Amid relentless political attacks, rest is not a luxury for trans people—it’s a necessary act of survival. In this episode, Imara explores how our communities can cultivate wellness, restoration, and resilience in the face of burnout and grief. She’s joined by yoga instructor Avery Kalapa who shares their advice for reducing anxiety and finding peace within ourselves through movement. Then, organizer and spiritual worker Adaku Utah discusses the politics of rest, the relationship between somatics and liberation work, and the importance of staying rooted in your own needs during times of upheaval. 

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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

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

Follow our guests on social media:

Avery Kalapa: Instagram (@yoga_with_avery) and Bluesky (@yogawithavery.bsky.social)

Adaku Utah: Instagram (@soularbliss)

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media and Social. 

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

Marsha P. Johnson helped change the world—and now, she’s getting the biography she deserves. This week, Imara sits down with author and artist Tourmaline to talk about her groundbreaking new book, Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson. Tourmaline shares what it took to piece together Marsha’s story, from her early life in Times Square to her radical visions of freedom, spirituality, and care. She also unpacks Marsha’s expansive political imagination, her collaborations with groups like the Black Panthers, and why telling the full truth about her legacy matters more than ever in the face of right-wing historical revisionism. 

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

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Follow our guests on social media:

Caro de Robertis: Instagram (@caro_derobertis)

Tourmaline: Instagram (@tourmaliiine)

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media and Social. 

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

The word “mother” hits differently for trans folks. Traditional notions of motherhood are steeped in racialized and cisheterosexual norms. So what does mothering and being mothered look like when you’re trans? This Mother’s Day, we’re replaying this special conversation with the godmother of the Black Trans Lives Matter Movement, Ceyenne Doroshow. Hear about how and why she’s served as a maternal figure for so many trans people over the years, including through her award-winning work as the Founder and Executive Director of G.L.I.T.S.

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

Follow Imara Jones on X (@ImaraJones) and Instagram (@Imara_jones_)

Follow our guest on social media!

Ceyenne Doroshow: Instagram (@doroshow)

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.

Alex Guerra is our social media producer.

Digital strategy by Daniela Capistrano.

Theme Music: Ben Draghi and ZZK records. 

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

In the first 100 days of his second term, Donald Trump has launched an extreme and focused attack on trans people and our rights. This week, Imara speaks with journalists Christopher Wiggins and Katelyn Burns to unpack the real-time consequences of this escalating agenda. Christopher shares what he’s witnessing on Capitol Hill, from bathroom bans and restrictions on the press, to the broader climate of fear and erasure now gripping Washington. Then, Katelyn reflects on the ways Democrats have succeeded and failed at standing up to Trump’s agenda. Both conversations expose how transphobia is being used as a test case for stripping rights from broader swaths of the population, and what the media and public still aren’t fully grasping about the danger. 

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:

Millie Ahearn: Instagram (@millie_trumpet)

Christopher Wiggins: Bluesky (@cwnewser.bsky.social)

Katelyn Burns: X (@transscribe)

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media and Social. 

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, we’re replaying this Webby Award-honored episode from last year. Joined by social psychologist and author of “Unmasking Autism,” Devon Price, Imara dives into the politics and lived experiences of being autistic and trans. During their wide-ranging conversation, the two explore the complexity around defining what autism is, how the far right exploits stigma around autism against trans people, and the intricacies of self-diagnosis. 

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

Follow Imara Jones on X (@ImaraJones) and Instagram (@Imara_jones_)

Follow our guests on social media!

Cyrée Jarelle Johnson: X (@cyreejarelle) and TikTok (@cyreejarelle)

Devon Price: Instagram (@drdevonprice)

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.

Alex Guerra is our social media producer.

Digital strategy by Daniela Capistrano.

Theme Music: Ben Draghi and ZZK records. 

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

For many trans people, the path to building a biological family is filled with questions and misinformation. As part of our ongoing “Families” series, Imara sits down with midwife Marea Goodman, who offers an affirming and inclusive guide to conception, pregnancy, and birth. Marea shares insights from their work with queer and trans parents, breaks down myths about fertility and hormones, and walks through the different approaches to navigating reproductive healthcare and building a strong support system. 

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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:

Moss the Doula: Instagram (@mossthedoula)

Marea Goodman: Instagram (@pregnanttogether.community)

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media and Social. 

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

As far-right tech billionaires continue to seize power, the United States is facing a new and dangerous threat: techno-fascism. This week, Imara unpacks this dangerous new force in American politics with journalist Gil Duran. First, Gil traces the influence of Curtis Yarvin’s extreme beliefs on Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and JD Vance. He explains how tech elites are working to dismantle democracy and install a corporate dictatorship, why their movement is so focused on trans people, and what it will take for the American people to resist this dark vision for our future. 

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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:

Gil Duran: X (@gilduran76) Bluesky (@gilduran.com) 

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media and Social. 

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

In a world that often denies trans people access to safety and resources, DIY skills can be a path to empowerment and survival. This week, Imara explores the many ways we can all become more self-sufficient. First, she chats with Mercury Stardust about her journey to becoming the “Trans Handy Ma’am.” She explains why patience is the most important skill and how her background helps her connect with people who have been sucked down the alt-right pipeline. Then, Flint Del Sol talks through his experience building an off-grid lifestyle. He opens up about the learning curve of homesteading and his decision to pack it all up and live in an Airstream. 

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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:

Safe Combinations: Instagram (@safecombinationsme) 

Mercury Stardust: Instagram (@mercurystardusttopz) TikTok (@mercurystardust) Threads (@mercurystardusttopz)

Flint Del Sol: Instagram (@justflintisfine) TikTok (@justflintisfine) 

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. 

Hillary Esquina is our Director of Digital Media & Social.

Theme music composed by Ben Draghi.

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

Astrology has long been a tool of resistance, self-discovery, and connection. This week, Imara explores the power of astrology for queer and trans community and liberation. First, world-famous astrologer Chani Nicholas 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.

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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:

Marisol Vibración: Instagram (@marisolvibracion)

Chani Nicholas: Instagram (@chaninicholas), TikTok (@chaninicholas), Bluesky (@chaninicholas)

Michael J. Morris: Instagram (@cowitchcraftofferings)

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.

As anti-trans policies continue to escalate at the national and state level, local organizing has become a bastion of hope. This week, Imara talks with two leaders working to protect their communities in increasingly hostile environments. First, she’s joined by Iowa-based advocate Max Mowitz who unpacks the surprising removal of gender identity protections from the state’s civil rights law. They discuss the impact of corporate withdrawal from LGBTQ+ causes and the ways that mutual aid has helped fill the growing financial needs of trans Iowans. Imara then talks with Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd about her 10+ years of experience serving trans women of color in Birmingham, Alabama, plus why she has no time for performative leadership. 

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

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

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!

Arya Shae: Instagram (@transaffirmidaho)

Max Mowtiz: Instagram (@iowatransmutualaidfund @maxwellhowdy) 

Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd: Instagram (@daroneshia_duncan)

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.