Lately most of the news of trans people has been negative. Murders, violence, harmful and ignorant legislation… It is often hard to remember the great things that members of our community are doing in spite of all of this. So tonight we are going to focus on a member of our community that is not only surviving, but thriving and is helping other transgender and gender non-conforming people to do the same: the Founder and CEO of the Juxtaposed Center for Transformation in Atlanta, Tracee McDaniel.
The Trans Sexual Experience
Trigger Warning: We will be talking about our personal experiences tonight and as with most topics on this show, we’re not always certain what roads this conversation might lead down. We’re going to do our best to keep this PG-13, but we want to warn folks that if someone feels compelled to share a negative experience, we are certainly not going to squelch that.
Very often trans people are reduced. They are reduced to their names, their pronouns, their parts and their surgeries. Trans people are constantly subject to inappropriate questions, assumptions and stereotypes about any number of experiences in …
Transitioning the Small Town South
It’s no secret that living as trans can be a challenge. That is particularly true in the small towns of the deep south. There is a massive amount of evidence that successfully transitioning, however one might define that, is monumentally easier with access to resources and a healthy support system. That also holds true after one has “completed” their transition, also however one might define that. It’s also no surprise that, considering the law of averages, that the smaller the town, the fewer resources are available. Throw in the degree to which a town is considered to be conservative or …
Transgender Wellness: Access to Care
Access to health care has lately been a hotly debated topic, both inside and outside of the transgender and genderqueer community. What’s covered, what’s not, who is covered and who is not. It’s a discussion that cuts across class, race, sex, and gender identity. Now, with the Affordable Care Act, there is even more debate and discussion. A good number of these decisions particularly affect the trans\* community.
Tonight, Danielle Askini – Policy Director at Basic Rights Oregon, will join us to discuss the current climate of health care as it relates to the trans\* and queer community and the …
Life’s Transitions: Moving Beyond Gender Reassignment
As trans and genderqueer people we often become so focused on our social, mental and physical transitions that they grow to be larger than life. So much so that we forget that a transition is just another word for a shift. A shift in thinking, a shift in geography, a shift in expectations, a shift in marital status or family size. They all affect us as human beings and they are yet another layer to our complex lives as trans*, gender queer, and queer people. And when we forget, it makes it that much easier for people outside our community …
Social Work Diversity in Mental Health
Most people acknowledge that mental health issues are not handled as seriously as other health issues. There are misunderstandings, victim blaming, and the inaccurate belief that someone living with mental illness can simply ‘cheer up’ or get through it. What most people don’t know is the diverse ways in which social workers exist in the world of mental health. There is not only a myriad of ways that social workers practice, but also a requirement for diversity and cultural competence and an ever-present need for diversity among providers. Join us as we discuss these issues and their impact on the …
Relationship Politics: Race & Gender Identity in Dating
On this episode of The Strong Stance, we will open the dialogue on gender, race and interracial dating because the reality is that we aren’t as progressive as we like to think we are. The reality is that race and gender do play critical roles in our relationships and how outsiders view those connections–more than we admit in public, polite society. Tune into this show as we talk about the reality and the misconceptions of interracial dating. In what ways do race and gender identity play a role in who we have romantic relationships with? Is the personal really political? …
Speaking out on Sexual Assault
In general, many people find the topic of sexual assault extremely uncomfortable to discuss, but it’s imperative that we have the conversation. Given that we don’t shy away from difficult topics on The Strong Stance, we are going to tackle this issue head on. Join us as we speak to Nicole Armstead and Christa Heilman from the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C. about the resources for survivors of sexual assault and the unique experiences of those that are trans and gender non-conforming.
Evan Higginbotham
This past weekend I was the keynote speaker at Lavender Graduation at The University of Alabama and I was reminded of how different DC and Alabama can be with regard to queer and trans* rights. We often discuss issues on The Strong Stance and statistics on how those issues affect trans* people. Tonight we are going to take a step back and look at how these issues have affected one person in particular.
Evan Higginbotham is a transgender gay male, from Tuscaloosa Alabama. He is a junior at the University of Alabama, studying psychology, with a minor in addictive disorders …
Elevation Thru Celebration
When it comes to elevating the queer community we often focus on activism and education, but we don’t often look at how the celebratory events we hold can elevate the community. Of course everyone knows about Pride, but what other events are recognizing our community in an uplifting way?
Tonight, The Strong Stance will talk with Ebone F. Bell and Josh Burford. Ebone is the Founder and Managing Editor of Tagg Magazine; and Josh is an archivist, an activist, and a radical educator with over 15 years’ experience working with minority communities and diversity education.
Resources:
Tagg Magazine: http://taggmagazine.com/
TaggFest …