Looking for support as a parent of a gender-questioning youth or young adult? Attend a Wider Lens Parent Retreat in 2025! Registration is now open. Visit https://widerlens.events/parent-retreat-2025 to learn more and secure your spot.

Sasha and Stella sit down with Forrest, a young man whose journey through gender identity, pornography, and societal expectations lends a profound and complex quest for self-acceptance. A compelling conversation about Forrest's journey through transition and detransition, revealing how an innocent curiosity for cartoons spiraled into a full-scale porn addiction, leading to unhealthy behaviors and regrettable surgeries. Explore Forrest’s experiences with intense shame, his complicated relationship with sexual drives, and his time living with the ‘radical fairies’ in a trans commune.

For links and resources relevant to this episode, access the full show notes at https://www.widerlenspod.com/p/episode-174

------

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR SPONSOR: Therapy First is hosting a webinar July 29th at 12pm EDT. “The Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation of Minors with Gender Dysphoria: Key Concepts” with Dr. Stephen B. Levine. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. *Therapy First has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider,ACEP No. 7505. This webinar provides 1.5 hours of CE credits.

------

A few programming notes: As the result of some unexpected technical issues, Stella’s audio quality is poor and her video feed is limited, despite our best efforts in post production to rectify the issue.

In an effort to honor and respect Forrest’s story, we opted not to interrupt or steer the conversation into another direction for the sake of capturing premium content. We are releasing the full conversation as a special extended episode in lie of offering a bonus episode this week.

------

Buy Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents at https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/

Join Our Listener Community to Access Exclusive Content at https://www.widerlenspod.com/

Support the Show at https://www.widerlenspod.com/p/support-the-show

Join the conversation on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod

For more information about Sasha’s & Stella’s parent coaching membership groups, visit:

Sasha Ayad: https://sashaayad.com/parenting-coaching

Stella O’Malley: http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching

To learn more about our sponsors, visit:

Therapy First at https://www.therapyfirst.org/

Genspect at https://genspect.org/

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com/subscribe

The Echo in the Machine

Radiolab

Intro

The AI-powered Podcast Player