Midwest Trans Dad

Dad. Queer. Fat. Trans. Disabled. AuDHD. Advocate. Storyteller. Truthseeker.

Portrait of Alec, a Queer, Fat, Trans, Disabled man with a full beard and glasses, wearing an orange polo shirt. He has a serious expression and is looking directly at the camera, conveying strength and authenticity.

Hey, I’m Alec.

I grew up in a small coal town in rural Appalachia, but my journey has since taken me to the Midwest, where I’ve planted my roots. Every step along the way has been shaped by the paths I’ve walked and the many identities I carry — Queer, Fat, Trans, Disabled, and Autistic with ADHD. My lived experiences fuel my commitment to justice, care, and creating positive, lasting change in the world around me. My work is driven by honesty, empathy, and a commitment to change. I believe that lived experience is the most powerful qualification anyone can have, and my professional qualifications are a reflection of that truth.

This site is a place where I share my stories, perspectives, and insights — a blog rooted in truth, defiance, and the unwavering belief that transformation happens when we speak our truth. Whether through writing, advocacy, or personal reflection, my aim is to offer a space for us all to learn, grow, and reclaim our narratives.

Featured
You Will Not Be Erased: An Open Letter to Trans and GNC People
You Will Not Be Erased: An Open Letter to Trans and GNC People

I want you to hear me when I say this: I see you. In a world that is trying so hard to erase you, to make you invisible, I see you. I see your strength, your resilience, and your right to exist exactly as you are. You are not a shadow. You are not a mistake. You are not a fleeting phase or a casualty of history…

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Guiding Values: The Core Principles That Shape My Work
Guiding Values: The Core Principles That Shape My Work

My values are not abstract ideals; they are born from lived experience, shaped by survival, resistance, and the relentless pursuit of something better. These principles guide my work, my advocacy, and my journey to challenge systems of harm, and build a world where dignity and freedom are for all…

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Memoir: The Ghost I Became
Memoir: The Ghost I Became

I had never imagined reaching adulthood. In an odd way, that certainty was a comfort, sparing me from the weight of an unknown future. But as time crept, I found myself hoping for a train to come, to sweep me away, carrying me beyond this life…

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“Looking back on that day on the bridge, I realize now it was only the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead me here. I didn’t know it then, but there were strengths within me waiting to be uncovered — character, courage, vulnerability, defiance, stubbornness, humor in the face of pain, and even a sense of justice I never lost when the world around me felt unkind. Those qualities carried me, one step at a time, through years of learning not just how to survive, but how to live…”

— Alec Williams, “The Ghost I Became,” 1st Place Winner of the Paul G. Quinnett Lived Experience Writing Competition | Presented by American Association of Suicidology (AAS) & The QPR Institute, April 2024