(Photo courtesy TransMasc Orlando)<\/p>\n
ORLANDO | TransMasc Orlando<\/a> is hosting an auto-mechanic workshop, Dolls Teach the Kens, providing a space where transfemmes can educate transmascs all about what goes on \u201cunder the hood.\u201d<\/p>\n Nino Franklin, creator of TransMasc Orlando, an organization that hosts events to uplift and bring together transmasculine individuals, says that the idea came from having trouble with their coolant and being helped by their transfemme friends.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a problem with my car and I couldn\u2019t understand it, and I didn\u2019t have a male figure in my life to ask,\u201d Franklin says. \u201cBut it was so nice, because the dolls helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n One of those dolls was Zafia Irene G\u00f3mez, who will be one of the facilitators of this auto-shop event. Part one takes place on Feb. 21 and will focus on everything under the hood, which G\u00f3mez says is where most of the car\u2019s most important functions take place, and also where the most common car problems occur.<\/p>\n \u201cI think one of the most essential things when it comes to maintenance and cars and all of that is we don\u2019t really know what\u2019s happening under the hood sometimes,\u201d G\u00f3mez shares.<\/p>\n Whether your car is smoking, you can\u2019t remember when you last got your oil changed, or you\u2019re low on wiper fluid, Gom\u00e9z says all of these common issues can be resolved by opening up the hood and understanding what all of those intimidating mechanisms do and mean.<\/p>\n Having practically been her father\u2019s co-mechanic growing up, Gom\u00e9z explains, she has a lot of car knowledge that she wants to share.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up he used to own dump trucks and stuff,\u201d Gom\u00e9z says. \u201cI used to have to get my hands dirty and lift tires, and I know how to do all of that type of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Gom\u00e9z advises she didn\u2019t know the power of having this kind of knowledge until she helped Franklin out with their car troubles. Not only did she realize that they didn\u2019t know these basic skills, but that a lot of people, especially those who are AFAB, also don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n Franklin says that upon sharing his lack of car knowledge and personal experiences to other transmasculine people, many agreed to not knowing as much as people expected them to considering their masculine presentation. He believes that part of their lack of not knowing stems from a fear of asking questions fueled by the otherness that transmasculine people, and all people AFAB feel in those spaces.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom personal experience, I felt shame asking for help about cars. When I did present more feminine, if I asked someone, it would typically be someone AMAB to jump my car or check this, and they wouldn\u2019t show me anything,\u201d\u00a0Franklin explains. \u201cThey would just be very flattered that they could do it. Then when I started presenting masculine, but I still had a feminine voice, I felt even more shame, because then AMAB folk would look me up and down like, \u2018oh, do it yourself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Franklin has been in Orlando since 2009, and as they started discovering local queer spaces, they noticed that while there were many fun, party-forward events, there weren\u2019t any workshops teaching queer people the basic life skills that they may not have otherwise had the privilege to learn.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like this actually, I\u2019ve never seen a workshop about auto,\u201d Franklin says. \u201cI think all genders, all identities, should know those life skills because it can help you out in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n The event will take on a very empathetic approach. Franklin understands what it\u2019s like to not know about mechanics and says that it\u2019s important to have spaces for people to learn without judgment.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to take information and not gatekeep it\u2026 let\u2019s share that, let\u2019s spread it,\u201d Franklin shares. \u201cBecause we can teach each other, and everyone knows that saying about teaching a man to fish, he can do that forever. These are lifelong skills.\u201d<\/p>\n G\u00f3mez, even with her car knowledge, shares the same sentiment. She thinks it\u2019s essential, in creating these spaces, to be vocal about it being okay to know less or even nothing at all.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that we all can walk away learning something new at the end of the day. You know, we are never too good to learn too many things, or to know everything,\u201d G\u00f3mez says.<\/p>\n Gom\u00e9z is very excited to be one of the event\u2019s facilitators, not only to share her knowledge, but also to give a space for trans people to feel community for perhaps the first time. To accommodate this, the event will take place in a private, gated location.<\/p>\n \u201cI also feel like a lot of people feel, typically, a lot safer when they know that they\u2019re not out at a gas station or something, where they might feel ashamed or embarrassed of people walking by,\u201d Gom\u00e9z shares. \u201cWe plan to create a really safe environment \u2026 you could ask all of the questions that you want.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Franklin says that whether you\u2019re transfemme, transmasc, nonbinary, cis, or anywhere in between, the space is for anyone who wants to learn or share skills in any capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Franklin adds that they hope those attending will leave with new knowledge for themselves. They want attendees to leave feeling empowered, not only in having that essential knowledge, but to teach others the same. \u201cThe best beauty in this to me is \u2026 trans folks helping other trans folks, because the world never gave us those experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more below:<\/p>\n Part one of the Dolls Teach the Kens Auto Series will take place on Feb 21. from 1-4.p.m. RSVP for the event at Partiful<\/a>, where the location will be shared. <\/p>\n Sign up for the Watermark Out News eNewsletter<\/a> and follow us for more: BlueSky<\/a>| Facebook<\/a>| Instagram<\/a>| LinkedIn<\/a>| TikTok<\/a>| Threads<\/a>| YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n \t