How to Be a Girl

HTBAG#15: Just Maybe Marlo Mack She hasn't got a womb or ovaries but she wants to be a mommy.  How do I tell my young daughter that she won't ever be a biological mother?  Music credits:   "Child Come Home" by Michael Howard  (Licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0 ) "Flagger" by Blue Dot Sessions  (Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 ) “That Old Harpoon” by Gillicuddy (Licensed under CC BY-...

Raindrops on Roses Marlo Mack My 8-year-old transgender daughter is not giving up.  She's eating popcorn and singing and telling jokes and she has some advice for you. 

HTBAG#14: My Friend Lauren Marlo Mack When I first realized I had a transgender child, Lauren reached out and told me it was going to be OK. Ever since, she's been the one I lean on when I'm terrified. She's the bravest woman I know.  My friend, "Lauren," in 1979.  Music credits:   “George Street Shuffle” and “In Your Arms” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  “Evenhanded” by Po...

HTBAG#13: Play Date Marlo Mack My daughter has lots of friends, and she's big on play dates with other little girls.  But sometimes we need to book a special play date, because sometimes you just need to hang out with somebody who's just like you.   Music Credits: "The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan” by Chris Zabriskie, “Hélice” by Monplaisir, and “Rainbow Street” by S...

HTBAG#12: How to Be a Dad Marlo Mack When my husband and I split up four years ago, we agreed to share custody of our...."son." Four years later, we have a transgender daughter, and the crazy truth is that I've never really asked him how he feels about this.  So I did.  And this is what he said.  (I asked him a few other questions, too.)   Music credits: “The Father’s...

Short and Silly Marlo Mack This isn't a full episode.  Just a little update on what we've been up to, with some very silly audio of my daughter. (What can I say? It's been a silly summer!)  There's also an important announcement about the future of this podcast and some news on my daughter's love life (and mine too!).  Music credits: "Fudge" by Gillicuddy

HTBAG#11: Bathroom Bill Marlo Mack I never thought a bathroom bill - the kind they passed in North Carolina - would come to my home state.  But it did.  They're trying to pass one where I live, and this is the story of my fight (so far) against it.  (You can see more photos related to this story on my blog, gendermom.com .) Music credits: "Heartache" by Broke For Free, "Golden" by L...

HTBAG#10: School (Part II) Marlo Mack This is a continuation of Episode IX. It tells the rest of the story of what happened when my transgender daughter started second grade at a new school. Music credits: "Light Thought Variation 2," "Thatched Villagers," and "Relaxing Piano Music" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven)" by Dr. Phibes and The Ten Plagues of E...

HTBAG#9: School (Part I) Marlo Mack This episode has been six months in the making, because that's how long it took for this story to play out. It's the story of my daughter entering second grade at a new school where we knew no one, almost no one knew her secret, and I had no idea how I was going to keep her safe. Music credits: "Blackbird" and "Light Thought Variation 2" by Kevin MacLeod (incomp...

HTBAG#8: Meeting Laverne Marlo Mack Earlier this year, my daughter got to meet the transgender TV star Laverne Cox. I wrote about it for my blog , and that heart-warming, feel-good post went crazy viral on the internet.  But there's more to the story.  Here it is. My daughter gave her first interview (to Amy Poehler's Smart Girls website): Check it out! Music credits: "Hearts Mend (Prelu...

When my "son" first started saying that "he" was actually a "she," I went looking for information. I wanted hard numbers. I wanted data. I wanted science to tell me to do. This is what I discovered.

This episode is a little different from the others I've made. It's mostly just my daughter talking, answering my questions about what it's like being a transgender six year old.   HTBAG#6: The Interview Marlo Mack

She's six years old and transgender.  I'm a single mom.  This is what happens when we both hit the dating scene and compare notes about it. HTBAG#5: Looking for Love Marlo Mack Music credits: "Night Owl" by Broke for Free, "Is This What Mama Meant" by Michaela Anne.

HTBAG #4: Tom Boy Trans Girl Marlo Mack How girlie do you have to be to secure your spot in the girl club?  And what happens when your own mother questions your girl credentials?  Bonus: The Origins of Acrobat Girl: Marlo Mack Acrobat Girl Music credits:  "Action" and "Eastern" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Xena: Warrior Princess - Main Title" by Joseph LoDuca.

HTBAG #3: How Old is Gender? Marlo Mack Am I insane?  How can I be so sure that my young child is transgender? Music credits: "Her Love Comes in Air" by soundZcapa, "Gato" by Rod Hamilton, "Kaikou" by Satori.

What's it like raising a transgender child? How did your family respond? What about school? How in the world does this work? This episode gives you the low-down on what daily life is really like for us.

When he was three years old, my son informed me that she was actually my daughter. I'm now the mother of a happy, confident little transgender girl, but it took a while to get here.