The Gender Rebels Podcast

TW: Discussion of suicide. . . . LGBTQ people often have to deal with rejection, despair, or loneliness. Sometimes that can lead to a particularly dark place. In this episode we look at the story of transgender girl Leelah Alcorn who, after coming out to her religious parents, faced rejection, isolation, and abuse that led her to take her own life at the young age of 17.  If you or someone you kno...

Who cares about passing? It's not everyone's goal and sometimes it's just a realistic goal. So how does that affect transition? This week we answer a question we got off twitter. The listener asks "I'm a transwoman and musician and podcaster and love your podcast. But I would love to have a conversation about being a transwoman that doesn't pass or care to, that deals with another side of the same...

  Does being transgender mean you have to accept binary gender roles? In this episode we answer two different listener questions. Hanna writes "How does one know what to change when transitioning? This seems related to the pressure everyone feels on some level to embody the vague collective ideals of one's multiple social roles (gender or otherwise), but trans people have extra baggage from anothe...

What changes for a cis partner of someone who's transitioning? In this episode we answer a listener question from Jane who asks "Here is my question, and it is really for Kath...How did finding out Faith is transgender affect you? I think in many ways you have transitioned too, how has your transition gone?"  Also for the curious, here is the Wikipedia page for asymptote . Also be sure and check o...

Is coming out to one person really coming out? Or are you just inviting them into the closet with you? In this episode we'll answer a listener question on the difficulties of only being out to some, but not all, the people in your life. Our listener asks "When I came out it was a huge strain on my relationship with my mother. Both my father and sister separately told me that one of the things that...

Transition is already hard. Seeing other people's amazing results can sometimes make things even harder. In this episode we answer a question from a listener who writes "I have a partner who is trans masculine and has been on HRT for a year and just got top surgery two days ago. While watching them go through their transition I have come to the realization that I too am NOT cis. I now identify as...

Does transition mean going against God's plan? In this episode we answer a listener question from a transwoman. She asks "I am finally taking steps necessary to create the happiness and peace I need in my life through transition. I have come out to some people who are very close to me but have not come out to my parents. I have this itching feeling that my mom knows. She confronted my fiancé about...

How open should you be about expressing your true gender if people aren't supportive? In this episode we answer a listener question from Quinn who writes "I'm planning on getting HRT, and I really don't want to hide it from my parents, but I think I will have to. I just don't feel comfortable with talking to them about my gender because they said they weren't ready for the change. I am going to go...

Dating is already hard enough. Adding crossdressing to the mix can make things even more difficult. In this episode we answer a listener question from Natasha who asks "I'm a cis male, straight crossdresser with no intent to transition. After purging and buying clothes/breastforms/makeup for the what feels like the 20th time in a row, I'm done suppressing the femme side of me. The problem lies in...

Hormones can change a lot. But how much do they affect ones sexual arousal? In this episode we'll answer two different (but related) questions from listeners Sammie and Cici. They write: "We are a cis woman and trans woman in the early stages of hormone therapy and have a question for you: Erections!? Sammie’s doc told her that the end of erections is how they judge the success of the hormone ther...

There's a lot of letters in LGBTQAI+. But people waren't limited to just one. In this episode, Kath and Faith discuss Faith's own history growing up not only transgender but also gay.  Be sure to check out Matt Baume's YouTube channel for a lot of great videos about the history of LGBTQ representation in popular media, especially classic American sitcoms. Here's his video  Ellen [DeGeneres] Gives...

Relationships are already hard. But when one partner transitions they can sometimes get harder. In this episode we answer a listener question from someone who asks "What have you seen trans people do to support and enrich the lives of their cis partners? How can I be more than a burden?"  Support us on Patreon  to help us keep making great content, and to get some cool rewards—like drinks with us ...

Coming out to family is hard. But what about extended family members that you're not close with? In this week's episode we'll tackle the important question of whether Faith should come out as a transwoman to her highly conservative and religious grandmother. Is it worth it to keep things simple so other family members don't have to remember who you're out to yet? Or should one just not try and roc...

No one likes to be misgendered. But what point do you stop being patient with people?  In episode we answer a listener question from James who asks "When does the grace period end? I’ve come out as trans to everyone in my life at this point, but there are a few who still aren’t getting it. They use the wrong pronouns, name, and never apologize. It’s been several months now and these 'problem peopl...

What does transgirl Faith think of her first electrolysis? In this two question episode we'll first answer a listener question from Danika who is a non-binary therapist with anxiety about how their presentation might affect their work. And we'll also discuss Faith's thoughts on getting her facial hair the electrolysis treatment.   Be sure and check out Dara Hoffman-Fox's page for some great NB con...

Coming out to a partner can be difficult. But there are ways that you can make it way more difficult for yourself. In this episode Faith and Kath discuss some really, really bad ways to come out to an SO.  Be sure and check out Dara Hoffman-Fox's page for some great NB content.  Support us on Patreon  to help us keep making great content, and to get some cool rewards—like drinks with us at Stonewa...

Presenting as female is no small feat, even for cis women. Transwomen sometimes have a lot of catching up to do in the "living as a female" department. And cis women have had their entire lives to figure it out! Does that intimidate Faith? Support us on Patreon  to help us keep making great content, and to get some cool rewards—like drinks with us at Stonewall Inn! Check out  our website  for our...

(Note: skip to 16:29 for the BEST costume for closeted/ questioning MtFs seeking last-minute ideas.) Listener Jaylah is still male-presenting, and she asks if she can use a Halloween party as an opportunity to girl up for the first time.  Her important colleagues and awesome new friends will be at the party. Or will it raise too many eyebrows? The tricky theme for the party just increases the chal...

Listener Vanessa is asking the hard questions!  What if you used to be Gryffindor but now come up Ravenclaw? Are all transpeople automatically Gryffindor? What is the Sorting Hat's actual methodology of personality assessment? Is the Sorting Hat clairvoyant? And the name "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" is so binary. What do enbies do? Be sure to also check out Faith's piece Being Tran...

   Just listen, silly!

  Not everyone who CAN be stealth WANTS to be stealth. Thanks to a great listener question from Devin, Faith and Kath discuss the pros and cons of being stealth, including the effect of social media. What's the best way to make this decison? What do you think? Are you stealth, or loud & proud? Support us on Patreon  to help us keep making great content, and to get some cool rewards—like drinks wit...

Should you come out during the interview? On the first day? In the first month? Never?  Changing jobs is extra tricky outside the gender binary. Whether your work is blue-collar, white-collar, pink-collar, or other, Faith and Kath discuss all the factors to consider when making big changes in your professional life.  Support us on Patreon  to help us keep making great content, and to get some cool...

You know that complex emotion, when you have to change out of your real presentation and go back to your assigned presentation?  It feels worse than just changing clothes. It's so unspeakably bad/ sad/ wrong/ unfair. Kath and Faith try to come up with a name that encompasses all these nasty painful facets.   Big thanks to listener Xan for the question.  She recommends Tomorrow Will Be Different: L...

Lots of gruesome details in this one.  But we wanted to be really sure we convinced you that silicone injections from an unlicensed practitioner in, like, a hotel room??  Bad idea. Faith already knew this thanks to TS Roadmap . We hope you did too.

The amazing people at the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia have done it again. They organize the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference every year. This is a gathering of trans and cis doctors, lawyers, therapists, scientists, professors, vendors, social workers, health insurance insiders, artists, activists, poets, writers, YouTubers, podcasters, clergy, parents, nurses, comedians, entrepeneurs, an...