Hair Removal Support Microgrant for trans femmes and trans women

The Hair Removal Support Microgrant for trans femmes and trans women is intended to provide one-time financial assistance to support access to gender-affirming hair removal services for individuals impacted by transmisogyny. 

QMUNITY understands transmisogyny to be transphobia that is specifically directed at trans women, trans femmes, Two-Spirit individuals, and trans & gender-diverse folks who were assumed male at birth. 

Understanding the context

The creation of this supportive microgrant is based on an awareness of the unjust lack of public and private coverage for gender-affirming hair removal procedures, and an awareness of the disproportionate social, health, and economic inequities that those impacted by transmisogyny experience. QMUNITY recognizes that individuals who experience transmisogyny have higher rates of:

• Unemployment 

• Chronic stress & trauma

• Homelessness and/or housing difficulties

• Negative healthcare experiences

• and more

These inequities are even further heightened for Black trans femme folks, as they are more likely to experience structural barriers due to the combined impact of transmisogyny and anti-Blackness (also referred to as transmisogynoir).

About the Microgrant

QMUNITY is committed to prioritizing microgrant applications for underrepresented groups, including individuals with multiple, intersecting social identities that experience marginalization and/or systemic oppression.

As an organization, QMUNITY is committed to breaking down barriers to care as much as possible. It is our hope that this supportive microgrant will facilitate improved financial access to hair removal procedures for individuals in British Columbia (BC) who experience transmisogyny. 

• Please see the FAQ below for additional details and specifics regarding QMUNITY’s Hair Removal Support Microgrant for trans femmes and trans women.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the microgrant and how does the process work?

The application cycle begins April 7, 2026 (10AM PST) and will end on May 1st, 2026 (11:59PM PST).. Each recipient will receive one-time financial assistance in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to use for hair removal services/procedures (permanent & temporary removal of facial or body hair).

Who is eligible to apply for the microgrant?

To be eligible to receive the Hair Removal Support Microgrant for trans femmes and trans women, you must meet the following requirements:

• Identify as someone who experiences transmisogyny or transmisogynoir. This is inclusive but not limited to trans women, trans femmes, Two-Spirit people, and trans and gender-diverse folks who were assumed male at birth.

• Currently live in British Columbia

• Be over the age of eighteen (18)

What underrepresented groups will have their applications prioritized and how does the prioritization work?

With guidance from a consultation with community members, QMUNITY has decided to prioritize applications from the following groups in recognition of the structural barriers to gender-affirming care:

1. First Nations (Indigenous to Turtle Island)

2. Black, brown, and other racialized non-white folks;

3. Newcomers, refugees, and new immigrants;

4. Disabled and/or neurodivergent folks; 

5. Folks with low-income;

How do I apply for the microgrant?

To complete an application, visit this webpage to access a link to a digital grant form which will be open for applications between April 7, 2026 (12PM PST) and May 1, 2026 (11:59PM PST).

Once an applicant is selected, how will folks know whether they have been selected or not?

Once an applicant is selected, they will receive a notification that they have been awarded the microgrant. 

• Successful applicants will be asked to provide a reference that can be called. The reference is a person that the recipient knows that can verify that the recipient is eligible for the microgrant. This verification will be a simple phone call from one of our staff members. 

• After reference checks are complete, successful applicants will have seven (7) days to formally accept the microgrant. The date of acceptance will be clearly outlined in the email. If applications have not been accepted by the deadline, the grant will be issued to another applicant.

Following this, recipients will be directly issued the microgrant of $1,000. 

Applicants who are not selected as recipients for this cycle will also be contacted by email to notify them of their application status.

QMUNITY will aim to inform all first applicants of their status the week of May 19 2026.

What happens to applications once all recipients have been selected? 

All submitted microgrant applications are considered confidential, therefore, only the QMUNITY team will have access to such information. Once all recipients have been selected, the remaining applications will be dissolved.