Fifty Shades of Gender

Evey Winters is a transgender advocate, educator, and hot sauce addict. Evey's pronouns are she/her . She uses the labels transgender and transsexual woman , and also educates about both of these labels. Find out what that means to Evey in this episode. Find out what that means to Evey in this episode. We also talk about identity and how it forms, manhood and womanhood vs masculinity and femininit...

Harris is a coach and LGBTQ+ advocate on a mission to educate the general population about gender identity. They're also the host of The Transection Podcast, the third season of which is airing on April 30th. Harris's pronouns are they/them or ey/em . They identify as trans non-binary , agender and trans-masculine . Find out what that means to Harris in this episode. We also talk about doing gende...

Bella's pronouns are she/her , and she is a trans woman – with more emphasis on the woman part than the trans part. Find out what that means to Bella in this episode. We also talk about what affects how we're perceived, how noticing small moments of genuine happiness can help us embrace our identity, finding a name that feels right, what settling into femininity can look like, how films and tv are...

Genevieve is a sex and relationship therapist (in training). Genevieve's pronouns are they/them . They say the easiest terms are non-binary and queer , and they definitely identify as trans as well. Find out what that means to Genevieve in this episode. We also talk about being born into activism, performing womanhood, reframing feminism, women's spaces vs LGBTQ spaces, how what's 'normal' is rigi...

Devi Irony is a dominant and sex worker, as well as an activist and educator in the kink and BDSM scene. Devi's pronouns are they/them , and they are a non-binary person. Find out what that means to Devi in this episode. We also talk about the freedom that can come from embracing a label, how certain body parts are not necessarily gender markers, societal conditioning and standards and playing wit...

Charlie Orriss says he would love to be a mental health ambassador one day. Charlie's pronouns are he/him , and he identifies as an FTM (Female To Male) trans man . Find out what that means to Charlie in this episode. We also talk about labels as a protection as well as a hindrance, how gender and mental health go hand in hand, the therapeutic benefits of cosplay, and what Dissociative Identity Di...

Yas is a journalist and writer based in London. Yas's pronouns are they/them , and they identify as non-binary . Find out what that means to Yas in this episode. We also talk about detaching activities from gender, pre-colonial gender identities, the importance of writing a will and letter of wishes, why it is essential for public health policy to accurately record trans and non-binary gender iden...

Jareth is a multifaceted transgender creature who dabbles in multiple types of artistic expression and crafting, and is also a professional model. Jareth's pronouns are he/him . He is transgender and also likes to use the labels agenderflux , demiboy and alien . Find out what that means to Jareth in this episode. We also talk about the nuances of gender labels, the difference between gender identi...

Cassian's pronouns are they/them and they identify as non-binary and agender . Find out what that means to Cassian in this episode. Cassian started the Gender Census in 2011 and they talk about their main learnings and insights in the nine years of running it. We also talk about finding gender inside (or not), navigating public toilets, passion and experience versus education, the overlap between...

Rachel Lange is a parent, freelance writer and artist, as well as editor of QueerPGH, a community-led publication out of Pittsburgh. Rachel loves to hear they/them pronouns, but is not offended by she or he if they are well-intended. They are a non-binary queer autistic person . Find out what that means to Rachel in this episode. We also talk about questioning everything and looking at things diff...

Cameron is a Doctor of Computer Science and University Lecturer. Cameron's pronouns are she/her , and she is a newly discovered woman. She refers to herself as female but trans . Find out what that means to Cameron in this episode. We also talk about gender roles in society and relationships, how life has changed after coming out only a month before this conversation took place, and the role of lo...

CN Lester is a musician, writer, researcher, queer/trans/feminist activist, and author of the book Trans Like Me. CN's pronouns are they/them , and they are a trans person. Find out what that means to CN in this episode. We also talk about the importance of strategy when it comes to gender education, effects of testosterone on the singing voice, books, and the queer history of opera. CW: castratio...

Cassie is a writer and public speaker focusing on intersectionality and social justice. She's the founder of Empowered Trans Woman and Smart Sluts, a sex-positive community of women. Cassie's pronouns are she/her , and she is a Latina woman of trans experience . Find out what that means to Cassie in this episode. We also talk about the subtleties and challenges of inclusive language, internalised...

Joe is an educator and trainer on improving inclusivity in workplaces and schools at the Norfolk LGBT+ Project, and he's also an artist running a small business as an illustrator. Joe's pronouns are he/him , and he identifies as a femme boy , non-binary , and trans . Find out what that means to Joe in this episode. We also talk about socialisation and reinforcing gender stereotypes, performing gen...

Rachel is a keen traveller and regular speaker at tech events, usually on the subject of community building. Rachel's pronouns are she/her , and she's not fond of using gender labels for herself. In her words, she is a woman and identifies as a motorcyclist, a technologist, and many other things. Find out what that means to Rachel in this episode. We also talk about being something versus identify...

Ray's pronouns are he/him , and he identifies as a  binary transgender man , who also happens to be gay . Find out what that means to Ray in this episode. We also talk about how feminism includes everyone, why some men need reproductive health care, the difference between male and female banter, approaching the gender journey from a neurodivergent perspective, and the distinction between using lab...

Angus Brown (or Annie to her close friends) is a musician and performance poet whose writing is heavily influenced by themes of gender, sexuality and mental health. Angus's pronouns are she/her and she identifies as as a transgender woman and butch lesbian . Find out what that means to Angus in this episode. We also talk about the balance of masculinity and femininity, the evolution of the word 'l...

This is another episode that's different from the usual format. We are reversing roles, so Katy is interviewing Esther as she reflects on conversations she's had with gender-diverse folks, what she's learned about gender, as well as her own journey and how she evolved through it. We talk about what it means to Esther to be cisgender, what gender diversity (or a lack thereof) was like growing up, h...

Alf is a Danish tiny-house-living minimalist training to become a circus artist. Alf's pronouns are they/them . They are transgender and identifiy as agender and non-binary . Find out what that means to Alf in this episode. We also talk about observing gender from a distance, the obstacles on their transition journey, hormone imbalances and the effects they can have, and asking the question 'what ...

Robin Rice is an internationally published author, social change artist and mentor to leaders. Robin uses she/her pronouns and considers herself a cisgender woman . She is the mother of two sons, one of whom is transgender , and runs a project called Your Holiday Mom, which is all about offering LGBTQ youth a loving mother's support between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. If you'd like to offer s...

Hannah's pronouns are she/her , and she doesn't mind  they/them . She is transgender , and although not fond of labels, the terms non-binary and asexual semi-resonate with her as well. Find out what that means to Hannah in this episode. We also talk about gender identity versus biology versus sexuality, to what degree gender defines you, why the term 'gender confirmation surgery' is a better term...

Felix is a figure skater and university student, who plans to go into teaching. Felix's pronouns are they/them . They are non-binary transgender  and describe their sexuality as queer . We also talk about the difficulty with fitting in boxes, having to perform gender, how body and identity are different, the binariness in teaching and sports, and how you can figure out your gender at any age. More...

Ela is an artist from London, who epicentres her work on classics, binarism and horses. Ela's pronouns are she/her or they/them . She identifies as a transgender woman and is an anti Intersex Genital Mutilation activist . Find out what that means to Ela in this episode. We also talk about the roots of the word hermaphrodite, how the gender-critical movement is far from new, Hippocrates as a gender...

This is a slightly different episode than usual. It's  Transgender Awareness Week this week, and Esther has a conversation with two cisgender LGBTIQA+ people; Tiga-Rose, an intimacy coach and sex therapist in training, and Ophelia, an historian, archivist and conservator, under the watchful eye (or ear) of project co-creator Katy Jon Went, who is transgender and non-binary, about how to be a bette...

Sophie is a forty-something married parent of three kids and somewhere on the trans spectrum. Sophie's pronouns are she/her . She uses the words  transsexual and transvestite of herself, but considers herself to be a work in progress and very much Sophie. Find out what that means to her in this episode. We also talk about finding the balance in family dynamics, having two different personas, and b...