(Photo courtesy TransMasc Orlando)
The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue, we meet TransMasc Orlando Founder Nino Franklin.
When Franklin moved to Orlando in 2023, he expected to find queer community. After all, Central Florida is home to one of the most visible LGBTQ+ scenes in the state. But something was missing.
“I would meet other transmasculine folks one random night,” Franklin shares, “and then I’d never see them again.”
At the same time, he was navigating his own gender-affirming care journey. He wanted to begin hormone therapy. He wanted community support. But beyond family, there wasn’t a clear space where transmasculine people could consistently find each other.
So, Franklin took a leap.
In August 2023, he founded TransMasc Orlando, a community space created specifically for transmasculine people to meet, learn and support each other.
And what started as an idea has grown into something much bigger.
For Franklin, naming TransMasc Orlando was intentional.
Before identifying as transmasculine, he spent years identifying as a stud, a term rooted in the Black queer community that describes someone assigned female at birth who presents masculine.
But as his understanding of himself deepened, that label no longer fully fit.
“Transmasculine gives me the fluency of it,” he explains. “It can look however I want it to look.”
Transmasculine identities exist across a wide spectrum. Some people pursue hormones or surgery. Others do not. Some identify as nonbinary. Others are trans men.
For Franklin, the word creates space for all of that.
“Everyone is valid in their trans experience,” he says. “You don’t have to look a certain way or do certain things to be trans enough.”
Franklin often describes TransMasc Orlando as an intentional space, a phrase that means more than just gathering people together. Intentionality shows up in the details.
Events require RSVPs so participants know the space is secure. Locations are chosen carefully, often prioritizing queer-friendly small businesses. And programming goes beyond social events.
One example is the group’s auto skills workshop series, where trans feminine community members teach transmasculine participants how to check coolant levels, change tires and jump start a car.
Those skills weren’t something Franklin felt he was taught growing up.
“People always say teach someone how to fish,” he shares. “Then they have that knowledge forever.”
For him, intentional community means sharing knowledge, resources and practical support, not just hosting gatherings.
Franklin still runs much of TransMasc Orlando himself. And yet the impact is already visible.
People have messaged him saying they bought their first binder because of resources he shared. Others found jobs through posts he made in the community.
Some simply found friends.
“You might come to the event by yourself,” he tells newcomers. “But you’re going to leave with a friend.”
Events range widely, from picnics in the park to boba meetups to a Juneteenth barbecue that featured Black queer artists, speakers and vendors. The goal isn’t just socializing. It’s creating spaces where people feel seen.
Name tags include pronouns. Sponsorship helps keep events accessible. And gatherings are organized into different tiers, some open to allies, others reserved for transmasculine participants to talk more intimately about their experiences.
At its core, the space exists so people don’t have to navigate their journey alone.
Franklin studies medical sociology, a field that examines disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. That lens shapes how he thinks about gender-affirming care.
For many trans people, simply accessing hormones or surgery can involve barriers that others never face. “Gender-affirming care is broader than people realize,” he says.
Members talk openly about navigating healthcare, sharing providers and supporting each other through milestones, whether that’s starting testosterone or simply figuring out what gender identity means for them.
Through it all, Franklin keeps returning to one core idea: “We’re human too. We’re just figuring it out like everyone else.”
Looking ahead, Franklin hopes Transmasc Orlando continues to grow, not just locally, but as a ripple of inspiration.
“I hope people feel that they matter,” he shares. “That this space exists for them. That they’re seen and loved.”
If someone wants to attend an event, volunteer or support the work, the easiest way is through Instagram. Franklin encourages people to direct message TransMasc Orlando and asks how they can help or join upcoming gatherings.
Reach them @TransMascOrlando on the platform.
Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com in Tampa Bay or Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza at Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida.
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