In honor of Black History Month, Imara digs into the archives to unearth the incredible stories of two 19th century Black trans women. Archivist and scholar Riah Kinsey discusses what he’s discovered about Mary Jones, a sex worker and pick-pocket who made her way into New York City tabloids throughout the 1830’s. Imara and Riah piece together what we know about her remarkable life and wonder about what else there might be to discover. Then cultural organizer and filmmaker Mickaela Bradford discusses her new short film “Under False Colors.” It tells the story of Frances Thompson, the first known trans woman to testify in front of the U.S. Congress. 

Find a screening of Under False Colors near you here.

Send your trans joy recommendations to translash_podcast @ translash [dot] org 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

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Follow our guests on social media!

Quinton Reynolds: Instagram (@gamechangingmen) and X (@MenChanging)

Riah L. Kinsey: https://www.rlkinsey.com/

Mickaela Bradford: Instagram (@mickaela007 @underfalsecolors)

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating what it means to be gay, trans, and in love. Imara talks with couple Arthur Rockwell and Harry Weissman about their relationship and how they navigate this specific intersection of gender and sexuality. 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. 

Send your trans joy recommendations to translash_podcast @ translash.org 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

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Follow our guests on social media!

Kara Chang: Instagram (@karageous)

Arthur Rockwell: YouTube (@arthur_rockwell) TikTok (@arthur_rockwell)

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s executive order restricting gender-affirming care for minors is the latest blow in a years-long assault on trans kids. Despite these setbacks, parent advocates aren’t backing down. To kick off the TransLash Podcast's new "Families" mini-series, Imara talks with two mothers of trans kids about their efforts to protect their own families and others around the country. Lizette Trujillo shares what it’s been like to take on the national spotlight, the racial complexities of hiding versus fighting, and what she’s learned from her son Daniel. Then, Imara is joined by Keisha Bell who explains how and why she’s focused her work on supporting the families of Black and trans children. 

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Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guests on social media!

Kathie Moehlig: Instagram (@transfamilysos @transyouthliberation)

Lizette Trujillo: Instagram (@zettiegrams) @themamiadvocate) and Bluesky (@lizettetrujillo.bsky.social)

Keisha Bell: https://www.rainbowinblack.org/ 

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the rise of anti-trans attacks on the federal level, state-level advocacy is becoming even more crucial. This week, Imara talks with leaders working to build safety and belonging for trans people in two very different states. First she’s joined by the Executive Director of One Colorado, Nadine Bridges, who unpacks what it means to be a “shield state” under Trump. The two discuss the role of joy in resistance, the complex political landscape of Colorado, and the impact of changes to corporate DEI policies. Imara then takes a look at South Dakota where community health advocate Jack Fonder has been working under harsh political conditions for years. He shares stories of survival, hope, and the power of creating new spaces for in-person community building.

Content notice: The second conversation in this episoder contains references to suicidal ideation. TransLash gives listeners a heads up before that conversation begins.

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guests on social media!

Brittan Hardgers: Instagram (@iambrittanhardgers)

Nadine Bridges: Instagram (@onecolorado) X (@One_Colorado)

Jack Fonder: Instagram (@JackFonderSpeaks)

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a flurry of executive orders, Trump is making good on his promise to go after trans people on day one. This week, Imara takes a look at two of his biggest targets: trans students and military servicemembers. First, she digs into the strategy and impact of Trump’s new military ban with Army veteran Patricia King. The two discuss how this may be part of a broader plan to undercut social and economic mobility for trans people and why it could be detrimental to U.S. military preparedness. Next, she’s joined by the Executive Director of GLSEN Melanie Willingham-Jaggers to talk through how her organization has been preparing for the fight against anti-trans education policy, including new thinking around coalition building and safety. 

Lt. Rae Timberlake's views are their own and are not necessarily reflective of the United States military.

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

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Follow our guests on social media!

Rae Timberlake: Instagram (@sparta.pride)

Patricia King: Bluesky (@trixiek.bluesky.social) X (@trisheking) Threads (@trisheking)

Melanie Willingham-Jaggers: Instagram (@GLSEN) TikTok (@glsen_national)

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

This episode was engineered by Lucy Little.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the second Trump administration about to take power, how can LGBTQ+ advocacy groups continue to advance their nationwide priorities? Imara is joined by Kelley Robinson, Executive of the Human Rights Campaign, who lays out her organization’s plans for the next four years. The two discuss how new coalition building strategies could help disrupt a growing culture of fear and individualism. Kelley also talks about how she remains optimistic in the face of political hostility and why we need liberation for all, not for some. 

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guests on social media!

Mar Erazo (Emulsify): Instagram (@emulsify.art)

Kelley Robinson: X (@HRC_President) and Instagram (@hrcpresident) 

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

This episode was engineered by Lucy Little.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laughter is key to survival. This week, Imara talks to two of the funniest trans people out there about the power of comedy in good times and bad. First, she sits down with comedy writer Ally Beardsley about transitioning in the public eye, Dungeons and Dragons, and learning when to get serious. The two also laugh about the absurdity of Republican politics and Ally’s own conservative background. Next, Imara’s joined by comedian Robin Tran who talks about the relationship between comedy and depression and making jokes about being trans. 

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guests on social media!

Mx. Dahlia Belle: Instagram (@mx.dahliabelle)

Ally Beardsley: Instagram (@allybeardsley @genderspiral)

Robin Tran: Instagram (@robintran04)

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator. 

This episode was engineered with help from Lucy Little.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the TransLash Podcast takes a break for the holidays, we’re sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive. In this replay from 2023, Imara is joined by legendary trans activist and Stonewall veteran Miss Major. She shares her experience becoming a mother, gives advice to young trans people today, and explains why the fight for our rights will always be stronger than anti-trans policies and political parties. 

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guests on social media!

Toshio Meronek: X (@tmeronek) and Instagram (@tmeronek)

Miss Major: X (@immissmajor), Instagram (@missmajor1), and TikTok (@themissmajor) 

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the TransLash Podcast takes a break for the holidays, we’re sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive. In this replay from 2022, Imara has an eye opening conversation with the one and only Janelle Monaé, an 8-time Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and one of the most celebrated voices of our time. In the interview, Janelle opens up about the challenges of exploring her queerness in the public eye, how she learned she didn’t need to prove herself to anyone, and her brand new book, The Memory Librarian.  Imara and Janelle also talk about the necessity to break free from our past in order to create the future we all want;  moving beyond conventional ideas of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow Janelle Monaé on social media and check out the Memory Librarian: 

Janelle Monaé: @JanelleMonae (Twitter), @janellemonae (Instagram)

The Memory Librarian: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/the-memory-librarian

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the TransLash Podcast takes a break for the holidays, we’re sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive. In this replay from 2022, Imara discusses how the idea of Black civil rights has been reduced to the idea of changes in specific laws, but the civil rights movement also included the ideas of what we now call Black liberation: a specific revisioning of what our society should look like steeped in racial justice. That’s why she wanted to talk with Black trans leaders about what a new agenda for Black civil rights should look like. First, she’s joined by Qween Jean, the founder of Black Trans Liberation. She’s an activist and artist whose critical work centers Black trans people in the fight for racial equity. Then Imara talks to Kayla Gore, the co-founder of My Sistah’s House, a fully fledged aid and advocate organization that started as an emergency shelter with 8 beds.

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Send your trans joy recommendations to [email protected] 

Follow our guests on social media!

Qween Jean: Instagram (@qween_jean) 

Kayla Gore: Instagram (@ms_kaylagore) 

TransLash Podcast is produced by Translash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway. 

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.