### **It should never be a question of being able to afford groceries or being legally recognized by your identity.**


Costing upwards of $450, the fees associated with updating their name and gender marker can be a significant barrier for those who are transitioning. 

OUTlaw, the University of Alberta’s 2SLGBTQIA+ law student group, advocates for advancing queer visibility in the legal profession and promotes the education of law students with respect to the realities of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Canada.

After volunteering with the Trans ID Clinic, a student-run project offered by Student Legal Services, many of OUTlaw's members noted that financial barriers made the process inaccessible to low-income Edmontonians. This experience transformed the priorities of our student organization, creating a focus on fundraising for the Trans ID Clinic in an effort to reduce the high costs related to some of the required procedures. 

**This is where we need your help.** OUTlaw is asking for your donations to support a project which provides an essential service. The Trans ID Clinic acts as a support for trans and non-binary members of our community, and it offers hands-on experiential learning for law students. 

Your donation will help reduce the cost barrier of these services and improve access to legal services for trans and non-binary Edmontonians. Supporting this program ensures that law students graduate with a better understanding of the realities of trans and non-binary people and will have a lasting impact on trans and non-binary members of our community.

![The OUTlaw Team](https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.alumniq.com/ualberta/prod/crowdfunding/2024/1708969361912.jpg)

### **Where exactly will your donation go?**

All of the money raised goes directly towards assisting individuals with the costs associated with the administrative process of changing your name or gender marker. The Trans ID Clinic itself is operated entirely by volunteers. Law students provide free assistance in assisting trans and non-binary individuals with completing paperwork and navigating the process of updating their identification. 

In addition, the clinic organizes free notarization, which mitigates some of the financial burdens associated with legally updating names and gender markers on government identification. OUTlaw is asking for your support in removing one of several barriers that prevent low-income Edmontonians from using this service.

Here is a sample breakdown of the cost in Edmonton of changing your legal name or gender marker for individuals born in Alberta:

* **Legal Name Change: $120 (per change of name application)** 
* **Amending a Birth Event (changing gender marker on AB Birth Certificate): $20** 
* **Electronic Fingerprint Report: $50-$80** 
* **Criminal Record Check: $76** 
* **Registry Fees: $120-$160**
* **Total: $386-$456**

Our fundraising goal for the inaugural campaign was to cover fingerprinting costs - we hope to continue to expand the services we can cover with this year’s campaign. Fingerprinting is required for anyone 12 or older who wishes to update their name, the costs of which can be upwards of $50. Each donation makes it that much easier for low-income trans and non-binary individuals to have identification that more accurately reflects their identity. 

OUTlaw has a fundraising goal of $3,500. This amount would be used to support the Trans ID Clinic for the upcoming school year, meaning we could help approximately 70 individuals receive accurate IDs if we hit this goal. **That means 70 more people can feel secure knowing that their driver’s licence and other documents correctly represent who they are.**

The Trans ID Clinic is continuing to grow. In 2023, the clinic assisted 77 individuals - so far this school year they have helped 42 people. Averaging 1-2 new applications each week, the clinic is developing new connections with other Edmonton organizations to improve awareness. This service is being used by Edmontonians, and as it grows, so does the number of law students who can have the opportunity to work with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Your support ensures that the project continues to provide experiential learning for law students.

Volunteering with the clinic better equips law students with skills to help serve their communities by giving them the opportunity to assist trans and non-binary individuals through the legal process of updating their name and/or gender marker. Lawyers must understand the communities they serve, and the Trans ID Clinic allows law students to better understand the realities of trans and non-binary people. OUTlaw is committed to amplifying the impact of the Trans ID Clinic. 

**Together, we can empower individuals and shape a more equitable society. Your donation not only supports the transgender community but also creates a more comprehensive learning experience for University of Alberta law students.**

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Proud To Be Me - OUTlaw for the Trans ID Clinic

We are thrilled to announce that in the first ten days of the campaign we have been able to reach our initial fundraising goal of $3,500! We are SO grateful to each and every person that has donated thus far - your support means everything to us.

There are still a couple of weeks left of the campaign and we are excited to share that we have set a stretch goal of $7,000. With the money raised so far, we would be able to cover the fingerprinting costs for 70 individuals accessing the Trans ID Clinic. If we hit our stretch goal we will be able to assist even more individuals, and expand the scope of the services we can cover for folks accessing the Trans ID Clinic. A gift of any dollar amount will help us make this goal a reality.

Initial Goal Reached!

We would like express our gratitude to the Law Alumni & Friends chapter at the U of A, who came together to make a gift of $500 to support the Trans ID Clinic as they work to assist trans and non-binary Edmontonians. Thank you so much!

Total Donors:	25
Total Raised:	CA$8,159 of CA$7,000

Proud to Be Me

THIS PROJECT IS OVER