Rowan Jette Knox, 50, has claimed a two-spirit identity on social media.
The Canadian author and Toronto coffee shop co-owner, who previously lived as a straight married woman named Amanda before coming out as a transgender man three years ago, announced the latest evolution in a September post on Threads. Knox, a parent of four who was named one of 2020’s Most Influential Parents by Today’s Parent magazine, has described themselves with multiple labels over the years, including bisexual, pansexual, disabled AUDHD non-binary queer person, polyamorous lover to three trans-identified men, and trans guy.
“I finally felt ready to claim the two-spirit identity for myself,” Knox wrote on Threads.
“It’s a big step for me at 50 years old. I’ve been actively connecting with my lost culture (my Indigenous father left when I was a baby – intergenerational trauma played a big part), learning the stories, reading the history, and giving myself permission to belong.”
Two-spirit is a term used by Indigenous communities to describe people who have both masculine and feminine spirits. Knox traced the delayed reconnection to family rupture caused by colonial forces.
“It’s not my fault I didn’t grow up within my culture (I firmly blame colonialism and the intergenerational trauma it caused in my family) but it is my responsibility to lean in and learn the teachings now,” the author continued on Threads. “I wish I had done it sooner, but it’s never too late.”
Knox closed the announcement with a declaration and an Indigenous greeting: “So hello, my name is Rowan, and I am trans and two-spirit,” followed by words translating to “I am happy to see you.”
The Threads post came one year after Knox underwent a double mastectomy, a milestone reached two years after announcing their transition. In 2023, Knox had addressed the buildup to that earlier revelation on X, describing months of private struggle before going public.
“I’ve known this is who I am for a long time, but I had to work up the courage to say it out loud,” Knox wrote. “It took months of introspection, therapy, long chats with loved ones, plenty of tears and pushing through a lot of fear and denial to get here but am glad I’m here.”
Knox admitted “not living authentically” was a “heavy load to carry,” adding that they now “[get] to live as Rowan forever.” The name choice carried symbolic weight: Knox told the Toronto Star the rowan tree is known for strength and protection in stories and legends worldwide.
The family structure that preceded this journey involved a roughly 30-year marriage to Mark, who later transitioned and became Zoe. The couple separated but at one point shared a four-person household with their respective transgender partners before eventually splitting into two separate couples. Knox now lives with Dani.