Joyful queer TikTok-a-thon raises millions for trans healthcare charity: ‘Lives will be changed’
TikTok stars Mercury Stardust and Jory raised over $2 million for trans charity Point of Pride. (TikTok)
LGBTQ+ TikTok stars have raised a staggering $2.25 million for a trans charity during a 32-hour live stream.
Trans social media stars Mercury Stardust and Jory raised the money as part of a Trans Day of Visibility stream on TikTok for the LGBTQ+ charity Point of Pride.
The Thursday (30 March) broadcast, which ran throughout Friday’s Trans Day of Visibility, saw Mercury and Jory hosting games, chats and a musical performance, with a number of guests joining in during the show.
It culminated in a rightly deserved celebration at 11 pm on Friday after the pair had raised more than $2,250,000.
Mercury Stardust is primarily a home technician who goes by the nickname “handy ma’am”. She uses her TikTok account, which has over 2.3 million followers, to give handiwork and DIY tips while promoting trans rights.
Meanwhile, Jory, better known as Alluring Skull, has 160,000 followers on Instagram and uses her platform to promote trans rights.
“Trans people are extremely talented at persevering through a society that tries to push you down,” Mercury told viewers before announcing the fundraising total.
“All we hear about is negative things about us in the press, but we know who we are.”
The first $2 million of the money will go towards funding free chest binders and femme shapewear, access to hair removal and hormone replacement therapy services, and gender-affirming surgery for trans adults.
The final $200,000 is to go towards Mercury and Joy’s respective gender-affirming care and providing “staffing and infrastructure support to Point of Pride”.
Over 57,500 donors gave towards the cause, and Point of Pride thanked them in a message following the end of the stream.
The LGBTQ+ charity said it was “overwhelmed” at the amount raised, which doubled the original goal of $1 million.
“We showed our collective strength and our boundless love for, and pride in, each other and ourselves,” a statement read.
“When we stand together, we are more than resilient – we are powerful.
“We’re changing the course of history, of trans futures, together – as a community, supporting each other in a world that so often doesn’t support us.”
Point of Pride CEOs Jeff Main and Aydian Dowling said that “lives will be changed” by the incredible sum of money, adding that many “will be saved”.
Mercury Stardust held a similar event in 2022, aiming to raise $24,000 in 24 hours, but the fundraiser culminated in a whopping $120,000 sum that went towards gender-affirming care.
The trans home maintenance technician said that the fundraiser was something she’d definitely repeat.
“We’re going to do it every year that we can,” she said as Jory cheered behind her. “We want to say thank you to Point of Pride and everyone who was involved.
“Thank you so much, we did so good.”
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