Mason's Survival Fund

Please support Queer Artist, Cultural Worker, and Organizer, Mason J.,  as they navigate their rapidly declining wellness due to chronic illness and disability and seek new employment after ending their Hormel Center Fellowship. Mason is a San Francisco born/raised and displaced, Former Foster Youth, police brutality survivor, Jew of Color, and Black, Brown, & Indigenous Genderqueer, Two-Spirit Femme who needs our help to stay on their feet. For the last decade, Mason J. has committed themselves to art, anti-displacement, disability justice, LGB rights, transgender equity, intersex visibility, and foster youth empowerment while dealing with systematic oppression, personal tragedy, unstable housing, chronic health issues, and significant barriers to employment.

In December 2016, after three years of requests and appeals, Mason was placed on SSDI due to their C-PTSD, OCD, Bipolar II, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. However, in March of 2018, Mason's SSDI benefits were wrongfully terminated after they received a part-time job and were considered "no longer disabled." Although they are affected by an inherited connective tissue disorder, incurable illnesses, and worked less than 20hours a week, SSA cut them off without notice and then overpaid them for three months. Resulting in a $1700 bill, they were forced to repay or risk having their wages garnished. Sadly, they were unable to dispute the termination and overpayment without risking the loss of their Medicare coverage, so their friends and allies stepped in to provide them with supplemental income while their partners paid their rent and food expenses. In addition to one partner paying their overpayment charges and rent until December 2019, Mason has needed to rely on donations for their basic needs.

Now, if all these financial difficulties weren't enough, Mason's health has rapidly deteriorated since December 2018, with them suffering ongoing nosebleeds, torn tendons, GI issues, a severely herniated lumbar disc, multiple vitamin deficiencies, and joint dislocations. Unable to do chores, dress, bathe or feed themselves consistently, they have gone from being social and independent to private, mostly homebound and semi-reliant on unpaid attendants. Despite these physical setbacks, Mason has continued to tirelessly organize for their community and create artistic and social spaces for marginalized Bay Area residents.

From educating social workers, judges, and foster parents on LGBTQIA foster and adoptive youth, to producing about fifty events over the last two years, leading Jews of Color caucuses,  shepherding forty queer and trans writers of color through residencies with RADAR Productions, co-editing an all-people of color Still Here SF anthology [Foglifter Press], volunteering with Bay Area American Indians Two-Spirits, Project Openhouse, LYRIC, St. James Infirmary, and Bay Area Legal Aid. They continue to show up for the community and now need the community to show up for them. 

This is why Mason and their fundraising team wish to raise money to maintain their sanity, housing, transit, food, and healthcare for two months or until they find long-term work.



Monthly Expenses

Rent $641.03 + Utilities $120-190.00 (season depending)

Phone $50.00

Meals or Groceries $300.00

BART/MUNI $75.00 + Rideshares $400.00

Therapy $180.00 + Medications $175.00 + Medicare Monthly Premium $144.60


$2,155.63 x 2.06 = ~4,440




One time expenses

GoFundMe Fees $201.00

Repaying $1700.00 overpayment loan

AppleCare for 15in MacBook Pro $379.00

Capsule Loading Tray $25.70

Two pairs of dress shoes $120.00-160.00 for job interviews

Magnetic Buttons $19.00-30.00

Adaptive Clothing --- Retail and Seamstress cost TBA