Demystifying the Transgender Journey

From Surviving to Thriving: Amber Fourman on Authenticity, Transition & Visibility | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey", hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Amber Fourman, a transgender woman in the construction industry who spent decades hiding her identity to survive bullying, an abusive father, workplace risk, and harmful re...

From Coal Country to Ohio Politics: Arienne Childrey on Transition, Visibility and Service | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole talk with Arienne (Ari) Childrey, an Ohio community leader, advocate, and candidate for Ohio House District 84 who became the first transgender person in Ohio history to serve on a...

Nico Lang on American Teenager: Centering Trans Youth Voices, Joy, and Survival Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome award-winning journalist and author Nico Lang to discuss Lang’s bestseller "American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era." Lang explains why they spent a year traveling the U.S. and immersing for weeks with families to present transgend...

Venus de Mars: Punk Rock Pioneer on Coming Out, DIY Survival, and the Fight to Live Authentically Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Venus DeMars, frontwoman of All the Pretty Horses and an early openly transgender artist in the DIY punk scene, about growing up without language for being trans, navigating gender expectations, and finding early inspiration in music and culture. Venus recoun...

Siena’s Transgender Journey: From Lifelong Dysphoria and Suppression to Integration, Joy, and Authenticity In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Siena, a trans woman in her 60s who transitioned about nine years ago, about growing up in a conservative, rigidly gendered culture with no safe language or representation for what she felt....

A Relationship Transitioning Too: Jessika and Adrienne on Late-Life Awakening, Love, and Doing the Work In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Jessika Janene, a transgender woman whose “egg cracked” during the 2020 pandemic, and her wife Adrienne Wehr, as they discuss transitioning later in life and how a partnership changes too. Jess...

Pastor Lynn on Raising Two Transgender Children: Faith, Advocacy & Inclusive Love | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Pastor Lynn, an ordained Lutheran minister and mother of two adult transgender children, Robin and Emily. Pastor Lynn shares how Robin came out at 12 as transgender and late...

Michelle’s Transgender Journey: Surviving Trauma, Finding Faith, and Living Out Loud Demystifying the Transgender Journey Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome Michelle, a transgender woman with multiple advanced degrees and an eidetic memory, to share her story of identity, resilience, and freedom. Raised in a small DC-area town by a Pentecostal minister father, Michelle describes realizing sh...

Intersex: The Hidden Reality, Forced Surgeries, and Why Sex Isn’t Either/Or | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole focus on intersex experiences with guests Vickie Boisseau (Organization Intersex International) and Jim Costich (retired medical lab professional and speaker). They explain how intersex has been...

From Role Playing to Role Model: Dr. Grace Kinsley Finds Joy in Community Care and LGBTQ Visibility In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Dr. Grace Kinsley, a retired locum GP in Nova Scotia and trans woman who knew she was not a boy at age six but hid for decades, describing puberty as terrifying and living behind a “mask” until a “tr...

Krystal’s Gender-Affirming Surgery Journey (Part 3): Preparation, Recovery, and Finding Peace In part three of Krystal’s three-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Wendy Cole and Lynn Murphy welcome back Krystal following her recent gender-affirming surgery at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. Krystal explains how her dysphoria and safety concerns led her from considering surgery to rea...

Krystal Franqui on Dysphoria, HRT Relief & Choosing Visibility (Part 2 of 3) | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In part two of Krystal Franqui’s three-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Krystal describes years of trying not to transition by using detailed mental stories and intense hobbies like Civil War reenacting to distract from dysphoria, until COVID-era stress tri...

In Part 1 of this 3-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole introduce Krystal Franqui, a 42-year-old woman who affirmed her gender four and a half years ago, is married, and has two adult children. Krystal describes early childhood discomfort with her body, neurodivergent diagnoses (ADD and later autism), isolation at school, and a pivotal dream and...

Transitioning Later in Life: Stephanie Donnell on 10 Years of HRT, Surgery, and Living Openly In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Stephanie Donnell, a lifelong electronics professional and YouTuber who completed her transition about 11 months ago at age 66 after more than a decade of medical transition. Stephanie shares early experien...

Transgression: A Mental Health Advocate Investigates the “Real Trans Agenda” in Saskatchewan | Todd Rennebohm   Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Todd Rennebohm, a Saskatchewan-based mental health advocate, author, and podcaster who created the eight-part documentary podcast series “Transgression: My Search for the Real Trans Agenda in Saskatchewan.” Todd shares his background with lifelo...

Intersex, Identity & the “Four S’s”: John Schindler on Surgery, Secrecy, Shame, and Silence In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview intersex advocate John Schindler, who explains what intersex means, how variations can involve hormones, chromosomes, and gonads/genitals, and why non-consensual infant surgeries remain a civil rights issue. Jo...

Danielle Miller: Transitioning Later in Life, Single Parenthood, and Living Authentically | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Danielle Miller, a transgender woman who shares her lifelong awareness of feeling female, a dysfunctional childhood, and the secrecy and fear that shaped her early years,...

Raising Gender-Expansive Kids with Love & Autonomy | Kali Robinson (Mother of a Trans/Nonbinary Child)   Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Portland writer and mother Kali Robinson about raising three gender-expansive children, including oldest, who came out in kindergarten after a peer said only girls wear dresses, prompting a supportive teacher to teach pronouns and helping classmate...

In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey,  hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Renee Thibeau, the mother of three whose transgender daughter, Elle, first expressed at age seven that she was “supposed to wake up a girl,” then at age 10 sent a message that confirmed every parent’s worst fear. Renee describes choosing to embrace her daughter, seeking family therapy and medical...

Juli Grey-Owens on Transition, Advocacy and GENY: Demystifying the Transgender Journey   Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview New York transgender advocate Juli Grey-Owens, founder and executive director of Gender Equality New York (GENY), who helped pass the Gender Equality Non-Discrimination Act signed in 2019 and provides training for agencies, police recruits, and healthcare workers. Jul...

Demystifying the Transgender Journey: Wolfie Lopez on Being Non-Binary, Gender Exploration, and Finding Joy   Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview therapist and social worker Wolfie Lopez, a non-binary, queer clinician with an MSW from the University of Michigan and over a decade of crisis-intervention experience. Wolfie shares their personal journey from feeling different in childhood and d...

Tommy’s Transgender Journey: From History Teacher to DC Activist | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Tommy, a semi-retired high school history teacher, musician, and trans visibility advocate. Tommy shares growing up in a wealthy, conservative family, first experimenting with women’s clothing a...

Demystifying the Transgender Journey: Karen Kendra Holmes Shares Her Inspiring Story Join hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole on another enlightening episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey as they welcome Karen Kendra Holmes. Karen discusses her personal journey of transitioning, starting her journey in 2010 at the age of 53. She shares the challenges she faced in her professional life as a...

Robin's Journey: Transition, Triumph, and Embracing a Second Life   In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole introduce Robin, a remarkable woman who transitioned at the age of 67. Robin shares her profound and emotional story of transitioning, the loss and joy it brought, and her journey to self-acceptance. From kayaking epiphanies to life-changing...

Demystifying the Transgender Journey: Transgender Healthcare and Family Dynamics with Dr. Diana Sorrentino In this enlightening episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole dive deep into the complexities of the transgender experience with renowned gender identity expert Dr. Diana Sorrentino. Explore the importance of empathetic familial support, the unique cha...