Queer Eye fans fundraise $50,000 to send Jess back to college
Jess from Queer Eye. (Netflix)
Queer Eye fans have fundraised more than $50,000 dollars to send Jess Guilbeaux, the lesbian hero in season three, back to college.
Guilbeaux was disowned by her adoptive Christian parents when she came out aged 16.
She later had to drop out of the University of Kansas, where she was taking computing classes, because of debt.
Queer Eye fan sets up crowdfunder for Jess
Her story was told in episode five of the new season of Queer Eye, which was released by Netflix on March 15, titled “Black Girl Magic.”
Now, a Queer Eye fan called Vanessa Gamet, from Lawrence in Kansa, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help Guilbeaux go back to college.
Jess shares a hug with Karamo at the end of the emotional week with the Queer Eye Fab Five. (Netflix)
“Let’s send this smart and strong woman back to college to complete what she began and give her the future she deserves,” reads the GoFundMe page.
“While I do not personally know Jess, I felt compelled to initiate this campaign and have handed over ownership of this account to her. The funds go directly to her.”
“This is so sweet. I have no words.”
—Jess Guilbeaux
The fundraiser has received more than $56,000 in donations at the time of publication.
It has a target of $100,000.
Guilbeaux posted about the crowdfunder on March 16.
“This is so sweet,” she wrote.
“I have no words.”
In a later tweet, she added: “The person running this and I have been in contact and it’s safe and will come to me.”
Jess: Queer Eye gave me confidence in myself
Guilbeaux recently spoke to PinkNews about appearing on the show.
“The thing that Queer Eye has changed for me the most would have to be my own self-confidence, like, I believe firmly that I can do anything that I could,” she said.
“Part of it is spending time with guys like Jonathan and Karamo and Bobby and Antoni and Tan, but part of it is just allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of cameras.
“Part of it is just putting myself out there and speaking my truth and not being afraid about it.”
