Hello, I'm Kira.

I'm 34, I live in Central Florida, and I'm currently going through one of the hardest struggles I've ever faced in my adult life, and in no help to the current economy or the selfish corporate entity I had the unfortunate luck of working for.

I would not be doing this if I didn't have a group of friends who weren't already threatening to create one of these for me because I don't like handouts.

So, here's my story. In 2021, I came out as Trans and Bisexual and started living honestly. Not just for myself but for everyone around me. I've been through some hardships in the past but nothing I couldn't just work my way out of. I don't like handouts, but I'm the first to donate or help in any way I can because good people deserve more than the bare minimum.

In 2023, I went back to work for Advance Auto Parts because it's just what I know and what I'm used to. The first year back, I began to see AAP in a whole new light because of their new approach to LGBTQIA+ employees. It wasn't perfect, but it worked for me. My second year in, I experienced what would be the first round of OTJ transphobia when a customer took a picture of my private area, sent it to his friends, and showed a different manager of an entirely different store I had never worked at. The manager revealed he'd never let me work there. HR and Area leadership did nothing. Nothing came of it. No report was ever filed.

Halfway into year two, I needed to get out of the city I was in. Hostilities in my hometown area were ramping up against Trans folk, and I heard Florida had some safe cities. It just so happened a store in the area needed an extra head in Commercial B2B, and I moved. I got a decent raise and loved it there, apart from the minor misgendering from the old jarhead that works there who liked to compare gay men and trans women. Another year would go by, new management stepped in, and things got better as much as they got worse.

Then February came along. I had faced issues and came out better from them, learned a whole new side of the business industry that I had never known before. A friend was facing unemployment issues, and I had already begun to re-home him in January and had already shucked out $400+ to get him to Orlando to keep him and his cat safe. The alternative was he would need to re-home his cat and go live in someone's backyard or just be homeless on the street in Central Florida. I wasn't going to let that happen.

As it turns out, re-homing someone is far more stressful than I anticipated and comes with a lot of responsibility. I had a good-paying job, two cars, and the ability to help someone, so why not? I always said if I had a home and the ability to, and the space to help someone, I would do it.

That all changed when out of nowhere, AAP saw it fit to fire me over the most petty instance of "Conflict of Interest." I wasn't on the clock during the planning, nor was the connection made over AAP's equipment or connections made through my job. Everything and the event took place on my own personal time. The personal friend who reached out to me via Instagram, completely off the clock, invited me to his facility so his techs could put my car on a lift and I could just work on the car. The thing is, the company he works for was one of my national accounts. Once word got out from the tattletale in their shop, my friend was fired, and I was suspended, then terminated the next day without notice from the inflammatory and false accusations made by the District Leader of that company.

It felt... transactional. Nobody would share any information with me, nobody would tell me why. I already know he demanded I be terminated or else business with my store would be halted from all stores he operates and manages.

I was not in a good place to lose my job. My friend I was re-homing found a job and a place within a month from each other, and suddenly, I was without a job. As always, I continued to feel like a cosmic punching bag and this... this was a punch to the gut, and I will forever boycott and hate everything AAP has done to me over the course of 10 years. This was just the feather on the camel's back.

Now, I am left with nothing, tens of thousands of dollars in credit card, auto, and medical debt, and rent to pay. I have unemployment allotted to me, but it's absolutely nothing compared to the bills I pay monthly. So, what do I do? I'm looking for work, and this CSE - Retention position is taking way too long to start onboarding while I'm looking for other work, and nobody is hiring. I can't even find a part-time position. Do not be misled here, I don't want to work, I NEED to work. I cannot be stuck in my house doing nothing but playing games and venting online. I'll go crazy. Even if I was filthy rich, I'd still have a normal 9-5 job or start my own business.

I'm not looking to benefit or profit from any of this; this is just a way for me to be able to pay for my monthlies and cover medical costs and HRT for the foreseeable future so that way my only amount of income isn't coming from my roommate and we end up not being able to afford food.

The limit you see will not rise, and I'm not planning on making that goal. I just... I have to admit it when I need help, and right now, I have absolutely no other choice.

If you can donate, please do, but if you can't, at least share this so I can share my story with those who might be able to help.

Thank you, for everything,

Kira