Written on 20 November 2019
Warning, this post is written a bit more casually and stream-of-thought, as I have yet to get back into the swing of things, but I wanted to log back in and give a quick update on the state of Brownsville Bright and myself.
It has been way too long since I posted here, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been stuff going on in town. I've still been attending events, supporting causes, and doing what I can to help other activists work in our community, along with just trying to take care of my physical and mental health.
I wrote for Las Imaginistas [1][2] for the last half of 2018, was involved in the creative storywriting of a card game for a company in Austin, was attending the Democratic Party meetings whenever I could, and took on some roles at the Unitarian Universalist Church here in Brownsville. There's a lot more I want to do, and I'm hoping all the experience I've gained in this time will help me to it well.
I have some photos and random attempts at writing from events I've attended, and I'll most likely just post about them and upload, talking about them in retrospect.
Thank you for reading, and take care.
– JFTii
And we're back!
I didn't think I'd be out this long, but life got pretty heavy. To be completely honest, I'm doubting whether this will make up onto the site as I write it out. I hope it does. You all deserve an update, and I really need to get things off my chest.
First of all, I'm trans. I've been queer for a while, but it wasn't until sometime last year that I started hinting at it. I slowly revealed more and more over time until last month when I outright posted a statement on social media. I am grateful for all the support from my friends who accept me. I would appreciate you all calling me Xandra from now on. Thank you for understanding. I will be sharing my thoughts on this year's Brownsville Pride events in a later post.
Second, it's important to take care of yourself. I started this blog early 2016 with the support of a very close friend. I lost contact with her a few months after, and it hurts terribly even now. Still, I worked to keep this blog running that year, ignoring the pain until it nearly ended me. Fortunately, I'm still here, and I've been seeing a therapist for the last four years. Mental health is not a joke. It's important to get things off your chest, to feel like you're being heard, to have difficult discussions about yourself. That's how you find solutions. I won't dwell on this any longer, but know that I'm here to listen if you need help.
Lastly, just because I haven't posted in a few years doesn't mean I haven't tried to stay involved in organizing. I still care deeply about Brownsville, but I haven't had the energy to write until now. An unexpected message from an Instagram account, Ojo de Bronsbil, asked me for permission to use some photos I took of a Confederate monument, and it reminded me of how amazing it felt to do this kind of work. We the people have the power to make a difference by speaking up against injustices and for progress, by connecting with officials and the community, by researching, fact-checking, passing information along.
Forgive me if this post feels jumbled. I feel jumbled writing it, but I'll get through that, and my upcoming posts will be much more understandable.
Take care, wear a mask, and it's good to be back.
– Xandra Trevino
Written on 7 July 2020
And we're back!
I didn't think I'd be out this long, but life got pretty heavy. To be completely honest, I'm doubting whether this will make up onto the site as I write it out. I hope it does. You all deserve an update, and I really need to get things off my chest.
First of all, I'm trans. I've been queer for a while, but it wasn't until sometime last year that I started hinting at it. I slowly revealed more and more over time until last month when I outright posted a statement on social media. I am grateful for all the support from my friends who accept me. I would appreciate you all calling me Xandra from now on. Thank you for understanding. I will be sharing my thoughts on this year's Brownsville Pride events in a later post.
Second, it's important to take care of yourself. I started this blog early 2016 with the support of a very close friend. I lost contact with her a few months after, and it hurts terribly even now. Still, I worked to keep this blog running that year, ignoring the pain until it nearly ended me. Fortunately, I'm still here, and I've been seeing a therapist for the last four years. Mental health is not a joke. It's important to get things off your chest, to feel like you're being heard, to have difficult discussions about yourself. That's how you find solutions. I won't dwell on this any longer, but know that I'm here to listen if you need help.
Lastly, just because I haven't posted in a few years doesn't mean I haven't tried to stay involved in organizing. I still care deeply about Brownsville, but I haven't had the energy to write until now. An unexpected message from an Instagram account, Ojo de Bronsbil, asked me for permission to use some photos I took of a Confederate monument, and it reminded me of how amazing it felt to do this kind of work. We the people have the power to make a difference by speaking up against injustices and for progress, by connecting with officials and the community, by researching, fact-checking, passing information along.
Forgive me if this post feels jumbled. I feel jumbled writing it, but I'll get through that, and my upcoming posts will be much more understandable.
Take care, wear a mask, and it's good to be back.
– Xandra Trevino
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