Clementine Ford

This is not a campaign that will change the world. It's not seeking to empower the lives of people who really need it. This campaign aims to do nothing except throw a few dollars at a friend of mine so that she can enjoy the limited time she has with her girlfriend when she travels across the Pacific Ocean and comes to stay in February. So from the outset, I want to be really clear that I am not imploring people to donate to anything 'worthy' or life changing. All I'm trying to do is give a little gift to a friend of mine who has fallen victim to the tragic curse of Love and who is forced more than most to suffer its adversary, Absence.

As I intend this to be a surprise for her, I'll respectfully keep from using real names and I hope you understand. I'll refer to her as 'M' and her girlfriend as 'K'. (Also, we're dealing with a same sex relationship here, and it's not my place to go and out that to people she hasn't chosen to reveal it to yet.)

The short story: M and K met in the Pacific Northwest while both playing on opposing teams in a roller derby tournament. They shared 'a moment' and began corresponding when M returned to Melbourne. They discovered they liked each other. Like, like-liked each other.

They were due to meet again at a following tournament in the US, after which they planned to spend a couple of weeks together to see whether or not this crazy something they were feeling was actually Something. And unhappily for them, it turned out that it was.

Love is a grand old thing, but being in it when you can't see or touch each other on a regular basis is torturous.

And so M returned to Melbourne, where they began the arduous task of trying to figure out what it is they would do next. Where could they go? Neither Australia nor America are particularly inclusive when it comes to welcoming same sex partners, least of all when they hail from different lands. It would be easier for M to get a temporary visa for America, but their health care was rubbish. And K could come to Australia, but the window of a working visa had long since closed. Whatever road they chose to walk, they knew it was going to be difficult, frustrating and long. But they are ready to do that because hey - they love each other, and that's what love does to you. It turns you into fools and adventurers.

This is where this little crowd-fund comes in. Like I said, I want it to be clear that I'm not trying to change the world. This isn't a noble cause. We're talking about two people who have jobs enough to feed themselves and pay rent and go on the occasional bender at the pub. We're not talking about truly disenfranchised people here. But they're looking at (probably) a lot of international travel in the next few years just to spend some time with each other, and I would love to help make at least one of those times really easy and special. K is coming to visit M in February. I think they're going to check out some beaches, maybe go away for a weekend. Spend some time together and pretend that they get to do it every day.

If you want to donate (and if you don't, that' s absolutely fine too and I would encourage you to direct that money somewhere that you consider more worthy, of which there are literally THOUSANDS of more causes!) then all I'm asking for is a token amount. Something small, but that might add up to help pay for petrol or a beer or just a nice meal on a verandah somewhere. I've set the goal at $100 because I figured that might at least buy them a nice dinner, and sometimes it's nice to do those things when you're in love.

Why am I doing this? Because I think M is a wonderful person and I think sometimes it's nice to do surprise things for people who strive not to do harm to others, to give generously of their knowledge and be supportive, and yet who never ever expect anything in return.

One final disclaimer

How will you know if they got the money?

All the funds will be given directly to M and K as a gift. They can choose to use them to fund a dinner, a drive down to Torquay, a night in a hotel - hell, they can get matching tattoos if they want! I've set $100 as a goal because I don't know what they'll use anything more for, except that I know for a fact (based on how quickly M is selling everything she owns and working three jobs right now) that it will be devoted to any future airfares they need to make regular time with each other. Essentially, it will be used to help them have a life together, however that might end up looking.

NOTE: M and K do not know that I'm doing this, so they are not asking anyone for help. This is purely my own thing, and it's only directed at people who think $5 for a non-world changing romantic gesture is worth it!

As this is a 'flighty' kind of project, I see no obstacles other than the ridiculous laws held by too many countries around the world which continue to prevent same sex couples from being recognised and respected, and allowed to build a life together. Until those governments get their shit together, I leave it all up to M and K.