Translation

When I began this podcast, I had two goals in mind: to educate on transgender topics and to tell personal stories of life experiences. This episode is one such story: my own.

Western culture keeps a steady focus on the gender binary. There is man and woman, with little room for variation in between. For trans people, this is particularly challenging. How do we break from the restrictions of the gender binary? We can start by looking at other cultures and how they treat gender variance. This episode of Translation looks at one such cultural example: two-spirit, a Native American concept of third gender. Two-spirit is not equivalent of transgender, but rather a spiritual role that accesses the depths of both the male and female experience.

Last week, the Pentagon announced the possibility of lifting the ban on openly trans service members in the near future. This has been a long time coming, especially with the end of DADT in 2011. There are already as many as 15,000 trans service members throughout the US military. Because of a medical regulation, they are not allowed to serve openly as their true selves. That doesn't mean some soldiers aren't pushing the issue forward toward progress. Today's episode looks at lifting the ban and what needs to be done in order for it to work.

Everyone has a voice, and our voice is like a trademark. For transgender people, the voice is especially important. It could be the difference between passing and revealing to the world that they are trans. In today's episode, we talk about the voice, from its fascinating biology to how it affects the daily life of a transgender individual. Altering the physical helps a trans person see their true self in the mirror. But practicing their voice, that is how they can hear the sound of their heart.

Gender dysphoria is a medical condition. More importantly, it is one where the body and mind are separate. But there is a way that many transgender individuals have been able to bridge that gap between their gender identity and their physical body: HRT. Hormone replacement therapy. It is as ingrained in the trans world as anything. While not everyone chooses this route, it is certainly an important and monumental step for a trans individual. This episode looks at what HRT is and how it affects transgender people, both FtM and MtF.

Independence Day is upon us! And while we are celebrating with friends, barbecues and fireworks, we should also be reminded of why we honor this holiday. American independence was hard fought, and the values they upheld we captured in written spirit through the Declaration of Independence. But do we still uphold those values, particularly when it comes to marginalized groups? In this episode of Translation, we look at how transgender people are still fighting a revolutionary war of sorts, particularly when we become easy targets. When a tragedy occurs that has nothing to do with trans people, why are we brought into the conversation at all?

There is no question that transgender people are becoming more visible today, especially with celebrities like Laverne Cox. But why is it important? In the first part of the episode, we looked at the circumstances that led to the rise in visibility and the issues that trans individuals face daily. In this episode of the Translation podcast, we look at why this visibility is important and the individuals who are leading the charge in the public eye.

When Caitlyn Jenner appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair, the conversation about transgender people exploded in the media. As abrupt as it seemed, that was merely another stepping stone in a growing trend of visibility over the past few years. But where did it come from? How close are we to the turning point on transgender issues? In this episode of the Trans*lation podcast, we seek an answer to that very question. Gender variance has been around for a long time, but only in the past half-century has western society began to bring the conversation to the table.

There are events in a person's life that are monumental and meant to be inspiring. Coming out is one of those events, even though it isn't always received with joy or acceptance. Coming out is a part of being transgender. It is the inevitable step between imagining the dream and living as your true self. It is powerful, emotional and terrifying. In this episode of Translation, we look at what coming out means and the process involved when someone knows the time is right. Coming out won't be the same for everyone, but there are some basics that will hold true. Ultimately, the first person a trans person must come out to is themselves, and this episode will shed light on that endeavor.

Transgender people have been around for a long time, but only recently have they begun to find more public visibility. With that visibility, more trans individuals are finding the strength in themselves to come out. So, what is transgender? In the first episode of Translation, we take a broad look at the fundamentals of the transgender and gender-variant experience. Whether someone is questioning their own gender identity, or if they know someone who is transgender, this episode will give an introduction into the vast and unique world of trans* people.