All The Only Ones: The Missing Piece Of The Puzzle
Nov 3, 2023
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Meet Zen, a Mexican-American trans person from New Orleans, and learn about the historic trans figure, Bernard, from Alabama in the early 1900s. Explore the vibrant queer and trans communities in the 1920s and 30s, challenges faced by trans individuals, medical gaslighting, and gender norms. Reflect on personal identity and future aspirations as a trans youth seeking gender affirming care.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical perspective of gender transition for young people, going back a hundred years, and how this knowledge can reshape our perception of how trans youth are treated today.
The podcast explores the vibrant and diverse trans and queer communities that existed in the United States a century ago, highlighting the different neighborhoods and social spaces where these communities flourished.
Deep dives
Trans Youth and the Rise of Anti-Trans Bills
This podcast episode discusses the increasing number of anti-trans bills in the United States that target trans youth specifically. These bills aim to restrict trans youth from using bathrooms, participating in sports teams, and accessing gender-affirming healthcare. The episode highlights the similarities and patterns among these bills, revealing the anti-trans sentiment and misconceptions about gender transition. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical perspective of gender transition for young people, going back a hundred years, and how this knowledge can reshape our perception of how trans youth are treated today.
Historical Context of Trans Youth
The podcast explores the vibrant and diverse trans and queer communities that existed in the United States a century ago, particularly in major cities like Chicago and New York City. It emphasizes that gender nonconformity and identities beyond the binary have existed for a long time. The episode highlights the different neighborhoods and social spaces where these communities flourished, such as the Hamilton Lodge Ball in Harlem. It also acknowledges the limitations of medical care during that time, as gender-affirming treatments were not readily available.
Bernard's Journey and the Early Medical Approach
The podcast dives into the story of Bernard, one of the first trans patients on record at Johns Hopkins in the late 1930s. Bernard's letters to doctors reveal his deep desire to define his own identity and access gender-affirming surgeries. However, he was met with skepticism and misdiagnosis. The episode sheds light on the harmful conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity during that era, where being gay was considered a mental illness. Bernard's story highlights the perseverance and struggles faced by trans individuals in their pursuit of acceptance and understanding.
Zen's Journey and Trans Normativity
The podcast introduces Zen, a trans and non-binary individual navigating their own gender identity in the present day. Zen's story reflects the pressure to conform to mainstream ideas of transness and the expectations surrounding gender expression. It explores the challenge of finding self-acceptance and dealing with misgendering despite being out to their family, school, and workplace. The episode touches on the concept of trans normativity, which restricts the diverse experiences and expressions of trans individuals. Zen's journey highlights the ongoing work towards self-discovery and acceptance in a society that still has a long way to go.
We're bringing you something special from our play cousins over at Embedded: the first episode of a three part series about the often neglected history of trans youth in America. We meet Zen, a Mexican-American, New Orleans native, who is coming into their transness, as we learn about an historic trans person, Bernard, from Alabama in the early 1900s, fighting to be seen.