TW: Transphobia, Sexual assault, PTSD
Brooklyn Summers is a black transgender woman and survivor of sexual assault from North Hollywood, Florida. After being diagnosed with PTSD, she was admitted to a mental hospital due to continuous intense nightmares about the torment she suffered the night of her assault. When she could no longer stay at the hospital, she fled from town and sought out a safe place to stay. She reached out to her mother in hopes that she’d be welcomed to live with her in North Carolina.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn’s mother is homophobic and has never loved or accepted her for who she truly is. However, she was eventually able to convince her mother to allow her to come back home. While she stayed there, her mother would often loudly announce in front of other family members how much she hates having a transgender daughter, because she believes she “gave birth to a boy.”
The marginalization she’s had to experience has left her lacking in the acceptance, love and community that a lot of us are automatically blessed with.“
Brooklyn couldn’t stand this constant abuse and had no choice but to leave her mom’s house. Even though her mother was all she had, continuing to endure this oppression was not physiologically safe. As she was already striving to heal from previous trauma, this perpetual bullying would only trigger her feelings of fear. This led Brooklyn into a deeper trauma spiral and suicidal thoughts.
Brooklyn has been homeless since she left her mother. She has been using previous funds raised to live in motels and recently, a homeless shelter. So far, she has raised $4589 from GoFundMe. It is clear that she’s tremendously grateful for the amount of support she’s received since creating the fundraiser.
Within the last few months, the supply of donations has drastically slowed and she finds herself in need of more aid. Her goal is to raise $10,000 so that she can make her way back to Florida and find safe private housing. She plans to pay at least 3 months rent upfront so that she has plenty of time to search for a steady job.
This is a woman who has struggled to find safety even within her own family. She is scared for her life as she is continuously retraumatized with the memories of her assault as well as the local news reports about an increase in violence against black transgender women. The marginalization she’s had to experience has left her lacking in the acceptance, love and community that a lot of us are automatically blessed with.
Often times, I believe we take these things for granted when we are healing from trauma or grief. In these moments, we don’t realize that there are people going through similar horrors without even bare minimum advocacy. Brooklyn deserves much more than what she’s been dealt, and we are all capable of helping her. Whether it means donating, sharing her story or reaching out to let her know that she is heard and supported, we all have the power to make even the slightest difference in her life.
“This campaign is a solid attempt to fight for my life. My future. And also a solid attempt to have hope and keep believing SOMEBODY thinks my life is important.”
Brooklyn Summers
Her words are powerful. Please read through the rest of her story and donate any amount you can by clicking the link below. If you can’t donate, please take the time to share. It would mean the world to her.
Eternal Metamorphosis 