A MESSAGE FROM Simran's Point of Pride Fundraising Page
Hi! My name is Simran Chugani, I’m a marathoner and health care advocate, and I’m running the NYC marathon on November 2, 2025 to raise money for gender-affirming care through Point of Pride. I love running; it's uniquely allowed me to grow in my identity, build community, and feel freedom. It is precisely because of the trans community that I have found so much joy in running. So this marathon is for them, for us. Below is a bit more about my story, and why your donation would mean so much to me and the trans community. I am grateful for any amount you can give! All donations go directly to providing gender-affirming care services.
I’ve been running for the better part of the last four years. If you pass by me on an early morning run, you might see me goofily jamming out to my playlist, smiling with all my teeth, in awe of the first glimpses of sunrise. When I run, I feel free in my body. I feel euphoric. If there is just one thing I want to do in this world, it’s genuinely to make people as euphoric as I feel when I run.
My introduction to running was through the trans community. Specifically, I signed up for my first marathon in 2023 after hearing Cal Calamia’s story. Cal Calamia is a nonbinary runner who had to fight for their right to line up at the start of the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Cal received a notice from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that explained that they were at risk of being sanctioned for their use of gender-affirming testosterone. After enduring an invasive and demoralizing process, they received an exemption to compete in the non-binary category. They set a personal best during the marathon, and their representation was cause for huge celebration for the queer athletic community. Seeing them made me think, “I want to be like Cal. I want another young, trans runner watching this race to never have to question their place in this sport.” That day, I took the pledge to actively join Cal in this fight for trans rights in athletics. Since taking this pledge, I’ve started a queer run club in central Florida, held conversations with resilient trans athletes, and introduced non-binary categories and awards at races throughout Florida.
And now, I am proud to be part of team Point of Pride, an organization that provide life-saving support for trans people who cannot otherwise afford gender-affirming care. Through their programs, people around the world can access hormone therapy, chest binders, and even grants for surgeries!
As a nonbinary person living in Florida - a state where trans rights are severely under attack - this cause is deeply personal. When I first moved to Florida, I attended peer groups on Monday nights for trans folks. Every single week, without fail, we would share their experiences with health care. And almost every single week, I listened as people shared story after story about the lack of access to gender-affirming care...and I told my own stories. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of the most vibrant, full-of-life, joyous group of people I know. They were just unable to access basic care simply on the basis of their gender. Point of Pride offers a solution: by trans people, for trans people. And in a moment where corporations and institutional support for trans people is lacking, individual donations matter more now than ever before.
Your donation goes directly to helping someone receive life-saving care.
- $5 covers the shipping cost for a gender-affirming garment (chest binder or femme shapewear) to a recipient in need
- $100 ships 25 gender-affirming garments to trans people across the country
$500 funds 5-10 sessions of permanent hair remove for a trans person who could not otherwise afford it
- $1,000+ provides life-changing financial assistance for a trans person seeking gender-affirming surgery
$2,000+ covers 12 months of telehealth services, prescription medications, lab work, and more for at least one trans person in need of HRT
- $5,000+ funds grants for five trans people to access permanent hair removal services
$10,000+ fully covers the cost of a gender-affirming surgical procedure for at least one person
The trans community has made me who I am. They’ve uplifted me when I’ve doubted myself, they welcomed me in when I felt like an outcast, and they allowed me to grow when the rest of the world silenced myself. I am grateful for the trans community. I am privileged to be raising funds for Point of Pride. I am honored to be running the NYC marathon alongside the trans community.
In the face of disheartening news and attacks on the trans community, I want to world-build: to reimagine what the world could look like. I’d be honored if you’d join me.
As a bonus, share a message of solidarity and support for the trans community! I'll add it to a project that I will display during the marathon!
Learn more about Point of Pride here.
