Gender Journeys

By Josie KalloSociety & Culture

Gender Journeys episodes

March 30, 2021The Pressure to Medically Transition
This week, El and Josie discuss both the pressures and barriers gender expansive folx face to access medical transition steps, and how both of those things can be harmful to gender expansive folx.
CW: dysphoria mention, suicide mention, surgery discussion
In the episode we mentioned three "queer history" books that El has been reading recently:
Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity by Micah Rajunov (and many others) - a series of small memoirs of older nonbinary folx

The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman - a historic account of the gay movement from the 50s through the Obama administration

Transgender History by Susan Stryker - a surprisingly positive telling of the trans rights movements from antiquity through the Trump administration
In addition, here are a few more gender-related queer history books El has read recently!
Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex - a series of essays depicting the interesectional oppression trans folx, and especially BIPOC trans folx, experience in the prison industrial complex

Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility - a series of essays discussing trans representation in art and the effect (or lack of effect) that has on trans rights

How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS - a historic account of the AIDs epidemic and how it intersected with the gay revolution

The Stonewall Reader - a series of essays by the folx who were there that fateful night & weekend at Stonewall
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
32 min
March 23, 2021 Broadening "Gender Affirming Care"
There are many ways that folx can alter their bodies to alleviate dysphoria and affirm their gender, but only a relatively narrow number of these are considered "Gender Affirming" medical care. This week, El and Josie discuss some non-standard ways queer folx might express their genders, and why it might be a good idea to expand our idea of gender affirmation.
CW: surgery discussion, body modification, dysphoria
You can check out Josie's article "Tattoos and Transitions" here.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
29 min
March 16, 2021 Gender Creative Parenting (In Theory)
This week, El and Josie chat about what it might be like to raise a child in a gender creative way, and the various forms that might take in our evolving society.
Check out some awesome books on Gender Creative Parenting:
Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting by Kyl Myers
Like a Boy But Not a Boy: Navigating Life, Mental Health, and Parenthood Outside the Gender Binary by Andrea Bennett
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
26 min
March 09, 2021 Gender Euphoria
This week, El and Josie chat about gender euphoria, the feeling of intense happiness and satisfaction in relation to gender, as well as why that should be a larger focus of the trans and gender expansive communities!
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
34 min
February 23, 2021 Non-Binary Top Surgery
When folx hear the term "Top Surgery," they often think of the masculinizing surgery that many binary trans men seek. However, there's a wide variety of top surgery options beyond this perceived standard. This week, El and Josie chat about some non-binary approaches to top surgery.
Check out this awesome resource on Non-Binary Gender Confirming Surgeries!
CW: surgery, dysphoria
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!

29 min
February 16, 2021 Bridgerton, Queerbaiting, and Issues of Consent
This week, El and Josie discuss the Netflix show "Bridgerton," and the issues the show has with queerbaiting and consent.
CW: sexual assault mention
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
26 min
February 09, 2021 Black History Month 2021
This week, in honor of Black History Month, El and Josie chat about another podcast. You can find Kai Wright's United States of Anxiety episode, "The Origin Story of Black History Month," here.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
35 min
February 02, 2021 What Is Non-Op?
This week, El and Josie talk about an aspect of Josie's identity which is deeply personal, and yet somehow something that everyone in the world seems to care about. CW: genitals, bottom surgery, sex
You can hear more of our discussion about Laverne Cox's Disclosure in our Queer Representation in Media episode.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
34 min
January 26, 2021 Genderqueer Leadership
Role models, trailblazers, and leaders are sometimes felt to be in short supply in the queer community -- and in the genderqueer community in particular, it can feel like there are almost no non-cis leaders in day-to-day life. This week, El and Josie talk about their experiences (or lack thereof) with genderqueer leaders, and how to find that leadership in your own life.
In lieu of leaders in your day-to-day life, here are some nonfiction books by non-binary authors that you can look up to!
Those that El has read:
What's Your Pronoun, by Dennis Baron - This is very academic and much more about the grammar of pronouns than gender expansive identities, but it is a great resource to throw at people who are still upset about the singular use of they/them
Raising Them, by Kyl Myers - A memoir about gender creative parenting that follows an incredible family as they raise their child without an assigned gender. The author, Kyl, identifies as gender expansive and uses she/them, and has a PhD in gender studies - and I'm obsessed with them.
Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity, by Micah Rajunov - A memoir series written exclusively by older nonbinary folx aimed primarily at showing how long various nonbinary gender identities have existed.
Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe - A beautiful graphic memoir written by a non-binary author as e discover eir gender identity. TW for pap smears
Some El hasn't read, but found from reputable sources and plans to read eventually. . .
The Queer Art of Failure, by Jack J. Halberstam - This one is heavily academic, and focuses on willingness to fail and to lose one’s way, to pursue difficult questions about complicity, and to find counterintuitive forms of resistance
Beyond the Gender Binary, by Alok Vaid-Menon - ANOTHER graphic memoir!
Transcending: Trans Buddhist Voices, by Kevin Manders - A series of memoirs of nonbinary Buddhists.
Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
27 min
January 19, 2021 Race, Queerness, the Insurrection, and You
This week's episode is a conversation between two white Americans, directed at calling our white listeners into a conversation about race. To our non-white listeners, we invite you to listen and reach out if there is anything we could improve on. We are still unlearning & relearning, but to stay silent is to be complicit so we are using what platform we have to hold space for this essential conversation.

Robin DeAngelo popularized the term white fragility with her book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. This book is a great place to start if you're a white person looking to unlearn some of your internalized racism. There is some controversy surrounding it, so I will say it is not a perfect book - but no single book on racism ever will be.
An easy break down of the concept of white fragility can be found in these articles: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-sociologist-examines-the-white-fragility-that-prevents-white-americans-from-confronting-racism
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2019/whats-my-complicity-talking-white-fragility-with-robin-diangelo
A much more in depth, scientific dive into the concept can be found in this journal article by Robin herself: https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116
White Rage is a term popularized by Carol Anderson's book White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide. I haven't read this one, so I can't speak to it. However, a fantastic breakdown of how white rage has divided this country since President Obama's election can be found here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-white-rage-driving-our-racial-divide/2016/06/22/fbeec9fc-22a8-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html

White Dominate Culture Norms are the norms & standard practices that exist throughout this country that make public spaces more comfortable & safe for white people than anybody else. Here is a great, short list of examples and their alternatives!
https://www.cacgrants.org/assets/ce/Documents/2019/WhiteDominantCulture.pdf
Finally, if you're in the UK I suggest Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge. It is written by an incredible Black, feminist, British woman who explores the specific brand of racism that exists in the UK.

For other areas of the world, please reach out - I'm happy to help find resources that are specific to your geopolitical location. Racism & white supremacy are a global problem, but they do show up a bit differently depending on where you're located.

Music for Gender Journeys Composed by Sonia Bourdaghs
***
Follow us on social media or find us online!
Twitter: @Gender_Journeys
Tumblr: Gender Journeys
Website: JosieWrites.com/GenderJourneys
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Need some advice? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
30 min

About Gender Journeys

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A podcast about just what the heck gender actually is in context. Featuring discussions about various topics with a focus on identities outside the gender binary.

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Gender Journeys

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