Transgender Woman Talking

This episode continues Elle's series asking the question about gender identity, Am I Transgender? This edition stands alone but is probably best absorbed in the context of the previous five (linked below). Elle talks about the spiritual nature of her transition, and how she made sense of it as someone who believes in the divine, the camaraderie she experienced meeting and hearing the stories o...

In this week's episode, Elle tackles a question submitted by a listener about the mental and emotional effects of hormone replacement therapy. Discussions about the physical bodily results of HRT are discussed ad-nauseum on forums like Reddit, but sometimes the subtle impacts that take place between our ears are lost in the shuffle. For many trans people, some of the most palpable changes thro...

In this week's episode, Elle discusses Laurie Frankel's 2017 book " This Is How It Always Is ", now in its second printing from Flatiron Books. The book is a novel about a family with a trans young person, and the trials and travails they all go through navigating a transphobic heterosexist cissexist world. In the episode, Elle discusses some of her reflections on the book, the p...

This episode is a recording of Elle's most recent creative work, a sermon given at Paradox Church in Redlands , a congregation that is enthusiastically affirming of LGBTQ people, anti-racist, and feminist. Elle's friend Craig is the lead pastor of the church and has invited her several times now to speak to the community. Paradox Church follows the Revised Common Lectionary and as such, El...

Elle talks about a small ministry based out of her previous denomination, and some of the harmful messages it espouses about queer folks. She discusses and unpleasant online interaction with former ministry colleagues, and her unvarnished responses to their messages. The episode also touches on the following themes and resources: Religious Fundamentalism Trusting Your Intuition The positive impact...

Elle talks about her experience over the course of the last year, publishing Transgender Woman Talking Podcast weekly. She reflects on what she's learned about the weekly discipline of creating, regrets about the past and fears about the future, and hopes for how the program will continue to unfold. In addition, Elle invites some feedback from you both on an upcoming logo change to the show, c...

In this episode, Elle discusses her personality trait of people pleasing, a set of behaviors not uncommon to trans people. She reflects on the sources of this characteristic from her background in religion, and at home, exploring how the interplay of environment and genetics likely produced it. Among other themes, Elle talks about getting our needs met, finding our voice, spinning the truth, losin...

Elle takes a stab at reflecting on the movie everyone is talking about - and seeing! In the program she discusses the patriarchy, and gender-based hierarchies in general, asking "How does patriarchy affect trans people?" She also explores some of the overt and covert trans themes in the film, and how the experience of femininity and womanhood expressed in the film is shared by her and he...

Elle reflects on the current political conversations surrounding trans people and access to gender-affirming medical care -- which often hinges upon cisgender people's worries about regret. She talks about what the research says about detransition and regret, which is far less common than often portrayed by homophobic haters. Elle discussed and pointed to some excellent work by Lexi Henny ( cl...

Elle talks about her experience with doubt as it relates to gender identity, and transition. She reflects on the cultural pressures prevailing on trans people to "get it right" as well as the personal consequences that come to us when we pretend to know it all in whatever sense. Some of the themes touched in this episode include: passing as a transgender person, finding partners, cultura...

Elle continues her series, "Am I transgender?", a question most trans people will ask themselves over the course of their lives (and sometimes, rarely, cisgender people as well). In this episode, she talks about three primary themes that are elements of her answer to the inquiry. New dysphoria that emerges after transition begins, Elle's personal sense of mission and its connection t...

Elle talks about some aspects of living with a disability, and whether or not trans identities or Gender Dysphoria should be considered as such. The episode begins with a reflection on the brilliant 2020 documentary "Crip Camp" which is now available on Netflix (click here). It continues with exploration of the ways in which transgender identities do not resemble disability. Elle talks about Ablei...

This week's episode is a re-broadcast of an interview that Elle gave with Rachel Freemon Sowers, host and producer of Road to Radical Visibility podcast, and marriage and family therapist in California. Learn more about Rachel and her work on her website: https://www.rachelfreemonsowers.com/, on her instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/rachelfreemonsowers/?hl=en . Rachel's podcast can...

During this pride month, Elle offers some unsolicited advice to allies (or would-be allies) out there wishing to improve support of their trans loved ones. This episode is a bit of a continuation from the last one where Elle talked with her wife about how spouses navigate having a partner transition. Some of the themes touched on in this episode include pronoun use, the politicization of transgend...

Many of the listeners of Transgender Woman Talking Podcast are cisgender partners of trans people, or other allies. In this week's episode, Elle is joined by her wife of 18 years, Paige, to talk about the experience of a spouse going through transition with their partner. Paige gives advice to cisgender partners out there, and offers some insight and hope on the process. Themes in this episode...

Elle talks about her experiences with Pride and Pride month. Pride has drawbacks and great benefits, effective effects as well as impotent ones. Recently, a Reddit post discussed some of the disappointments we collectively experience when it comes to pride -- Elle adds her own voice to that conversation . She reflects on the political conversations surrounding trans people currently, including law...

Elle discusses her personal reactions to the novel "Mad Honey" written by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boyland ( click here for Amazon listing ). The book was published late in 2022 and has received many positive reviews, as well as some irrational hate by "aNti wOkE" warriors. In the episode, Elle offers her reflections on reading the novel, and ideas that it brought to mi...

On this week's new episode, Elle reflects on endings, beginnings, graduations, rites of passage, and the nature of change for human beings. This one is out a couple days late due to graduation ceremonies that she participated in over the weekend -- finishing her degree to become a licensed psychotherapist. . As always, thank you for listening, reviewing, rating, and sending your constructive f...

This week's episode is the first re-run of the program's history. This one was originally published back in October of 2022 and is one of the most popular of the 40 or so editions now out in the feed. Elle will be back next week with a fresh one. . Should I transition? This is a question a lot of trans people ask themselves at one time or another. The answer might seem obvious -- and it is...

Elle discusses the practice (or habit) of avoidance as a coping mechanism for stress. The term, "Ostrich Effect" is sometimes derided in pop-psychology circles as disordered avoidance or dissociation. But she argues that there are times in which it can be effective and even constructive for surviving. In the episode, Elle refers to the current political climate and social conversations a...

Elle continues the series asking the question, "Am I transgender?", an inquiry that comes to the forefront of trans people's mind at some point in their lives or another (or repeatedly). In this iteration of the series, Elle talks about looking at herself in the mirror, disassociation from thoughts and feelings, grieving the childhood and young adulthood I wish I'd had, my willin...

Elle solves the question of the ages (/s) for TWaT listeners this week on the show as she tackles the conundrum of how people change in their lives. Among her reflections on this enormous topic include mentions of her therapeutic approach as studied in her Masters therapy program from Alliant University, Father Richard Rohr's "Falling Upwards" ( click here ), Julia Serano's &quot...

Elle brings you along with her on a trip back to her hometown. Some of her friends share their words of wisdom on the program, and Elle squeezes in a bit of sightseeing in between bouts of homework wrestling. A theme that seems to emerge during this Travelogue episode is Elle's feelings about fitting in (or not), and what it means to be home. . Photos of this week's trip: https://www.amazo...

Elle dips her toes into the conversation about Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) and JK Rowling and her new podcast, The Witch Trials of JK Rowling. She reflects on her internal impulses to condemn and empathize with folks like Rowling -- as well as the strangely validating experience of not being seen, trusted, or heard. Elle refers to Julia Serano's famous Trans Woman Manifesto fr...

Elle talks about things that scared her before she began transitioning; things that froze her into inaction. She reflects on the ways in which fear holds us back, and also about how it can show us the way to courage. This episode touches on so-called "imposter syndrome", Pandora's Box, the validity of transition as a "treatment" for gender dysphoria, the financial and socia...