In 2012, Gross drew a comic to express his frustration at the bathroom policy of his high school and how he, as a trans person, was treated by staff. He shared the image to his Tumblr.

"I was really just frustrated," he told BuzzFeed. Gross said his high school's policy was to tell him to use the bathroom in the nurse's office, on the other side of the school.

"I also hated going out in public because unless I was extremely lucky there wouldn't be a gender neutral or single stall bathroom anywhere," he said. "It was a constant source of anxiety for me knowing that if I pass I'll look like a boy in the girls' room, if I don't pass I'll look like a girl in the boys' room, and either way this is inviting confrontation. I didn't want confrontation. I just wanted to pee."