TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones

As the war in Gaza continues, Imara talks to trans people with valuable perspectives and knowledge from lived experience. First, she’s joined by Palestinian American chef and advocate Marcelle Afram, who shares memories of his family in Palestine, the emotional fallout of October 7, and his advocacy work through Hospitality for Humanity. Then, Imara talks with former New York Times contributing wr...

As theatergoers flock to Broadway during the holiday season, Imara talks with two talented performers about their experiences on and off the stage. First, she chats with actor and singer Justin David Sullivan about their role in the Broadway musical & Juliet as well as their decision to pull out of consideration for the Tony Awards due to its binary gender categories. Next, Imara is joined by...

Holiday shopping is the perfect opportunity to support trans makers and business owners. This year, Imara sits down with two entrepreneurs making products by and for our community. First, she’s joined by drag artist and founder of Mintty Makeup, Junior Mintt, who shares how she went from googling “how to start a makeup brand” to selling her products in over 650 JCPenny locations. Next, Imara chats...

Imara honors Native American Heritage Month by joining in conversation with two indigenous changemakers about their identities, cultures, and advocacy. First, she’s joined by scholar and educator charlie amáyá scott, who discusses Diné conceptions of the self, Barbie and indigenous representation, and her complex relationship with her grandmother. Next, Imara chats with activist and educator Cleop...

Imara chats with award-winning activist, author, and media strategist Raquel Willis about her new memoir The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation . It tells the story of Raquel’s remarkable life, from her childhood in Georgia to her groundbreaking work as a national trans rights organizer, thought leader, and co-founder of Transgender Week of Visibility and Action. In this expansive conv...

As we continue to celebrate LGBT History Month, Imara is joined by two leading trans scholars to discuss our community’s history and future. First, she talks with historian Dr. Susan Stryker about the last century of trans life and activism in the United States. They discuss why Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has been overlooked in the story of trans history, how to make sense of today’s reactionary pol...

To celebrate the beginning of LGBT History Month, Imara is joined by legendary trans activist and Stonewall veteran Miss Major. She shares her experience becoming a mother, gives advice to young trans people today, and explains why the fight for our rights will always be stronger than anti-trans policies and political parties.  Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on Instagram , Threads , &...

Like transness, fatness is politicized and stigmatized in nearly every part of our culture. So how do fat trans people navigate the challenges and joys at the intersection of these identities? To get more insight, Imara first chats with theorist and storyteller Da’Shaun L. Harrison about the history and politics of anti-Fatness, anti-Blackness, and transphobia. They discuss the colonial roots of f...

As models and designers flock to New York Fashion Week, Imara takes a look at the world of trans fashion. First, she speaks with model and activist, Ady Del Valle, about how he went from posting on Instagram to walking in New York Fashion Week. Ady also opens up about her coming out experience and how she wants to open the door for more plus sized models in the industry. Next, Imara is joined by S...

From the work of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to the Covid-19 pandemic, mutual aid has long been key to trans survival. To find out what trans mutual aid looks like today, Imara speaks with organizers Asanni Armon and Tuck Woodstock in this episode replay from 2022. First, Asanni explains how party-based organization For the Gworls is disrupting conventional approaches to fundraising and ai...

There are few things more policed in life than sex and sexuality. For lots of trans folks, learning to embrace themselves as sexual beings is a journey all its own. But it can also be healing and affirming. In this pursuit of pleasure and liberation, many trans folks embrace kink. In this episode replay from the summer of 2022, Imara invites BDSM educator and sex worker advocate Ze R to talk about...

It’s time for summer vacation! Imara takes a look at the joys and complications of travel for the trans community. First, she’s joined by Nala Touissant, founder of Reuniting of African Descendants (ROAD), who discusses her work facilitating healing and connection between trans and queer people across the African Diaspora, and the magic of cross-border cultural exchange. Then Imara is interviewed...

Disinformers ultimately want their narratives to filter into trusted sources where they can almost imperceptibly begin to shift public opinion. In this episode, Imara dives into how Christian Nationalists have successfully made The New York Times—arguably the world’s most powerful news organization—into an agent of their views. The fact that they have done so is a degree of success beyond what the...

Various parts of the right wing disinformation machine effectively work in tandem to elevate junk science and platform people spreading anti-trans hate. In this episode, Imara takes a deep dive into the inner workings of this world by following the rise of Abigail Shrier, a woman who rose quickly from obscurity to become a so-called expert spreading the myth of social contagion. We'll explore how...

Texas legislators introduced over 50 anti-trans bills during the 2023 session and will soon become the largest state to ban gender affirming care. Imara takes a look at what’s going on in the state and how advocates are fighting back. First, she speaks with organizer and educator Adri Pérez about their experience being arrested and sustaining a concussion at the Texas Capitol. Next, she’s joined b...

Imara shares a new podcast that TransLash listeners are sure to love: Sounds Gay . In this mixtape of documentaries, host Sarah Esocoff takes you to rap battles, mosh pits, and songwriting sessions. It explores non-binary identity through emo music and trans history through a lost VHS tape. Sounds Gay tells stories of queer people whose lives have been transformed by music. In this episode, Sarah...

Imara celebrates the release of Artistic Legacies, a three-part docuseries featuring the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) Collective. First, she’s joined by BTFA Founder and Executive Director, Jordyn Jay, who opens up about the organization’s journey from a small meet-up to a powerhouse of Black trans art and creative community. Next, Imara talks with musician, photographer, and advocate Ima...

Imara is joined by the model and author of Horse Barbie: A Memoir , Geena Rocero. They discuss Geena’s childhood and experience as a pageant queen in the Philippines and her later immigration to the United States. It’s a powerful conversation where Geena shares about her fear of being outed while working as a model in the 90’s, her decision to come out publicly and what it means for her to tell he...

The Biden Administration has proposed a change to Title IX that would prohibit schools from categorically banning trans students from sports teams that align with their identity. But many advocates have criticized the new rule, pointing out that schools would still have leeway to discriminate based on exceptions around competitive advantage and risk of injury. In this episode, Imara unpacks the pr...

Disinformation must spread in ways that are imperceptible and seemingly organic. Join us for Episode 3 of Season 2 of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine for a deep dive into the massive influence of the fringe blog 4th Wave Now, where parents who are hostile to their trans kids gather to spread conspiracy theories about the origins of gender identity. It’s influenced liberal parents like Jeanne Ogden, wh...

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Imara sits down with two leading AAPI trans community organizers. First, she speaks with Hawaiian cultural ambassador and activist Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, who shares her coming out experience and talks about ways gender is expressed across Polynesian cultures and languages. Next, Imara is joined by outgoing Executive Direct...

Disinformation campaigns need archetypes to advance their propaganda. In Episode 2 of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine Season 2, we see how Christian Nationalists have teamed up with TERFs, and even Dianic Witches, to find people who are “ex-trans” in a hopeless attempt to show that transgender people aren’t real. Join us as we follow Ky Schevers and her journey into the depths of the detransition move...

Republicans in Texas and Florida are pursuing a devastating new line of attack against trans youth: separating them from their supportive parents. This week, Imara discusses the politics and consequences of these family separation efforts with two people working on the frontlines. First, she’s joined by former Texas Child Protective Services employee Morgan Hardee Davis, who shares his harrowing e...

Every day, attacks on trans kids grow louder, and more anti-trans bills keep moving through state legislatures. How did this happen? In Episode 1 of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine Season 2, we tell you how lessons learned by Christian Nationalists twenty years ago, in the fight to undermine gay rights by preserving conversion therapy, set the stage for today. Join us as we show how the ability t...

As legislative attacks on the trans community continue across the United States, the Transgender Bill of Rights offers one path to bolstering protections on the federal level. First, Imara talks with Representative Pramila Jayapal about her work as co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force and her efforts to introduce the Transgender Bill of Rights in Congress. Next, Imara is joined by the E...