Most U.S. post-ops don't give a crud about their brethren

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For evidence of this, you need look no further than the grants that have been awarded (going on 4 years now) by the Jim Collins Foundation (JCF), a charity whose purpose is to provide U.S. transgender people with access to surgical procedures they need. It has become increasingly well-known in the trans community:

http://jimcollinsfoundation.org/

In 2011, there was 1 grantee, and that grantee's services were funded by financial donations.

In 2012, there were 2 grantees, and those grantees' services were funded by financial donations.

In 2013, there were 2 grantees, but only 1 of those grantees' services were funded by financial donations. The other was able to receive a grant only because surgeon Dr. McGinn donated her services to the JCF.

In 2014, there were 3 grantees (a record!), but the same as last year only 1 of those grantees' services were funded by financial donations. The other 2 were able to receive their grants because surgeons Drs. Bowers and McGinn donated their services to the JCF.

So basically, what this tells us is this: Despite the JCF becoming increasingly well-known, based on financial (money) donations, it still has only been able to grant 1 award per year on average, for 5 in total, based on financial donations. An almost equal number could only get their awards because surgeons donated their services.

So it's become more well-known, but it appears to still only be getting the same amount of money in actual monetary donations. I know there are well-off post-ops (millionaires) even. Where are they? Why aren't they stepping up to help their brethren out?

Why should they fund you, just because they also have the same problem? What if they have another medical condition, and they're already giving money towards that? Why do they owe you any obligation, just because they are also trans?

The US seems to very much have a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps mentality where funding your own SRS is almost seen as a rites of passage for many TS women.

It doesn't surprise me that funding for this foundation isn't exhorbitant. That and you have to remember that many TS people aren't rich enough to be able to donate and that those that are, may suffer from the rich-person's complex, which is a riff on the bootstrap mentality in that everyone is out for hemselves.

I know, these are all gross generalisations etc..

Wherever did I mention myself? I have never applied for a grant from the JCF and currently have no intention to.

This is about the people who have pulled themselves through giving back to the community.

Of course, the trans community (at least in the States) is extremely dysfunctional. When I think of the trans community here, I am reminded of that South Park episode "Butt Out" where we see Rob Reiner's group (a group of anti-smoking activists) and in one scene, 2 members of his group pass each other going in opposite directions, where they briefly stop and hiss at each other (as apparently the members of the group are disgusted even by each other). When I think of the trans community, at least here in the States, that scene always comes to mind as the perfect allegory for the U.S. trans community.

I remember one Canadian trans girl/woman who first developed gender dysphoria around the start of puberty and it was particularly severe, so severe she asked her parents for help. Unfortunately for her, they took her around to different trans groups and she found the older transitioners to be creepy and she didn't want to end up like them, so she delayed starting treatment for several months (which caused her voice to deepen and her transition to female to be less perfect), but she finally started treatment, was very passable, and received SRS at age 18. She hates the older transitioners, though; she hates their envy of her. She also hates what she detects is a tendency for abuse in them, as at one point one older transitioner touched her inappropriately, using the excuse "Hey! We're all girls here!"

We, most of us, hate ourselves and when we see each other we our reminded even more of what we hate about ourselves and, in turn, we hate each other for that. This is the trans community, an utter abomination.

YES. This is a thing. I say it like this because so few in the LGBT community openly acknowledge this goes on. I'm glad you're making this point beneficii.

I'll admit I've experienced something similar to this, although not just from other trans people or even the LGBTQ community as a whole. I am part of a performance community that regularly rallies to collect money for things like medical bills or emergency rent money, etc., when one of its members needs it. I have seen thousands of dollars raised in a single day for others' causes, but when I created a fundraiser for my SRS (which I still haven't been able to get) it was active for nearly a year and raised only $800. There seems to be this attitude that this isn't important; that we'll get these procedures if we're able to someday, and if not, oh well. As if we all want a pony or something. You know, a big, nice dream, but we have to accept it might never happen. People don't realize just how necessary this is if they haven't had to experience dysphoria firsthand.

Yup, that's how it is. Personally, I would never start a fundraiser for SRS for 3 reasons:

1.) I kinda pass and then I kinda don't. So it's not like people looking at me are going to be thinking, What you don't have a vagina already? Well, then, we need to get you one!

2.) To raise only a few hundred dollars after a year seems like a shameful embarassment.

3.) Who on God's green earth is going to donate that kinda money to me and why would they?