TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones

This November, voters will be faced with anti-trans ballot measures all across the country. What is the purpose of these measures and how are they different from laws introduced in state legislatures?

Today, we hear from two people who will help us understand the anti-trans ballot initiatives in two very different states.

Michael Woodward is an organizer fighting a draconian measure in Washington State that would mandate sex testing for all girls who wish to participate in school sports. Ann Marie Awad is a reporter who’s been covering the anti-trans measures in Colorado for their podcast Hate State (coming later this month).

This week’s Trans Joy features V Fixmer-Oraiz, a County Supervisor in Johnson County, IA.

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Imara sits down with two trans women running for their respective State Houses of Representatives. And, in an interesting coincidence, both these women are spiritual leaders as well as political hopefuls.

Joanna Whaley is running to represent Michigan’s 2nd District on a platform of economic fairness. She is a former pastor, a survivor of conversion therapy, and currently works full-time as a hospital chaplain.

Jaelynn Scott is the Democratic nominee for Washington State’s District 37. She is a Democratic Socialist and the Executive Director of the Lavender Rights Project, a Black trans feminist organization.

This week’s Trans Joy features Ashley Shade, the President of the City Council of North Adams, Massachusetts.

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This week, Imara is joined by Lucie Fielding, author of “Trans Sex: Nurturing Trans Erotic Embodiment and Gender-Pleasure.” Lucie is a therapist and sex educator and is here to answer all of your spiciest questions about trans sex.

Lucie shares what exactly makes trans sex special, answers sex questions from listeners, and shares an exercise you can try at home to make your sex life better.

This week’s Trans Joy spotlights artist and sex worker Carta Monir.

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Historian Susan Stryker joins Imara to discuss her new book, “Changing Gender,” which is a history of the concept of gender itself. 

What does gender have to do with language? When did “gender ideology” become the boogeyman it is today? And how did transphobe Matt Walsh inspire this book? Listen for answers to all these and more questions. 

This week’s Trans Joy spotlights scholar Victor Ultra Omni. 

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This week, we’re revisiting Imara’s vulnerable conversation with Minnesota State Representative Leigh Finke, the first trans woman ever elected to the MN House of Representatives. In her time in office, Finke has focused on policies that expand housing and healthcare access and cement civil rights protections, most notably a trans refuge law that includes some of the strongest legal protections for gender-affirming care in the nation.

But Rep. Finke’s time in office has been filled with turmoil. In June of last year, her friend and MN House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in a politically motivated murder. And, more recently, Minneapolis was besieged by ICE, which resulted in the killing of two citizens. 

In this episode, Rep. Finke gets real about how hard it is to be a trans legislator in today’s political environment and what motivates her to keep fighting.

This week’s Trans Joy spotlights Trina Tate, an educator who develops mindfulness curricula for public school students.

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As we gear up for November’s midterms, we’re revisiting our 2025 election recap. The 2025 elections were a resounding victory for Democrats and a rare sign of hope for many during a time when authoritarianism is on the rise. In this episode, Imara dives into the big stories from the 2025 election and what they mean for the trans community. First, Charlotte Rene Woods, a politics, health, & housing reporter for The Virginia Mercury helps us understand how anti-trans rhetoric became a losing strategy in the gubernatorial election in Virginia. Then, journalist Cyril Mychalejko from the Bucks County Beacon unpacks what happened in two politically significant school boards we reported on for The Anti-Trans Hate Machine podcast.

This week’s Trans Joy spotlights Downington, PA Mayor Erica Deuso.

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What’s so funny about masculinity? This week, we’re revisiting Imara’s conversation with actor, writer, and stand-up comedian River Butcher about the beauty and absurdity of being a man. They discuss being affirmed by butt slaps on the baseball field, the nonlinear nature of liberation, and just how far masculinity has expanded over the last few decades. River also gives an inside peek into his complicated relationship with they/them pronouns in queer spaces and Hollywood audition rooms. 

This week’s Trans Joy spotlights founder of T4T Comedy Terrence Dugan.

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Today, we’re revisiting one of our most romantic episodes. Imara talks with couple Arthur Rockwell and Harry Weissman about how they navigate being a trans guy and a cis guy in love. Hear from Arthur about how transitioning changed how he dates and challenged his assumptions about who occupies gay male spaces. Harry shares his advice to other cis gay men dating a trans man for the first time. The two also discuss the impact of the political climate on relationships, plus what they’ve learned from loving each other. 

This week’s Trans Joy features trans dating coach Kara Chang.

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Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes with celebrity astrologer Chani Nicholas! First, Chani reads Imara’s birth chart, offering insight into how we can find understanding through astrological practices during turbulent times. Then, Michael J. Morris stops by to share their journey to becoming a consulting astrologer. They explain how astrology can be used to expand our understanding of our own complexity, rather than to sort people into pre-determined categories.

This week’s Trans Joy features astrologer Marisol Vibración.

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As TransLash embarks on our summer break, we’re re-listening to this feel-good conversation with drag star extraordinaire Shea Couleé. Imara chats with Shea about their groundbreaking experience as a Black trans drag queen, including their time performing on Drag Race All-Stars. Shea also talks about their contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what lies on the horizon.

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