Demystifying the Transgender Journey

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 

Intersex: The Hidden Reality, Forced Surgeries, and Why Sex Isn’t Either/Or | Demystifying the Transgender Journey

In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole focus on intersex experiences with guests Vickie Boisseau (Organization Intersex International) and Jim Costich (retired medical lab professional and speaker). They explain how intersex has been historically pathologized and deliberately hidden, discuss the lack of adequate language and the conflation of sex and gender, and challenge the cultural insistence on a strict binary, emphasizing “all/and” rather than “either/or.” Jim shares being born in 1957 with ambiguous anatomy, being sent to a gender clinic at 14, and later discovering at 44 that he has a vagina. Vickie describes being surgically altered starting at eight months, undergoing 14 failed hypospadias repairs, hormone interventions, partial androgen insensitivity, and a later adult amputation and ovotestes removal. They criticize non-consensual infant surgeries, note intersex is common but rarely discussed, and recommend books by Hida Viloria, Sharon Preves, and work by Cynthia Mulit.

For More Information about Vickie Boisseau:

https://www.facebook.com/vickie.boisseau 

Elder A. Vickie Boisseau - Intersex Campaign for Equality IC4E | LinkedIn 

https://www.instagram.com/vickie2spirit 

For More Information about Jim Costich:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-costich-34919340

https://www.facebook.com/jim.costich/ 

https://jamescostich.substack.com/

Writers Mentioned:

Katrina Karkazis

Hida Viloria: Intersex and Identity: The Contested Self

Sharon Preves

Cynthia Mulit: "Intersex Experiences, Activists' Perspectives, and Counseling Implications"

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 

From Role Playing to Role Model: Dr. Grace Kinsley Finds Joy in Community Care and LGBTQ Visibility

In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Dr. Grace Kinsley, a retired locum GP in Nova Scotia and trans woman who knew she was not a boy at age six but hid for decades, describing puberty as terrifying and living behind a “mask” until a “transition or die” moment at 55 amid extreme stress and suicidality. Grace shares how she came out to her wife Sandra (who supported her immediately), faced resistance from her mother, began socially transitioning right away, and started HRT five months later after WPATH assessments, describing profound physical and emotional changes, increased confidence, and sustained joy. She discusses gender-affirming surgery in Montreal, her advocacy with GSAs and queer youth, safety in public spaces, and the importance of education, science-based care, and empathy for both transition and detransition.

For more about Grace Kinsley:

https://www.facebook.com/grant.kinsley

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