David Forbes

I'll go ahead and start. I've been a journalist for over 20 years. And for those who might be wondering, since you referred to trans femmes, I am a trans woman. I use she, they pronouns. I also like the name David. So, but... I have seen it kind of wax and wane. I've seen it go up and down.

I'll go ahead and start. I've been a journalist for over 20 years. And for those who might be wondering, since you referred to trans femmes, I am a trans woman. I use she, they pronouns. I also like the name David. So, but... I have seen it kind of wax and wane. I've seen it go up and down.

I'll go ahead and start. I've been a journalist for over 20 years. And for those who might be wondering, since you referred to trans femmes, I am a trans woman. I use she, they pronouns. I also like the name David. So, but... I have seen it kind of wax and wane. I've seen it go up and down.

And to some degree, what we're facing now, it is a much worse and escalating version, but it is also some of what I've seen trans journalists face, period. I came out publicly in 2016. I started my transition in 2015. And Immediately, my freelance career basically died overnight. And it wasn't like I was writing for, you know, right wing outlets or something.

And to some degree, what we're facing now, it is a much worse and escalating version, but it is also some of what I've seen trans journalists face, period. I came out publicly in 2016. I started my transition in 2015. And Immediately, my freelance career basically died overnight. And it wasn't like I was writing for, you know, right wing outlets or something.

And to some degree, what we're facing now, it is a much worse and escalating version, but it is also some of what I've seen trans journalists face, period. I came out publicly in 2016. I started my transition in 2015. And Immediately, my freelance career basically died overnight. And it wasn't like I was writing for, you know, right wing outlets or something.

And, you know, honestly, the fact is, and this is, I think, unusual among among trans journalism, because a lot of it admirably focuses on, you know, national and international level stuff, because what we face is so vast.

And, you know, honestly, the fact is, and this is, I think, unusual among among trans journalism, because a lot of it admirably focuses on, you know, national and international level stuff, because what we face is so vast.

And, you know, honestly, the fact is, and this is, I think, unusual among among trans journalism, because a lot of it admirably focuses on, you know, national and international level stuff, because what we face is so vast.

But if it had not been for the local support, because a lot of the Blade subscribers are local, though we certainly welcome people to subscribe from wherever they are, I would be homeless. And there's a good chance I wouldn't be talking to y'all right now.

But if it had not been for the local support, because a lot of the Blade subscribers are local, though we certainly welcome people to subscribe from wherever they are, I would be homeless. And there's a good chance I wouldn't be talking to y'all right now.

But if it had not been for the local support, because a lot of the Blade subscribers are local, though we certainly welcome people to subscribe from wherever they are, I would be homeless. And there's a good chance I wouldn't be talking to y'all right now.

But at the same time, in this kind of what I kind of call the quiet purge, which I think has been escalating in recent years that you talked about, about, you know, just we've got trans journalists who used to write for national magazines living out of their cars now. That is the reality we face. Yeah. Our publication's all working class trans people.

But at the same time, in this kind of what I kind of call the quiet purge, which I think has been escalating in recent years that you talked about, about, you know, just we've got trans journalists who used to write for national magazines living out of their cars now. That is the reality we face. Yeah. Our publication's all working class trans people.

But at the same time, in this kind of what I kind of call the quiet purge, which I think has been escalating in recent years that you talked about, about, you know, just we've got trans journalists who used to write for national magazines living out of their cars now. That is the reality we face. Yeah. Our publication's all working class trans people.

And, you know, we've had journalists arrested twice. Yeah. Oh, my God. For doing their jobs. Two of our journalists were taken to trial in 2023 on a minor trespassing charge, which is almost unheard of in the U.S., as bad as the U.S. often is. As you mentioned also, this was like trespassing for fucking reporting on the cops doing a homeless encampment sweep.

And, you know, we've had journalists arrested twice. Yeah. Oh, my God. For doing their jobs. Two of our journalists were taken to trial in 2023 on a minor trespassing charge, which is almost unheard of in the U.S., as bad as the U.S. often is. As you mentioned also, this was like trespassing for fucking reporting on the cops doing a homeless encampment sweep.

And, you know, we've had journalists arrested twice. Yeah. Oh, my God. For doing their jobs. Two of our journalists were taken to trial in 2023 on a minor trespassing charge, which is almost unheard of in the U.S., as bad as the U.S. often is. As you mentioned also, this was like trespassing for fucking reporting on the cops doing a homeless encampment sweep.

They don't actually take you to trial. This is one of those kind of welcome to Asheville moments, because I think people buy the marketing sometimes and think we're this super progressive city, and actually it's an incredibly repressive, like, tourism fife.

They don't actually take you to trial. This is one of those kind of welcome to Asheville moments, because I think people buy the marketing sometimes and think we're this super progressive city, and actually it's an incredibly repressive, like, tourism fife.