Gender Spiral with Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas

Twitter-queen-turned-fiction-novelist Rose Dommu talks about her new book Best Woman: a family drama Trojan-horsed into a rom-com loosely based on Rose's personal experiences. We also get her opinions about DIY hormone cocktails, bleaching your way out of a crisis, and what Fire Island is really like for trans folks. Best Woman is out NOW! Get your copy at a local bookstore or on Bookshop.org! You can find all of Rose's fiction novel reccomendations on THIS LIST. And find Rose on Instagram @rosedommu. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

Missed us in Chicago? NEVER FEAR, THE RECORDING IS HERE! Two Chicago drag ICONS joined us for night 2 of our weekend at iO Theater in May. Irregular Girl and Mari De La Rua (AKA Stephanie) tell us about being in a drag family, how drag informed their gender identities, and why drag would suck without trans women. Find our incredible guests on Instagram @imirregulargirl and @dragmestephanie Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

We're continuing the thread on trans & queer parents in a conversation with scholar, writer, audio producer Cassius (Cass) Adair. He tells us about transitioning in the early days of Tumblr, getting baby fever in his late 20s, and the nitty-gritty of pregnancy and parenting as a trans dad in Minnesota. Check out Cass's work at his website cassiusadair.com. There, you can find links to his writing, audio work, and trans media consulting firm Sylveon Consulting (which he co-runs with our friend Tuck Woodstock!). Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

While recovering from surgery, comedian Marley Gotterer (who you probably already know from TikTok and Insta reels) made time to tell us about getting facial feminization (FFS) and chat about her love of sports, how she got to run social media for Cardi B, and lifting twinks live on stage. Check out Marley's work and get notified about her upcoming shows on her Instagram(s) @marleyismarley and @transsportsgirl. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch! We're almost sold out of most items- get them while you can!  

Lou Sullivan, arguably one of the first out gay trans men, kept diaries from age 11 until his death in 1991. Decades later, Zach Ozma and Ellis Martin compiled those diaries into "We Both Laughed in Pleasure" (aka the Pink Butt Book) which tells the story of Lou's full, freaky, fascinating life. Zach and Ellis talk to us about painstakingly parsing through Lou's Catholic school cursive and learning that the trans experience is really on a historic loop. Get your copy of "We Both Laughed in Pleasure" from Nightboat Books, or request a copy at your local library. Read up, then join us for a book club discussion with Ellis & Zach by signing up on our Patreon (for just $2) and joining our Discord. Date is TBD and will be announced on Instagram! For further reading, check out Zach and Ellis' recommendations. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out. <3 And follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

Missed us in Chicago? NEVER FEAR, THE RECORDING IS HERE! On night one of our two-night extravaganza at iO Theater in May, Ally and Babette were joined by drag artist/DJ/rapper Lynzo the Heartthrob and tattoo artist/overall lovely human being Eoin McGraw for a hilarious and thoughtful convo. Then, they answer some audience questions! Stay tuned- night two will be posted soon exclusively on our Patreon! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review to help us out. <3 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral! Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!  

Is it possible to get out of my mountain of credit card debt? How do I budget for mutual aid? Should I be buying stocks? What even IS life insurance?! Anti-capitalist financial planner River Nice answers these questions and more, and Babette and Ally learn a thing or two about financial literacy. Find River on Instagram @financewithriver and check out their financial literacy programs, free budget templates and more at their website beintentionalfinancial.com Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow to get notified when we post new episodes! And rate and review us to help us out. <3 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world.

Ericka Hart and and Ebony Donnelly are partners in love and podcasting, and co-parents to a toddler. We asked them to share their queer & trans pregnancy story, and give Ally some parenting pointers! Check out their podcast Hoodrat to Headwrap: A Decolonized Podcast and find Ericka and their other work as a speaker and sex educator on Instagram @ihartericka. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow to get notified when we post new episodes! And rate and review us to help us out. <3 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

A little bonus episode just to check in! More new season 3 interviews rolling out next week, and biweekly after that. And check us out at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast for more bonus content like this! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow to get notified when we post new episodes! And follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and snag some sick tshirts and hats at genderspiralpod.com/merch!

Artist, activist and author (and swimsuit designer!?) Tourmaline kicks off Season 3 of the podcast with a conversation about her connection to Marsha P. Johnson that led to multiple artworks and two recent books. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world.  Find Tourmaline on Instagram @tourmaliiine, and find "Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson" and "One Day in June" wherever you get books (order from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores). Follow Gender Spiral on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Find transcripts and leave us a voicemail at genderspiralpod.com.

Babette and Ally take a look back on some highlights from season 2 of the podcast. We also hear some voicemails from listeners who tell us what queer media means to them. Thanks to our guests from season 2 featured in this episode (in order): Bay Davis, River Ramirez, Honey Pluton, Daria Lourd, Massima Bell & Dust Reid, Thomas Page McBee, Halo Perez-Gallardo, Pascal Stevenson, Alima Lee, Alys Aurora, Dr. Crystal Beal and Nori Reed. And thanks to all of our other incredible season 2 guests! And thank you to our listeners for sticking with us through our second season and beyond. We love spiraling with you! A special shoutout to those of you who called in and left us a voicemail. Those featured in this episode were: Gabi, Nick, Max, Iris, Charlie, J, Tex, Jorge, Blake, Gael, Johanna, Shelby, Gwen, Alanna, Edith, Tess, Dei, and Lauren. <3 Stay tuned for bonus content, special announcements, and season 3! Follow Gender Spiral on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Find transcripts and leave us a voicemail at genderspiralpod.com.

If you love Gender Spiral, you'll also love the TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones! Check out this featured episode (originally released on June 6, 2024) then go on over to the TransLash feed and binge the rest of their catalogue, starting with the latest episode "Trans Comedy as Resistance" featuring our own Ally Beardsley! "Imara Jones first made an impact in a 2018 online docuseries about her transition and life and four years later, the podcast is just one part of TransLash Media, a fast-growing platform and nonprofit organization telling stories and reflecting the culture through a trans perspective. With new episodes twice a month, Jones delivers illuminating discussions with guests from the trans community as well as allies to help create a fairer world for all."  In this episode, "Imara celebrates the process of gender exploration beyond rigid binaries and limitations. First, she's joined by Eli Lawliet, also known as "The Gender Doula," to talk about he guides his clients through questioning and transitioning. he discusses the lessons he's learned about gender presentation from his pet snakes and why he thinks identity labels can hinder exploration. Next, Frankie de la Cretaz chats about being a transmasc mom, experimenting with induced lactation, and navigating the world without the privileges of white womanhood." Learn more about TransLash Media at translash.org and about TransLash Podcast.  

Babette and Ally do a little stream-of-conciousness reflecting on 2024. Thank you for spiraling with us all year! A new full episode will be out next Tuesday, 1/7/25. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Follow Gender Spiral on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Find transcripts and leave us a voicemail at genderspiralpod.com.

Content Warning (genital anatomy, surgeries). This is part 2 of 2 episodes where we get the answers to some FAQs about medical transition from medical professionals. In this episode Kayla McLaughlin, a Physician Assistant and surgery education liaison, gets into nitty-gritty details about trans surgeries and what it looks like to get one, especially bottom surgeries like vaginoplasty and phalloplasty. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Follow Gender Spiral on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Find transcripts and leave us a voicemail at genderspiralpod.com.

TRIGGER WARNING (anti-trans healthcare bans, suicide, death threats): 8:52-10:22 This is part 1 of 2 episodes where we get the answers to some FAQs about medical transition from medical professionals. In this episode, Dr. Crystal Beal (founder of Queer Doc) tells us all about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), how it's prescribed, and all the various ways it can help folks reach their transition goals. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Further reading as suggested by Dr. Beal: "State-level anti-transgender laws increase past-year suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary young people in the USA" - Nature   "The Substance of Borders: Transgender Politics, Mobility, and US State Regulation of Testosterone" - Toby Beauchamp   Trans Healthcare Resources:   - CenterLink (Find an LGBTQ Center near you)   - WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health)   - Queer Doc's Compilation of Trans and Gender Affirming Resources State-by-State   Find and contact your legislators and tell them to lean on the DEA to extend telemedicine flexibilities. Follow Gender Spiral on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes

Artist and DJ Alima Lee talks about claiming Black femininity as a nonbinary person, how DJing helps with social anxiety, and how we can make club culture more accessible and equitable. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Check out Alima Lee on their Instagram @alima_lee and website Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes

We had a blast with Honey Pluton, Rose Dommu, Cherry Jaymes and River Ramirez at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY for our first East Coast live show! We talked all about our gender journeys, the trans community in New York, and sharing HRT on the Coney Island Ferris Wheel. Thanks to everyone who came out! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Check out Honey's podcast "Up Good with Honey Pluton" wherever you listen, and find him on Instagram @honeypluton. Look out for Rose's debut novel Best Woman, check out her substack "Mall Goth" and her podcast "Like a Virgin" available on Patreon, and find her on Instagram @rosedommu. Find Cherry Jaymes on Instagram @cherry.jaymes. Check out River at their lecture/performance at Bard Graduate Center on September 11, 2024 in NYC. Also check out their substack "River's World" and find them on Instagram @pileoftears. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast - and stay tuned for the video recording of the live show on Patreon! Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes

It's a busy week at Gender Spiral HQ prepping for our live show at The Bell House in NYC on 8/29/24 (grab the last few tickets HERE before they sell out!). Although we don't have a regular episode for you this week, we hope you'll enjoy a sneak peak of the Q&A we recorded on Discord last year. Check out the full Q&A in video and audio form at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast ($5 tier and up)! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, and check us out at genderspiralpod.com. And leave us a voicemail- we might answer YOUR question in the next Q&A!

Astrologer and writer Alice Sparkly Kat tells us about coming out to their Chinese family, how gender manifests in the planets, and why queer people like astrology so much.  Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Check out Alice's writing and other work at alicesparklykat.com. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, and support us at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes