pour whatever money is made from the TV series into her anti-trans crusade. It only took ~100,000 people buying Legacy to fund the UK Supreme Court ruling.

Treat your exposure as an advertisement, or perhaps, an endorsement. If you're going to spread the word about anything, well...

Basically? Help trans people live. Broaden your horizons. Don't let trans art languish in obscurity while transphobes get even more attention and material support poured onto them.

=-=-=-=

Edit: I forgot to include a link to JKR's stated intent to fund anti-trans legal cases.

https://www.advocate.com/news/jk-rowling-anti-trans-organization

As for my claim that "it only took ~100,000 people buying Legacy to fund the UK Supreme Court ruling," that's pure extrapolation, based on Valve's cut of sales on Steam, as well as some conservative guessing on JKR's personal cut from the game. It could be more, or it could be less.

My whole point is this: She already has the money, but people don't have to be giving her even more. She's dug her heels in, and she's dead-set on doing the maximum amount of harm she can do with it.

Instead, direct that material support to the trans people who often get overlooked, or even attacked, simply for daring to have a presence in the arts.

Help trans art thrive. Let Harry Potter die.

If you're not in the know: Ray Blanchard is the originator of "autogynephilia," and Lisa Littman is known for using highly biased methods to try and validate "rapid onset gender dysphoria."

Don't respond to them. Tell your friends not to respond to them. Tell them to tell their friends.

https://masto.ai/@transworld/116251795958925187

• They can feature a trans character/be about a trans person, a trans actor, or are written/produced/directed by a trans person.

• They can also be popularly-theorized to be transgender, such as Gwen Stacy in Into the Spider-Verse. (Note: "popular," here, means "made it into a news article")

• They can be in any language, and they can be short films.

• I'll take any genre, including historical, musicals/stage plays, and documentary/docudrama (regardless of their quality).

• I don't want any PragerU bullshit (using our genuine, real-life stories as Conservative propaganda). Other than that, I'll take any quality of movie/writing/depiction. (So, something like She's The Man or Emelia Perez would be okay under this ruleset, despite them both being, y'know, bad movies)

Off the cuff, we already have:

• I Saw the TV Glow
• The Matrix quadriology
• The Peoples Joker (i think we have some of Vera Drew's other projects)
• V for Vendetta
• Eternals
• The Prince
• Nimona

(We also have Twin Peaks, and the Spider-Verse movies)

(i also have Tron, and have A Clockwork Orange on my to-do list, so Wendy Carlos gets in here too)

My purpose for this is to make use of an external HDD, in order to have a dedicated backup.

#transgender #trans #FilmRecs

• Danielle Smith and the UCP are creating a provincial police force, separate from the RCMP, including an Alberta Sheriffs Police Service:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-sheriffs-policing-9.7104301

• Danielle Smith and the UCP are going to require citizenship indicators be printed on IDs and drivers licenses, come late 2026:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-drivers-licence-identification-card-citizenship-1.7634163

• Danielle Smith and the UCP are pursuing "Quebec-style" control over provincial immigration (using the results of that same government's austerity measures as a justification):

https://calgaryherald.com/news/smith-radio-show

• Possibly-related: a proposal for an AI data centre - the largest in Canada - was just delayed in the town of Olds, but there is no guarantee the proposal will stay dead.

https://thenarwhal.ca/olds-data-centre-denied/

• Likely-related: The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), already broken, has been absorbed into the Alberta Police Review Commission.

https://www.theprogressreport.ca/_asirt_s_executive_director_resigns_and_alberta_s_police_accountability_system_is_officially_broken

https://globalnews.ca/news/11554395/alberta-police-review-commission-police-conduct-asirt/

• Possibly-related: (Article is from 2005 and Ontario, but an Edmonton Police Service chief was just recently caught doing the same thing) Police chiefs taking trips to Israel for "educational" purposes.

(Article from 2005) https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/77785

(Article from 2026) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-police-israel-9.7125865

=-=-=-=

To look at the rest of Canada:

• Immigrants already get detained in Canada, despite the legality or type of their immigration status, and held in dismal conditions with no clear release date.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/06/17/i-didnt-feel-human-there/immigration-detention-canada-and-its-impact-mental

• Immigration has been, and is a major talking point for Conservatives, and has been a major factor in the current political climate getting to this point.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-too-many-immigrants-9.6945905

https://preventviolence.ca/publication/hate-in-canada-a-short-guide-to-far-right-extremist-movements/

• People are holding anti-immigrant hate rallies, in the open.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/anti-immigration-rally-counter-protest-downtown-toronto-9.7041206

• As mentioned before, Quebec is just as extreme:

https://immigration.ca/quebec-cuts-immigration-to-45000-and-closes-quebec-experience-program/

If you're familiar with how American police and border patrol operates, and you're familiar with the current, manufactured Albertan separatist push (as well as Washington meetings and the 51st state bullshit), then you might understand what I mean when I say the following thing:

Even with Canada having all of this going on: Danielle Smith and the UCP don't think that's extreme enough.

It's not unreasonable to say that they're trying to build their own version of ICE, here in the province of Alberta. Other provinces may want to follow, and that can't be allowed to happen.

#Canada #Alberta #antifascism

🏳️‍⚧️ (0/680) Trans Couple needs Rent; Food (8 days!!)

Hi. I was part of a mass layoff in Alberta, back in mid-January. My last paycheck was on the 12th, and I may not see EI until a month from now.

(I waited to apply due to a delay in receiving our ROEs; this was a failure - fully on my part - to understand that I could have sent my EI application without it.)

Anyways, I'm unemployed and gf is unable to work. While I search for a new job, we need to pay rent, and make sure our food needs are met.

$100 gets us food, $550 is for rent. It's due in 8 days from now. The extra $30 has been added to account for any Paypal fees.

I don't have much else to say, other than "thank you for whatever help you can offer, even if it's just a share."

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

Edit: for those in Canada, my email for e-transfer is argentumlumiere@gmail.com

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #TransCrowdFund #QueerCrowdFund @mutualaid

"In these days of fascist hooligans preying on vulnerable people in our streets, in the name of the state or supported and defended by the state, in these days of highly profitable detention/concentration camps and a battle over the semantics, in these days of hopelessness, empty pursuit and empty yearning, we are living in visible fascism ascendant. (I say visible, because those paying attention watched it survive and thrive under the protection of the state for decades. [See Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States.] Now it unabashedly follows its agenda with open and full cooperation from the government. From governments around the world. Fascism serves the needs of the state serves the needs of business and at your expense."

=-=-=-=

Crimethinc statement on Willem Van Spronsen (Emma Duretti), who was murdered while attempting to sabotage ICE's transporation fleet in Tacoma, in 2019. Includes their final statement at the end; the above is an excerpt from said statement.

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-on-willem-van-spronsen-s-action-against-the-northwest-detention-center-in-tacoma

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For clarity: Spronsen also used the name Emma Duretti. It's not been made clear exactly how, when, or why they used this name, and I'm not going to speculate on or assuming their reason for doing so. I'm including this information, simply because I feel that it's important not to erase it.

#USpol #FuckICE

🏳️‍⚧️ Help a Queer Trans Couple Move (Goal: $2500)

(Please, help others in immediate need first. This is a longer-term fundraising post. While I'd like to move on it within the year, I understand that this may not be possible. Additionally, even when we raise it, we will - most likely - not be able to take immediate action, due to a FCFS system.)

=-=-=-=

My partner and I are, increasingly, unable to stay where we are, and it's causing a number of negative effects on the both of us.

We're both queer and trans, and she's disabled in a handful of ways.

It's difficult to explain the exact effects on us without disclosing information that is not mine to disclose, but I am free to say that our living conditions have been contributing to the continued decline of my partner's mental and physical health. She's basically stuck in a single room, with me, all the time (except when I'm at work, or otherwise away).

The place is also poorly maintained due to our landlord's unwillingness to fix anything properly. They are aware of the issues that need addressing, but they simply...haven't done so.

On top of that, our roommate has issues and needs of their own (again, not mine to disclose) that directly conflict with our own needs, and our ability to maintain our own basic functioning. Such things interfere (<- not said to accuse, place blame, or to be hostile) with our ability to spend time outside the room, to make food for ourselves, to have anyone over, to store anything outside our room, etc.

There is very little any of us can do about any of this, and we're all basically locked into a downward spiral.

I'm seeking to get my partner and I into an affordable housing unit. We would be able to better accomodate each others needs, and she would be able to work towards an improved quality of life. Where we are right now, she's almost entirely dependent upon me for her survival. I do not want this. As I so often put it: I want her to be able to tell me to fuck off, if she so chooses, and not feel like her survival is at stake.

Put simply: I don't care much about myself in this situation, as shitty as things can get for me here. I'm asking this for her benefit; for her quality of life.

https://paypal.me/silverfacevideos

=-=-=-=

Breakdown of costs/rationale for the goal:

$499 - security deposit; required for application process

$1500 - to help cover the first month and utilities (not required, but highly advised)

$500 - furniture for my partner; basic odds and ends (we currently live in a single room, and she basically just has clothes and some books)

it's around that time of year where you have to spend time with family and arguments tend to start, so if you're equipped to have those discussions with them, here's how to turn it in a more productive direction.

i've noticed that arguments with O&G supporters don't tend to go anywhere if you point out the environmental impacts. help them see how they're getting screwed over instead, and then you stand a chance of getting through to them.