Facts: People in the LGBTQIA community face particular challenges when it comes to money — which is why we wanted to give some members a platform to share their stories. So we’re excited to feature some of our LGBTQIA+ identifying employees in a video series in which we ask the question: “How has your identity affected your finances?”

Here’s Jordan Rubenstein, senior CRM manager.

Meet Jordan:

I’m Jordan Rubenstein. I identify as non-binary, transgender, and queer, and I use the pronouns they / them.

I knew that coming out, especially to my dad, would be a problem. When I did, it was just really a disaster. To this day, my parents don’t use my pronouns. I was told to limit communications with different people in the extended family, and then also cut off financially. I was living on food stamps. It was really a struggle each month to pay the rent, feed myself, to have the things I needed.

I knew, at that point, that I wanted to transition medically. Barely any insurances anywhere were covering transition-related care. In order to transition, I’d have to pay out of pocket for all of the expenses.

The first thing I did was build an emergency fund, and then after that, I started pretty aggressively investing. Having the ability to have money and to transition allowed me to live till now — it’s completely saved my life, given me my home, my body, a body that’s allowed me to feel more comfortable with myself.

It’s really important to see multiple stories, that there’s not one way to be trans, or to be non-binary, or to be queer.

I just hope that once we’re past President Trump, trans people’s rights will be solidified and people will have access to transition, regardless of their economic status. That people will gain a more broad understanding of how diverse the transgender community is.