TransMasc Orlando offers hands-on car maintenance lessons ‘without judgment’

(Photo courtesy TransMasc Orlando)

ORLANDO | TransMasc Orlando is hosting an auto-mechanic workshop, Dolls Teach the Kens, providing a space where transfemmes can educate transmascs all about what goes on “under the hood.”

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.

“I had a problem with my car and I couldn’t understand it, and I didn’t have a male figure in my life to ask,” Franklin says. “But it was so nice, because the dolls helped me.”

One of those dolls was Zafia Irene Gómez, 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 Gómez says is where most of the car’s most important functions take place, and also where the most common car problems occur.

“I think one of the most essential things when it comes to maintenance and cars and all of that is we don’t really know what’s happening under the hood sometimes,” Gómez shares.

Whether your car is smoking, you can’t remember when you last got your oil changed, or you’re low on wiper fluid, Goméz 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.

Having practically been her father’s co-mechanic growing up, Goméz explains, she has a lot of car knowledge that she wants to share.

“Growing up he used to own dump trucks and stuff,” Goméz says. “I used to have to get my hands dirty and lift tires, and I know how to do all of that type of stuff.”

Goméz advises she didn’t 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’t know these basic skills, but that a lot of people, especially those who are AFAB, also don’t. 

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.

“From 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’t show me anything,” Franklin explains. “They 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, ‘oh, do it yourself.’”

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’t any workshops teaching queer people the basic life skills that they may not have otherwise had the privilege to learn.

“I’ve never seen anything like this actually, I’ve never seen a workshop about auto,” Franklin says. “I think all genders, all identities, should know those life skills because it can help you out in the long run.”

The event will take on a very empathetic approach. Franklin understands what it’s like to not know about mechanics and says that it’s important to have spaces for people to learn without judgment.

“I like to take information and not gatekeep it… let’s share that, let’s spread it,” Franklin shares. “Because 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.”

Gómez, even with her car knowledge, shares the same sentiment. She thinks it’s essential, in creating these spaces, to be vocal about it being okay to know less or even nothing at all.

“I 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,” Gómez says.

Goméz is very excited to be one of the event’s 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.

“I also feel like a lot of people feel, typically, a lot safer when they know that they’re not out at a gas station or something, where they might feel ashamed or embarrassed of people walking by,” Goméz shares. “We plan to create a really safe environment … you could ask all of the questions that you want.” 

Franklin says that whether you’re transfemme, transmasc, nonbinary, cis, or anywhere in between, the space is for anyone who wants to learn or share skills in any capacity. 

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. “The best beauty in this to me is … trans folks helping other trans folks, because the world never gave us those experiences.”

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