In this episode of The Queer Life radio show, Kaiya Kramer interviews transgender writer Charlize Veritas on her work, journey, and transition.

This episode airs live Friday February 19th, 2016 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, on KOWS 107.3 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/nDwEUlK-Jxo

About Charlize

Charlize was born in a small town in New Jersey but raised in Texas. She always knew that she was transgender but did not start transitioning until her mid-thirties. She is a writer, an actress, an artist, and most importantly a wife to the most loving person she’s ever met. It is her mission to open the eyes of others to the emotional plight of the average trans-person.

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

Happy Valentine’s Day listeners! Tonight I’m exploring what it Valentine’s Day for transgender people is like and as well as covering LGBT news subjects around politics and much more, tune in!

his episode airs live Friday February 12th, 2016 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, on KOWS 107.3 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/MM7LtD7mGhk

Starting off with a very informative piece of John Oliver’s Last Week tonight, it’s a bit old, but it covers the transgender experience pretty spot on. Which covers some pretty harsh and horrible facts that trans people undergo in general. As you all know we’re in an election season, it’s important to arm yourselves with knowledge about LGBT rights and the candidates view points, Bernie Sanders just launched an LGBT friendly campaign ad. It’s good to know that candidates are supportive of members of the LGBT community.

LGBT news subjects discussed:

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

Ep 72 Transgender Poet Natasha Dennerstein Interview - The Queer Life

In tonight’s episode of The Queer Life Radio show, Kaiya Kramer interviews transgender poet Natasha Dennerstein about her life, her work, and her views.

This episode airs live Friday January 29th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/jS6HdlzpNZM

Natasha’s Bio:

Natasha Dennerstein was born in Melbourne, Australia, to a family originating in Belarus.  She worked as a psychiatric nurse for 20 years, which gave her an interesting perspective on the human condition.  In 2011 she completed her Masters at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.  Natasha has had poetry published in Fourth Floor, Landfall, Snorkel, JAAM, Takahe, Shenandoah, Bloom, Transfer, Red Light Lit and Spoon River Poetry Review. She is currently living in San Francisco, where she is an MFA candidate in Poetry at the Creative Writing department at San Francisco State University. Her collection “Anatomize” was published by Norfolk Press in San Francisco in October, 2015.

http://www.natashadennerstein.com
norfolkpress.com

Here’s some of the LGBT headlines that I’ll be covering as well:

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

In tonight’s episode of The Queer Life Radio show, Kaiya Kramer shares her post-op experience, talking about why Ted Cruz blames gays for the financial crash, and how Putin may have had sex with underage boys.

This episode airs live Friday January 22nd, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/Fxo-muhlv6E

Dear listeners,

Tonight I’ll be talking about my post-op experience after having my gender confirmation surgery. Honestly, it’s really a trip to even be talking about this stuff because it’s such a deeply personal experience, but I wanted you to know what it’s like because it’s an experience many trans people look forward to (although not all) and something many cis people seem to have many questions about!

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

In tonight’s episode of The Queer Life Radio show, Kaiya Kramer brings on Paulina Angel founder of Trans Role Models on Facebook, covers pre-op surgery for gender reassignment, and covers all the up to date LGBT news.

This episode airs live Friday December 18th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/UqfbK5y4Gmw

Since September 5th, when Episode 6 : Paulina Angel aired, I felt that life got better and better by each day. After going through months of psychotherapy, I, for the first time, found myself becoming happy and confident. Since then, I started to become very involved in the Trans Community in Palm Springs, becoming part of the Palm Springs Steering Committee for Human Rights Campaign, as well as volunteering for the LGBT Center Of The Desert & Equality California. In September, I was special guest for an EQCA & LGBT Center event in partnership of Chill Bar in Palm Springs called ‘An Evening of Equality for Transgender Awareness’. Also in September, I became contributor for the LGBT Publication, Desert Outlook as the Trans Life commentator. My group, Trans Role Models, has hit its 5 Year Anniversary as we now have over 7,000 members. I’m now beginning recording sessions for my third album, Virgin Sounds, which kicked off earlier in November with the release of the single, MINE, which is a song heard in the up and coming film, LGBT Love Stories. The song was rewritten and renamed ‘Transitioning’ for South Africa artist, Laura Kate Meads.

Just to let you know that I will not be around for the next 3-4 weeks, I’ll be in recovery for my gender reassignment surgery. In this episode I’ll cover the last few details about my surgery so you know what’s up. Check out the news story links below, I’ll be discussing those articles and presenting viewpoints from the LGBT perspective.

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

In tonight’s episode of The Queer Life Radio show, Kaiya Kramer interviews Dr. Sand Chang Licensed Psychologist, who is a Chinese American, nonbinary/genderqueer person at the Multi-Specialty Transitions Department at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland.

This episode airs live Friday December 11th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

Their Bio:

Dr. Sand Chang (they/them/their) is a Chinese American, nonbinary/genderqueer Licensed Psychologist. They are a Gender Specialist at the Multi-Specialty Transitions Department at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland and maintains a private practice specializing in trauma and EMDR, addictions, relationships, and healing work with marginalized communities, particularly people affected by the intersections of racism, homophobia, and transphobia. Sand is the current Chair of the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD) and recently completed an appointment on the the American Psychological Association’s Task Force in writing the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People.

www.sandchang.com

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

In tonight’s episode of The Queer Life Radio show, Kaiya Kramer interviews Dr. Sand Chang Licensed Psychologist, who is a Chinese American, nonbinary/genderqueer person at the Multi-Specialty Transitions Department at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland.

This episode airs live Friday December 11th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/GtFtRleENew

Their Bio:

Dr. Sand Chang (they/them/their) is a Chinese American, nonbinary/genderqueer Licensed Psychologist. They are a Gender Specialist at the Multi-Specialty Transitions Department at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland and maintains a private practice specializing in trauma and EMDR, addictions, relationships, and healing work with marginalized communities, particularly people affected by the intersections of racism, homophobia, and transphobia. Sand is the current Chair of the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD) and recently completed an appointment on the the American Psychological Association’s Task Force in writing the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People.

www.sandchang.com

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I want to talk about all that I’m grateful for as a transgender woman to have the opportunity to undergo gender reassignment surgery. I don’t usually speak about my personal life, but I wanted  to share this unique experience with you. Enjoy!

This episode airs live Friday November 27th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/EaxtcXEQFkU

My Gender Reassignment Surgery

I usually don’t do this, but I wanted to make this episode a little bit more personal for Thanksgiving. Yesterday, I had the chance to celebrate with my family how grateful I am for all the wonderful changes not only in my own life, but also for the LGBT community as a whole. It’s been a long journey for me, understanding my own growth and journey as a transgender woman and a human being on planet earth. This subject is very personal for me, because it has to do with a body part I have spent a lifetime trying to understand my relationship with: my penis.

Every transgender woman has a different relationship with her penis, some transgender women experience what’s called “Gender Dysphoria,” which means that they don’t feel aligned with their body or genitals. For as long as I can remember, I’ve experienced gender dysphoria and spent a lifetime hating my penis. It hasn’t been until this last year waiting for my surgery where I’ve finally learned to love the body part that I was born with.

Does that mean that I’ll cancel my surgery? No it doesn’t, because I think it’s important for me to learn to love that part of my body just as I’m about to change it into something else. It’s important because my penis will be giving me a great gift, it will be giving me the vagina I’ve longed for my entire life. I celebrate the gift I am about to receive, because it will be something that I’ve worked very hard for.

On December 23rd 2015 I will be undergoing Gender Reassignment Surgery with Dr. Meltzer.

Since I am not a writer, please listen to this episode to learn more!

If you would like to donate to my surgery fund please click here:

https://www.gofundme.com/kaiyasurgery

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

Today is Trans Day of Remembrance 2015 and this episode I’ll be sharing stories of triumph and loss in honor of all those who lost their lives.

This episode airs live Friday November 20th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/jeWJRl0aReA

From Wikipedia:

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), which occurs annually on November 20, is a day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia[1] and to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community.[2]

MLin is a community organizer at API Equality Northern California, originally from San Jose, CA. They identify as a queer gender non-conforming Chinese American. As a student, they were actively involved in student organizing and archival research relating to the history of minority groups on campus. They graduated from Chapman University with a B.F.A. in film production, with an emphasis in sound design. Since moving back to the Bay Area, Mlin has been strongly drawn to living out their identity politics through both their community-based work and personal relationships. In their free time, they enjoy working on behind-the-scenes videography, listening to international pop/alternative rock music, and spending time with loved ones.

API Equality Northern California works to build LGBTQ API power by amplifying our voices and increasing visibility of our communities. We inspire and train leaders, establish intergenerational connections, and document and disseminate our histories. Our two main projects include our leadership development program and the Dragon Fruit Project, an intergenerational oral history project that explores queer Asian Pacific Islanders and their experiences with love and activism in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

http://www.apiequalitync.org/

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show

This week on The Queer Life radio show Kaiya Kramer presents a handful of news LGBT news stories that are so unbelievable, you won’t believe these headlines.

This episode airs live Friday November 13th, 2015 at 6–8pm on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Tuesday night on KBBF 89.1 FM, replayed on Wednesday night at 6–8pm on KWTF 88.1 FM, and live on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/kZzm4MQdDE8

Seriously the LGBT news articles I’m about to share with you have my mind blown more open than usual. I literally leave these headlines and topics up to you to make your own decisions on.

New matchmaking site aims to pair women with ‘gay best friend’
by Joe Williams, pinknews.co.uk
An online matchmaking website has launched for ‘heterosexual women seeking their male gay BFF.’

Government Says Allowing Chelsea Manning to Grow Her Hair Would Be a ‘Significant Security Risk’
roygbiv.jezebel.com
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Department of Justice are locked in a battle over Chelsea Manning’s hair length.

Mormons Are Planning to Leave the Church Over New Anti-Gay Policy
jezebel.com
Last week, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced new guidelines classifying people in same-sex marriages as apostates and barring their children from baptizing and naming ceremonies. This week, Mormons are pushing back.

Watch: Lesbian school teacher forced out of her job
by Michelle O’Toole
Cathy Figel, an openly lesbian teacher, is suing her former school district for not acting when she endured homophobic abuse as a teacher.

MassMutual Asks Gay Couples About Their Marriages — Cue Tears
by Ron Dicker, feeds.huffingtonpost.com
Now that the right for the LGBT community to wed has been lawfully established for months, the financial services company invited a diverse set of real-life couples to discuss what it’s like to actually be married.

The Rise of the Gay Bigot
by Kit Williamson, advocate.com
EastSiders creator Kit Williamson says that adopting the mainstream’s judgmental finger-wagging is not the path to equality.

Germain Greer wins the Golden GLORIA for her outrageous comments on trans women
gaynewsnetwork.com.au
Now in its fifth year, the GLORIAs – Gay & Lesbian Outrageous, Ridiculous and Ignorant Comment Awards – aims to shine a light on homophobia in a light-hearted way.

Judge removes child from foster parents simply because they are lesbians
by Joe Williams, pinknews.co.uk
A baby girl has been removed from her foster parents because of their sexuality.

Thanks for listening!

-Kaiya Kramer
Host of The Queer Life Radio Show