The catalysts for fundraisers generally comes from personal connections. For me, it comes from my aunt and my children. My aunt was married to a Methodist minister with four children in a small town in Arkansas when she found the courage to start living the truth — she is a lesbian. She wasn’t able to acknowledge publicly who she was for fear of repercussions. Though I had no idea at the time what happened to her marriage, over time, I’ve learned more of the story. My other inspiration comes from my children. One is cisgender, one is transgender, and one is nonbinary. While all three had challenges and triumphs, watching the extra struggles of being gender non-conforming has been eye opening for me. While, at times, I struggled with how to support them, I never struggled with loving them and wanting them to be happy. Fortunately for my aunt and my children, they have loving and supportive families and communities. This journey is for them, and the many others with similar stories. While riding my bike across the country, I will not only be raising money for two great nonprofits, but I also hope to make new friends, spark conversations, and show my support for those who are simply trying to live as who they are and love who they love.

Since the election, The Trevor Project has reported a 200% rise in the number of calls they are receiving on their crisis line. The Supreme Court looks poised to uphold a Tennessee law restricting access to gender affirming medical care. Across the country, so called “bathroom laws” are restricting access to bathroom for gender non-conforming people. Teachers are being prohibited from even acknowledging that queer and transgender people exist. The protections under Title IX may be whittled away during the next administration. And there is fear that hard fought rights, such as same sex marriage, may be overturned by this Supreme Court. So now is the time to act.