BLACK TRANS FUTURES
BLACK TRANS FUTURES
Ro and Aadhya
Left to right: Ro and Aadhya
Ro Robinson (he/him) is the garden manager for TKO and has worked in a range of industries before joining the organization including public service administration. A mentor and a fixer, Ro is irreplaceable in the TKO family.
Aadhya (she/her, they/them) is a TKO youth ambassador and is a positive light to many in the organization. Aadhya shares her experiences with others via her social media platform and continues to advocate for health resources across the state.
What do you love about yourselves? and each other?
“I love my journey. I’m not a man, I’m a trans man and that hold so much power. I can still nurse life and nurture life and at the same time, be masculine. Like, you couldn't mix that together and duplicate that if you tried. There’s only one Ro and that Ro is special.”
“I love that I can walk around proud. Proud and loud. Just being able to be here. I don’t give up. And never give up.“
Aadhya: And Ro, [you are] like my father. Every time we see each other, it’s very nurturing and caring.
Ro: She’s a big presence but not overbearing. And to be that genuine? It uplifts me. When I see her, I say “that’s my baby.”
What does it mean to be Black and Queer in Alabama?
Ro: it’s our ancestor’s wildest dreams. If they were here looking at us right now, they would feel our bravery would be along the lines as theirs during the civil rights. Even though the march isn’t the same, the concept is. I believe everybody out here would stand in line against dogs and fire hoses full of water for anybody standing out here. We aren’t any different.
And being from Alabama, I can say that I experienced my journey with my grandmother. My grandparents are from Mobile, so some of the terminology that came out of their mouth was negative. So in my past, where it hurt feelings and I felt shame, she [my grandmother] was saying “no baby, I know what you are.” She was acknowledging it.
I was lucky to be able to look at her and receive her calling me “her boy” before she left this earth. Sometimes you have to walk in patience even though you feel like it’s hurting. You have to peel back layers on yourself and be vulnerable with yourself…so you don’t miss those moments.
What does a Black Trans Future look like?
Aadhya: I want to become…I am a social media influencer. I want to be able to make people’s day. I have bubbly energy and when I put it out there, I make people happy. I wanna tap back into doing hair.
I wanna be able for us to not feel judged. Everybody isn’t perfect. Everybody gotta flaw. It’s life. Theres’s a lot of people scared to be themselves, because of their grandparents or their parents threatening to kill them over stuff. I want to see community growth. I’m manifesting this growth. I’m thriving.
Ro: I’m living in my future. This is like retirement for me. Now just TKO, my job. I have three degrees. I’ve been in law enforcement. I’ve been in employment consulting. And now I do landscaping. I work in the garden. My degrees are in social science, sociology, and public service administration/management…. nothing to do with anything that I do on a daily basis. I ride horses. I wear boots all the time. I'm always dirty, but I love it.
