Gender Journeys
By Josie Kallo
Cover art by Jamie Barker (aka Fake Gamer Comics)
Gender JourneysAug 31, 2021
Gender and the DSM
This week, El and Josie discuss Gender Dysphoria Disorder, and the issues with the DSM in general.
Content warning: mental health discussion, dysphoria discussion, transphobia mentions
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Transphobia Is a Gateway Prejudice
El and Josie discuss how and why transphobia can act as a "gateway prejudice" that leads toward potentially violent far-right rhetoric.
Here's the study discussed in the episode.
Here's the TikTok explaining the study.
Follow Abbie Richards on TikTok and Twitter.
CW: discussion of transphobia, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, and far-right nationalism/calls to violence.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Gender In Video Games
This week, El and Josie discuss the surprisingly fraught topic of gender in videogames.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
6(ish) Month Top Surgery Update!
This week, El and Josie reflect on El's top surgery journey, chat about El's 6 month follow-up, and discuss the next steps El's going to take.
CW: surgery discussion, blood mention, dysphoria discussion
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
2021 Book Review & Challenge!
El and Josie chat about all the queer books El read in 2021!
Check out the Gender Journeys Storygraph Challenges:
While you’re there, follow El’s Storygraph at OutToExist!
Queer Books El Read in 2021:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
Raising Them by Kyl Myers
What’s Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She by Dennis Baron
Memoir of a Race Traitor by Mab Segrest
The Song of Achilles by Madelline Miller
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
The Stonewall Reader edited by The New York Public Library
Glitter+Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die edited by dave ring
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan
Transgender History by Susan Stryker
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility
Captive Genders by Eric A Stanley
A Low Life In High Heels by Holly Woodlawn and Jeffrey Copeland
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
When The Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
Cemetery Boys by Aiden ThomasWhen The Tiger Comes Down the Mountain
How To Survive a Plague by David France
Detransition Baby by Torey Peters
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell
No Man of Woman Born by Ana Mardoll
Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family by Garrard Conley
Normal Life by Dean Spade
Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby
Pheonix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer
Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and A.R. Capetta
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Between Perfect and Real by Roy Stoeve
The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver
Nonbinary Lives edited by Jos Twist, Ben Vincent, Meg-John Barker and Kat Gupta
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
The House In the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The Queer Art of Failure by Jack Halberstam
Real Queer America by Samantha Allen
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzie Lee
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: GenderJourneys.tumblr.com
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Is Bisexuality Transphobic?
This week, El and Josie discuss whether or not bisexuality is transphobic (it isn't) or enbyphobic (also no) and how other identities under the multisexual umbrella like pan or omni interact with bi, trans, and nonbinary folx.
CW: discussion of transphobia and biphobia (mild)
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Gendered Children's Toys
El and Josie talk about the extremely gendered toy sections at various big-box retailers.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Trans Voices
El and Josie discuss how the experience of changing one's voice is different for trans women, trans men, and nonbinary folx, and how generally awesome all trans voices sound.
Check out Vit T by BYENARY
CW: surgery mention, dysphoria discussion
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Hypergendered Abortion Rhetoric
El and Josie talk about the new Texas abortion laws, and how the hypergendered language around abortion contributes to its sensationalization.
CW: abortion discussion, rape mention, incest mention
The NPR Up First from September 2nd is the podcast we refer to in the episode!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Autigender, Autism, and Neurogenders
El and Josie talk about neurogenders, specifically focusing on autism and autigender.
Check out these three articles Josie used in writing her blog post.
And here's that Tumblr post by CandidlyAutistic, which we reference as well!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Passing
El and Josie discuss the ins and outs of "passing," and how the concept can be harmful to the gender expansive community.
Check out "Nvr Pass" by She/Her/Hers!
And the books we mentioned in the episode:
The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
Dreadnought by April Daniels
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
1-Year Reflection
El and Josie reflect on the first year of Gender Journeys, and look toward the future of the podcast.
Check out some of El's other podcast recommendations:
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
The Problem With Anti-Discrimination and Hate Crime Laws
El and Josie draw on the wisdom of Dean Spade and Critical Race Theory to examine why anti-discrimination and hate crime laws don't do quite what we want them to.
CW: hate crime discussion, mass shooting mentions, discrimination discussion.
For more information, check out Normal Life by Dean Spade.
You can also find out more about restorative and transformative justice in Beyond Survival, edited by Ejeris Dixon and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Pinkwashing 101
El and Josie discuss the basics of "pinkwashing" and the insidious ways it creeps into U.S. politics.
CW: prison abuse discussion, sexual assault mention, military and warfare discussion
Check out Normal Life by Dean Spade to learn more!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Truscums and Transmedicalists
El and Josie chat about transmedicalism, truscums, and how we might bridge the communication gap between them and the broader trans community.
CW: transmedicalist discussion, truscum discussion, dysphoria discussion
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Swimsuits
El and Josie chat about the specific challenges swimwear poses for trans and nonbinary folx.
CW: genital mention
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
The Decision to Get Top Surgery
This week, El and Josie talk about El's 6-week check-in after top surgery, and reflect on what helped El to make the decision to get top surgery.
CW: surgical discussion
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
T4T
El and Josie chat about T4T -- or trans for trans -- relationships, why some trans folx prefer them, and what it's like to be in a relationship that turned out T4T.
CW: sex discussion, harm suffered from unknown genitalia, dating while trans
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Layers of Gender
El and Josie chat about the nuance of talking about gender identities depending on whose company you're in -- and the difference between talking to cis folx and non-cis folx about your gender.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
El's Top Surgery Journey! (Part 2)
Welcome back to part two of El's Top Surgery Journey, detailing the recovery period from ~3 days post-op to when El got their drains out! If you haven't listened to Part One, check it out here.
If you're looking for something a bit less granular, we recommend our episodes on Non-Binary Top Surgery and El's Top Surgery Consult.
CW: surgery discussion, scars discussion, brief self-harm mention, medical things
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Rainbow Capitalism
Happy Pride Month! This week, El and Josie talk about "Rainbow Capitalism," and why some versions of it are worse than others.
If you want some more context as to how we arrived at our opinions on capitalism, you can check out some of the following resources:
A podcast about why we could have universal basic income
A podcast about the racist roots of nonprofit & philanthropy
A video about how capitalism actually interacts with poverty
A video explaining the popular anticapitalist tagline "profit is theft"
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Bathroom Signs
One of Josie & El's favorite breweries changed their bathroom signs, and boy do we have opinions. This brewery previously had incredible signs that said "This restroom has two urinals & one stall" and "This restroom has three stalls." They unfortunately changed them to say "This restroom has two urinals & one stall, typical of a MENS restroom, but people of all gender expressions & identities can use it" and "This restroom has three stalls, typical of a WOMANS restroom, but people of all gender expressions & identities can use it." Let's discuss why that sucks!
For questions and more timely updates on El's top surgery journey, please check out their reddit at u/OutToExist
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
El's Top Surgery Journey! (Part 1)
This week, listen in to El and Josie throughout El's journey getting top surgery with the Gender Confirmation Center in San Francisco! And keep an eye out for part two later this week!
You can check out some of El's progress updates on Reddit at reddit.com/u/outtoexist
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Deadnames and Reclaimed Names
El and Josie chat about the complications and nuances of names within the gender expansive community.
You can follow El on reddit at reddit.com/user/outtoexist.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Mispronouning
El and Josie offer a new term and discuss the differences between "mispronouning" and "misgendering."
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Inhuman Non-binary Characters
This week, El and Josie chat about the issues with a very common trope that crops up a lot with characters that are considered non-binary, either in canon or through cultural coding.
If you're interested in the blog post Josie mentioned, you can read that here!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
El's Top Surgery Consult!
This week, El and Josie have a very exciting conversation reflecting on El's top surgery consult -- including excerpts from their actual conversation with Dr. Alexander Facque of the Gender Confirmation Center!
Disclaimer: Bear in mind that neither El nor Josie is a medical professional, and Dr. Facque was speaking to El on the basis of their personal health and options. This episode is meant to give insight into the process and what to expect, but not offer direction as to what may or may not be possible for different individuals.
CW: surgery, surgical discussion, top surgery
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Processing Anti-Trans Legislation
This week, El and Josie discuss some recent, trying news stories and how to process them.
CW: transphobia, anti-trans legislation, police violence, mass shootings
If you'd like to directly support trans youth in Arkansas, consider donating to these organizations:
- Intransitive, an Arkansas-based trans activism network.
- Lucie's Place, an organization which helps out LGBTQ young adults in Arkansas who are experiencing homelessness
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
How To: Correctly Gender People
This week, El and Josie discuss some tips and tricks on how to train yourself to gender someone correctly, and use the correct pronouns for them. This episode can be a helpful resource for folx of any gender identity who might be having some trouble learning someone's pronouns!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Genderfluidity
This week, El and Josie welcome some new listeners with a brief recap of their own identities followed by a deep dive into El's genderfluid identity!
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
The Pressure to Medically Transition
This week, El and Josie discuss both the pressures and barriers gender expansive folx face to access medical transition steps, and how both of those things can be harmful to gender expansive folx.
CW: dysphoria mention, suicide mention, surgery discussion
In the episode we mentioned three "queer history" books that El has been reading recently:
- Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity by Micah Rajunov (and many others) - a series of small memoirs of older nonbinary folx
- The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman - a historic account of the gay movement from the 50s through the Obama administration
- Transgender History by Susan Stryker - a surprisingly positive telling of the trans rights movements from antiquity through the Trump administration
In addition, here are a few more gender-related queer history books El has read recently!
- Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex - a series of essays depicting the interesectional oppression trans folx, and especially BIPOC trans folx, experience in the prison industrial complex
- Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility - a series of essays discussing trans representation in art and the effect (or lack of effect) that has on trans rights
- How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS - a historic account of the AIDs epidemic and how it intersected with the gay revolution
- The Stonewall Reader - a series of essays by the folx who were there that fateful night & weekend at Stonewall
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Broadening "Gender Affirming Care"
There are many ways that folx can alter their bodies to alleviate dysphoria and affirm their gender, but only a relatively narrow number of these are considered "Gender Affirming" medical care. This week, El and Josie discuss some non-standard ways queer folx might express their genders, and why it might be a good idea to expand our idea of gender affirmation.
CW: surgery discussion, body modification, dysphoria
You can check out Josie's article "Tattoos and Transitions" here.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Gender Creative Parenting (In Theory)
This week, El and Josie chat about what it might be like to raise a child in a gender creative way, and the various forms that might take in our evolving society.
Check out some awesome books on Gender Creative Parenting:
Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting by Kyl Myers
Like a Boy But Not a Boy: Navigating Life, Mental Health, and Parenthood Outside the Gender Binary by Andrea Bennett
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Gender Euphoria
This week, El and Josie chat about gender euphoria, the feeling of intense happiness and satisfaction in relation to gender, as well as why that should be a larger focus of the trans and gender expansive communities!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Non-Binary Top Surgery
When folx hear the term "Top Surgery," they often think of the masculinizing surgery that many binary trans men seek. However, there's a wide variety of top surgery options beyond this perceived standard. This week, El and Josie chat about some non-binary approaches to top surgery.
Check out this awesome resource on Non-Binary Gender Confirming Surgeries!
CW: surgery, dysphoria
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Bridgerton, Queerbaiting, and Issues of Consent
This week, El and Josie discuss the Netflix show "Bridgerton," and the issues the show has with queerbaiting and consent.
CW: sexual assault mention
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Black History Month 2021
This week, in honor of Black History Month, El and Josie chat about another podcast. You can find Kai Wright's United States of Anxiety episode, "The Origin Story of Black History Month," here.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
What Is Non-Op?
This week, El and Josie talk about an aspect of Josie's identity which is deeply personal, and yet somehow something that everyone in the world seems to care about. CW: genitals, bottom surgery, sex
You can hear more of our discussion about Laverne Cox's Disclosure in our Queer Representation in Media episode.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Genderqueer Leadership
Role models, trailblazers, and leaders are sometimes felt to be in short supply in the queer community -- and in the genderqueer community in particular, it can feel like there are almost no non-cis leaders in day-to-day life. This week, El and Josie talk about their experiences (or lack thereof) with genderqueer leaders, and how to find that leadership in your own life.
In lieu of leaders in your day-to-day life, here are some nonfiction books by non-binary authors that you can look up to!
Those that El has read:
What's Your Pronoun, by Dennis Baron - This is very academic and much more about the grammar of pronouns than gender expansive identities, but it is a great resource to throw at people who are still upset about the singular use of they/them
Raising Them, by Kyl Myers - A memoir about gender creative parenting that follows an incredible family as they raise their child without an assigned gender. The author, Kyl, identifies as gender expansive and uses she/them, and has a PhD in gender studies - and I'm obsessed with them.
Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity, by Micah Rajunov - A memoir series written exclusively by older nonbinary folx aimed primarily at showing how long various nonbinary gender identities have existed.
Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe - A beautiful graphic memoir written by a non-binary author as e discover eir gender identity. TW for pap smears
Some El hasn't read, but found from reputable sources and plans to read eventually. . .
The Queer Art of Failure, by Jack J. Halberstam - This one is heavily academic, and focuses on willingness to fail and to lose one’s way, to pursue difficult questions about complicity, and to find counterintuitive forms of resistance
Beyond the Gender Binary, by Alok Vaid-Menon - ANOTHER graphic memoir!
Transcending: Trans Buddhist Voices, by Kevin Manders - A series of memoirs of nonbinary Buddhists.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Race, Queerness, the Insurrection, and You
This week's episode is a conversation between two white Americans, directed at calling our white listeners into a conversation about race. To our non-white listeners, we invite you to listen and reach out if there is anything we could improve on. We are still unlearning & relearning, but to stay silent is to be complicit so we are using what platform we have to hold space for this essential conversation.
Robin DeAngelo popularized the term white fragility with her book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. This book is a great place to start if you're a white person looking to unlearn some of your internalized racism. There is some controversy surrounding it, so I will say it is not a perfect book - but no single book on racism ever will be.
An easy break down of the concept of white fragility can be found in these articles: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-sociologist-examines-the-white-fragility-that-prevents-white-americans-from-confronting-racism
A much more in depth, scientific dive into the concept can be found in this journal article by Robin herself: https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116
White Rage is a term popularized by Carol Anderson's book White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide. I haven't read this one, so I can't speak to it. However, a fantastic breakdown of how white rage has divided this country since President Obama's election can be found here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-white-rage-driving-our-racial-divide/2016/06/22/fbeec9fc-22a8-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html
White Dominate Culture Norms are the norms & standard practices that exist throughout this country that make public spaces more comfortable & safe for white people than anybody else. Here is a great, short list of examples and their alternatives!
https://www.cacgrants.org/assets/ce/Documents/2019/WhiteDominantCulture.pdf
Finally, if you're in the UK I suggest Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge. It is written by an incredible Black, feminist, British woman who explores the specific brand of racism that exists in the UK.
For other areas of the world, please reach out - I'm happy to help find resources that are specific to your geopolitical location. Racism & white supremacy are a global problem, but they do show up a bit differently depending on where you're located.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
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Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
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Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Talking to the Uninformed About Gender
Talking to people that don't understand your gender identity can be tiring and invalidating, but not everyone who is uninformed is malicious. In this episode, El and Josie chat about some ways to approach teaching people about gender expansive identities.
Some cool resources to help you teach others:
https://www.genderspectrum.org/
https://www.tolerance.org/topics/gender-sexual-identity
https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Practical_resources
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
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Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Pronoun Update - Neopronouns and Beyond!
Pronouns are an important part of any gender journey -- and as we learn more about them, it's important to revisit and talk more about them! This week, El and Josie briefly revisit their own pronoun journeys and discuss neopronouns and more!
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
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Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
2020 Book Reflection
Happy almost New Year's! This week, El and Josie talk about some of the awesome gay and genderqueer books that El's read over the course of the year (and they've read a LOT of books!)
Check the bottom of the description for a list of the books discussed!
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
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Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
El's 2020 Gay Books:
Realm of the Elderlings (14-book series) by Robin Hobb
Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness
Naturally Tan by Tan France
Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope by Karamo Brown
Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life. by Antoni Porowski
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzie Lee
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli
Zami, a New Spelling of My Name by Audrey Lorde
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle
The Symptoms of Being Human by Josh Garvin
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
How Long Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Soloman
On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar
Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity edited by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane
Dreadnought by April Daniels
The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
A Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Home for the Holidays
Going home for the holidays (or even just seeing family via Zoom) can be a particularly trying experience for genderqueer folx. This week, El and Josie discuss some tips and tricks for helping you get through any potentially trying family gatherings this holiday season!
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Dungeons and Dragons and Genders
Table-top Role Playing Games like Dungeons & Dragons can be surprisingly effective tools for exploring your gender. In this episode, El and Josie chat about the merits of using these games this way as well as some approaches you and your friends can use!
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Validation
This week, El and Josie discuss a phase that many gender expansive people go through early in their gender journeys. Seeking validation for your gender identity is normal and can be beautiful, but there are some things to bear in mind if you or someone you know if currently going through it!
Check out Season 8 of MTV's Are You The One.
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Internalized Transphobia
Systemic oppression of gender expansive people is an unfortunate reality of the world we live in, and no matter who you are, you've internalized some aspects of it. In this episode, El and Josie discuss internalized transphobia -- as well as some other internalized ideals -- as well as how to spot it and what you can do about it.
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Thanks Giving Special
This week, El and Josie focus on ways to be thankful in the day to day life (even if the holiday inspiring that thankfulness requires a little bit of mindfulness!)
Check out why American Thanksgiving is a fraught subject: The Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They Imbue
Donate to some cool Indigenous organizations:
National Indian Child Welfare Association
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
First Nations Development Institute
Feeding Nunavut (For our Canadian listeners!)
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (For our Australian listeners!)
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
Gender and Therapy
Gender expansive folx often pursue therapy -- whether that's for assistance in their gender journey, or for other mental health reasons. Either way, though, they deserve to be understood and respected by their practitioners. In this week's episode, El and Josie discuss the ups and downs of therapy as gender expansive folx.
Some helpful links:
Howard Brown Healthcare in Chicago
How to find your local LGBTQ Center
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at josiewrites.qtn@gmail.com!
What To Do When Others Get Misgendered
Gender Expansive people often have to deal with being misgendered, and the experience can be emotionally trying. In this episode, El and Josie discuss how YOU can support someone when they get misgendered in various settings!
Music for Gender Journeys composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys