In keeping with our "expanded focus" on all human rights, Jeri Ann put together this episode she calls "Christian Nationalism". Apparently, we were both educated at a time when "civics" or "social studies" classes taught things like how are nation came to be, and how our system of law and government came to be. And we have both been alarmed at the rise in influence of the so-called Christian Nationalist movement. Things like the state of Texas now requiring The Ten Commandments to be posted in every school in the state have us deeply concerned about this movement that wants to turn our system of law and government into a theocracy. News Links:https://apnews.com/article/what-happened-ice-raid-la-macarthur-park-cc04479ed94ed68d11acf807d97914e6https://www.advocate.com/politics/bipartisan-effort-lgbtq-988-linehttps://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/stop-legitimizing-pseudoscience-marginalize-trans-peoplehttps://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/06/25/transgender-rights-group-aims-to-expand-activist-founded-database-of-lgbtq-friendly-businesses/https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/539/558/https://folklife.si.edu/talkstory/2016/are-you-a-friend-of-dorothy-folk-speech-of-the-lgbt-communityhttps://www.out.com/news/hetero-awesome-fest-idaho-racism#rebelltitem1
We have been watching our country's breathtaking descent into authoritarian fascism since the day Donald Trump started his second term as President. Earlier this month, we watched in horror as our President deployed National Guard troops and U.S. Marines against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. On June 14th, we watched somewhere between 12 and 15 million people rally around the country on "No Kings" day, and raise their middle finger to fascism. That was kind of inspiring, to say the least, and we realized that we had to use our voice to talk about more than "trans issues". We're just two old ladies from the Houston area, but we have a voice. After some soul-searching, we've decided to add our voice to the resistance. As Jeri Ann puts it, we are broadening our focus. Trans rights are human rights, after all, and we see human rights being trampled more and more every day, by a corrupt and hateful administration. In this episode we'll describe what we are seeing, and why it alarms us. And we will call on our listeners to join us in resisting what is being done to our country.
In a move very similar to those being pursued in many red states, the Texas legislature recently passed the "vouchers" bill, which takes taxpayer money and gives it to wealthy donors to pay for tuition at private schools. Our own Dr. Jeri Anny Young has some things to say about that...Oh, and by the way, the news is not all bad. Listen in and learn how voters, right down at the local level, are responding to the right's decades long attack on public education.News Links:https://www.advocate.com/business/pride-support-business-winnerhttps://www.prdaily.com/how-fortune-500-companies-say-theyre-handling-pride-this-year/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm26e1rl05eohttps://theconversation.com/christianity-has-long-revered-saints-who-would-be-called-transgender-today-254769https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-massachusetts-lgbtq-tshirt-student-speech-e04fa045740e3e8ab21b0e14781ce3adhttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transgender-service-members-face-heartbreaking-decision-amid-trump/story?id=121750146https://abc7news.com/post/transgender-community-rallies-effort-reclaim-site-comptons-cafeteria-riot-1966/16463325/
Once again, we devote out entire episode to news items and other events that are of import to the transgender community.News Linkshttps://www.them.us/story/john-ewing-jr-jean-stothert-anti-trans-propaganda-omaha-mayor-electionhttps://x.com/NebraskaDems/status/1921361481536278934https://lambdalegal.org/newsroom/cross_mt_20250513_court-strikes-down-ban-on-healthcare-for-trans-youth/Support Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Unionhttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/10/texas-house-trans-bills-advance/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/04/30/airyn-robert-de-niro-daughter-transgender/83362160007/https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/https://www.foxnews.com/video/6372693269112
There has been so much news to report, that we have decided that a special episode was needed, just to come close to catching up on all the stuff that's happening to us.More than the usual amount of opinion in this episode, but we did warn you... "Oh, and lots of opinion, honey", right there on the web site. :)News Links:https://nypost.com/2025/03/25/us-news/nih-cuts-off-620k-in-funding-to-prevent-pregnancy-in-transgender-boys/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/health/dr-oz-transgender-care-abortion-josh-hawley-confirmation-cms.htmlhttps://www.cpr.org/2025/03/31/colorado-senate-transgender-day-of-visibility-trans-protection-bills/https://www.foxnews.com/sports/usa-fencing-transgender-controversy-get-doge-hearing-after-stephanie-turner-kneels-protesthttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/16/critics-of-trans-rights-win-uk-supreme-court-case-over-definition-of-womanhttps://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2025/apr/19/thousands-protest-for-trans-rights-in-london-after-supreme-court-ruling-videohttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/29/uks-first-trans-judge-victoria-mccloud-appeals-to-european-court-over-supreme-court-rulinghttps://www.cnn.com/2025/04/16/politics/doj-maine-transgender-sports-lawsuit/index.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/transgender-passports-trump-executive-order-ee211c3298f0c6f561f829cf5adca281https://www.aclu-nm.org/en/news/human-toll-trumps-anti-trans-crusadehttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-100-days-renee-richards-transgender-sports-pioneer/https://19thnews.org/2025/04/americans-politicians-trans-issues-poll/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/trumps-hhs-urges-therapy-for-transgender-youth-departing-from-broader-gender-affirming-health-carehttps://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/04/30/airyn-robert-de-niro-daughter-transgender/83362160007/https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
So! We finally get Jeri Ann back on the air, after losing her to The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Yes, the Rodeo ended a couple of months ago, but the responsibilities of a volunteer team captain are almost year-round. Anyway...This episode, we're going to debate about how to address the storm of hateful disinformation and political activity that our trans brothers and sisters have faced over the last few years. No, we are not in complete agreement on the prospects for widespread acceptance, or the best approach to that, but we (Jeri Ann and I) do agree on what kind of strategy that progressive politics is going to need. Spoiler alert: It's not going to be popular with some of our LGBTQ+ allies. News Story Links:https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-questions-trumps-passport-policy-targeting-transgender-people-2025-03-25/https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-judge-transgender-troops-military-ban-trump-2049221https://www.axios.com/2025/03/23/allies-issue-usa-travel-guidlines-transgenderhttps://www.notus.org/congress/transgender-politics-democrats-househttps://x.com/Acyn/status/1900243687856365674
Here it is, the last of "The Lost Episodes". This is our interview with Dr. Jessica Zweiner, of Braeswood Endocrinology here in Houston.
Here is the recovered audio of part 2, of our remote session at the 2023 Woodlands Pride Festival
Here is the recovered audio of part one of our remote session at the 2023 Woodlands Pride Festival.
I'm not sure that it's a distinction one should brag about, but apparently we've been around long enough to now have a "Lost Episodes" collection. What I am proud of is that we have recovered, in an undocumented backup, two recordings that were very important to us. Both were remote sessions (our favorite type of show). This one, Episode 24, is our session from the first ever Katy Pride Festival in October of 2023.
Yes. We are back, at long last. In this episode, we are going to eviscerate the notion that it's "just common sense" that one can not be any other gender than the one assigned to them at birth, by virtual of certain physical attributes. Trans people and their allies know this to be incorrect, but it is an almost universally held belief amongst most people. There is an easily identified reason for that, and tragically, certain political quarters know this and are exploiting that ignorance to great effect.Join me as I look at the issue, and start to propose a strategic response. News Links:https://pflag.org/press/pflagvtrump/https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/senate-rejects-bill-excluding-transgender-students-from-school-sportshttps://www.dw.com/en/trump-targets-trans-nonbinary-rights-orders/a-71376679https://www.crowell.com/en/insights/client-alerts/what-private-employers-should-know-following-president-trumps-executive-order-on-sex-and-gender-identityhttps://www.nbcnews.com/video/transgender-rep-sarah-mcbride-reacts-to-trump-gender-policy-229971525605https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/trump-executive-order-transgender-military-dei-rcna189470https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHRZ77K1lr4&ab_channel=CBS19Content Links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_numberhttps://usafacts.org/articles/what-percentage-of-the-us-population-is-transgender/https://glaad.org/transgender-military-service-members-remain-on-duty-judge-rules-trump-order-is-soaked-in-animus-and-lacks-evidence-to-support-ban/
Rather late in the game, we got wind of the first ever Katy Pride Festival, in Katy, Texas. We quickly reached out to the organizers and asked if they had a spot for us. The quickly and generously offered space for Trans Truth to set up our remote recording studio.In this special episode, we interview Amanda Rose, the president of Katy Pride, and Heather Tolleson, Senior Pastor of Katy's First Christian Church. You'll hear about how the festival came to be, and about First Christian Church, Katy, has been bringing their message of hope, love, and inclusion to this Houston suburb for the last ten years.The event is free. There is also an after party, "Wicked With the Queens". Tickets are $25 and $40 (VIP), with proceeds going to the church's "TransParent Closet"https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/diversity/education/transgender-and-gender-nonconforming-patientshttps://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender-people-gender-identity-gender-expressionhttps://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for
In part 2 of our series on trans influences, characters, and themes in various forms of entertainment, we're looking at television. Again, this is a very selective look at those things, but we found some gems that we just had to share
We're taking a break from the serious stuff. We've decided to do a few episodes about transgender subjects in entertainment media; moves, television, and music.First up - the movies, because I am a big ol' film buff and Jeri Ann is a real live movies star!
As you've probably heard, Trans Truth will be on-site at the 5th Annual Woodlands Pride Festival. One of the board members was kind enough to sit down with us for an interview about the festival, it's history, and even a little bit about her role in that history.Little did I know, the interview was going to involve a little bit of serendipity. You'll have to listen to the interview for the whole story, but it turns out that The Woodlands Pride Festival is not the only time Rachael and my paths have crossed.Anyway, this festival is one you don't want to miss. It's something special.News Links:https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/09/07/arkansas-ag-griffin-asks-full-appeals-court-to-reverse-ruling-on-transgender-care-for-minors/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/controversial-transgender-policy-up-for-vote-in-orange-unified-school-district/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/zooey-zephyr-montanas-1st-trans-legislator-became-national-celebrity-rcna97315
Like we were saying in Part 1, much has changed about transphobia, how the vanilla population understands (or more accurately, does notunderstand transgender people.In Part 2, we're focusing on the "moral" objections often made about trans people, and we'll dig into the root of those objections. Here's a hint... it almost always boils down to religion, or more precisely, to the religious right's predilection for (as Jeri Ann puts it) "bellying up to the scripture buffet", to cherry pick the passages they believe will substantiate their judgement. You guessed it... we will not let that stand.News Links:https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/25/texas-transgender-kids-health-care-lawsuit/https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/senator-appears-suggest-bipartisan-bill-will-censor-transgender-conten-rcna103479https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/katy-isd-transgender-policy-administrator-18342816.phphttps://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/spotlight-documentary-on-trans-regret-stirs-heated-debate/news-story/e0d78c822273b28acc80ceaefa9020db
Much has changed since we first discussed transphobia on Trans Truth, and frankly not much of it has been for the better. As we have documented regularly, the Republican Party and other right-wing hate groups have been waging a concerted national campaign of propaganda against trans people. This has led to laws being passed, in at least 21 states, which restrict or eliminate the rights of transgender people. It has also led to a measurable increase in the number of people who disapprove of transgender folk.So join us for part one of Transphobia Revisited, as we dig into what's been happening and why.News Links:https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/lauri-carleton-anti-lgbtq-shooting-b2396348.htmlhttps://www.thepinknews.com/2023/08/17/annette-bening-tribute-trans-son-stephen-inspiration/https://www.jurist.org/news/2023/08/texas-judge-temporarily-blocks-law-banning-gender-affirming-care-for-minors/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2023/michigan-sex-educator-culture-wars/Content Links:https://www.splcenter.org/captain/defining-pseudoscience-networkhttps://www.nbc4i.com/news/investigates/nbc4-investigates-fact-checking-a-widely-run-controversial-ad-on-issue-1/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/07/30/the-connection-between-political-lies-and-conspiracy-theories-00108378https://cdispatch.com/opinions/2023-08-04/armstrong-williams-transgender-women-are-not-women/https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/08/11/frank-laroses-very-bad-day-sec-of-state-dodged-press-issued-angry-statement-as-issue-1-failed/https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/
Another in our series entitled, simply, "Our Stories". In this episode we ask the same questions, and as we're learning, we get some of the same answers and a lot of stuff that's different. That's what we love about this series. We get all get the affirmation of learning that we're not alone in what our journey has been, but we also get some very different, and very personal insights into the unique experiences we all have.News Links:https://thedailyrecord.com/2023/08/03/federal-appeals-court-upholds-ruling-giving-transgender-students-key-bathroom-access/https://www.npr.org/2023/08/03/1191792917/a-family-caught-up-in-missouris-fight-over-transgender-issues-moves-out-of-statehttps://nypost.com/2023/08/07/transgender-woman-orders-ex-to-return-her-testicles/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/beach-boys-poke-fun-at-woke-bud-light-make-them-laughingstock-at-concert/ar-AA1fdoPfhttps://news.yahoo.com/ne-yo-takes-back-apology-220111986.htmlhttps://youtu.be/9eMBuatxLZoAnother in our series entitled, simply, "Our Stories". In this episode we ask the same questions, and as we're learning, we get some of the same answers and a lot of stuff that's different. That's what we love about this series. We get all get the affirmation of learning that we're not alone in what our journey has been, but we also get some very different, and very personal insights into the unique experiences we all have.News Links:https://thedailyrecord.com/2023/08/03/federal-appeals-court-upholds-ruling-giving-transgender-students-key-bathroom-access/https://www.npr.org/2023/08/03/1191792917/a-family-caught-up-in-missouris-fight-over-transgender-issues-moves-out-of-statehttps://nypost.com/2023/08/07/transgender-woman-orders-ex-to-return-her-testicles/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/beach-boys-poke-fun-at-woke-bud-light-make-them-laughingstock-at-concert/ar-AA1fdoPfhttps://news.yahoo.com/ne-yo-takes-back-apology-220111986.htmlhttps://youtu.be/9eMBuatxLZo
The political right is currently obsessed with the myths and horror stories about regret and detransition among transgender individuals, and while we must honestly say that, while such things do happen, they represent a tiny fraction, like less than one percent, of the total number of trans men and women who have transitioned.So we're going to tell the truth about these things because... that's what we do.News Links:https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/trans-men-enter-italian-pageant-after-contest-bans-trans-women-189524549836https://newrepublic.com/article/174394/self-destructive-republican-war-trans-military-membershttps://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/can-states-bans-on-transgender-care-hold-up-in-court-we-break-down-the-argumentshttps://wlos.com/news/local/waynesville-rec-center-locker-room-controversy-sparks-community-debate-on-gender-identityhttps://www.tmz.com/2023/07/20/dog-the-bounty-hunter-dylan-mulvaney-threats-not-serious-disagree-lifestyle/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/transgender-rights-targeted-executive-order-signed-oklahoma-governor-101911239
Today, in the third installment of the "Our Stories" series, Jeri Ann and Kelly interview their long-time on-line friend Sara Doepner.Sarah refers to herself as a "late bloomer", having transitioned relatively late in life. Like so many of us baby boomers, she grew up in a time when there was less understanding of, and certainly a lot less tolerance for, those whose gender identity was "at the far end of the curve", so to speak.Lots of insight and useful information from another one of us who's found herself after a long search.News Links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpNe-GvESnQ&ab_channel=FacetheNationhttps://www.cbsnews.com/video/new-jersey-gov-phil-murphy-says-transgender-issues-have-become-a-complete-culture-war/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/07/23/miss-italy-beauty-contest-bans-transgender-women/