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You Don’t Know Jack, Holly Springs, NC (2025)

12/03/2025

Last night I watched the most Dem and most femme council in the modern history of Holly Springs be sworn into office. And it was every bit as joyful a victory as you can imagine.

Just two years ago, I lost my own council race by what I refer to as the “transphobia margin” of 300 votes. That was about the number of votes I needed that were cast for the other platform and values aligned candidates I ran alongside, but which were withheld from me.

While living in Holly Springs, I was told if a business didn’t want to serve a trans person I should just go to the next town over. My home was vandalized. Our Pride flags were stolen multiple times. And I wouldn’t share in polite company any of the lies or slanderous posts that were spread about me.

However, just two years later, Holly Springs is seating a mayor and a council that represents future forward and inclusive thinking.

During the meeting, a sensory space for neurodivergent kids at an upcoming town event was highlighted.

In September, Holly Springs had its second annual Pride event hosted by the nonprofit I initiated, Pride of Holly Springs. And I hear that the latest music bingo event for the organization, just a week ago, was absolutely packed.

I may not be a Holly Springs resident anymore, but I continue to take pride in the fact that I left the town I came to even a little better than I found it.

Keep putting in the work, friends.

Image Description: Annie Drees, now the Mayor Pro Tem of Holly Springs, prepares to be sworn in for a second term by Senator Sydney Batch.

11/22/2025

Just a little reminder after the recent changes to degrees from the Department of Education:

If they can wave their magic wands and suddenly your degree is no longer “professional”, that’s just evidence that “professional” was only ever a p@triarchial, ⚪️ suprem@cist construct anyway.

Embracing Unprofessional!

11/20/2025

Trans Day of Remembrance exists to commemorate trans lives lost to murder and transphobia.

This violence is most frequently perpetrated upon trans women or trans feminine individuals (90%) and Black or Brown bodies (88%).

The alarming trend in 2025 is that trans activists (14%) have become the second most targeted group, with s*x workers being the first (34%).

This year, 281 trans and gender diverse murders have been documented. However, this number is likely an underrepresentation as even in death media reporting erases trans people and individuals are misgendered.

We will continue to exist.
We will continue to persist.
And we will carry our trans siblings’ stories with us as we seek a future that is harm free for trans folx.

How will you contribute to building that future?

Image Description: A white poster hangs on a concrete wall which is painted pink, blue, and black. The poster reads: “There is no Trans Debate. There are trans people and there are f@scists who wish to dominate and eliminate trans people.”

11/19/2025

Twice in the last six months I’ve successfully fixed my own car.

It’s the last day of Trans Awareness Week and as a trans nonbinary neurodivergent human, I’ve become highly aware of all the things I feel more confident pursuing when I feel good in my body and understand the intersection of my identities and my needs.

In the years prior to the full embodiment of my identity, I would not have dared to pull a fuse or clean a battery terminal in my car. Now, I feel like I could handyq***r just about anything.

Though I probably should have learned how to replace a fuse before I got progressive lenses and neuropathy in my dominant hand. 🤷🏻‍♂️

The point is, we have a better chance of reaching our full potential when we are simple allowed to be who we are at work, at home, and in community.

And sometimes that’s just a human learning to fix their car on a Wednesday morning so they can go defend their community from an 🧊 incursion.

Image Description: Jack holds a fuse as they fix their car. They wear a black backwards cap, teal glasses, and a gray pullover.

***r

11/17/2025

It’s Trans Awareness Week (November 13th - November 19th) and this morning I have a follow-up appointment with my top surgeon.

Soon, one year will have passed since my gender affirming surgery on December 4th, 2024.

In the weeks leading up to my procedure, I learned that my partner wanted a divorce. There were a lot of things I had prepared for and that wasn’t one of them.

Everything shifted in real time: my focus to finish my first semester of grad school, a sudden need to find housing on an RA income of $1,000 a month, my support system, the political landscape, plans for the nonprofit I was building, the family I thought I had…

As a neurodivergent trans person who thrives on routine, these were all stressors going into a life changing surgery. But I refused to let the joy of the moment be stolen.

My surgeon had me make a trans affirming playlist which I heard the beginning notes of as I drifted off to an anesthesia induced sleep.

My friends came to sit with me after surgery. I received words of encouragement, meals, squishmallows, and thoughtful cards. And a whole crew of folx helped me move back to Durham when I was able.

The time since has involved many stages of healing, physical and emotional. Everything about my world has changed, except perhaps that I love being trans and am so immensely grateful for access to gender affirming care.

As I near the completion of my MSW I’m seeing the goal posts move for other people like me. Eighteen to Nineteen. Insurance coverage being pulled. Clinics “pausing” care.

Listening to clients, I know too well the experience of having one’s whole world swept out from under one’s feet. And I do my best to provide support while they build new foundations and restructure expectations.

Through it all, I love us. Our journeys. Our resilience. Our community care. Our authenticity. I could never imagine why anyone would want us to be less.

Image Description: Jack, a trans nonbinary AuDHD human, sits waiting to see their surgeon. They wear teal glasses, a pink tee with a rainbow, and a maroon plaid jacket. They smile broadly.

***r

11/16/2025

It’s Trans Awareness Week and I’m highlighting the intersection of trans and neurodivergent identity.

Trans people deserve joy
Autistic people deserve joy
People with ADHD deserve joy

We are not less worthy of love, friendship, community, success, access, autonomy, or belonging.

However, the literature suggests that people’s implicit attitudes towards autistic people are overwhelmingly negative among children, college students, and adults…including those who work with autistic people.

Literature about public attitudes towards trans people indicates that as people’s education around trans identity increases, so does their positive perception of trans people.

And while stigma around ADHD has decreased, generally negative public perceptions around people with ADHD have persisted.

When examining history it’s not hard to discover the evidence that these negative attitudes are socially constructed.

In many cases, and often to our detriment, people exert a lot of effort trying to change us. Too frequently, the message conveyed is that we should fight our own natural instincts to conform.

Instead of simply being aware of us, make an effort to learn about us. We are such a unique and complex web of individuals with so much to offer. Believe in us. Trust what we know about ourselves and be a conduit to uplift those narratives.

Image Description: Jack, a trans nonbinary AuDHD human looks out from behind a sprig of artificial foliage while laughing. They wear yellow glasses, a light blue short sleeve shirt with navy anchors on it, and leather suspenders.

***r

11/15/2025

It’s Transgender Awareness Week and I’m highlighting the intersection of trans and neurodivergent identity.

The reality is, our societal problems are not the result of trans existence despite the constructed public anti-trans narrative.

In addition, this year brought with it the resurgence of the eugenics based perspective, which never really went away, that Autism is a scourge that needs to be eliminated.

Being trans and Autistic this year has at times felt like winning a lottery that no one would ever choose to enter.

For many years those assigned female at birth (AFAB) were missed for Autism diagnosis. Just as the gap was starting to close, these stigmatizing narratives have been amplified. And worse, in many cases people’s Autism has been weaponized against them in their attempts to seek gender affirming care.

Consequently, I can predict a number of likely long term consequences:

-Fewer people will seek official Autism diagnoses.

-Therapeutic approaches to Autism that encourage masking and behavioral modification rather than supports for the neurotype will continue to be pushed as the gold standard

-The shutdown of youth gender affirming care across the country will remove one of the key touch points where young neurodivergent trans folx might access early identification of their neurotype along with appropriate supports.

-Another generation of neurodivergent q***r kids will grow up leaning into masking as a coping mechanism and experiencing burnout and medical complications as adults.

If you suspect you are Autistic, but have concerns about getting an official diagnosis, consider taking the RAADS-R self-assessment for Autism and the CAT-Q which assesses for masking behaviors. These tests aren’t the equivalent of an official diagnosis, but they will absolutely tell you if you’re on the right track. (Links in the comments)

Trans and Autistic people aren’t the cause of societal problems, but ableism, transphobia, stigma, and eugenics sure are major contributing factors.

Image Description: In rainbow colors, a sign reads, “BREAKING NEWS! NONE OF YOUR PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY SOMEONE BEING TRANS”

***r

11/14/2025

During Transgender Awareness Week, I’m emphasizing the intersection of transgender and neurodivergent identities.

(TW: SI, Su***de)

Among the 30% of trans people who are Autistic, those who are AFAB (assigned female at birth) have significantly higher rates of depression and suicidal ideation.

In neurotypical populations, AMABs (assigned male at birth) are more likely to complete a su***de attempt. But Autistic AFABs counter this data in being more likely to complete a su***de attempt than their AMAB counterparts.

There is some speculation around why this is (high masking, delayed diagnosis, AFAB socialization to put the needs of others first, lack of access to care, etc.) but not nearly enough research to address it.

As transgender populations already report high rates of suicidal ideation, and that risk has increased as a result of targeted anti-trans legislation, trans Autistic individuals may be among our most at risk populations.

As a 45 year old trans AuDHD individual, I’m struck everyday by how unlikely it was I would ever arrive at this stage of life. And part of my commitment to visibility is in offering the representation of a trans elder that I never had.

Image Description: Jack, a 45 year old trans nonbinary AuDHD AFAB wears a blue and yellow Alanis Morissette t-shirt and yellow glasses.

***r

11/13/2025

Today is the start of Transgender Awareness Week, November 13th, 2025 - November 19th, 2025.

Thus, Otis and I will be sharing some information about the transgender experience (and wearing our matching trans flag colored hoodies).

For starters, transgender people are more likely to test above the clinical cutoff for Autism. It is estimated that around 30% of transgender people are also Autistic.

There are also high rates of co-occurring ADHD in our community. Consequently, anything done with consideration for trans people should also be done with consideration for neurodivergence.

As a trans nonbinary human, I’m going to be putting a specific emphasis on this intersection throughout the week. Stick around and learn more!

Image Description: Jack, a trans nonbinary human, and Otis, a blue merle chihuahua, wear matching pink, blue, and white hoodies.

***r

You Don’t Know Jack

12/03/2025

11/22/2025

11/20/2025

11/19/2025

11/17/2025

11/16/2025

11/15/2025

11/14/2025

11/13/2025

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