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It is really important to center grace in your life, especially right now with everything going on in the world. So I’m excited to introduce today’s guest on Dem Bois Podcast, because he went so far as to use the word “grace” in his name. In this episode, Grayson Thompson, a Black Jamaican American queer transgender cowboy poet and mental health therapist, shares his journey of identity, family dynamics, and the art of writing. He discusses the significance of his name, the complexities of his relationship with his mother, and the impact of his transition on his life and work. Grayson also reads his poetry, which reflects his experiences and thoughts on love, loss, and acceptance, emphasizing the importance of visibility and representation in the LGBTQ+ community.

We talk:

03:03 Grayson’s name and identity journey

11:46 The role of a mental health therapist

20:23 The significance of family and legacy

31:34 Eldership and visibility

43:15 Reflections on life and death

50:52 The importance of community and support

Click here for transcription!

Episode References:

Donahue (TV Series 1967–1995)

8 Mile (2002)

Sand Bodied Florida Boy 

Foglifter Journal 

Read more about Grayson in his bio below:

Grayson Thompson [he/him] is a Black, Jamaican-American, queer transgender cowboy poet who moonlights as a mental health therapist. A mouthful, Grayson is Foglifter Press's 2024 Start A Riot! Chapbook Prize Winner with “Sand Bodied Florida Boy” (June 2025) and Winner of Write Bloody Publishing's 2024 Jack McCarthy Book Prize (forthcoming September 2025). Grayson has been featured in Cathexis Northwest Press, Cleaver (nominated for Best of the Net Anthology), Poetry Online, and other spaces. A teaching assistant for poet Buddy Wakefield’s Writer’s Anonymous, he supports emerging and established writers. A wanderer, he lives in Northern California and in awe of the ocean

• Instagram: @graysonwrite

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