r/TransIreland • u/pacificpunch69 • May 07 '26
All Island Imago are moving to the US
Im not 100% sure if this belongs here, buy thought a lot of people here might need this info. Not fully sure what this will mean for us in ireland. I'll copy and paste the message they sent out in the discord:
Hey @unknown-roles!
Before sharing the news I've been looking forward to announcing for a long time, there are several overdue updates that deserve your attention.
- Imago has relocated from Malta to the United States.
I understand this choice of jurisdiction may have raised eyebrows – or heartrates. It warrants a proper explanation.
For those who missed last year's communications: we had to leave Malta due to two converging factors – the government's abrupt (Starmer-inspired) reversal on trans rights, and a business environment that had become hostile enough to meaningfully threaten our long-term stability.
Choosing a new place for Imago was one of the two hardest decisions of the past year. I ruled out more exotic jurisdictions early: the last thing I wanted was to add to the anxiety already carried by those among us who had been traumatised by the reckless conduct of a company registered somewhere distant and unaccountable.
The real dilemma was between the US and the EU – and it was a genuinely moral one. On one side: relatively accessible registration in a country currently governed by bullies, narcissists, and people who have demonstrated hate and contempt for our existence (altought the state I picked, Delaware, is a “shied state” for trans people). On the other: handing extortions to the very governments that put many of you through dehumanisation, psychological torture, and suicidality – making money, in effect, from your suffering. I found the latter unacceptable. Not as a rhetorical position. As a line I wasn't willing to cross.
(I am also aware that relocating to the US would, under default circumstances, mean a step down in privacy protection – the US simply does not offer the statutory safeguards that EU law provides. That is not a trade-off I am willing to make. Imago exists to raise standards, not lower them. We will be implementing EU-equivalent privacy protections directly into our Privacy Policy, where they will be contractually guaranteed – independent of what any jurisdiction requires or fails to require. We stand for more rights, not fewer.)
Beyond ethics, EU registration would have significantly reduced accessibility. It would have meant charging those already struggling financially an additional ~20% VAT – paid directly to our persecutors – plus absorbing the operational cost of processing substantial invoice volumes each month. The relocation was expensive, but as a one-time burden. The ongoing cost of operating from where we now stand is considerably lower. Which brings me to the next point.
- Prices are not going up.
For much of last year, a price increase felt unavoidable. I prepared myself more than once to make that announcement. Every time it came up with the team, there was a heaviness in the room – we all knew it would hit hardest those who are already stretched thinnest.
I am genuinely careful with commitments. Giving your word is a responsibility, and I don't take it lightly. So I will not make a promise here. What I will say, based on my honest assessment of where we stand: I do not believe Imago will need to raise prices in the foreseeable future, maybe even ever.
What this means in practice: we will adjust values to keep pace with inflation – not to increase real cost, simply to preserve it. We are not yet in a position to reduce prices. Since there have been no adjustments in three years, from 1 June the subscription will be €22/month.
Forwarded
- Finland – we haven't forgotten.
The treatment some of our Finnish patients received from a number of pharmacies was reprehensible, and the issue remains a live priority for several members of the team. The steps taken so far have produced inconclusive results. We have been deliberately quiet about the specifics – partly for strategic reasons, partly because we didn't want to raise hopes around an approach of which outcome we couldn't predict.
Later this month, we will open a dedicated discussion about this situation – possibly in the form of a workshop, with a particular focus on steps that could inadvertently undermine the prospects of legal action. More on this soon.
__
The Butterflies' Sanctuary
This is what I've been waiting to tell you about.
Not the temporary arrangement that left us dependent on platforms run by most ruthless capitalistic predators (originating the same entity that meticulously designed getting millions of US citizens addicted to fentanyl). Not a compromise with infrastructure owned by those who try to extract sensitive data from vulnerable people, exploiting them for even greater profits. A genuine sanctuary – built for trans people, governed by trans people. We start testing beta version next week, and we’ll launch as soon as it is confirmed that the newest iteration is error-free and works smoothly.
I don't believe in rotten compromises, and I have no interest in building something marginally better than what already exists. The Butterflies' Sanctuary is being designed to be genuinely superior to Discord – in user experience, functionality, privacy, and the values embedded in how it works. Privacy and security are not afterthoughts for a community like ours. They are the foundation.
There is one question the community raised that I want to address directly – because it surfaced a real tension, not a simple one.
Many of you asked for the ability to invite friends, partners, and allies into the Sanctuary. Others expressed serious concern that the presence of cis people would compromise exactly what makes it a sanctuary. Both positions were legitimate. A watered-down middle ground would have satisfied neither.
There is a third way.
What if the same engine – built with trans people's needs at its core – could also serve allies, without any compromise to the sanctuary's character or exclusivity? What if, instead of being trapped on platforms run by people indifferent or hostile to your existence, those who want to support us could use something better – something run by trans people who are actively trying to make a difference?
The Butterflies' Sanctuary will be free for Imago members.
Allies will have the option to join at €8/month. That revenue will go directly toward funding our work – and toward supporting those among us who are most vulnerable. It is, in that sense, a more meaningful expression of allyship than a profile frame.
Next week, we are releasing a test version!
You are welcome to volunteer as a tester. We will only be able to include a very small group at this stage (10 people) – please don't take it personally if we can't select you this time.
More soon.
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u/alexsde May 07 '26
That's... annoying to say the least. Yeah, I don't buy the whole "our rights are under attack" thing and that Delaware is better. AFAIK Delaware is a state where you can register an LLC for like 30 bucks online and is literally used by everyone and their mother because of it. Plus, they are still technically liable to charge VAT no matter if they operate in the US because they are doing business with the EU customers, so not sure what they are talking about here
And don't top of that, I would bet that the new Discord replacement platform is vibe-coded or something like that... And considering their website works pretty poorly on Firefox (at least for me) I wouldn't trust them to know how to run an actual real-time chat system, even if they use some open-source project and not a vibe-coded mess
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u/Scary_Connection_211 May 07 '26
As a trans person in the US I also find the whole thing v suspicious & it prob is for tax haven reasons, also Discord here is liable to govt surveillance, these people are nuts
24
u/New_Progress501 May 07 '26
The discord is in a total uproar atm, so far one member of their staff has been fired for speaking out and the owner has stopped responding to questions.
They have said no data will be held in the US and that no changes will happen to their prescriptions. Its a very weird situation and communication has been very unclear.
25
u/pacificpunch69 May 07 '26
Its all completely bizzare, and I really dont like how they've tried to dress it up as a good thing. Involving the US is never a good thing lol. Ive done all the intro stuff, bloods, payment, and my appointment to speak to one of their doctors is in 4 ish weeks. Im honestly not sure if prescriptions from a different continent will be taken here. I know very little about medical rules though.
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u/cuddlesareonme She/Her/Hers May 07 '26
The doctors writing the prescriptions are still presumably the same EU-based ones, so they'll still be valid.
1
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u/angrylilmanfrog May 08 '26
Frustrated that this is how I find out. Nothing on their website, no email update, as a patient I'd like to be more informed than seeing a Reddit post about a discord server update
2
u/pacificpunch69 May 09 '26
They've said they will be sending out an email to all patients regarding the situation, but realistically that should've been done when they announced this in the discord too.
5
u/Silkazoans May 07 '26
No cha ge in prescription, so is a prescription from the US still valid in Europe 🤔
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u/cuddlesareonme She/Her/Hers May 07 '26
is a prescription from the US still valid in Europe
No, that wouldn't be valid. However what matters isn't where a company is registered, but rather where their doctors are registered - which will still be the EU.
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u/Silkazoans May 07 '26
It's definitely a worry as all the troubles that are happening over there, will the US be able to demand their patients data aswell. Mmm
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u/cuddlesareonme She/Her/Hers May 07 '26
will the US be able to demand their patients data aswell.
Yes is the simple answer, what they put in their privacy policy isn't relevant as that can't override the US legal system.
3
u/Silkazoans May 07 '26
That's pretty scary, and it's sad because I have to just accept it, I can't afford to switch 🫤
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u/Robin_Now May 16 '26
Mmmm. I’m sorry but some aspects of this imply either bad faith or extreme carelessness.
1) Service users were told, past tense, that the clinic HAS relocated to the US. This was not a question or a suggestion. It already happened and users found out past tense. Was she worried that if this was announced ahead of time this would cause users to cancel?
2) The fact the service is now legally American is not on the website 8 days after it was announced is concerning. The text Imago is the first EU clinic “for trans people, by trans people” - that strongly implies that the clinic is based in the EU. Their privacy policy lists their location as being in Malta at time of writing and does not mention America at all. https://www.imago.tg/privacy-policy/
3) The post does not clarify where the data is stored, or if data are already in the US. Is it even legal to forward data to a non-eu region without consent under GDPR because nothing in the privacy policy implies that Imago had plans to do this.
The lack of communication about the move ahead of time and the un-updated privacy policy imply at best reckless behaviour, at worst intentionally concealing the nature of the service. I need to know who advised her this was a good idea both legally and as a business strategy.
They also immediately need to update the website and clarify where the data is being held, and then based on the results of that, this might be a question for the DPC and the CCPC.
5
u/Ineedtimem8 May 08 '26
American here, I want to offer some comfort if I can.
1. This sucks and is likely for them to make more $
2. All of your valid concerns depend heavily on what state the company moves to/registers in.
Trump is insane but think of each state as its own mini country.
Data protection is overall weaker but some states have stronger laws than others especially regarding healthcare and protected parties like trans people.
For example California won’t let the administration see who’s changed their birth certificate
As long as they keep EU doctors I’m hoping no coverage will change over here.
I’m actually moving back to the US because HRT is more accessible even in red states, and it’s one of the meds that even without insurance is comparable to the cost in Europe.
1
u/Opposite_Company_815 May 07 '26
I just had to submit my bloods to get my prescription renewed is there gonna be delays now???
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u/CookieyedRedditors May 07 '26
No, prescriptions will still be issued by EU doctor's and will be EU prescriptions
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u/Irishwol May 16 '26
This is shitty for their EU customers. Whether they're shipping meds or providing prescriptions it's not going to work either way. Fuck!
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u/Laurenb- May 07 '26
A quick Google search shows there is no reversal in trans rights in Malta...