Queering Precedent

Stonewall veteran Christy Henderson-Jenkins’ epic life story includes a run-in with MLK, surviving the serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper, and an institutionalization at Bellevue Hospital that galvanized her dear friends Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. We’re closing out this series by centering the knowledge of the legal system that comes from lived experience.

Stay in touch with us @theoutwordsarchive for more news, events, and conversations with queer elders!

Bamby Salcedo is the founder of the TransLatin@ Coalition, as well as the first trans Latina to testify in front of Congress. She lays out the “American nightmare” for many trans women who immigrate to the United States, the relationship between immigration detention and the carceral system, and how TransLatin@ Coalition is fighting back.

Intersex activism power couple Anne and Suegee Tamar-Mattis met in the San Francisco Street Patrol, intervening in homophobic hate crimes. Together, they unpack the legal hurdles to ending intersex surgeries, the role of the trans community in the early intersex movement, and how “backlash is baked into any progress.”

“Tío” Marcus Arana has been a force of nature in transgender, Two-Spirit, and intersex activism for decades. He shares how different tribes are re-integrating the sacred role of Two-Spirit community members, the intrinsic link between trans liberation and Two-Spirit liberation, and his plans for using the bathroom in federal buildings - and also, why to plant flowers.

Dr. Marci Bowers has been called “The Beyoncé of Bottom Surgery,” among other honorifics. She gets into the biological fallacy of binary sex, and the history of medical transition.

The first transgender judge in California, Victoria Kolakowski, had to file a brief to even be allowed to take the bar exam. She breaks down the intersections between disability, intersex, and trans rights; what an executive order even is; the importance of trans representation in the courts; and so much more.

OUTWORDS is proud to present Queering Precedent, a new podcast dropping on May 22! Get a jolt of hope, history, and how-to with the LGBTQ+ elders who have shaped law and politics for trans, gender expansive, two spirit, and intersex communities. We’ll get up close and personal with both the legal system and with the legendary changemakers fighting for us.

Jude Patton found the medical resources he needed to transition because his colleague at the dog grooming salon just happened to be one of the first 6 Americans to have FTM gender-affirming surgery. This chance encounter launched him into advocacy to ensure that trans people wouldn’t need to rely on sheer luck to access healthcare. In the Golden Queers Season 1 finale, Nico and Jude explore their intersectional identities, the importance of intergenerational dialogue, and the need to increase visibility for elders.

The Golden Queers is produced, hosted and edited by Jae Singh and Nico Raquel, with music provided by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio. Find the Golden Queers online at thegoldenqueers.org. Executive producers for The Outwords Archive are Jack MacCarthy and Bliss, and OUTWORDS’ executive director is Mason Funk. OUTWORDS captures, preserves, and shares the stories of LGBTQ+ elders, to build community and catalyze social change. More info at theoutwordsarchive.org. The Golden Queers is funded by a generous grant from the California State Library’s Oral History Project.

Special thanks to this week's storyteller: Jude Patton. Additional thanks to Lynnore Goldfarb.

From growing up walking past MLK’s house in Atlanta, to running Harvey Milk’s media campaign in San Francisco, Gwenn Craig’s lifetime of activism is next-level. Jae and Gwenn dive into their unique challenges as women of color, Gwenn’s journey, and why white nuns are “always on some extra stuff.”

The Golden Queers is produced, hosted and edited by Jae Singh and Nico Raquel, with music provided by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio. Find the Golden Queers online at thegoldenqueers.org. Executive producers for The Outwords Archive are Jack MacCarthy and Bliss, and OUTWORDS’ executive director is Mason Funk. OUTWORDS captures, preserves, and shares the stories of LGBTQ+ elders, to build community and catalyze social change. More info at theoutwordsarchive.org. The Golden Queers is funded by a generous grant from the California State Library’s Oral History Project.

Special thanks to this week's storyteller: Gwenn Craig. Additional thanks to Gordon Tan and Jude Patton.

Juggling both an AIDS and Klinefelter's Syndrome diagnosis, plus the responsibilities of a devoted intersex activist, David Strachan understands the importance of self love. Jae and David talk surviving the AIDS crisis in San Francisco, the importance of comprehensive sex ed, third genders in South Asian cultures, and why parents should not have have autonomy over their children’s sex organs.

The Golden Queers is produced, hosted and edited by Jae Singh and Nico Raquel, with music provided by Karl Casey at White Bat Audio. Find the Golden Queers online at thegoldenqueers.org. Executive producers for The Outwords Archive are Jack MacCarthy and Bliss, and OUTWORDS’ executive director is Mason Funk. OUTWORDS captures, preserves, and shares the stories of LGBTQ+ elders, to build community and catalyze social change. More info at theoutwordsarchive.org. The Golden Queers is funded by a generous grant from the California State Library’s Oral History Project.
Special thanks to this week's storyteller: David Strachan. Additional thanks to Gordon Tan.