Christine's pronouns are she/her , and she's ok with they/them pronouns. She identifies as a trans woman and is also non-conforming, disabled and neurodivergent. Find out what that means to Christine in this episode. We also talk about how the spectrum of physical biological sex and that of the social construct of gender overlap, the idea of sex dysphoria rather than gender dysphoria, medical transition vs social transition and being comfortable on the inside first, supporting people in a way th...
Apr 28, 2022•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 79
Claire's pronouns are she/her , and she is a transgender woman . Find out what that means to Claire in this episode. We also talk about the lack of female role models in the 70s, trying to reconcile the expected side and the authentic side of us, the entanglement of gender, mental health and neurodivergence, feeling like yourself for the first time, reframing gendered activities, identifying as vs identifying with, gender alignment rather than transition, and having more stories to tell. More on...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 78
Jenn sets up websites and tech systems for micro businesses. Jenn doesn't have much of an attachment to pronouns and says they or she are fine. They are genderfree , and she also gave us the labels autistic and fat. Find out what that means to Jenn in this episode. We also talk about choosing your own gender badges, the absurdity of assigned gender roles, being conscious of gender-neutral language, how autism in women is underdiagnosed, the limited choices when it comes to clothes, the balance o...
Mar 31, 2022•56 min•Ep. 77
Skin is the singer of the rock band Skunk Anansie, a radio show and podcast host, and author. Skin's pronouns are she/her , and she is a queer person. Find out what that means to Skin in this episode. We also talk about stepping stones to new language, the obsession with beauty in the gay community, breaking gender roles, given names and designing your own sense of self, a cultural sense of identity, expanding on feminism, marriage and motherhood, chosen family and learning how to love each othe...
Mar 17, 2022•46 min•Ep. 76
In this third Reflections episode, Katy interviews Esther as she reflects on further conversations she’s had with gender-diverse folks, what she’s learned about gender, as well as her own journey and how she and the podcast have evolved over a year and a half since the podcast started. We also talk about imposter syndrome, intuition and following the flow, prioritising self-care, expanding on pronouns, improvising and thinking on the spot, reclaiming labels, coming out of the spiritual closet, h...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 75
This is an episode with a spiritual twist. I have a conversation with Oron, through Medha. Medha is an intuitive energy healer and channeler – to be exact, a direct voice channel – and she has a podcast called A Clear Perspective, where she shares the guidance that comes through from Oron in answer to people's questions. Oron start by talking about what it takes for Medha to allow this energy to come through, and then about expansion and going beyond right and wrong, external and internal divisi...
Feb 17, 2022•35 min•Ep. 74
Paige is married to a transgender woman , Esther (or Elle), who came out to her in October 2020. They've been married for 16 years and have two children. Find out more about Paige's experience in this episode. We also talk about being married to a troubled person, becoming more bold and growing into your skin, learning to communicate our needs, the freedom in speaking our truth, going through your own journeys together, that it's ok to not put a label on yourself, and how we may find ourselves i...
Feb 03, 2022•51 min•Ep. 73
Talea uses any pronouns , and they are agender and metagender . Find out what that means to Talea in this episode. We get philosophical and dig deeper into gender identity, and we talk about the challenges with finding language for something just beyond our grasp, nature vs nurture and what is innate in our identity, and peeling away layers and finding nothing. As we start to wrap up the conversation, some more really juicy things came up, so we keep going for another 10 minutes or so after I th...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 72
Renée Yoxon is a singer, songwriter, and gender-affirming voice teacher. Renée's pronouns are they/them , and they are non-binary trans . They also identify as maverique and back in the day, genderqueer . Find out what that means to Renée in this episode. We also talk about being who you are right now, bridging the trans and cis experience, how 'passing' is morally neutral, internal vs societal perception of gender, simultaneously upholding and tearing down gender binaries, and how the voice is ...
Jan 06, 2022•45 min•Ep. 71
Rowan Bombadil is a psychosexual coach and interfaith minister, dedicated to bridging the binaries between sex and spirit. Rowan's pronouns are they/them/their , and they are a genderqueer shapeshifter and sex witch . Find out what that means to Rowan in this episode. We also talk about deconstructing boxes and binaries, the link between gender, sex and magic, reclaiming the body and revealing more of ourselves, roleplay vs shapeshifting, multiplicity and spanning the gender spectrum, transforma...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 70
Zelda is a performer and magician. Zelda is happy for people to use the pronouns they feel are appropriate. She is intersex and disabled, and refers to herself as trans-adjacent . Find out what that means to Zelda in this episode. We also talk about using fun vs boring as decision-making criteria as opposed to male vs female, having a gender identity as fluid as a body identity, knowing the science versus living the science, giving hope by being yourself, being a bridge between dualities, lucky ...
Dec 09, 2021•57 min•Ep. 69
Esther Loewen uses she/her pronouns, and she is a transgender woman . She also identifies as a parent, spouse, pastor, professional includer, and queer. Find out what that means to Esther in this episode. We also talk about how coming out is an ongoing process, questions to ask yourself on the gender journey, finding hope in spirituality after trauma, grieving the loss of vocation, taking a leap of faith, embracing how god made us, integrating and honouring the old self, and entering the next ch...
Nov 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 68
Leonie Dawson is a proudly neurodivergent multi-passionate entrepreneur, author, podcaster, prolific course creator and massive swear bear. Leonie's pronouns are she/they , and they are non-binary . Find out what that means to Leonie in this episode. We also talk about honouring the land we inhabit, the freedom that came from adding a 'they' pronoun while having a 'she' experience, being non-conforming in business, the importance of having open and honest money conversations, knowing who you are...
Nov 11, 2021•57 min•Ep. 67
In this episode, I have a conversation with Anna Sansom, a writer, author of erotic fiction and also author of the book Desire Lines, which is a combination of memoir, erotica, and an invitation to reflective self-inquiry. Anna's pronouns are she/her . She experiences herself as genderqueer and feels herself to be gender-responsive . Find out what that means to Anna in this episode. We also talk about the energetic space between people, being responsive vs being reactive, how boxes can be constr...
Oct 28, 2021•53 min•Ep. 66
This episode is a slightly different one again; the first of a Listener Questions series. I'm answering a question (or rather, responding to a request) from one of our listeners, Connie, who said "I would love to hear a podcast on the definition of terms used on the podcasts." So here it is! More on www.fiftyshadesofgender.com/listener-questions-1
Oct 14, 2021•23 min•Ep. 65
Brian Belovitch is an author, actor and activist. Brian's pronouns are he/him/his , and he identifies as a cis-gay male of trans experience . Find out what that means to Brian in this episode. We also talk about being different and growing up in the 60s and 70s, looking for validation, living a fantasy life, performing the role of perfect woman, dealing with judgement, how everyone's journey is unique, finding a different way to be comfortable, and going full circle and reaching a new destinatio...
Sep 30, 2021•59 min•Ep. 64
Jen Hartmann is a fashion designer and founder of the trans-positive label Baal Fashion. Jen is pretty much ok with all the traditional pronouns, but prefers he/him . He is non-binary and also identifies as bigender . Find out what that means to Jen in this episode. We also talk about growing up with a very gendered language, being expected to fit into cultural and gendered stereotypes, disrupting the fashion industry and the future of innovation, how clothes are an integral part of gender expre...
Sep 23, 2021•41 min•Ep. 63
Jacob Profitt is a geography teacher. Jacob's pronouns are they/them , and they identify as a gay non-binary person. Find out what that means to Jacob in this episode. We also talk about the freedom that comes with going to university, societal conditioning around masculine and feminine binaries, exploring gender identity through drag, being non-binary in education, feeling attracted to male presenting people as opposed to masculinity, and being inspired by a younger generation. More on www.fift...
Sep 16, 2021•36 min•Ep. 62
Dorothy Pierre-Louis uses he/him/his pronouns, and his nickname is Thyo (pronounced like Theo). He is non-binary and also uses the labels bigender and trans-masculine , as well as toric and graysexual. Find out what that means to Thyo in this episode. Thyo (pronounced like Theo) is a simple urban animal who resides with his friends in a cozy den in Philadelphia. He currently works as a technical recruiter and aspires to make it in the entertainment/media industry as a writer. This dream is sligh...
Sep 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 61
Emme Porter DeWitt is an author, advocate, and authenticity coach. Emme's pronouns are they/them/theirs . They are agender and also identify as transgender , non-binary , queer and demisexual. Find out what that means to Emme in this episode. We also talk about how we all have our own unique flavour of humanity, making sense of attractions, the importance of emotional connection, building your own blueprint for relationships, the possibilities in the term queer, being a solo advocate, how parent...
Sep 02, 2021•56 min•Ep. 60
Victor's pronouns are they/them , and they are non-binary and transgender , as well as pansexual and panromantic. Find out what that means to Victor in this episode. We also talk about identifying vs being, the freedom in expressing yourself, that clothes have no gender, connection to culture, having an awareness of your own mental health, processing out loud, and how gender expression is for yourself rather than others. More on www.fiftyshadesofgender.com/victor...
Aug 26, 2021•59 min•Ep. 59
Greyson, a furry and budding artist, is a trans man , but identifies with wolfgender , which is a xenogender . Greyson uses he/him/himself as well as wolf/wolfs/wolfself pronouns. Find out what that means to Greyson in this episode. We also talk about discovering your identity through playing someone else, separating gender from male/female, man/woman and masculine/feminine, how queer identities are a lot of work, self-medicating with testosterone, respecting artistry and artists by paying them ...
Aug 19, 2021•50 min•Ep. 58
Jin Wicked is an artist, illustrator, and writer, on the autism spectrum. Jin's pronouns are they/them , and they are agender and non-binary . Find out what that means to Jin in this episode. We also talk about pushing boundaries, questioning what's normal, seeing the body as a canvas, finding beauty and art in everyday life, discovering being neurodivergent, integrating different identities, being present in the moment, and learning to be human. More on www.fiftyshadesofgender.com/jin...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 57
Juno Roche is a writer, campaigner and author of the books Queer Sex, Trans Power and Gender Explorers. Juno's pronouns are they/them , and they are trans and queer . Find out what that means to Juno in this episode. We also talk about being a writer as part of identity, affirming surgeries versus trying to preserve youth, transitioning into transness as opposed to into a woman, being attracted to masculinity rather than men, owning your skin and celebrating yourself, being an intimacy virgin, a...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 56
Beverly Little Thunder is an activist, community leader and teacher, and founder of a non profit organisation that provides a safe space for ceremony for Indigenous LBGTQIA people. Beverly uses she/her pronouns, and she is a Two-Spirit Lakota woman from the Standing Rock Band in North Dakota. Find out more about her story in this episode. We also talk about what the term Two-Spirit encompasses, how religious indoctrination led to Two-Spirit people being ostracised, the cultural and societal role...
Jul 29, 2021•44 min•Ep. 55
Lynn Keiser is a professional in technology and mentor to younger transgender people. Lynn's pronouns are she/her , and she identifies as a transgender woman . Find out what that means to Lynn in this episode. We also talk about how being trans can offer a unique perspective into human psychology, the evolution of relationships and attraction, facets of identity, leaping into the unknown, and doing as much – or as little – as you need to be happy. More on www.fiftyshadesofgender.com/lynn...
Jul 22, 2021•55 min•Ep. 54
Lor is an entrepreneur, author and teacher and uses he/she pronouns. He is non-binary , and intersex – assigned female at birth but genetically male – and she is figuring things out when it comes to gender identities, currently working with the labels demiboy and bigender . Find out what that means to Lor in this episode. In addition to the aforementioned labels, Lor also talks about identifying as trans . She has since asked me to omit this label from the title. In Lor's words: "I've since been...
Jul 15, 2021•55 min•Ep. 53
Dean is a Life Coach who is passionate about empowering the LGBTQ2S community. Dean uses he/they pronouns. He is a trans man , but they also resonate with the labels trans-masculine , genderqueer and non-binary . Find out what that means to Dean in this episode. We also talk about being a non-binary parent, separating the role of nurturer from gender, experiencing dysphoria in pregnancy, gender assumptions and how we are perceived, how testosterone can affect attraction, and the freedom that can...
Jul 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 52
Laurence Sarno is a former entertainer and journalist who now runs a marketing communications consultancy. Laurence's pronouns are he/him . He generally describes himself as a trans man , but his joke about labels is that he's everything in LGBTQIA except the 'L' and the 'A'. Find out what that means to Laurence in this episode.. We also talk about being perceived as you are, a very speedy transition journey, privilege, what we can learn from unconventional relationship styles, embracing who you...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 51
In this second Reflections episode, Katy interviews Esther as she reflects on further conversations she’s had with gender-diverse folks, what she’s learned about gender, as well as her own journey and how she and the podcast have evolved almost a year since the podcast started. We also talk about expectations, finding the essence of each conversation, the subtleties of language, intuition and setting intentions, awareness and facets of identity, assigned titles, smart business decisions, the dis...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 50
