Gender: A Wider Lens

Join Sasha, Stella, and Aaron Kimberly for a conversation exploring gender identity, queer theory, and intersex experiences.In this candid conversation, Aaron shares about his journey through adolescence and the challenges of growing up in a rural farming community with early onset gender dysphoria. He touches on categorization error and its impact on identity development, as well as the discovery of his intersex condition. The discussion explores the complexities of social transitioning within the lesbian community, and the importance of access to accurate information and its influence in shaping one's identity. The conversation even digs into the world of queer theory, its aim to deconstruct traditional categories, and the impact Aaron’s study of queer theory had on his perceptions of gender non-conformity and his own personal decision to transition.Aaron Kimberly is a female to male transsexual, born with a rare ovotesticular intersex condition which was diagnosed when he was 19. As an adolescent, he was having severe gynecological problems and began to masculinize at the onset of puberty, until the ovotestes was discovered and removed. For many years, he was confused about his identity, sexuality and biological sex, and eventually decided to continue masculinizing with HRT and legally change sex.Aaron is also a mental health nurse with an interest in the many forms of gender dysphoria, and concerned about the many iterations of social contagions among youth, such as ticks, "multiple personalities" and trans identity. He's the executive director of the Gender Dysphoria Alliance, co-host of the Transparency Podcast, a member of the newly launched LGBT Courage Coalition and a board member of APISC Digital Research Foundation which is using AI technology to map online influences on youth identity formation.Links:Gender Dysphoria Alliancehttps://www.genderdysphoriaalliance.com/ Transparency Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@GenderDysphoriaAllianceSelection from Aaron’s Art CollectionOne Hand Clapping: Portraits and Pomeshttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1epzrDb1isrVnqAVqxAown-m-OY7chrsW/view?usp=drive_link Order Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parentshttps://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/ Support Our Show & Access Exclusive Contenthttps://www.patreon.com/WiderLensPodJoin the conversation on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@widerlenspodIf you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:Episode 10 - Queer Theory: Subverting Life's Categorieshttps://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/10-queer-theory Episode 44 - Multiple Meanings of Gender Dysphoria: A Conversation with Aaron Terrell 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

Join Stella and Sasha as they discuss the exciting lineup of speakers and topics at an upcoming conference in Denver. From brain sex to detransition stories, this event promises to be intellectually stimulating, heartwarming, and inspiring. Experts from diverse backgrounds will tackle essential topics like gender ideology and the impact of politics on parenting. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking event that aims to bring different perspectives together for a comprehensive understanding of gender issues.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.com"I have the kind of child who will do the opposite if I ask her to do something. How do I soften her defense and so she'll open her mind to ideas different than hers? One example is I want to watch the No Way Back film in the family movie night but also worry she'll simply push back, or worse, shut herself tight on this topic."Sasha & Stella reference a…

Sasha and Stella discuss the misconception of equating gender identity with sexual orientation, highlighting the distinct experiences of being transgender and being gay. They explore the societal responses and the differences in support when a child declares as transgender compared to when they declare as gay. The podcast also delves into the consequences of affirming someone's identity, including irreversible medical interventions, and questions the assumption that early affirmation would significantly decrease suicide rates among trans kids.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.comThe beginning part of this conversation might sound a little familiar as it was included in the last part of Ep 132. Because the bonus conversation includes an analysis of the role played scenario from the full episode, we wanted to to include the role playing portion of the full episode here as well to offer context for the analysis discussion. 

In this thought-provoking episode, Peter Boghossian engages in a role play exercise with Stella and Sasha, discussing puberty blockers. They tackle the impact of the culture war on friendships and the dynamics of conversations about beliefs. The episode also explores the role of philosophers in perpetuating gender ideology and the importance of considering different perspectives in study.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Corinna Cohn talking about Corinna’s writing, political advocacy, pronouns, free speech, female spaces and lots of other things.

Corinna Cohn, a transgender writer and activist, engages in a deep conversation about gender identity exploration, transition, and self-acceptance. The discussion covers topics such as the complexity of legislative politics surrounding gender-affirming care, finding support in the online trans community, and the challenges of changing one's biological sex. Corinna's reflections on embracing futility as a step towards personal growth and acceptance add depth to the conversation. The podcast also highlights the need for a shift in policies towards sex-segregated spaces to protect transgender rights.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.widerlenspod.comSasha and Stella continue the conversation with Katie Herzog by asking “how do you talk about gender issues in real life?” Katie’s core advice is “read the room” but she has a lot of other insights and experiences to share, from her own life, as well!

Journalist Katie Herzog joins the podcast to discuss her experiences as a lesbian in the LGBTQ+ community, reflections on her influential article about detransitioners, repressed memories, psychotherapy, nonbinary identities, and the controversial topic of preferred pronouns.