Meet Calico

Calico (he/him, xe/xem, it/its) is a 26-year-old transmasculine agender person who began their transition with top surgery in March 2021. After previously starting testosterone but having to stop due to family hardships, Calico is now ready to continue this part of his journey. With his father’s declining health and the emotional and financial stress that has followed, access to HRT had felt out of reach until now.

Calico describes himself as a polymath, with passions ranging from digital art and astronomy to animals—especially his beloved 14-year-old Snowshoe cat, who he adores and spoils. For the past two years, he has also run his own website, where he documents daily life and archives a story in both English and Japanese—an effort that took hundreds of hours but fills him with pride and purpose.

Calico shared, “Things have been rough, but this grant takes so much weight off my shoulders. Even after my father passes, I know I can experience joy and continue moving forward in my transition. Being able to feel more confident gives me a reason to smile and go at life with everything I have.”