Dem Bois Podcast

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I want to end this season of Dem Bois Podcast by encouraging you to reflect. Reflect on moments of affirmation throughout your life and recognize the small wins that lead to the bigger wins. In this episode I do just that. I discuss different events in my life where I really felt affirmed in my body and how they transformed the way I see myself and pushed me to accept myself. The conversation highlights the significance of visibility, support from loved ones, and the power of positive reinforcement in your journey of self-discovery.

I talk:

05:58 - Reflections on body image

17:54 - Cherished memories and lasting impact

27:08 - Family dynamics and personal affirmation

35:56 - Unexpected connections and humor

49:55 - Healthy masculinity and self-affirmation

Episode References:

Ep. 98 - The Collection of Encouragement Series; Part 1

Ep. 7 - Transitioning at Work

Ep. 112 - Breaking Free from Conventional Femininity with denim {d} chang

Jaylen Hands lifts up teammate after turnover - video

Ep. 127 - Extracting Closure; Dear Father, 

Read more about Shawn in his bio below:

Shawn Aaron (he/him) is a Black queer trans man, nonprofit leader, and host of Dem Bois Podcast. He is the Founder + Executive Director of Dem Bois Inc., an organization dedicated to affirming and supporting trans men of color through access to gender-affirming care, health equity, and visibility. Drawing from his lived experience with homelessness, Shawn’s mission is rooted in community care and systemic change. Whether through storytelling or advocacy, his work amplifies the voices of those too often unheard. His signature belief: Visibility = Possibility™

• IG - demboisinc
• IG - shawnaaron81

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

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If you’ve been rocking with Dem Bois Podcast for a while, then you may have heard me briefly talk about my father. But in this episode I talk about his role in my life in detail. This episode is another in this mini series about extracting closure and today I reflect on the emotional impact of my father's absence, the longing for paternal love, and the journey towards healing. 

I talk:

10:44 - Reflections on fatherhood and absence

22:27 - Seeking closure: the letter to my father

37:20 - Navigating parental relationships

45:56 - The complexity of family dynamics

55:05 - Our final conversations and lasting effects

Episode References:

Ep. 126 - Extracting Closure; Dear Mama, with Shawn Aaron

Ep. 106 - Extracting Closure From a Past Situation with Shawn Aaron

Ep. 103 - Building Brotherhood Using Unconditional Love with Kalvin Byrd

Read more about Shawn in his bio below:

Shawn Aaron (he/him) is a Black queer trans man, nonprofit leader, and host of Dem Bois Podcast. He is the Founder + Executive Director of Dem Bois Inc., an organization dedicated to affirming and supporting trans men of color through access to gender-affirming care, health equity, and visibility. Drawing from his lived experience with homelessness, Shawn’s mission is rooted in community care and systemic change. Whether through storytelling or advocacy, his work amplifies the voices of those too often unheard. His signature belief: Visibility = Possibility™

• IG - demboisinc
• IG - shawnaaron81

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

This episode of Dem Bois Podcast is a continuation of my reflection on extracting closure, and this one focuses on my mother. I talk about my mother and our relationship often, but today I’m taking it a step further by reading a letter that I wrote to her, one that really helped me heal. I also discuss the process of writing this letter, the impact of my past traumas, and the importance of telling my story.

I talk:

03:37 - Exploring past relationships and closure

12:45 - Personal stories of trauma and healing

21:55 - Writing for healing and control of narrative

27:28 - The power of healing and community

35:20 - Dear Mama: A Journey of Healing

43:10 - Transforming pain into purpose

Episode References:

Ep. 123 - Fulfillment Through Authenticity and Art as Self-Discovery with Wen Neale

Ep. 122 - The Weight of Trauma: Unpacking Adoption, Love, and Identity with Felix-Long Laneri

Ep. 119 - Breaking Cycles of Trauma through Art and Love with Sunny

Ep. 106 - Extracting Closure From a Past Situation with Shawn Aaron

Ep. 103 - Building Brotherhood Using Unconditional Love with Kalvin Byrd

Ep 48 - Repairing the Relationship with My Birth Mother and the Death of My Chosen Mother

Ep. 12 - Healing Generational Trauma Through Transformative Parenting

Ep. 3 - Surviving Homelessness

30 Days of Black Trans Reflection: Abolition, Anti-capitalism, and Black Queer Feminism

Dear Mama, | Day 27 of 30

Read more about Shawn in his bio below:

Shawn Aaron (he/him) is a Black queer trans man, nonprofit leader, and host of Dem Bois Podcast. He is the Founder + Executive Director of Dem Bois Inc., an organization dedicated to affirming and supporting trans men of color through access to gender-affirming care, health equity, and visibility. Drawing from his lived experience with homelessness, Shawn’s mission is rooted in community care and systemic change. Whether through storytelling or advocacy, his work amplifies the voices of those too often unheard. His signature belief: Visibility = Possibility™

• IG - demboisinc
• IG - shawnaaron81

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

“Right now the most invaluable resource (besides water) is empathy.”

This quote from EN’B definitely sets the tone for this episode of Dem Bois Podcast. Today, EN’B shares their journey through music, their cultural identity, and the significance of drumming as a form of meditation and community connection. We also discuss the impact of colonization on cultural practices, humor as a survival mechanism, and the intersections of diaspora and cultural trauma. 

We talk:

10:02 - Growing up Korean American in Arkansas

21:19 - The spiritual significance of drumming

39:46 - Exploring diaspora blues and ancestral connections

54:07 - Remembering life before colonization

01:06:03 - Self-love and body awareness

Episode References:

Ep. 123 - Fulfillment Through Authenticity and Art as Self-Discovery with Wen Neale

Ep. 95 - Having Faith and Knowing That You’re Worthy with Alexander Rey Simon-Perez

Palestinian Pole Dancer: Farrahthedoll

Moroccan Chef: Meantangine

Singer: Storai.s

Dancer: Joycethethief

Producer: Vwhitehawk 

Read more about EN’B in their bio below:

EN'B 은비 they/he is a Korean American non-binary transmasc producer, singer-songwriter, Korean traditional percussionist, and actor. Their work channels Han 한—collective grief and unavenged injustice—alongside heung 흥, the joy found in resilience. Born in LA, raised in Arkansas, and shaped by their studies in Baltimore, EN’B navigates the intersections of diaspora and dysphoria to express what they call their “diaspora blues.” They’ve performed across the U.S., including the Kennedy Center, Broadwater Theater stages, with a mission to ancestral dreams through performance and media

• IG - @Littlegiant.enb

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

Many of us spend most of our lives hiding. Because society tells us that we are different and should be ashamed, we hide our bodies, our sexuality, ourselves. And that is why visibility is so important, because it equals possibility. And in this episode of Dem Bois Podcast, my guest and I consider how true that really is. Today’s guest is Noah Arhm Choi and together we discuss the significance of media literacy in combating anti-trans propaganda, the impact of societal narratives on personal identity, and the intersection of gender identity with societal structures like capitalism.

We talk:

11:11 - Coming out and using articles to bridge understanding

24:04 - Media literacy and anti-trans propaganda

33:09 - Autonomy and authorship: moving from invisibility to visibility

45:16 - Gender-affirming care and why joy feels threatening to systems

51:21 - Colonialism, binaries, and managing anxiety

63:31 - Noah’s Poem: My Passport Doesn’t Protect Me Anymore

Episode References:

The Trevor Project

Gender Spectrum

Lambda Legal

Erin in the Morning

Politico

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson

Cut to Bloom

Read more about Noah in their bio below:

Noah Arhm Choi is the author of Cut to Bloom, winner of the 2019 Jack McCarthy Book Prize. A Lambda Literary Poet-In-Residence and Valentines Editor for Honey Literary, they received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, and their work has appeared in Adroit, Split this Rock, Poetry Daily, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. Noah was shortlisted for the Poetry International Prize and received the Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize, alongside fellowships from Kundiman, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Adirondack Center for Writing.

• IG - noah.arhm.choi

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

Mainstream education doesn’t teach much, if anything, about the history of Trans people, but we have existed forever! And we will continue to exist forever! In this episode of Dem Bois Podcast, my guest Wen Neal shares how learning Trans history helped him understand gender more deeply. Wen also discusses the importance of online communities in understanding gender identity, the complexities of familial relationships, and the ongoing journey of understanding yourself and your place in the world. 

We talk:

9:27 - The role of online communities in self-discovery

17:26 - Family dynamics and growing up

24:03 - Navigating difficult conversations with parents

37:19 - Healthcare disparities: Florida vs. California

43:30 - The importance of Trans history education

52:40 - Art as a reflection of identity

Episode References:

Deviant Art

Maine-coon Cat Breed

My Strange Addiction

Deantrbl IG

Read more about Wen in his bio below:

Wen Neale is a Asian American transman who's been on HRT for over 10 years (and has four cats) - since the beginning of his transition, he's been an open book on the internet about his transgender journey, and was able to share his experiences as a speaker in UC Davis. Wen is an inspirational figure in the Asian American trans community for his outspoken experiences about living authentically and taking calculated risks in finding his own path to happiness, from personal life to his career.

• Website - catdad.online 
• IG - sippystraw
• IG Shop - catdadshop 
• Twitter - catdadwen

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to love yourself and be loved for exactly who you are, this episode of Dem Bois Podcast will challenge your beliefs and inspire your journey. Today I sit down with Felix-Long Laneri, and he shares his story of how embracing his trans identity, healing from a complicated adoption story, and leaning into community transformed his life. From unpacking the weight of human trafficking behind his adoption story to navigating relationships with a distant adoptive mother, he offers raw insights into the complexities of identity, family, and belonging. 

We talk:

05:14 - Adoption, loss of heritage, and the complexity of trafficking 

06:20 - China’s one-child policy, uncertainty around his birth story, and lost origins

11:28 - Childhood memories that revealed gender alignment 

19:08 - Felix’s relationship with his adoptive mother

32:59 - Community, engagement, and the love that currently supports him

45:19 - Somatic therapy, healing through the body, and why it matters for trans folks

Episode References:

Dem Bois Podcast Ep. #95 Having Faith and Knowing That You’re Worthy with Alexander Rey Simon-Perez

Dem Bois Podcast Ep. #96 Season 3 Finale - Episode of Empowerment with Alexander Rey Simon-Perez (Divine, They, He, King)

Read more about Felix in his bio below:

Felix-Long Laneri is a social worker, somatic practitioner, organizer, trans, transracial adoptee. He currently works as a gender therapist in a therapy group practice, providing space for predominantly trans folks across the life span to explore identity, relationships, and healing. On his off time he organizes Philly TMOC, a transmasc of color group focused on relationship building and expansive boyhood.

• IG - felixlaneri

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

Pregnancy and birth are beautiful things that I don’t get to talk about enough. But in this episode of Dem Bois Podcast, those are the main topics of conversation! Today I sit down with Keo and Mason, a Black trans masculine couple, and we discuss their journey through pregnancy, birthing, and parenting. Keo and Mason also share their experiences with healthcare, their evolving perspectives on family, and the importance of community support. Together, we emphasize the significance of love, understanding, and preparation in raising a child in today's world.

We talk:

5:59 - Navigating healthcare as a Trans couple

17:51 - Future aspirations for Lou (their daughter)

23:56 - Family dynamics and identity 

31:33 - Sharing life experiences with children

40:10 - Adjusting to parenthood and new responsibilities

54:37 - Celebrating milestones and fatherhood

Episode References:

Ep. 109 - Unapologetically Black, Trans, and Pregnant with Keo Ruiz-O’Neal

Ep. 15 - Growing Beyond Insecurities and Healing from Trauma with Xavier Jones

Read more about Keo and Mason in their bio below:

Keo & Mason are a Black transmasculine couple who have been together for 9 years and have been married for 6 & a half. The couple recently welcomed a baby girl who Keo carried. Keo and Mason are very proud of the life they’ve built together and even more proud of what their love has manifested into. The pair live in Colorado with their daughter, 3 cats, & dog.

• IG - keos_kingdom

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

What does “home” mean to you? This is a word with multiple definitions and Kai Marshall Green explores many of them in his memoir, A Body Made Home: They Black Trans Love. And that is what this episode of Dem Bois Podcast is all about. Today I sit down with our Production Assistant, Joël Simeu, and we discuss the themes of identity, home, mental health, and the transformative power of writing. We also reflect on our personal experiences and the significance of the book's structure, emphasizing the importance of breaks and self-care in the reading process. 

We talk:

08:49 - The power of writing and memory

15:12 - The structure and style of the memoir

21:02 - The importance of breaks in reading

33:15 - Reflections on mental health and identity

46:47 - The power of vulnerability in healing

01:00:05 - The impact of storytelling and visibility

Click here for transcription!

Episode References:

A Body Made Home by Kai Marshal Green

Ep. 69 - What if Everyone Leads with Love? with Joël Simeu

Ep. 77 - Dem Bois Highlight Series Part 5; with Joël Simeu

Ep. 102 - Navigating Gender Expressions and Expectations with Kai Marshall Green

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Heavy by Kiese Laymon

Read more about Shawn in his bio below:

Shawn Aaron (he/him) is a Black queer trans man, nonprofit leader, and host of Dem Bois Podcast. He is the Founder + Executive Director of Dem Bois Inc., an organization dedicated to affirming and supporting trans men of color through access to gender-affirming care, health equity, and visibility. Drawing from his lived experience with homelessness, Shawn’s mission is rooted in community care and systemic change. Whether through storytelling or advocacy, his work amplifies the voices of those too often unheard. His signature belief: Visibility = Possibility™

• IG - demboisinc
• IG - shawnaaron81

Read more about Joël in his bio below:

Joël Simeu Juegouo is a poet, musician, and griot from Cameroon. His writing is featured in HarperCollins' Here to Stay: Poetry and Prose from the Undocumented Diaspora. And he was selected as 2026 Undocupoet Fellow. Joël has served as manager for Outpost Foundation’s writing residency program and assesses submissions for the program’s fellowship candidates. He also works towards amplifying the voices of transmasculine folks of color, as Production Assistant to Dem Bois, Inc. Simeu earned his M.A. in Literatures in English from Cornell University, where he teaches writing seminars. His doctoral dissertation contends with poetics of Black transmasculine cultural epistemology.

These days find him craving that which is tender and slow. Each day, he strives to become a menace to his enemies and prays for the liberation of all oppressed people. Each day he gives his gorgeous calico, all of his love. Today, and always, he invites you to stay rooted in your breath.

• IG - jojosim27

Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!

Send us Fan Mail

I didn’t have the best relationship with my mother growing up, so when I became a father, I leveled up on my healing so I could break that cycle. And, healing is a huge part of this conversation with Sunny, a nonbinary trans artist, photographer, and advertising creative. In this episode of Dem Bois Podcast, Sunny and I discuss the impact of their upbringing, the complexities of maternal relationships, and the significance of therapy in their life. Sunny also explains the concepts of Afrofuturism and surrealism, highlighting how these artistic movements influence their work.

We talk:

08:55 - Navigating gender identity and expression

14:56 - Cultural expectations and parenting

27:13 - Defining nonbinary identity

36:21 - Navigating family dynamics

48:04 - The power of art and community

59:29 - Building confidence through photography

Click here for transcription!

Episode References:

The Brown Boi Project

Dem Bois Highlight Series Part 5; with Joël Simeu

A video of an adopted person speaking to their birth parent 

Dem Bois Episode 12 - Healing Generational Trauma Through Transformative Parenting

Read more about Sunny in their bio below:

Sunny (They/He) is a nonbinary, transmasc artist, photographer and advertising creative with a background in Black feminist theory, gender studies and pedagogy. Through “poetry in motion,” their art centers afrofuturism, surrealism and the radical beauty of joy.

• IG: SPICECAMVISUALS
• IG: COMPLEX.SUN
• TT: SPICEDAD

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Celebrate 10 years of Dem Bois Inc.!

2026 marks ten years of Dem Bois Inc. To honor this milestone, we invite you to join our 10 for 10 campaign by giving $10 a month to help sustain the care, leadership, and visibility that trans men of color deserve.

Your support helps build a future rooted in care, visibility, and possibility.

Donate today!

Donate today to support Transmasc Gender Affirming Grants and Community Wellness Packages for Trans Men of Color!

The  Visibility = Possibility™️ Merch is here! - Not just merch, but a movement! 

Dem Bois Community Voices Facebook Group is a safe, moderated sanctuary where trans men of color can connect authentically, discuss podcast episodes, share powerful experiences, and build support networks. 

Dem Bois YouTube Channel! - @demboisinc - Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else!