BLACK BOI

Hey y’all, I’m not sure if this is the appropriate space for this, but my name is Cai Rodrigues-Sherley, and I am a Black queer trans boi living in Brooklyn NY with my partner, who I married this past January! This GoFundMe is for the first year of my NYU MFA Program in Creative Writing for poetry, and to help support my mixed-status family. This is my dream program, and unfortunately I cannot currently afford to go (check the GoFundMe to read some of my poems). I already had to decline another offer because it was expensive as fuck, but when I got into NYU off the waitlist in May I promised myself I would find a way. I write to honor Black trans life, and eventually plan to be a poet-educator, working with community colleges and youth programs.

I have a partial tuition scholarship, and these funds would cover the remaining tuition, in addition to 1 year’s worth of basic health insurance for me and my partner! The total amounts to $21,826, however even a fraction of that would make a huge difference. In addition to being a low-income and single income household, my partner is a queer Brazilian asylum seeker, whose case has been pending for over a year. She recently graduated from Smith College, but has not received her work authorization card because COVID-19 has basically put all immigration proceedings on hold. I won’t qualify to sponsor a green card for her due to income requirements either, and student loans will only make me a weaker candidate. Fuck Trump and abolish ICE.

I will have to leave my job in August and currently do not have anything lined up, although I am looking. Her student health insurance will also run out in August. The extra $2000 will  cover rent for a couple months after my job ends. On the GoFundMe page, you can see the cost breakdown.

Me and my partner both recognize that this is a huge ask, and so we are adding the following terms to this Go Fund Me:

1. Any additional funds will be donated to the Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project from the Transgender Law Center (https://transgenderlawcenter.org/programs/blmp), and the donation receipt will be made public on my instagram.

2. In the event that I find a job before September (PRAY FOR A BITCH), the extra $2,000 will also go to the Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project.

3. Anyone who donates more that $100 can request a personalized poem from me.

Thank you so much for your support, and for helping me and my partner make this dream a reality. Please share if you can. Any amount is appreciated. Bless.