Transgender School

Bridget Sampson

An honest, eye-opening, mother-daughter conversation that’s different than most. Join Jackie as she shares her journey to fully becoming the woman she was always meant to be, and hear from her mom Bridget about the mistakes she made, the things she got right, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Together, Jackie and Bridget will discuss current events, welcome guests, and share actions you can take to support trans people.

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

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Top 10 Transgender School Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Transgender School episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Transgender School for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Transgender School episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Meet Lilah Sturges, Award-Winning Transgender Author

Transgender School

06/04/24 • 39 min

In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by author Lilah Sturges. She is happily married to her wife and has two lovely grown daughters. Lilah wrote the first two graphic novels in the award-winning and critically acclaimed Lumberjanes world and several other titles for Vertigo (DC Comics) and Marvel.

Her latest work, The Science of Ghosts, which will be published on June 18th by Legendary Comics, tells the story of a transgender forensic parapsychologist who studies ghost behavior to solve crimes and showcases a creative new spin on stories with trans characters. We were lucky enough to be given an advanced reader copy and we so enjoyed discussing how much we loved the book and what parts of it fascinated us most.

Throughout our conversation, Lilah tells us about how she got into graphic novels, her evolution as a writer, and her unique approach to transgender identities in her latest work. She also shares her coming out story, the challenges she and her family went through, and the story behind #transpizza.

In addition, Lilah shares her thoughts on grief in the trans community, her process of creating the main character’s traits in The Science of Ghosts, transphobia in media, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Becoming a graphic novel writer (5:10)
Lilah talks about how much of her personal experiences are reflected in "The Science of Ghosts" (10:20)
Lilah shares her coming out story (14:00)
Transgender people and grief (18:50)
Lilah talks about #transpizza (25:00)
Lilah, Jackie, and Bridget discuss transphobia (31:20)

Connect with Lilah Sturges:

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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What to Do When Your Kid Comes Out as Transgender

Transgender School

01/02/24 • 35 min

Though right-wing talking heads try to manipulate suicide rate statistics, the data proves that the number one cause of self-harm and destructive behavior in the LGBTQ+ community is a lack of family acceptance. Kids who come out as transgender are not confused, are not in a phase, are not following a fad, and are not trying to rebel against their parents. From conversion efforts to more subtle forms of non-affirming communication, there is no question that the damage done can be significant and can often be avoided with a little education and effort. LGBTQ+ kids need and deserve our respect, support, and love.

In this episode, we talk about what to do and say, as well as what not to do and say when your child (or any child) trusts you enough to come out as transgender, at any age. You'll hear about the critical importance of family and community acceptance, statistics that show how destructive the lack of support can be for transgender youth, and how some of the most well-intended questions can cause deep wounds for trans kids.

We also discuss the mistakes Bridget made when Jackie came out and the challenges they faced. We learn ways to support transgender kids, support and respect their privacy, the ways to ensure affirming care for them, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About how Jackie's story began six and a half years ago (3:30)
What statistics teach us about self-harm and destructive behaviors in the LGBTQ+ community (6:00)
Why family acceptance is crucial (11:00)
Being trans is definitely not a phase or a way of being rebellious (17:00)
Jackie shares tips and ideas to grant affirming care for trans kids (24:00)
What do our trans kids really need from us (28:00)

Resources:

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

Secret Lives and Tragic Consequences

Transgender School

12/05/23 • 25 min

Content warning: In this episode, we discuss suicide, online harassment, and death threats.

Today we share two unsettling stories with the common themes of living secret lives and doing things that others would be shocked to discover.

You'll hear about the tragic story of Alabama Pastor and Mayor, Fred 'Bubba' Copeland, who, forced to live his life in the closet, used private social media accounts to present himself as a transgender woman and encourage transgender people to come out and go on hormone replacement therapy. After his secret life was exposed by a conservative news website and he was subsequently subjected to relentless online bullying, he took his life. We discuss the complex issues involved in cases like this and the ways that pressure to suppress one’s identity can lead to dire outcomes.

You'll also hear about a story published in the San Francisco Chronicle, in which a financially successful and apparently mentally stable man made several death threats to an operator from a Mental Health Hotline for LGBTQ+ youth in California. The name and address of this man, who lives in San Francisco, have been identified, but he will not likely face any consequences due to his power and wealth.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Pastor Fred 'Bubba' Copeland's tragic story (1:30)
The effects of being forced to live a life in the closet (13:20)
Online harassment shouldn't remain unpunished (16:00)
People who spread hate online and showcase a "normal" life on a different platform (17:00)

Resources Mentioned:

Hotline for California's LGBTQ kids got a death threat.

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

Nonbinary Identities, Top Surgery, Coaching, and Joy With Dr. Erin Baker

Transgender School

11/07/23 • 58 min

"Joy is not just an emotion; it's a deep alignment with the self. And those of us who are in the LGBTQ+ community know better than most communities about what it really feels like to wake up with joy at your core because who you are is aligned." - Dr. Erin Baker.

In today's episode, we are joined by the amazing Dr. Erin Baker, Executive Coach, Elite Certified Neurotransformational Coach, Internal Family Systems L2 Practitioner, and Self-Leadership Expert. Erin earned a PhD in Social Psychology and is the Bestselling Author of "Joy-Full AF: The Essential Business Strategy We're Afraid to Put First." They led a UX Research team at Facebook, were part of bringing Facebook Stories to 2 billion people, and were the Director of UX Research and Design at Microsoft Yammer.

Throughout this episode, a true testament to the uniqueness of everyone's gender experience, Erin discusses the process of coming to terms with their nonbinary gender identity throughout adolescence and early adulthood. They also share some of the challenges they faced, especially at the beginning. And we learned a lot thanks to Erin's openness about their top surgery, which led to a greater feeling of alignment with their gender. It was also interesting to hear about Erin’s experiences as a nonbinary person working for tech giants.

Additionally, Erin talks about their book, the multiple benefits of pursuing joy, Self-Leadership Coaching, Internal Family Systems, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Erin's coming out story (6:40)

Erin shares a bit about their experience with they/them pronouns and being misgendered (11:00)

The retreat in Mexico that changed everything for Erin (18:10)

Erin shares their thoughts on top surgery (24:00)

What is Self-Leadership? Erin shares their perspectives on it (39:00)

Pursue joy and success will follow (45:50)

Resources Mentioned:

Book: Dr. Erin Baker - Joy-Full AF: The Essential Business Strategy We're Afraid To Put First

Book: Richard Schwartz, Alanis Morissette - No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model

Connect with Dr. Erin:

Website

Instagram

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

Transgender Support: Becoming a True Ally Video Course on Vimeo

Transgender School Patreon Membership with all exclusive content

Transgender School on Medium

Instagram

Website

Facebook

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Support for LGBTQ+ College Students with Whitney Workman, Manager of the CSUN Pride Center

Transgender School

10/03/23 • 65 min

College students should be able to focus on their education without having to spend time and energy battling for fundamental rights like being addressed by their correct pronouns or having their gender expression acknowledged. This is one of the many reasons that Pride Centers at universities are essential.

In this episode, we were so happy to be joined by Whitney Workman (fae/they), Manager of the California State University, Northridge Pride Center. We talk about faer work with LGBTQ+ students, the holistic view of the Pride Center at CSUN, their thoughts on the best ways of spreading awareness of LGBTQ+ issues on college campuses and more.

A trailblazer in faer teen years, as the second person in their high school to come out, Whitney immediately recognized the needs in the Queer community and hasn't stopped working to improve lives and create safe spaces for students in their early stages of transition or exploring their own sexuality and gender.

Throughout this episode, you'll hear about Whitney's journey from being an organizer at feminist organizations and working with reproductive justice to making it to the CSUN Pride Center. Fae then provides a detailed list of the Center's services, how it supports LGBTQ+ college students, and how to learn about their services and programs. We also discuss the best ways of spreading LGBTQ+ awareness, free speech, hate speech, censorship, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

A bit about Whitney and their background before becoming the manager of the CSUN Pride Center (2:20)
What kind of support LGBTQ+ students will find at the Pride Center (18:30)
Who should have access to students' legal names (23:30)
Why the CSUN Pride Center is crucial for LGBTQ+ students (33:40)
Whitney shares faer thoughts on the best ways of spreading awareness (42:40)
Safety tips the Pride Center offers to LGBTQ+ students (54:40)
Don't trust the Campus Pride Index, go to a college’s LGBTQ+ Center website to see what they offer (1:02:50)

Connect with CSUN Pride Center:

Website

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families, A Panel Discussion, Part 2 of 2

Transgender School

09/05/23 • 46 min

"When I told my lesbian love that I was transitioning, she sat with me for four hours, and I said, I don't know what this means for us. Because I didn't know any families who looked like us, any couples who were a trans man with a lesbian. I found out later that there's a lot of us."

In today's episode, you’ll get to hear the second half of our very special conversation with Peggy Gillespie, author of "Authentic Selves," and with Lana, Ted, Joseph, Tamira, and Christian, who shared their stories in Peggy's book.

In this second part of our conversation, you'll learn about Christian, a suburban trans man, who was always told that it’s not okay to be out. He now embraces infinite, unconditional love, which he uses to teach his kids not to be ashamed of who they are or who their family is. You'll also hear about Joseph, a trans man, and his wife Tamira and their experiences parenting a trans kid.

Additionally, we talk about couples that stay together after one of them transitions, Peggy talks about the importance of sharing her book and promoting these discussions, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

A bit about Christian's background and upbringing story (3:20)
Christian's coming out story (9:20)
The scary trans person the media warned you about (13:40)
About couples that stay together after one of them transitions (18:10)
How is it to be a Queer mom of a trans kid (25:40)
How Peggy's book humanizes trans and nonbinary people (27:20)
A bit about how Peggy's non-profit works (34:00)

Resources:

Book: Peggy Gillespie - Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families
Family Diversity Projects: a non-profit organization with award-winning traveling photo-text exhibits, co-founded by Peggy Gillespie and Gigi Kaeser

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families, A Panel Discussion, Part 1 of 2

Transgender School

08/01/23 • 39 min

"I want other parents to know that it could be a life-or-death decision if you don't handle it right. Love your child. Carry the same love you had when they first came out of the womb, and you first saw them."

In today's special episode, we’re joined by Peggy Gillespie, author of "Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families." Peggy's book, with a foreword by Jazz and Jeanette Jennings, depicts life stories and portraits of transgender and nonbinary people and their families. We get to know some of the stories in "Authentic Selves" first-hand since we are joined by Lana, Ted, Joseph and Tamira, and Christian, who are featured in the book and also in the award-winning traveling exhibits that Peggy organizes through Family Diversity Projects.

In this first part of our two-part series panel discussion, you'll learn more about Peggy's background and motivation for developing her beautiful works of art, not only for the trans and nonbinary community but for society as a whole. You'll hear a little of Lana’s story and her struggles coming out as a transgender woman within her Caribbean-American culture, and you'll enjoy meeting Ted and hearing about his wonderful rainbow family.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Peggy's background and how this extraordinary project was born (3:40)
The importance of starting meaningful discussions with our children (9:50)
A short introduction to the panel's guests and their stories (13:10)
Lana shares her experiences coming out as a transgender woman (24:20)
The moment Ted realized his assigned gender wasn't aligned with who he was (32:00)
About a rainbow family with three dads (35:50)

Resources:

Book: Peggy Gillespie - Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families
Family Diversity Projects: a non-profit organization with award-winning traveling photo-text exhibits, co-founded by Peggy Gillespie and Gigi Kaeser

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

The Fight for Trans Rights & San Francisco's Hypocrisy

Transgender School

07/04/23 • 27 min

We’re sure you’re aware of the wave of anti-trans legislation being proposed and passed across the United States, but much of the information out there is confusing and misleading. In today’s episode, we want to clear things up for you and identify the truth about what’s happening and why by analyzing the political discourse on LGBTQ+ issues. We also debunk some myths about the idea of San Francisco being a Queer haven.

The increasing number of states that have outright banned gender-affirming care for anyone under 18 is forcing trans youth to flee red states and small towns to big blue cities. Unfortunately, they do not always find the support, safety, and opportunities they seek and may end up entangled in addictions, mental illness, and homelessness. Jackie describes how she has seen this firsthand in her career in local government in San Francisco.

It’s not only trans youth who are affected. Many adults in some states, such as Florida, have been suddenly and shockingly prevented from renewing their necessary transition-related medications, due to new discriminatory laws making it incredibly difficult or even impossible.

We discuss the effects of anti-trans legislation on the trans community, especially on trans youth, how we can all fight back, San Francisco's affordable housing issues, protests at schools that are teaching LGBTQ+ inclusion, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The orange man and the political use of the transgender community (2:30)
Making necessary HRT nearly impossible to obtain (5:40)
Addressing the right-wing talking head Matt Walsh (9:50)
Jackie's soapbox on the SF Board of Supervisors’ housing policies (13:00)
The impacts of not having affordable housing (18:30)

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

Meet LGBTQ+ Inclusion Author and Speaker, Dr. Kryss Shane

Transgender School

06/06/23 • 49 min

"I believe that when something bothers you, either do something about it or get over it. And I couldn't manage to get myself over it. So that only left me one choice." - Dr. Kryss Shane on why she became an LGBTQ+ ally and advocate.

In today's episode, we are joined by LGBTQ+ expert and cast member of TLC's "I Am Jazz," Dr. Kryss Shane. Dr. Kryss is an Educator and Consultant and the Author of "Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace," "The Educator's Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion," "Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive University," and "The Medical Professional's Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion."

Throughout our conversation, Dr. Kryss talks about becoming an LGBTQ+ leading expert, the exhausting yet gratifying job of writing four books in four years, what people are saying about her recommendations for inclusion, and what it has been like to have her books banned. She shared some behind-the-scenes moments from "I Am Jazz" that showcase Jazz and her family's admirable human qualities.

In addition, Dr. Kryss talks about her relationship with the Jennings family before the show aired, provides helpful advice for parents of LGBTQ+ kids, explains how she deals with online hate, and so much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Kryss' journey as an LGBTQ+ advocate and leading expert (3:30)
Dr. Kryss talks about the positive feedback she gets about her books (10:20)
What it feels like to have a book banned (12:10)
How it was for Dr. Kryss to make her first appearance on "I Am Jazz" in season 7 (19:00)
Dr. Kryss shares some juicy behind-the-scenes from the show (26:30)
How to support LGBTQ+ kids the right way (38:20)

Connect with Dr. Kryss:

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

How the Housing Crisis Impacts LGBTQ+ People

Transgender School

07/02/24 • 34 min

The housing crisis in blue states like California, with homes averaging over $700K, disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals. Elevated housing costs limit their access to safe and inclusive communities, forcing them to either remain in less accepting areas or face homelessness. Addressing this issue is crucial for ensuring equitable living conditions for LGBTQ+ folks and other marginalized groups.

In today's episode, we analyze the housing crisis in blue states and its impact on LGBTQ+ communities. You'll also hear our thoughts on the institutionalized segregation in the United States after World War II, the limitations of the Fair Housing Act, and the consequences of downzoning.

We also unravel myths and truths about the massive number of vacant homes across the United States and discuss several approaches to address this crisis, like vacancy taxes, market-rate housing development, and inclusive zoning policies.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The historical roots of housing segregation (2:30)
About San Francisco's residential security map and its long-lasting effects (5:20)
The Fair Housing Act and its limitations in enforcing desegregation (9:10)
A comparison of historical and current housing production rates in California (15:50)
Are there more vacant houses than homeless people in the United States? (19:50)
Why we must discuss the need for more affordable, multi-unit housing solutions (22:30)

Connect with Jackie and Bridget:

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

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FAQ

How many episodes does Transgender School have?

Transgender School currently has 47 episodes available.

What topics does Transgender School cover?

The podcast is about Parents, Health & Fitness, Transgender, Lesbian, Trans, Podcasts and Education.

What is the most popular episode on Transgender School?

The episode title '20+ U.S. States Ban Transgender Care' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Transgender School?

The average episode length on Transgender School is 45 minutes.

How often are episodes of Transgender School released?

Episodes of Transgender School are typically released every 28 days.

When was the first episode of Transgender School?

The first episode of Transgender School was released on Feb 2, 2021.

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Transgender School

Bridget Sampson

Top 10 Transgender School Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Transgender School have?

What topics does Transgender School cover?

What is the most popular episode on Transgender School?

What is the average episode length on Transgender School?

How often are episodes of Transgender School released?

When was the first episode of Transgender School?

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