Demystifying the Transgender Journey

Dax Franklin-Hicks: Faith, Conversion Therapy, Transition & Authenticity | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole talk with Dax Franklin-Hicks, a transgender man, public health leader, and UCC youth pastor, about the lifelong cost of performing an identity to earn love. Dax shares childhood experiences of being forced into femininity and learning to lie for safety; how shame, addiction, depression, and a conversion therapy program deepened his struggle; and how a turning point in South Africa and his uncle’s suicide exposed harmful theology. He describes healing through affirming faith leaders, deconstructing rigid beliefs, and using a Quaker Clearness Committee to discern transition, along with reflections on masculinity, relationships, parenting, and how authenticity creates presence, connection, and hope.

For more information about Dax:

Dax is currently serving as Student Pastor at Church of the Painted Hills, UCC in Tucson.

http://www.cphucc.org

www.facebook.com/davin.franklinhicks

www.instagram.com/dxfx857

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

To contact Lynn:

https://www.facebook.com/Lynn.W.Murphy

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnmurphy602/

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

https://MeetWendyCole.com

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

From Surviving to Thriving: Amber Fourman on Authenticity, Transition & Visibility | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey", hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Amber Fourman, a transgender woman in the construction industry who spent decades hiding her identity to survive bullying, an abusive father, workplace risk, and harmful relationships. Amber describes learning to “transition to masculinity” for safety, later recognizing her gender dysphoria through therapy, and living double lives until a thyroid cancer diagnosis became the catalyst to transition. She shares how remote work and supportive HR helped her return to the workplace as Amber, her rejection of “passing” as a standard, and her approach to confronting intentional misgendering by making others own their bias. Amber discusses advocacy, the importance of supporting transgender youth, and her book, “My Life in Transition: Becoming a Phoenix,” plus ways to reach her at afrose.net.

For More Information about Amber Fourman:

https://www.afrose.net/

https://www.instagram.com/af_rose_2026/

https://www.youtube.com/@AmberFourman

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-fourman-6a32128

https://www.tiktok.com/@amberfourman

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587379217187

For a signed copy of Amber’s Book “My Life in Transition: Becoming a Phoenix”

https://www.afrose.net/category/books

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

From Coal Country to Ohio Politics: Arienne Childrey on Transition, Visibility and Service | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole talk with Arienne (Ari) Childrey, an Ohio community leader, advocate, and candidate for Ohio House District 84 who became the first transgender person in Ohio history to serve on a city council. Ari shares growing up poor in a small coal-mining community in Southwestern Virginia, early memories of knowing she was different, the trauma of being forced to hide it, and years shaped by bullying, internalized transphobia, and a deeply conservative Pentecostal culture. She describes how therapy, transitioning at 34, and finding love with her husband helped her move from performing to simply being, and how visibility and authentic relationships can reduce fear. Ari explains why she entered politics in Ohio’s reddest district, emphasizing practical service, resisting culture-war distractions, and building bridges across divides. She also shares how some family relationships changed after she came out, including her father’s steadfast support.

For more about Arienne Childrey:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/ari4ohio

https://x.com/Ari4Ohio

Ari’s book Last Flight Home is available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Flight-Sanctuary-Arienne-Childrey/dp/B0HFXJCDSV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PFJZU3RFVLRS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.b-cZ1rBvCY7CGPBssKbrsAsVY1zkYJ_Vi5aqKx9nsaclGp6J0s8JvTs6nge_q59EIuUVn86CWNvqkHRNufcQqxwtpBFaDzmK2LUXdModpMSoE32pWhj4sa6BQRQCUOWhQnT5gFwcz5hM3E1ig8S_7wRXPFaRjgfo3E_ZIaCFktgsNAZI9-Ejbi0XjNGz_hOoA4pTFrWFvLzP0wMJSaQU7wpsGy3lrCSwM6E7V18GGiA.HvLfN2cbSvdY8zmWQM98-y1ZtJBARySYl3uFV3uPb6M&dib_tag=se&keywords=last%2Bflight%2Bhome&qid=1788847465&s=books&sprefix=last%2Bflight%2Bhome%2Cstripbooks%2C346&sr=1-1

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Nico Lang on American Teenager: Centering Trans Youth Voices, Joy, and Survival

Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome award-winning journalist and author Nico Lang to discuss Lang’s bestseller "American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era." Lang explains why they spent a year traveling the U.S. and immersing for weeks with families to present transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid teens’ own voices, portraying both political threats and ordinary teenage life. They describe selecting eight teens from dozens of pre-interviews based on rapport and a “way in” to each story, emphasizing that no single person represents the whole community. The conversation highlights reframing narratives beyond trauma to include hard-won, messy joy; addressing misconceptions such as parents forcing kids to be trans; encouraging allies to show up, even imperfectly; and Lang’s hope that the book helps families, educators, and lawmakers listen and understand trans youth as people.

For more about Nico Lang:

https://www.instagram.com/queernewsdaily

https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-teenager-how-trans-kids-are-surviving-hate-and-finding-joy-in-a-turbulent-era-nico-lang-jo/1c5e3a8bc1a77620?ean=9781419773839&bkshp-astro=t

https://allstora.com/products/american-teenager-how-trans-kids-are-surviving-hate-and-finding-joy-in-a-turbulent-era-1?variant=46299403616492

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Venus de Mars: Punk Rock Pioneer on Coming Out, DIY Survival, and the Fight to Live Authentically

Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Venus DeMars, frontwoman of All the Pretty Horses and an early openly transgender artist in the DIY punk scene, about growing up without language for being trans, navigating gender expectations, and finding early inspiration in music and culture. Venus recounts a slow, atypical puberty, attempts to blend in, and how art and music became both outlet and refuge. She describes coming out at 28 through therapy and an MMPI assessment, confronting 1980s gatekeeping and unaffordable medical pathways, and finding an underground support group before going public through performance art and TV. Venus details persistent self-advocacy to access and maintain hormone care, the risks of underground hormones, and bringing trans authenticity to the punk stage despite industry rejection. She reflects on shifting politics, visibility’s impact, and urges allies to trust their support and affirm trans people’s right to ordinary lives.

For more information about our guest:

https://venusdemars.bandcamp.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Things-Trans-Glam-Punk-Rock-Love-Story/dp/168134243X

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Mars

https://www.instagram.com/venusdemars

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Siena’s Transgender Journey: From Lifelong Dysphoria and Suppression to Integration, Joy, and Authenticity

© 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

A Relationship Transitioning Too: Jessika and Adrienne on Late-Life Awakening, Love, and Doing the Work

In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Jessika Janene, a transgender woman whose “egg cracked” during the 2020 pandemic, and her wife Adrienne Wehr, as they discuss transitioning later in life and how a partnership changes too. Jessika shares childhood indicators, a sudden moment of clarity that led to rapid social and medical transition, and the need to live authentically despite fear, describing it as a “freight train.” Adrienne describes caregiving for her mother while supporting Jessika, the grief and emotional complexity for partners, and the importance of truth, community, therapy, and spiritual practices. They reflect on advocacy, challenges with friends and family, finding support groups, and a poignant moment of acceptance from Adrienne’s mother near the end of her life.

© 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

For more information about today’s guests:

Jessika:

https://www.instagram.com/jessikajanene1/

https://jessikajanene.com

https://www.facebook.com/jessika.janene

Adrienne:

https://www.instagram.com/adriennewehr/

https://adriennewehr.substack.com/

https://www.facebook.com/adrienne.wehr/

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Pastor Lynn on Raising Two Transgender Children: Faith, Advocacy & Inclusive Love | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Pastor Lynn, an ordained Lutheran minister and mother of two adult transgender children, Robin and Emily. Pastor Lynn shares how Robin came out at 12 as transgender and later identified as non-binary, and how her early mistakes—doubting Robin’s name, struggling with pronouns, and expecting her child to educate her—pushed her to seek resources, connect Robin with queer youth groups, and prioritize a safe, affirming home. She describes securing gender-affirming care, navigating school and camp bathroom restrictions, and supporting Emily’s later transition at 19. Pastor Lynn also explains how mistranslation and proof-texting shaped anti-LGBTQ readings of the Bible and how she now advocates more visibly within faith communities.

Works Mentioned in this Episode:

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture directed by Sharon Roggio

The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by Rachel Pepper and Stephanie Brill

© 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Michelle’s Transgender Journey: Surviving Trauma, Finding Faith, and Living Out Loud

Demystifying the Transgender Journey Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome Michelle, a transgender woman with multiple advanced degrees and an eidetic memory, to share her story of identity, resilience, and freedom. Raised in a small DC-area town by a Pentecostal minister father, Michelle describes realizing she was female as a teen, coming out at 15, and being brutally abused and forced back into the closet for decades. During a later divorce, therapy with a transgender therapist helped her name her experience and come out as a woman born transgender; she quickly began hormone therapy and pursued gender-affirming surgeries while navigating dysphoria and dysmorphia. Michelle discusses family reactions, parenting a teenager exploring identity, rebuilding community after a church relationship ended, and finding an affirming church nearby. She emphasizes humor, supportive “tribe” building, and not giving up after surviving multiple suicide attempts.

© 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Michelle’s Transgender Journey: Surviving Trauma, Finding Faith, and Living Out Loud | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome Michelle, a transgender woman with multiple advanced degrees and an eidetic memory, to share her story of identity, resilience, and freedom. Raised in a small DC-area town by a Pentecostal minister father, Michelle describes realizing she was female as a teen, coming out at 15, and being brutally abused and forced back into the closet for decades. During a later divorce, therapy with a transgender therapist helped her name her experience and come out as a person who was born transgender; she quickly began hormone therapy and pursued gender-affirming surgeries while navigating dysphoria and dysmorphia. Michelle discusses family reactions, parenting a teenager exploring identity, rebuilding community after a church relationship ended, and finding an affirming church nearby. She emphasizes humor, supportive “tribe” building, and not giving up after surviving multiple suicide attempts.

© 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

For more information about this project:

https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202

https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney

https://womenwhopushthelimits.com

(c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. 

To contact Wendy:

MeetWendyCole.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm