Meet Latiyah
Latiyah's story
Annual Trans Surgery Fund recipient
Latiyah (she/her) is a 26-year-old transgender girl from Western Africa, living in a society where it is simply not possible to access healthcare as a trans and gender non-conforming person due to anti-trans legislation and poor quality of life. Latiyah has been saving money for some time, but has been unable to afford the travel necessary to obtain gender-affirming care abroad.
Wearing clothes that affirm her gender identity will become joyful—a way to fully express herself —after receiving care. "This is part of body acceptance for me," Latiyah shares, "and so receiving gender-affirming healthcare will give to me more confidence to look at myself in the mirror for the first time without depressed since I first started transitioning."
Latiyah is a trans human rights defender. In 2017, she founded a trans-led organization with the aim to participate in efforts of promoting, valuing, and defending trans and gender non-conforming communities' rights nationally, regionally, and internationally.
Latiyah's timeline
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Award Granted
June 17, 2022
Latiyah was awarded a grant toward gender affirming surgery!
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Consultation Date
November 3, 2022
Latiyah had a consultation with Dr. Ellie Ley!
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Care Received
September 26, 2023
Latiyah had surgery with Dr. Ellie Ley!
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Update
October 10, 2023
Latiyah shared, "I'm currently traveling back to my country after spending a month in San Francisco. I can't even find the right words to express my gratitude. "
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Update
March 28, 2024
Latiyah shared, "I feel more comfortable wearing some clothes I used to put aside because of my body dysphoria. I feel more confident engaging in intimate relationships.
I feel beautiful in my body, I am more and more closer to my body acceptance. This was the very first step for me into achieving my goals in accepting my body and loving myself as I am. Having access to surgery is a life saving, I've never thought possible for me to get the opportunity to access surgery as there are no options available in my country nor related to transition.
Having access to surgery has made me believe that everything is possible, body dysphoria can be treated and a better quality of life is possible for us (trans folks)"
Grant details
$8,000 towards gender-affirming care.
Donate
Help us support more people like Latiyah get the care they need and deserve.
About Body Contouring
On average, it costs $13,500+ for Latiyah's care.
- What is it?
- Accessibility
What is it?
Body contouring refers to a series of surgical procedures (often through liposuction) aimed at reshaping and sculpting the body to change its appearance to be more traditionally feminine or more traditionally masculine.
How accessible is it for trans folks to receive this care?
Body contouring is generally considered to be a cosmetic procedure, and so it is unlikely that health insurance will cover the cost. It can also be hard for trans femme folks to find trans-affirming surgeons in their region.