“I was scared to get my first smear test after coming out as a trans man”

This week, we’re welcoming William Cuthbert to the podcast.

William is a freelance writer, passionate about mental health, gender equality and LGBTQ+ issues. He has written for Metro.co.uk many times before - about taking 30 years to realise he is trans, sex, and masculinity - but today we’re going to be discussing his article about getting a smear test as a trans man. 

In My Platform, Metro.co.uk’s new podcast, we speak to the authors of some of our first-person and opinion section’s most-read articles of the past few years. My Platform is all about drawing attention to underheard and underrepresented voices in the media, with guests talking about issues close to their heart. 

Hosted by me, Jess Austin. I edit the section of the Metro that all our lovely guests submitted their pieces to. As well as being among the most popular articles, they’re also some of my absolute favourites, and I can’t wait to speak to the authors more about what inspired them, unhindered by a pesky word count! 

Our main aim with this podcast is to give a platform to underheard voices, offering a human-first story to accompany some of the most prevalent topics in the news. We’d love to hear if Rowan’s story helped shape your view - if so, please let us know on Twitter @MetroOpinion or by email at [email protected] 

My Platform is produced by Pineapple Audio Production.