September 26, 2024
Disabled And Here: Interview with Milo
Hi! How would you like to introduce yourself? I’m Milo, a Black autistic disabled trans lesbian and my pronouns are they/them! I am a baker with my own business. I have a sweet kitty named Biscotti – she is the face of my bakery. I also work with a local community third space that prioritizes Black and brown neurodivergent and disabled queers. We host fun and accommodating mask-required events for our community!
I have so many questions! Let’s start with: please share more about Biscotti (love the name!). Biscotti is my 4-year-old tortoiseshell kitty! I got her in 2021 because I was seeking companionship after moving from Phoenix to Portland. I grew up with dogs and had a fear of cats, but she’s taught me a lot about respecting boundaries – in kitties and in general! She’s a timid baby, but holds a special place for me.
As she absolutely should! Now how did you get into baking? And what kind of things do you sell through your bakery? I grew up loving to experiment and bake! My dad was a chef when I was a child. I admired his creativity and ability to make anything taste good. I knew I wanted to do something similar and always had a sweet tooth, so I decided to take up baking!
It was lots of trial and error – I baked for my family, and although they gave me a lot of grace, I was very hard on myself. It took years and years to understand that baking isn’t only an art, but also a science. Once I learned more about the science aspect – which ingredients react to others – I was able to enjoy the process of messing up and starting over. I view all mistakes as a learning experience and have been able to develop amazing recipes with that mindset.
Can you tell us more about the community third space you’re part of? I absolutely love that you have mask-required events. The third space is called Sunshine’s! I was introduced to the space by another disabled, queer and trans friend, and instantly knew I wanted to be a part of Sunshine’s. As a COVID-conscious person, I found that I wasn’t doing many social things in the city because of the lack of precautions, so Sunshine’s very quickly became a part of my life that I wanted to put energy into. I’ve met so many amazing people, and love hearing how other COVID-conscious disabled and neurodivergent queers in the city have found a space to exist to their fullest extent.
Did you grow up in Portland or move here? How would you describe our city and what it’s like to live here? I grew up in Las Vegas, NV and moved to Phoenix, AZ in 2017. Moving here [to Portland] in 2021 was definitely a culture shock, as I didn’t grow up around a lot of openly queer and trans people. Even though the city is predominately white, I have made a community with lots of Black and Brown folks that have shown me a world filled with love, care, accommodation, and acceptance. Portland holds lots of different groups of people, and with some time and intention, I feel it’s a great place to find your community.
What are some things you do to relax or just for fun? Growing up, I was never really allowed to intentionally rest, so I enjoy being able to lounge in my bed with my cat, a good show, and a heating pad under my back. That feels like the ultimate relaxation to me.
For fun, I enjoy hosting my friends at my home. Being able to kiki with my community feels like a weight lifted off my chest. We don’t venture out into the city a lot, but when we do, we’re either at Sunshine’s or having a masked hang at a park.
If you were to create a more accessible world, what are some must-haves? Go as magical or real-world as you’d like. In my dream world, where disabled trans and queer Black and Brown folks are taken care of, I imagine 20-hour work weeks with the ability to pay more than a livable wage, and flexibility for days when we are having flare-ups or just need a break.
For those who can’t or simply don’t want to work, I imagine community care and assistance from the city to provide basic needs, as well as the opportunity to live freely and happily.
I imagine free transportation, in-home care, and counseling for marginalized folks. Not having to shape ourselves for the world around us, but rather the world being shaped for us and our needs is my dream.
Yes, please to all that. Final question: what are the best ways to support you? Following my bakery page @thetwistedtortie on Instagram and booking me for special order treats is an amazing way to support me. I want my treats to be a staple in this city!
Also, sending extra funds for baking supplies and other basic needs to my Venmo @miloccc is a huge help as a small business owner!
This interview has been edited for clarity.