1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome 2 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: back to an episode. I'm so excited about Whipsmarti's one 3 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: of my favorite people is here today. I have had 4 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: the pleasure of getting to know this guest over the 5 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: last couple of years, and really in the last year 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: we've become real, tried and true friends. Today my guest 7 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: is Dylan mulvaney. She is an American social media personality 8 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: who has detailed her gender transition in daily videos published 9 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: on TikTok since early twenty twenty two. She was able 10 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: to advocate for her community interviewing the President of the 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: United States, Joe Biden in twenty twenty two, during which 12 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: they spoke about trans rites and I'm sure you all 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: saw that. In twenty twenty three, a very sweet partnership 14 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: because Dylan, like me, is a beer girly with bud 15 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 1: light led to really terrifying violence, calls for a boycott. 16 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: A lot of very right wing conservative folks went ham 17 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: on this young woman in a way that was really 18 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: hard to watch. And yet Dylan has managed to maintain 19 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: her composure to be vulnerable about what this experience is 20 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: simply trying to let a little more light and a 21 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: little more love into journeys like hers, and really, as 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: she likes to say, the transition that we're all in 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: throughout our lives, whether it's figuring out who we are, 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: who we love, what we're passionate about, what we want 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: to do with our careers. In her mind, we all 26 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: have so much more in common than not. And I'm 27 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: so amazed by the way she's maintained this beautiful composure 28 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: in a world that has meant She's amassed more than 29 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: ten million followers on TikTok, had over billion views on 30 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: her videos, and she deals with both the courage that 31 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: she's exhibiting in the world and how that motivates others, 32 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: but also how being courageous in public can really put 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: a target on your back. She is just so inspiring 34 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: to me and also one of the kindest, funniest, goofiest, 35 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: sweetest people that I know, and I'm so excited for 36 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: all of you to get to know her today with me, 37 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: let's get to it. I feel really excited in particular 38 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: to ask you this question, probably of all people, because 39 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: you know, everyone I sit down across from is doing 40 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: something inspiring, is like living their most creative life is 41 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: reminding all of us to be courageous. And I always think, like, 42 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: you know, whether you're a senator or a public figure, 43 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: you know who you are as the adult that you are. 44 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: But I'm always really curious if there's through lines that 45 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: people can see from today's vantage point when they look 46 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 1: back at their childhood when they're like, you know, eight 47 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: or nine years old, when things are really kind of formative. 48 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: And I think there's a whole other interesting layer to 49 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: that first question for you because of the path your 50 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: life has taking you on. Do you, as you sit 51 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: in your days of girlhood to early shout out the single, 52 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: do you feel like you always saw Dylan in yourself 53 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: even when you were a little kid. 54 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: Oh, I think that was when I was the most 55 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: Dylan and the most feminine and the most fun and free. 56 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 2: And I actually I stripped so many parts of myself 57 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 2: away and it became sort of a shadow version. 58 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 3: Of myself for a really long time. But I keep. 59 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: Refinding those parts, and then they get taken away again 60 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: or I push them to the side, and then I 61 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 2: rEFInd them. 62 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: I find the courage to tap back into that person. 63 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: But I think like, if I really look back at 64 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: the through line, it's I am a musical theater girl 65 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: nerd who just wants to make people laugh and make 66 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 2: people smile and see the good and that's like always 67 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: who I have been like since. I like it is 68 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 2: funny now having experienced so many other parts of life 69 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: than I would have ever expected that I would would 70 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 2: get to, including my transition, but also career and relationships 71 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 2: and all these things that I never thought that I 72 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 2: would find myself in. And at the end of the day, 73 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: my favorite thing is still like going to playbill dot 74 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: com and like looking to see what's going on on 75 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 2: Broadway right now, or listening to Wicket in my car 76 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: and belting it out with my best friend. But that 77 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 2: is so me at my core. And the more that 78 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: I can come back to that little kid that just 79 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 2: wanted to make people laugh and wanted to sing show tunes, 80 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 2: like that's the happiest, and that is when I am 81 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: the happiest. So I think that's that's kind of where 82 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: I'm at. 83 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: I love that. So if you think of yourself as 84 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: a little kid and what you wanted to be when 85 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: you grew up, are you are you doing everything and 86 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: more that you wanted when you wanted, when you thought 87 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: about your future, I. 88 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: Think I'm doing a little too much in a way, 89 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 2: like I'm a little extra. 90 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 3: I'm definitely a little extra. 91 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: I think what would make my my younger self so 92 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: happy is to be back up on stage as much 93 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 2: as possible and whatever capacity that is. And that's kind 94 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 2: of the next goal is to get back got there. 95 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 2: But it's also you know, when people put you in 96 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 2: a box so they see you as this one thing, 97 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 2: it can be really hard to then convince people of 98 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: the other skills that you have or the other sides 99 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 2: to your life. And I'm sure that you've been in 100 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,799 Speaker 2: that place too, with like specific roles that once you played, 101 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 2: people are like, oh, that is who you are, that's 102 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: what you're capable of. Have you found that being the 103 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: case for your life, like after you do some of 104 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 2: these iconic projects. 105 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, completely, Because what I've learned is that 106 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: like our sort of surface memory is long, but our 107 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: bigger sort of lifelong memories seem to be very short. 108 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: And I think that's because you know, everyone's doing their 109 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: own thing, they're not thinking about other people oh so much. 110 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,239 Speaker 1: But it was a really wild thing to like, for example, 111 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: when I first started on One Tree Hill, like to 112 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: be brought in as the comic relief on the show 113 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: and to be a source of comedy. And then you know, 114 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: I did a couple of years of like playing this 115 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: very and I loved her too, but this very tough 116 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: like former addict cop, and people were like, she's so 117 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: good at like being serious and doing action, but can 118 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: she do comedy? And I was like, I did that 119 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: for nine years, like what And I would watch people 120 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: go like, oh my god, we forgot or vice versa. 121 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: Like somebody would be like, well she you know, she 122 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: played this fashion designer who was so funny for so long, 123 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: like can she be tough? And I was like, I 124 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: do all my own stunts, you guys. People just forget 125 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: and that's okay. 126 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: Well for example, right, like, I think the way that 127 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: I've been able to like build an audience has been 128 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 2: on social media, and it's been really interesting to sort 129 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 2: of try to steer people from just seeing me as 130 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 2: a trans woman that talks about her journey to then 131 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: sharing the other parts. 132 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:54,119 Speaker 3: Of my life. 133 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 2: And something that's been very interesting to watch is as 134 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 2: I'm putting out like singing videos, for example, like people like, 135 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 2: still I've been putting out singing videos for years. Yeah, 136 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 2: and and someone like I posted one yesterday and they're like. 137 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 3: I had no idea you could sing and you. 138 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 2: Go, I'm like, we're wait what, Like We're like obviously 139 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: that wasn't on their side of the for you page 140 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: or or but that teaches me like, oh, I have 141 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 2: to keep showing them because there's still people that are learning. 142 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: And I think also we sometimes put an expectation of like, Okay, 143 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: we do this one thing, and that means that people 144 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: will get it, and they just don't all that like 145 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 2: there and even you know, my song came out last 146 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 2: week or two weeks ago, and I kind of assumed 147 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 2: people would understand the nuance of the song or would 148 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 2: understand like the intentions behind a song. And then you know, 149 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: after a few days of discourse, I was like, oh, 150 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 2: I think I need to tell I need to talk 151 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 2: to people about what. 152 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 3: This is like. 153 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: And especially I think because my perspective is differ and 154 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: as a trans person, not everyone is going to automatically 155 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 2: understand where I'm coming from or the kinds of things 156 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 2: that I feel called to sharing, and so as like, 157 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 2: there are moments where you have to let people in. 158 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 2: And you do have to let them whether it's a 159 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: joke or something really vulnerable or something as long as you. 160 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 3: Feel ready to share that thing. 161 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 2: And I think that's also a tricky part of what 162 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 2: we're both navigating, is like when do you let people 163 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 2: in and when do you keep things for yourself? 164 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: Girl, this is my journey. 165 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: I always assume people would know me as like a character, 166 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 2: whether it's in a television show or on stage, and 167 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 2: then people knew me in my personhood from the Internet, 168 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 2: and I was conditioned to believe that I was only 169 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: as good as my last video, and that if I 170 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 2: didn't put something out every single day, that I was 171 00:09:53,640 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: no longer interesting or like worthy of the success. And 172 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 2: you get to a place where, once you've talked about, 173 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: you know, a certain number of things, you're like, oh my, 174 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 2: I guess I have to talk about this now, or 175 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 2: you know, I don't think I'm fully ready. 176 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 3: But let's let's talk about this. And it gets tricky because. 177 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 2: None of your audience is ever going to say, oh, Dylan, 178 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 2: don't share that. 179 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 3: We don't want to hear that right now. 180 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 2: Like everybody, they want whatever they can get, and especially 181 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 2: the people that you know, love you or fascinated by you, 182 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 2: or like you feel like it's a parasocial relationship. And 183 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 2: so scaling that back has been so scary because I 184 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 2: sort of set this precedent that I'm going to share 185 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: my entire life with you and then to be like, oh, 186 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 2: just kidding, not everything that can be frustrating to, you know, 187 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: the people that have seen your journey. But I also 188 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 2: think that as long as I'm keeping them updated with 189 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 2: the why and the hey, I need to take care 190 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: of whether it's my mental health or my relationships or 191 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: so much of. 192 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 3: My personal life kind of fell to. 193 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 2: Like the shit show of of like the behind the scenes, 194 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 2: and then I was keeping this really strong front on 195 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 2: for for the media and for my following, and now 196 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 2: I have, like I have, I'm playing cleanup on the 197 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 2: rest of my life. 198 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 3: And I will say, like. 199 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 2: Meeting your group of friends, the you know, Jedediah, brit Julianne, 200 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 2: like those people, you all have really taught me how 201 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 2: to like enjoy life and savor things just for me 202 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 2: and not for Like I think I was confusing going 203 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 2: to an event as like a social engagement, where like 204 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 2: it was actually kind of work, like like we were 205 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 2: there for a specific reason or were there. A lot 206 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 2: of the times I get invited somewhere to like make content, 207 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 2: and and that's tricky too, because I'm like, oh, oh, 208 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 2: I'm here because they want me to do this thing, 209 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: and and when I'm with you all, it's often in 210 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 2: a backyard around a fire pit, or you know, hopefully 211 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 2: planning a camping trip, or you know, going and doing 212 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 2: things with people that like are only interested in just 213 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: getting to know you better as a person, and you 214 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 2: leave feeling more filled than emptied. And that's been I 215 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,559 Speaker 2: think my greatest sort of joy this past year has 216 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 2: been like building friendships back up and like savoring the 217 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 2: little personal relationships in my life and. 218 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 3: Meeting new people. 219 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 2: And I don't know that like that group of friends 220 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 2: did you how did you find them? And they what 221 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 2: are they to you? 222 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: I mean definitely, I think having really healthy relationships is 223 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: the foundation of a healthy life. And for me, it's 224 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: like crazy to think that it's almost twenty years ago now, 225 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: before conferences were are cool and like you know, branded 226 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: and everybody wanted to go to them. I was at 227 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: a conference meeting other people who wanted to make the 228 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: world a better place, and that's where Jed and I 229 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: became friends. We had been best friends ever since, and 230 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 1: you know, I was part of the gang that convinced 231 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: him and Kenny to move to LA from San Diego. 232 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: And you know I met Britt through them because she 233 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: had volunteered for their nonprofit right out of high school. 234 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 1: And like we really we built a community based on service, 235 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: which was always a really big deal. And I think, 236 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: you know, we were friends before social media. We've we've 237 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,479 Speaker 1: worked kind of through it. And when you talk about 238 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: you know, what you give versus what you hold for yourself, 239 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: Like I feel that in my bones because I think 240 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: there's something really important to remember about the fact that 241 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: most of us lived a life before there was the 242 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: opportunity to have part of your life online. And I 243 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: think when you are an advocate, when you want to 244 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: show up to encourage other people to do the same, 245 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: to make other people feel safe to be who they are, 246 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 1: that is wonderful. And you have to remember that it's 247 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: also not your reality. It's a piece of it. Like 248 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: you said, people who follow you and think they see 249 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: your content every day will miss entire things. Now it's 250 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: a big deal if ten percent of your audience engages 251 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: with something you post, So you have to think about 252 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: how many people just don't see things yet, how many 253 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: people are chronically online and perhaps don't even realize that 254 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: in their subconscious they assume that if they don't see it, 255 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: it isn't happening, or vice versa, when you have a 256 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: whole life happening. And I think there's also this weird 257 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: thing where people want the optics to continue, They want 258 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: the numbers to continue, they want they want that parasocial 259 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: fame to continue. You know, now I'm beginning to really 260 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: see through like people trying to win optics wars, for example, 261 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: Like when people are going through big life changes or whatever, 262 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, Oh, somebody who's out there trying to win 263 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: the optics war is doing so because they're worried about 264 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: what else is going to come out. Interesting, like, I've 265 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: started to value people who stay quiet and who go slow, 266 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: and who have their experiences before they talk about them 267 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: so they can talk about them in healthy and honest ways. 268 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: And I don't think I could have seen that five 269 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: years ago, but I see it now really clearly, and 270 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: so I actually think it's a sign of emotional health 271 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: and of really good self care when you have the 272 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: capability to say, I'm not really ready to share about this. 273 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to take my time and make sure when 274 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: I do that it's not reactive, that it's authentic and honest, 275 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: that it's kind to everyone, and as much as it 276 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: can be, Like, I find that to be really really valuable. 277 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: And so even in our friendship, like we became friendly 278 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: with each other online, but then in the interactions we 279 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: began having offline, I was like, Oh, that's a whole 280 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: person that I really want to know, support and be 281 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: around for. And I really value that, and I value 282 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: that in all my relationships like you're talking. 283 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 2: About, I felt the same way, like when getting to 284 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 2: meet you and actually getting to like talk about the 285 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 2: very real things, like I think because we both share 286 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 2: parts of our lives, and then getting to share other 287 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 2: parts of our lives just the two of us was 288 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 2: so epic. 289 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 3: But what I see on are you on? Do you 290 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 3: scroll a lot on TikTok? Not? 291 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: Really, I'm not that great at it. My friends are 292 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: constantly trying to like get me to do it, so 293 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: like I'll get like sections of videos from friends and 294 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: then like depending on what people are sending me, it'll 295 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: like show me more of that in the algorithm. But 296 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: I probably I spend like a night on TikTok, like 297 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, every three weeks. I also my friends 298 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: make fun of me. They're like, you're such a boomer 299 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: because every video everyone's ever sent to me, like I 300 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: save so I can like have it as a resource. 301 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,719 Speaker 1: And they're like, TikTok is not pinterest, like what are 302 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 1: you doing? And I'm like, I don't know how any 303 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: of this works. 304 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 2: I that is that you saying that you only scroll 305 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 2: like every three weeks is the healthiest thing I've. 306 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 3: Ever heard in my entire life. 307 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: I can't do it anymore because I really will get 308 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: lost in it. And like I'm such an adult and 309 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: I get lost in it. I can't imagine what it's 310 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: like for teens who've never not had it. It scares me. 311 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 3: Well, it's I think it's designed to be addictive. 312 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 2: I also think what's funny is like I'm it's my job, 313 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 2: like it's my primary income, and I'm like the first 314 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 2: person and be like, oh, you don't need to be 315 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 2: on there every night, like because I am. I really 316 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 2: like I have a deep addiction to it. I'm also 317 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 2: wildly grateful to it because I think it's one It's 318 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 2: very different than like even Instagram, where you know, Instagram, 319 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 2: it takes kind of a long time to build up 320 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: an audience and for people to find you, and but 321 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 2: TikTok Is is like it was instantaneous, like a straight shot. 322 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 3: To the moon. 323 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: It felt it was fast for you. 324 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I think I had like a million 325 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 2: followers in seventeen days. 326 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: Oh my god, babe, the pressure. And now a word 327 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: from our wonderful sponsors before we go into more of 328 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: this internet identity. I actually this is reminding me or 329 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,719 Speaker 1: just pinging my brain that I haven't asked this question, 330 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 1: which I think in some ways must overlap for you 331 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: because you are young, you are on social media. You 332 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: have had this really fast rise which has come with yes, 333 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: a big audience and supports some but also like wild 334 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,919 Speaker 1: ass backlash. How you've had to discover your social media 335 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: identity certainly, But has that helped you in the discovery 336 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: process of your gender identity too, or did that feel 337 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: like it was always happening for you as a kid, 338 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: you always knew that you always knew who you were 339 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: and that your body wasn't aligning, like how did the 340 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: first discovery happen? And how does the internet play into it. 341 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 2: I came out at four years old to my mom 342 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 2: as a girl, and that was it was the year 343 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 2: two thousand or two thousand and one. And there's no 344 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 2: judgment in my heart for not getting to like fulfill 345 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 2: that prophecy, because you know, it was a very different time. 346 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 2: The resources, especially for trans youth were so different, and 347 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 2: my family just trying their best and. 348 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: Well and your family's pretty conservative, right, yeah, yeah, and. 349 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 2: I think what is I've always come from the place 350 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 2: of like I never want to live in like the 351 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,640 Speaker 2: what ifs, and and even you know, throughout high school, 352 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 2: I remember puberty was a very sensitive time because I 353 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 2: didn't like what was happening to my body and I 354 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 2: was started lashing out and it was fascinating too. I 355 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 2: actually like I was wearing women's clothes and you know, 356 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 2: how to purse at school, and like throughout high school, 357 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 2: and I really like always walked to the beat of 358 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 2: my own drum. And but I overall, like I loved theater. 359 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: It was my favorite thing. And I knew to be 360 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 2: successful in commercial theater that like I couldn't be that woman. 361 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 2: I couldn't be that feminine of a human. So I 362 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: kind of like sort of stripped those parts away and 363 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,959 Speaker 2: got into the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and became this 364 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 2: really clean cut J crew type and it worked, like 365 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 2: I got Book of Mormon the musical right after college, 366 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 2: and I but like those that gender dysphoria was always there. 367 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 2: And that's where like the Internet did not really like 368 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 2: the there are parts of me sharing my transition journey 369 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 2: online that I guess were helpful, And a lot of 370 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: that comes back to like the support from people, like 371 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 2: the kind messages, the you know, the messages from parents 372 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 2: that say, hey, you know my kid's been going through this. 373 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 2: You're the kind of the link between the two of us, 374 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 2: and we love watching your videos together. 375 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 3: Like that makes it worth it. 376 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 2: The extreme amounts of like hate and transphobia and misgendering 377 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 2: like that definitely doesn't help. And I have to constantly 378 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 2: be like, okay, is this work? Like is you putting 379 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 2: yourself out there right now? Like is this it to 380 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 2: a detriment of of your transition? Luckily, I mean I 381 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 2: was on hormones for months before I made my first 382 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 2: days girlhood video. So that was, you know, something I 383 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 2: had like come out to my family and friends and 384 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 2: everything like that beforehand. 385 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: I also. 386 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,680 Speaker 2: Like I went by bay them pronouns for the year 387 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 2: before I even came out as a woman, and so 388 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 2: there was like quite the lead up. But I never 389 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 2: expected to like take it online. I was doing stand 390 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: up comedy in LA and my first video is supposed 391 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 2: to be sort of this like comedy take on on, 392 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 2: like a coming out video, and then it turned into 393 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 2: something so much more. 394 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 3: But that was it was always such a huge part 395 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 3: of me. 396 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 2: And in what's scary I think is like how the 397 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 2: media is villainizing trans people right now. It's it's quite 398 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 2: scary because I think back to that, you know, the 399 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,360 Speaker 2: eight or nine year old we were talking to at 400 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: the beginning of this this SPoD and I was the 401 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 2: least confrontational, least like rock the boat kind of person, 402 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 2: kid human girl, and so all of these moments of 403 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 2: like seeing myself being perceived as like a villain is 404 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 2: so insane to me because I'm like, we're are they 405 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 2: not seeing the Broadway nerdy theater kid that most of 406 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 2: my friends get to see and like the it And 407 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 2: that's where I have to look around my life and 408 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 2: I see specifically that the women that are in my 409 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 2: life and support me, and I go, oh, these are 410 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 2: the people that I want to have on side or 411 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 2: on my side, not conservative media outlets or political figures 412 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 2: or you know, like I've got the support around the 413 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 2: fire pit, and I've got the support from my best 414 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 2: friend Lily, who has known me for seventeen years. I've 415 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 2: got the support of my and my sister. I've got 416 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 2: the support of you just really awesome human beings. And 417 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 2: if that can be a testament enough to this being 418 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 2: who I am and who I've always been, then that's 419 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 2: enough for me. 420 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 3: But back to sort of like the TikTok of it all. 421 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 2: What worries me that I see happening a lot is 422 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 2: because you were talking about, you know, people kind of 423 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 2: like stirring up just to stir up online, I see 424 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 2: a lot of like the clickbait stuff is getting really bad. 425 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 3: That's really bad. 426 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 2: And I even see certain creators like because it performs well, 427 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 2: like some really transphobic content that starts getting pushed by 428 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: algorithms on these apps, and so other people are like, oh, 429 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 2: that's a way to get views or that's a person 430 00:24:55,400 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 2: to talk about. And even I've seen like queer creators 431 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 2: is talking about other queer creators in certain ways that 432 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 2: it just like it feels really unproductive to like pushing 433 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:14,719 Speaker 2: us forward as as a community. And I don't know, 434 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 2: I just get nervous about like, I never want to 435 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 2: post anything that's gonna, you know, set anyone back. I 436 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 2: never want to put anything out there that is, you know, 437 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 2: hurtful to anyone else. 438 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 3: It's just it's a slippery slope. But I will say. 439 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 2: That I'm finding I'm finding those moments for myself to 440 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 2: keep close good. 441 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: I'm glad, you know. I think it is really important 442 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: for us, especially at a time where we treat social 443 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 1: media like currency, but we also forget how dangerous it 444 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: can be. And I think you have to be really 445 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: really clear, you know, we all need to self interrogate 446 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 1: and say how do I want to participate in this 447 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: space and what is this for? And I think to 448 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: your point, when we're talking about this rise in really 449 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: dangerous rhetoric that hurts already at risk populations, like one 450 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: of the things that feels really important for me to 451 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: constantly point out to people because I think it's really 452 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: I think it's really crucial that we make sure that 453 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: the people who are the most affected by something are 454 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: not the people who have to scream about it from 455 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: the rooftops. Like, it's the reason that as women we 456 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: need men to be talking about rape culture because hello, 457 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: like they're the perpetrators of this violence by and large, 458 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: And I think is an incredibly important reason why. You know, 459 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: for us, as white women, we need to talk about 460 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 1: the risks that society has baked into women of color. 461 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: And I think it's incredibly important for cisgendered women to 462 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 1: be really clear about how dangerous the world is for 463 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: trans women. And it is the reason last March I 464 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: was in New York for a big ceremony for the 465 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: National Institute of Reproductive Health. Obviously, like our reproductive freedom 466 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: is on the line. The Republicans are trying to ban 467 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: reproductive care and abortion, and they're also trying to ban IVF. 468 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 1: So like, hello, anyone who wanted to say a year 469 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: ago that this was not just simply to control women, 470 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:31,959 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, the writing's on the wall now. We've 471 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: been telling you welcome to this terrible party we're all 472 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:38,640 Speaker 1: at that we don't want to be at, and at 473 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: this event. The thing I wanted to point out to 474 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: use my time. You know, they gave me an award. 475 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: It was very nice. It's glass, it's beautiful. I was like, look, 476 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,479 Speaker 1: I don't I don't think there's any conversation we need 477 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: to be having other than if we are not centering 478 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: trans women and our reproductive advocacy, we're failing. Because we 479 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: saw in twenty twenty three and it's continued now more 480 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: historically conservative women showing up to vote in support of abortion, 481 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 1: in support of reproductive rights access because by the way 482 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: abortion birth control IVF, it's all tied. And in the 483 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: states where abortion is the most easily accessible, women have 484 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: the least number of abortions. Like, whether you like it 485 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: or not, these are just the facts. If you don't 486 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: want to have one, don't have one. We're moving on. 487 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: And I said to this room, I was like, make 488 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: no mistake. The fact that conservative women in droves are 489 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,959 Speaker 1: showing up to vote on abortion in support means that 490 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: these conservative folks who only get voted for when they 491 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: can create outrage, have to figure out a new way 492 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 1: to attack bodily autonomy. And it is why you see 493 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: the most legislation against the LGBTQ plus community in history, 494 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: over six hundred bills at this point. And it is 495 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: why they are going after trans kids, trans athletes, trans people. 496 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: It's why you're seeing a surge in you know, the 497 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: assault in murder of our trans communities in this country, 498 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: Like they are doing this to our most vulnerable population 499 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: so that they can continue to make attacks on bodily 500 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: autonomy seem acceptable, they can make bodily autonomy seem dangerous. 501 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: Like to be clear, my sweet angel, you, being this 502 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: beautiful girl that you have always been does nothing to 503 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: my womanhood but make me feel more excited to wear 504 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: pink and like I'm your friends who's always wearing black, 505 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: And when I'm with you, I'm like, oh my god, 506 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: I need a pink cashmir swater. Like that's it. And 507 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: we must be clear, like our communities have to be 508 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: really clear about what's going on, how insidious it is, 509 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: and how we have to show up for each other. 510 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: And I know I've said this to you in private, 511 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: but I will say it on my podcast. Anybody who 512 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: focks with you, fockx with me, Like let's go, we're 513 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: in it together. 514 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 2: I'm in it with you, And you know, speaking back 515 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 2: to like the overturning of Roe v Wade. I remember 516 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 2: it was actually like earlier on in my series of 517 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 2: Days of Girlhood, within my first year of transition, and 518 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 2: I was learning so much about not like it was 519 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 2: kind of catching up to, you know, because I like, 520 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 2: I wasn't as clued in as shinny women on. 521 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: Well you mean you don't know everything about everything at 522 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: every moment of your whole life? 523 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 3: Wow, No, not yet. 524 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 2: And I but I made a video that day because 525 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 2: I really thought about how what we are asking for 526 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 2: is not very different, and it is its permission over 527 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: our own bodies. And funny enough, the way that people 528 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 2: are attacking gender firm and care, A lot of the 529 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 2: times people attacking it are the people that are actually 530 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: getting the same surgeries but just calling it something different. 531 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 2: Or I think that there's there's such a deep connection 532 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 2: between a transnsists woman if they'll let it happen and let. 533 00:30:58,080 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 3: It be there. 534 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 2: Because the more that we focus on our differences, they 535 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 2: become very obvious and very factual. But the more that 536 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 2: we focus on what we have in common, that's when 537 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 2: like true connection and like productivity can happen. 538 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 3: Because I want to honor every single version of womanhood. 539 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 3: I want to. 540 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 2: Find whatever it is in a feminine person, whether that's 541 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 2: a transperson or this person's idea of what a woman 542 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 2: is to them, and then I want to be able 543 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 2: to honor that within myself and not feel apologetic about 544 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 2: what that means to me. And even with the song 545 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 2: coming out, people like assumed that my version of girlhood 546 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 2: or womanhood is this very frivolous thing, or it's this 547 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: very sort of juvenile thing, and it's so not. There's 548 00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 2: so much pain, there's so much resentment and anger and 549 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 2: jealousy and all these things that are within me that 550 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 2: are my womanhood. And yet I wanted to make a 551 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 2: really fun, frivolous song of like two percent of what 552 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 2: my experience has been. And yet people then, like we 553 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 2: talked about at the beginning, they put you in a 554 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 2: box and so they say this is who you are, 555 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,719 Speaker 2: this is who you think we are, and it's not. 556 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 2: And I think the more that we can have conversations 557 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 2: like this one, the closer we get to the tricky 558 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 2: part is is than having those conversations with people who 559 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 2: maybe don't feel the same way or aren't on the 560 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 2: same page yet and I've had a lot of those 561 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 2: in my personal life, Like you know, even with the 562 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 2: women in my. 563 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 3: Family who I am. 564 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 2: A lot of people's first trans person that they think 565 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 2: they've met, at least they probably met others, but they 566 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 2: didn't know. 567 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 3: And I've watched. 568 00:32:56,800 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 2: Things get better and and things heal, and people start 569 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 2: to understand when they want to, And those who had 570 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 2: a personal connection with me before my transition, most if 571 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 2: not all, have found some sort of peace with me 572 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 2: stepping into my because it's it's not to be. 573 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 3: What's it called. 574 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 2: It's not an opinion of someone to say that, like 575 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 2: I am one hundred percent doing better than I was 576 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 2: like before I stepped into my true self, and anyone 577 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 2: that knew me before can tell you that. And so 578 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 2: I'm really interested on those like the granular relationship level 579 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 2: of like outside of social media, outside of making videos 580 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 2: for millions of people, when I meet someone that maybe 581 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 2: doesn't understand someone like me, that I can leave them 582 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 2: maybe even just a sliver of less resentful than they 583 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 2: were going in to the relationship. 584 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: Yes, I love that. And now a word from our 585 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: sponsors that I really enjoy and I think you will too, 586 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 1: you know, I can't imagine that it's easy to share 587 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,120 Speaker 1: your life and the lessons you're learning with people you 588 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: know you have a very different journey. But I think 589 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: about a guest from season one on Work in Progress, 590 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: my friend May Martin, who you know made an incredible 591 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 1: show on Netflix. Feel good for everyone listening about their 592 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 1: whole journey. You know, back when May came on the podcast, 593 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 1: they were still using both she and they pronouns. They 594 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: hadn't had TOP surgery yet, and I've used their story 595 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: from their stand up special a bunch in some of 596 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:55,399 Speaker 1: the advocacy work that I do offline with folks, and 597 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: they said something that I thought was so profound about, 598 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, having had tops and having been on tea 599 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: for a year, and said, look, it's not that it 600 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 1: shifted my life in some way and everything is different 601 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,320 Speaker 1: and everything, you know I'm paraphrasing, but not like everything 602 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 1: is perfect and amazing and I've never been sad. I'm 603 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 1: just not in agony every second of every day. I 604 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 1: have a little space to breathe in my own body. 605 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: And listening to them talk about it, like I've brought 606 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 1: that up to people who don't quite get it yet 607 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: and said why would you deny anybody the right to 608 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: live with less agony, to be able to breathe more 609 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: comfortably in their body. Their body has nothing to do 610 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 1: with you. And so I think for everyone who's on 611 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: any version of a journey to figure out who they are, 612 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: we should be supportive. We should be excited because people's joy, 613 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 1: whether it's finding love or learning to love themselves, or 614 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: queerness or transness or any any version of it, is 615 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: about coming home to them. Yeah, and that I think 616 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: is profound, and I will say, if I may, I 617 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: think it's also why a lot of people who don't 618 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 1: have friends in the way that I'm lucky enough to 619 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,280 Speaker 1: have you and other folks like may in my life 620 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: maybe are afraid because you're choosing joy in the face 621 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: of so much danger and judgment in the world. Like 622 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: it is such an act of freedom, and I think 623 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't feel free, and so they 624 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: are very intimidated by people who will pursue their own 625 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: freedom no matter what, people who will not turn their 626 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 1: backs on themselves anymore. I think it can be very confronting, 627 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: and it's easier to be confronted and react with anger 628 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: than to be confronted and admit. 629 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 2: You are afraid, right, And a lot of people go 630 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 2: to confront my success and my wins and my really 631 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 2: come up and they'll challenge it as like, oh, she 632 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 2: transitioned to get famous or she is fit because oh 633 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 2: my gosh, yes, one hundred. 634 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: People say that to you. Yes, you're like cool, Yeah, 635 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,760 Speaker 1: I just put myself at like immense risk of violence 636 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: and decided to do one of the hardest things in 637 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: the world for TikTok. 638 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 3: No. They were like, this washed up gay man, and 639 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:25,280 Speaker 3: I'm like, honey. 640 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 2: I was doing a Broadway musical, Like I wasn't exactly 641 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 2: in the worst place in the world, no, I But 642 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 2: what I find so fascinating about that thought process is 643 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 2: like I believe that I stepped in and told the 644 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 2: world this is who I am, and that's when the 645 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 2: world decided, Okay, now we're ready to introduce everyone to 646 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 2: her because. 647 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 3: She is who she's supposed to be now. 648 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 2: And that is the tricky thing about simultaneously finding this 649 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 2: success but also being in the beginnings of a transition. 650 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,359 Speaker 2: I'm only now two years in and I meet you know, 651 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 2: trans women who are fifteen, twenty thirty years into their 652 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,439 Speaker 2: journeys and They're like, girl, just you just you wait. 653 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 2: And I already feel so differently about things that I've 654 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 2: said a year ago or my first you know, I've 655 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 2: watched like videos of myself. 656 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:20,399 Speaker 3: And just like cringe. You'd be like, oh my god, 657 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 3: what was I knowing? 658 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,799 Speaker 1: Okay, wait what does that mean? Though? Like what does 659 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 1: that feel like when you when you say I look 660 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: back and go, oh, like what do you what do 661 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: you see? What's different? 662 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:31,800 Speaker 3: It reminds me of that movie eighth Grade. 663 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 2: That's like the sort of the awkward you know, like 664 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 2: in a way, I'm going through a second puberty because. 665 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:41,480 Speaker 3: My body's changing. 666 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 2: I'm trying to wrap my head around these really complex 667 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 2: subjects and stepping into conversations that I've never been in 668 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 2: before even had heard of before, and now I'm being 669 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 2: platformed to speak on them. And I I think I'm 670 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 2: like watching sort of like my awkward self evolve and 671 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 2: grow and actually taking account of what I can speak on, 672 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 2: what I'm ready to. And then it's also like, you know, 673 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 2: sometimes we look back at ourselves and like with a haircut. 674 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 3: And we're like, what were what was I thinking? And 675 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 3: it's similar in the way I. 676 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: Got famous in the early aughts. My every bad haircut 677 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:24,319 Speaker 1: I've ever had is memorialized on television. It's my nightmares. 678 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 2: And but then isn't there something great about like being like, 679 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:30,760 Speaker 2: well I did that, Like that was me and owning 680 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,799 Speaker 2: it and being like I really lead to people had 681 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 2: the media literacy and the nuance to understand that we 682 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 2: can change and we we. 683 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:41,640 Speaker 3: We evolve from those people. 684 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:45,359 Speaker 2: And and while that might have been the reason that 685 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,800 Speaker 2: they liked me in the first place, that me growing 686 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 2: up and me stepping into adulthood in a more deeply 687 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:56,880 Speaker 2: complex way is actually what they should want from me, 688 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:02,839 Speaker 2: and not to be like forever infanto. Yeah, And I 689 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 2: think with trans women, we often are deeply infantilized or 690 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 2: deeply sexualized because people don't really know where else to 691 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 2: put us. And I leaned into infantilization because I was 692 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 2: so scared of being sexualized that I thought it was 693 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,799 Speaker 2: easier to kind of like put that part of my 694 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:26,879 Speaker 2: life away, you know, to be palatable, to be liked, 695 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 2: to be non threatening. And now that's something that I'm 696 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 2: finding again, like finding that balance of like, Okay, I 697 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:38,240 Speaker 2: feel sexy, how how do I share that with the world? 698 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 2: Or I feel you know, ready to tackle this part 699 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:48,919 Speaker 2: of my life. And I think that's where being more 700 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 2: than just one thing is important. And Rene Rapp is 701 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,440 Speaker 2: a dear friend of mine and one of her first 702 00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 2: songs was Everything to Everyone. 703 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,840 Speaker 3: It's like, I can't be everything to everyone. 704 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:05,360 Speaker 2: And sometimes I do think I try to be everything 705 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:09,400 Speaker 2: to everyone, and I feel miserably because it's not possible. 706 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:15,279 Speaker 2: But yeah, I think I don't know. I don't know, 707 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 2: but I feel like kind of happy right now. 708 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,600 Speaker 3: How do you feel? Are you happy? 709 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:23,439 Speaker 1: I am so happy? But it's interesting. It's also been 710 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,359 Speaker 1: really hard, and I think what I've had to deal 711 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: with this year, in particular finally deciding to stop trying 712 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 1: to push the rock up the mountain, you know, to 713 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: stop being on that sissyphy and journey of if I 714 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 1: just work harder and if I just push farther and 715 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:44,759 Speaker 1: if I just do more of this and if I 716 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 1: just then I'll be happy. It's like maybe instead of 717 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 1: life feeling like a torture marathon, it could feel like water. 718 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:57,280 Speaker 1: Maybe everything could be in flow, Maybe everything can move easily. 719 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: And I don't think I even knew until I knew 720 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: that I had just been bred for the hard part, 721 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,440 Speaker 1: you know, I was. I did it my whole life 722 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:10,040 Speaker 1: as a kid in my house. I did it my 723 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 1: whole career, thinking like, you're so fortunate to have this job, 724 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: and yes, you know, you guys all work for this 725 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 1: man who's a sexual predator and he's the worst, but 726 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,080 Speaker 1: he's not here all the time, so just be happy 727 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 1: when he's not here with your friends. And then when 728 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,520 Speaker 1: he's here, keep smiling because you don't want anybody to know, 729 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 1: because if the if you girls talk about this and 730 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 1: the show gets canceled, this whole crew of two hundred 731 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,200 Speaker 1: people who support their families will lose their jobs and 732 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: it'll be your fault because you're ungrateful, like you know it. 733 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: I didn't even know what that taught me. How I 734 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:47,160 Speaker 1: learned to disassociate, how I learned to always perform gratefully 735 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:52,120 Speaker 1: and ignore literal trauma. And it took me being diagnosed 736 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:55,799 Speaker 1: with PTSD to understand the journey I had been on 737 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 1: in a couple of really toxic work environments and then 738 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 1: how to learn in my own mental health care journey 739 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:09,320 Speaker 1: to proudly claim my art and all of the great 740 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 1: sets I've worked on and the scenes I've loved to do, 741 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 1: and the wonderful people and to say this was unhealthy 742 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:19,480 Speaker 1: and I need to learn to separate the two. Like, 743 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 1: that's really been a journey. And so here I am 744 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: at the end of this year where I finally learned 745 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:28,319 Speaker 1: that twenty years of working that way taught me to 746 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: do it in my actual life as well. And that's 747 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 1: so like, what a bummer. That's been really hard. 748 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:37,440 Speaker 3: Yes, are you disassociating less lately? 749 00:43:38,239 --> 00:43:42,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely? Absolutely? And so it's been really interesting when I 750 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:46,439 Speaker 1: finally decided to stop pushing the rock up the hill 751 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: last summer and be really honest about how I felt 752 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:55,799 Speaker 1: in my life and how hard I tried to put 753 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,640 Speaker 1: the whole list together and I made everything perfect on paper, 754 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:03,719 Speaker 1: and and I just decided to let it go. I 755 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 1: find myself now, almost a year out from that, having 756 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:10,600 Speaker 1: never been happier, but also having never been more anxious. 757 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:15,200 Speaker 1: It's like to be so holy. Yourself is so vulnerable, 758 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: it's so sensitive. There are days when I wake up 759 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:19,400 Speaker 1: and I feel like I've just been beaten head to 760 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:23,400 Speaker 1: toe by a baseball bat. The Internet is hard and scary. 761 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:27,120 Speaker 1: I've also left it for months at a time, and 762 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,160 Speaker 1: I'm starting to learn things that I didn't even know. 763 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 1: Like the closest people to me are like, you know, 764 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:35,840 Speaker 1: you're really this serious political person on the internet, but 765 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 1: in life you're like goofy and emotional and you probably 766 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 1: cry once a day, either because you're overwhelmed or like 767 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:44,960 Speaker 1: you see something beautiful and it like moves you to tears. 768 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,640 Speaker 1: You're funny, You're never silly online, and I'm like, I'm not. 769 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 1: I don't even realize, but I feel you, like in 770 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:55,879 Speaker 1: my bones, like my chest feels like it's swelling right now, 771 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,680 Speaker 1: because there is so much more to us than we 772 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: could ever possibly be on one of these like on 773 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 1: a frickin two dimensional phone screen, and we deserve to 774 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 1: be that. 775 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:10,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I disassociate the most when I'm trying to maintain 776 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:12,960 Speaker 2: an idea of. 777 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:16,040 Speaker 1: Myself for us, when you're trying to perform yes. 778 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:20,600 Speaker 2: And I also know when when I take too much on, 779 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:24,759 Speaker 2: like work wise, and it gets really overwhelming, that I 780 00:45:24,840 --> 00:45:28,000 Speaker 2: go into that same sort of disassociative headspace and be like, Okay, 781 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:29,239 Speaker 2: what would Dylan say right now? 782 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 3: What would Dylan do? 783 00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: I have? 784 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:35,360 Speaker 2: And I think it's it's been so nice to now 785 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:39,319 Speaker 2: see the getting out from the other side of that 786 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:41,800 Speaker 2: and be like, Okay, that wasn't healthy. And just because 787 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,319 Speaker 2: you were providing opportunities for others or you were doing 788 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 2: really well financially or whatever, it was like that you 789 00:45:47,520 --> 00:45:51,600 Speaker 2: were convincing yourself that that disassociate dissociation was worth it 790 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:55,880 Speaker 2: actually isn't. And I'm getting better at saying no. But 791 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,600 Speaker 2: funny enough, I was with Kenny last night and he 792 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 2: told me about your you had a year of Yes, 793 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 2: and they of like, hell, yes or something like that. 794 00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:06,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was that? 795 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,880 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, twenty twelve. My best friend Jenny and 796 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:16,000 Speaker 1: I just we both were like, why are we letting 797 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:19,040 Speaker 1: fear and fear of failure and fear of getting it 798 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 1: wrong rule our lives? Like everybody feels when they're learning 799 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: new skills. Everybody tries things that don't work sometimes and 800 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:32,879 Speaker 1: that's okay, Like why do we feel like unless we're 801 00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 1: going to be perfect at something, we can't even attempt it. 802 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,719 Speaker 1: That makes your life so small? So you know, we 803 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 1: were moommates for ten years and we decided to make 804 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: twenty twelve our year of Yes, and we just said 805 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:50,520 Speaker 1: yes to everything. Every trip, every adventure, every opportunity, every lecture, 806 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:54,320 Speaker 1: every conference, every random night to go see a concert, 807 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: and like one of them resulted in going to this 808 00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:58,719 Speaker 1: place that doesn't exist in La anymore. I'm so sad 809 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 1: I miss it. But it was this cool, little like 810 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:05,360 Speaker 1: viby sort of jazzy club. And we went with friends 811 00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:07,319 Speaker 1: one night that we didn't know very well, and we 812 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,600 Speaker 1: wound up at a secret prints concert and Prince sang 813 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:13,319 Speaker 1: for three hours to like one hundred people in a room, 814 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:15,040 Speaker 1: and we were like, this is why the Year of 815 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:18,000 Speaker 1: Yes is iconic. You know, we would have never had 816 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,759 Speaker 1: this experience, and I don't know, it's like it was. 817 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: It was things like that that were once in a 818 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 1: lifetime opportunities and then moments where we just decided to 819 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:32,279 Speaker 1: say yes to something that felt scary and it was incredible. 820 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:36,319 Speaker 1: And the cool thing about challenging myself to say yes 821 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:40,319 Speaker 1: to so many things is I also learned eventually how 822 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:44,520 Speaker 1: to say no. I learned what felt so good to me, 823 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:48,879 Speaker 1: and I learned what felt like pressure. And yet here 824 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 1: I am, and you know, twenty twenty four, realizing that 825 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:55,280 Speaker 1: last year I had to learn, I had to learn 826 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,400 Speaker 1: how much I was still saying yes to things that 827 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:01,120 Speaker 1: I knew somewhere deep down my bones were not good 828 00:48:01,120 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 1: for me, but I was really, really trying to get 829 00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:10,600 Speaker 1: it right. And again, I know that that's been seismic 830 00:48:10,719 --> 00:48:16,279 Speaker 1: and difficult, and it has taken such courage to make 831 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:20,880 Speaker 1: changes in my life. And I know that I have 832 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 1: it so much easier than so many other people. And 833 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:26,399 Speaker 1: so when we talk about this like learning to say yes, 834 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:30,240 Speaker 1: learning to be your whole self, no matter how scary 835 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:33,160 Speaker 1: it is, again I come back, my friend. I think 836 00:48:33,200 --> 00:48:37,319 Speaker 1: about you, and I'm just like, part of why you 837 00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 1: are so inspiring, and I think part of why folks 838 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:44,200 Speaker 1: who come from a more conservative bent, who are afraid 839 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:46,920 Speaker 1: of your freedom, I think part of why you're scary 840 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 1: to them is because courage is contagious. When you see 841 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:53,960 Speaker 1: someone be courageous, you go, well, if they could do it, 842 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:58,799 Speaker 1: maybe I could too. And that is priceless and profound. 843 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:02,400 Speaker 1: And I know it's not easy for you, but I like, 844 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:05,759 Speaker 1: I really, I'm just so proud of you because you're 845 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 1: doing it. 846 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:07,520 Speaker 3: Thank you. 847 00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:10,240 Speaker 2: I don't feel that's I think that's the weirdest part 848 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 2: of when people say that to me, I'm like, who 849 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:14,760 Speaker 2: are you talking about? 850 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: Well, of course, because you feel like your whole self, 851 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,600 Speaker 1: not just your brave self. You're also scared, and you're 852 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,960 Speaker 1: also nervous, and you're also learning, but you are brave, 853 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:25,120 Speaker 1: You really. 854 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:29,799 Speaker 2: Are I And it's so just like a contradictory to 855 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:32,600 Speaker 2: like who I was as a young person, scaredy as cat. 856 00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:34,279 Speaker 3: But I think I'm in. 857 00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:38,640 Speaker 2: My year of maybe, and I love that I'm trying 858 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:39,920 Speaker 2: to be really. 859 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:44,920 Speaker 3: Thoughtful with a yes and with it. 860 00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:48,000 Speaker 2: And what I'm trying to be better about is saying 861 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:52,280 Speaker 2: yes to things that I normally wouldn't and trying those 862 00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:55,279 Speaker 2: new things out. Because you know, what I realized too 863 00:49:55,400 --> 00:50:00,600 Speaker 2: is I'm twenty seven right now, and I was, you know, 864 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:08,200 Speaker 2: finding myself kind of over working in a crazy capacity 865 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,800 Speaker 2: over the last few years, and I thought, oh my god, 866 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:14,920 Speaker 2: what if I like make all my dreams come true? 867 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 2: But then I didn't have any fun in the you know, 868 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:20,720 Speaker 2: or like convincing yourself that they're like you were having 869 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:25,360 Speaker 2: fun even though you were disassociating. And now like getting 870 00:50:25,360 --> 00:50:27,600 Speaker 2: to fill my life out with the other parts and 871 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:31,600 Speaker 2: like I even have this vision board behind me and 872 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,000 Speaker 2: like a bunch of the things have already happened, but 873 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:36,440 Speaker 2: one of them is sloth. I want to go camping, 874 00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:38,400 Speaker 2: and I specifically want to go with Jed and I 875 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,960 Speaker 2: want to go with you, yes, and and like that's 876 00:50:41,040 --> 00:50:43,160 Speaker 2: something that I think two years ago I probably would 877 00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:46,640 Speaker 2: have never even put up there, because that felt selfish 878 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:48,799 Speaker 2: to me to want to go do something. 879 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:53,120 Speaker 1: That, oh, we're going, we're going done. I'm literally going 880 00:50:53,160 --> 00:50:55,320 Speaker 1: to get my calendar out when we're done with this interview. 881 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:57,120 Speaker 3: We're going to make a plan, we're going to go. 882 00:50:57,719 --> 00:51:02,520 Speaker 2: I also think that now the streamline of all these 883 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:06,880 Speaker 2: things were the things that I can make happen for 884 00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:09,680 Speaker 2: myself versus waiting for other people to make them happen 885 00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:12,759 Speaker 2: for me. And I think it's I'm really letting go 886 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:17,719 Speaker 2: of expectations of others. Funny enough, like Lady Gaga is 887 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 2: on the board and I got to meet her a 888 00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:25,239 Speaker 2: two weeks ago at her house for dinner and and 889 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:29,360 Speaker 2: she released sort of like a statement in to support me. 890 00:51:31,239 --> 00:51:35,040 Speaker 2: And that was one of those moments where I've never 891 00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:39,040 Speaker 2: put an expectation on anyone in my life to like 892 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:43,600 Speaker 2: show up in that capacity for me, and yet she did. 893 00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:46,919 Speaker 2: And that's when like, because there were no expectations there, 894 00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:50,239 Speaker 2: Like I was just blown out of the water in 895 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:53,920 Speaker 2: disbelief because I was like wow, and I think that 896 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:57,560 Speaker 2: just goes to show like, like the manifestation is real, 897 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:03,600 Speaker 2: and also that like letting people support you in the 898 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:07,879 Speaker 2: ways that they can best and to not by your 899 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:14,160 Speaker 2: standards but to theirs is epic. And I think I 900 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:18,360 Speaker 2: just feel so lucky right now. I feel so wildly 901 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,520 Speaker 2: grateful to like have made it through some of these 902 00:52:21,560 --> 00:52:25,560 Speaker 2: really dark moments and been stronger because of it. 903 00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:34,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and now for our sponsors, you know what, I 904 00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:39,240 Speaker 1: think some of those really big moments, like a manifestation 905 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:43,480 Speaker 1: of meeting one of your heroes, I think sometimes that's 906 00:52:43,520 --> 00:52:45,600 Speaker 1: also a little bit of the magic of the universe, 907 00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:50,160 Speaker 1: because when you're on the receiving end of, you know, 908 00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 1: an audience of ten million on TikTok, that means you're 909 00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:56,279 Speaker 1: on the receiving end of a bigger audience of haters too, 910 00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:00,799 Speaker 1: And so I think sometimes the universe will say to you, 911 00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,200 Speaker 1: you're gonna have this outsized moment to remind you that 912 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:05,239 Speaker 1: you're on the right path, whether it's with her or 913 00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:08,200 Speaker 1: like you're sit down with the president in twenty twenty two. 914 00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:13,040 Speaker 1: Like for me, I think we've been through these generations 915 00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:17,239 Speaker 1: of such enormous social change and evolution. There's no way that, 916 00:53:17,400 --> 00:53:21,600 Speaker 1: especially with some of our older politicians, they weren't on 917 00:53:21,719 --> 00:53:24,000 Speaker 1: like the wrong side of history back in the day, 918 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:27,560 Speaker 1: that they're on the better side now. And like for 919 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:30,359 Speaker 1: me to see you sit down with the president and 920 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:34,239 Speaker 1: have him just one hundred percent behind you and advocating 921 00:53:34,280 --> 00:53:37,440 Speaker 1: for trans kids, I'm just like, this is what we want, 922 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:40,400 Speaker 1: Like we want the people that are our parents' age 923 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:43,400 Speaker 1: to get more progressive with age now weren't closed off, 924 00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:47,040 Speaker 1: and like, I don't know, it just it made my 925 00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:50,160 Speaker 1: heart so happy. And maybe because I've seen that in 926 00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:53,839 Speaker 1: my own parents, Like my parents are just like ride 927 00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:56,960 Speaker 1: or die on the train of social progress in ways 928 00:53:56,960 --> 00:53:58,920 Speaker 1: that like they weren't even when I was in high school. 929 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:01,960 Speaker 1: And it's so cool to see, Like not to say 930 00:54:01,960 --> 00:54:03,759 Speaker 1: that Joe Biden is my dad or yours, but he 931 00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:06,120 Speaker 1: does give off like great dad energy. What was that 932 00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:07,359 Speaker 1: like to sit down with him? 933 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:08,640 Speaker 3: Was it like was it. 934 00:54:08,600 --> 00:54:11,359 Speaker 1: Easy because he felt familial or was it insane because 935 00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:12,960 Speaker 1: he's the president? Or was it both? 936 00:54:13,800 --> 00:54:15,799 Speaker 3: I mean I still was like, what the hell am 937 00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:19,160 Speaker 3: I doing here? Because that was again very early in 938 00:54:19,200 --> 00:54:19,720 Speaker 3: my journey. 939 00:54:19,760 --> 00:54:24,520 Speaker 2: Really I did not consider it myself a political person 940 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,120 Speaker 2: or an active you know, I still don't call myself 941 00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:31,160 Speaker 2: an activist because I think that's something to really be earned. 942 00:54:31,239 --> 00:54:34,680 Speaker 2: And also there are specific facets of transness that I 943 00:54:34,719 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 2: feel comfortable speaking on, and then others that I know 944 00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:41,400 Speaker 2: now that I'm not well versed enough in in that 945 00:54:41,480 --> 00:54:46,520 Speaker 2: conversation too, I think as much as I'm so grateful 946 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:48,440 Speaker 2: forgetting to do it, I do think there was about 947 00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:51,840 Speaker 2: one hundred thousand trans people that probably weren't more equipped 948 00:54:51,840 --> 00:54:54,760 Speaker 2: than I was for that. But I'm so grateful because 949 00:54:55,320 --> 00:54:57,280 Speaker 2: what that did was that was kind of the beginning 950 00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:01,200 Speaker 2: of when I saw an influx of hate and transphobia 951 00:55:01,400 --> 00:55:04,880 Speaker 2: and going to sit down, whether you know you're for 952 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:10,640 Speaker 2: Biden or not, to to get that confirmation that like 953 00:55:10,840 --> 00:55:15,160 Speaker 2: the most powerful person in the world is says that 954 00:55:15,239 --> 00:55:17,759 Speaker 2: they support you. I think that was like enough for 955 00:55:17,800 --> 00:55:21,239 Speaker 2: me to be like, okay, I can I'm doing this, 956 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:24,160 Speaker 2: Like this is still who I am. I have less 957 00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:28,560 Speaker 2: shame about it now because of the situation. And like again, 958 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 2: and it disassociated. It was disassociative in a different kind, 959 00:55:32,239 --> 00:55:36,799 Speaker 2: like in a good way because I was like basically 960 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:41,360 Speaker 2: like like playing with the dog in the Oval office, 961 00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:44,560 Speaker 2: and then like Joe Biden gives me a cookie and 962 00:55:44,680 --> 00:55:46,600 Speaker 2: you know, wrapped with like a gold seal on it. 963 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:50,040 Speaker 3: I was just like, what is going on right now? 964 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:55,160 Speaker 2: But I do think that like it's it's so My 965 00:55:55,320 --> 00:55:58,640 Speaker 2: favorite thing is like sort of like intergenerational conversation specifically 966 00:55:58,719 --> 00:56:02,200 Speaker 2: usually with my two old women, because there's so much 967 00:56:02,239 --> 00:56:05,320 Speaker 2: that I can learn from them in their womanhood, and 968 00:56:05,320 --> 00:56:08,480 Speaker 2: and when we have those moments, I'm like, oh, hell yeah, 969 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:11,400 Speaker 2: it's it's. I always was the kid at the pool 970 00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:13,800 Speaker 2: party that like was like with the mom in the 971 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:16,640 Speaker 2: kitchen while all the other kids were like playing by 972 00:56:16,640 --> 00:56:22,080 Speaker 2: the pool and and getting to like watch or the 973 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:24,160 Speaker 2: women you know in my life that I met get 974 00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:26,400 Speaker 2: to ask me questions, like even you know, I was 975 00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:30,680 Speaker 2: out of dinner last week for a very small like 976 00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:34,480 Speaker 2: screening of a film, and there was a much older 977 00:56:34,520 --> 00:56:38,799 Speaker 2: actress there who an icon and if she sat next 978 00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:41,040 Speaker 2: to me and started asking some of my questions, some 979 00:56:41,120 --> 00:56:44,640 Speaker 2: questions about my transition, and some of them were not 980 00:56:45,880 --> 00:56:49,520 Speaker 2: the most like appropriate dinner conversations we having, especially with 981 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:53,160 Speaker 2: someone new to my life or you know, just to 982 00:56:53,239 --> 00:56:56,920 Speaker 2: us meeting. But I could tell that like the fascination 983 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:59,840 Speaker 2: that she had was so pure hearted and also like 984 00:57:00,080 --> 00:57:03,120 Speaker 2: I felt safe enough to like go there with her, 985 00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:07,360 Speaker 2: so I did, and I know that we both left 986 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:11,160 Speaker 2: feeling really like connected and inspired and knowing that I. 987 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:15,600 Speaker 3: Had her support. And so I think that, like there's. 988 00:57:15,400 --> 00:57:20,360 Speaker 2: So much beauty that can come from not shying away 989 00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:22,520 Speaker 2: from getting connected like that. 990 00:57:23,400 --> 00:57:28,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and again that you felt comfortable, you were able 991 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:31,280 Speaker 1: to take a moment with someone that you know, if 992 00:57:31,280 --> 00:57:34,120 Speaker 1: she'd ask those questions off someone else in your position, 993 00:57:34,160 --> 00:57:37,960 Speaker 1: they might have been uncomfortable. And sometimes I think to 994 00:57:38,120 --> 00:57:42,479 Speaker 1: meet people's curiosity, giving them the benefit of the doubt 995 00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:46,760 Speaker 1: and helping them know better so that they do better, 996 00:57:46,920 --> 00:57:50,000 Speaker 1: Like that's also so important, And that's something I worry 997 00:57:50,040 --> 00:57:52,520 Speaker 1: that the Internet is kind of canceling out of us, 998 00:57:53,200 --> 00:57:55,400 Speaker 1: And I hope that we can begin, as you said, 999 00:57:55,840 --> 00:58:02,640 Speaker 1: to really practice nuance so that we can create more 1000 00:58:02,720 --> 00:58:05,400 Speaker 1: nuance in our world. You know that feels like a 1001 00:58:05,400 --> 00:58:05,919 Speaker 1: big deal. 1002 00:58:06,480 --> 00:58:07,840 Speaker 3: I have a one question for you. 1003 00:58:08,480 --> 00:58:11,520 Speaker 2: Do you have any advice for me to like setting 1004 00:58:11,560 --> 00:58:15,080 Speaker 2: boundaries and now that you've like navigated this for so long, 1005 00:58:15,200 --> 00:58:16,520 Speaker 2: like specific to. 1006 00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:20,560 Speaker 3: Like what you think would be healthy for me to do. 1007 00:58:21,520 --> 00:58:23,640 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, I feel like we could do a 1008 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:26,040 Speaker 1: whole nother podcast about this, and I want to really 1009 00:58:26,080 --> 00:58:28,760 Speaker 1: deep dive on it with you, but I will say 1010 00:58:28,840 --> 00:58:32,760 Speaker 1: I think I think one of the most important things 1011 00:58:32,880 --> 00:58:35,720 Speaker 1: that I have learned that helps me to set a 1012 00:58:35,760 --> 00:58:40,160 Speaker 1: boundary is that our emotional reactions are quick and our 1013 00:58:40,200 --> 00:58:45,680 Speaker 1: emotional learning is long, and so if you are responding 1014 00:58:45,920 --> 00:58:51,040 Speaker 1: or doing out of a reactive place, it won't wind 1015 00:58:51,120 --> 00:58:54,440 Speaker 1: up being a good thing. Learning to practice patients and 1016 00:58:54,480 --> 00:58:59,720 Speaker 1: go slow and wait has been one of the greatest 1017 00:58:59,760 --> 00:59:06,200 Speaker 1: sort of exercises and also transformative yeah, practices of my life. 1018 00:59:06,360 --> 00:59:09,280 Speaker 1: And so we will talk so much more about that 1019 00:59:09,440 --> 00:59:13,920 Speaker 1: than our next bonfire. But I'm excited for you. I mean, 1020 00:59:13,960 --> 00:59:16,440 Speaker 1: I think even asking the question is so great. I 1021 00:59:16,440 --> 00:59:21,080 Speaker 1: think boundaries are medicine, and yeah, we have plenty to 1022 00:59:21,120 --> 00:59:24,960 Speaker 1: dig into there. I can't believe we've been talking for 1023 00:59:25,000 --> 00:59:26,440 Speaker 1: an hour. I hate it. I want to ask you 1024 00:59:26,480 --> 00:59:28,600 Speaker 1: seven hundred more questions, but we'll do a part two 1025 00:59:28,640 --> 00:59:31,240 Speaker 1: at some point. But I need to know, well two 1026 00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:35,439 Speaker 1: things because I really want to come back around to music. Since, 1027 00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:37,600 Speaker 1: as you said, Days of Girlhood came out two weeks ago, 1028 00:59:38,200 --> 00:59:42,080 Speaker 1: you are having like pure unadulterated joy as a singer. 1029 00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:44,040 Speaker 1: You have the voice of an Angel. Hello, It's why 1030 00:59:44,080 --> 00:59:45,760 Speaker 1: you come from Broadway and I can't wait for you 1031 00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:49,200 Speaker 1: to get back there. Are you releasing more music? Where 1032 00:59:49,240 --> 00:59:51,000 Speaker 1: can people find it? And then I'll ask you my 1033 00:59:51,040 --> 00:59:52,000 Speaker 1: actual last question. 1034 00:59:52,480 --> 00:59:57,120 Speaker 2: Okay, days of girlhoads streaming on like all the spots 1035 00:59:57,120 --> 01:00:01,480 Speaker 2: like Spotify and Apple Music. I I don't actually know 1036 01:00:01,640 --> 01:00:03,440 Speaker 2: what the plan is for music right now because it 1037 01:00:03,520 --> 01:00:08,200 Speaker 2: was such a it was a very bittersweet experience putting 1038 01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:13,200 Speaker 2: this out there, and I think I really now want 1039 01:00:13,240 --> 01:00:17,080 Speaker 2: to focus on people hearing my like my voice and 1040 01:00:17,120 --> 01:00:19,439 Speaker 2: my actual singing voice, and not just like the fun 1041 01:00:19,440 --> 01:00:22,480 Speaker 2: of it. But I want it to be because I'm 1042 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:24,760 Speaker 2: not trying to be like a musician by any means. 1043 01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:28,120 Speaker 3: I want it to always be something I. 1044 01:00:28,160 --> 01:00:30,800 Speaker 2: Come back to because I have to and because it 1045 01:00:30,840 --> 01:00:32,680 Speaker 2: feels like the exact thing that I'm supposed to do 1046 01:00:32,720 --> 01:00:33,960 Speaker 2: and I'm not having that. 1047 01:00:33,960 --> 01:00:35,080 Speaker 3: Moment right the second. 1048 01:00:35,600 --> 01:00:40,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, and now, like like I I just posted 1049 01:00:40,240 --> 01:00:44,400 Speaker 2: as singing with Chris Colfer like an old Broadway standard duet, 1050 01:00:44,480 --> 01:00:46,880 Speaker 2: and that felt really yummy, And so I think it's 1051 01:00:46,960 --> 01:00:50,640 Speaker 2: it's finding the different the different versions of music for me. 1052 01:00:51,880 --> 01:00:54,880 Speaker 1: I love that and that too, don't forget it takes 1053 01:00:54,920 --> 01:00:56,880 Speaker 1: courage to say, Ooh, I tried this and I don't 1054 01:00:56,880 --> 01:00:59,560 Speaker 1: think I liked it, or maybe that's not for me. 1055 01:00:59,640 --> 01:01:03,200 Speaker 1: Right now, I'm gonna go this way. Yeah, that's that too, 1056 01:01:03,320 --> 01:01:08,640 Speaker 1: is brave, so don't you forget it. It kind of 1057 01:01:08,680 --> 01:01:11,960 Speaker 1: feels like in that spirit, you know, being willing to 1058 01:01:12,040 --> 01:01:16,520 Speaker 1: show up and experiment and keep try and keep learning. 1059 01:01:17,160 --> 01:01:20,520 Speaker 1: All of this period, not only of your life and music, 1060 01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:22,640 Speaker 1: but of the last couple of years and your transition 1061 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:26,720 Speaker 1: and your your pursuit of your most authentic identity all 1062 01:01:26,760 --> 01:01:30,680 Speaker 1: feels like a work in progress. But if you think 1063 01:01:30,720 --> 01:01:35,080 Speaker 1: about from today looking forward, like into the spring and summer, 1064 01:01:35,640 --> 01:01:37,640 Speaker 1: into where you want to go, what you next want 1065 01:01:37,680 --> 01:01:40,560 Speaker 1: off that vision board, what feels like your work in 1066 01:01:40,640 --> 01:01:43,480 Speaker 1: progress as you look out at the future. 1067 01:01:44,120 --> 01:01:49,720 Speaker 2: Ooh, I think I need to fall back in love 1068 01:01:50,320 --> 01:01:50,960 Speaker 2: with being me. 1069 01:01:51,440 --> 01:01:53,200 Speaker 3: And because I was. 1070 01:01:54,640 --> 01:01:56,760 Speaker 2: When I came out as a woman, I fell in 1071 01:01:56,800 --> 01:01:59,680 Speaker 2: love with my identity and with who I was and 1072 01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:03,520 Speaker 2: the confidence that I was feeling in the new joys, 1073 01:02:03,600 --> 01:02:06,880 Speaker 2: and then I had that kind of tarnished for a second. 1074 01:02:06,960 --> 01:02:08,720 Speaker 3: And now I'm like refining that again. 1075 01:02:08,760 --> 01:02:14,600 Speaker 2: And I think as helpful as the support is from followers, 1076 01:02:14,680 --> 01:02:18,040 Speaker 2: or strangers that I meet in the street or my family. 1077 01:02:17,680 --> 01:02:19,360 Speaker 3: Like it has to come within myself. 1078 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:22,400 Speaker 2: So I also think, like it's funny because I'm starting 1079 01:02:22,440 --> 01:02:27,720 Speaker 2: to date and what I've gathered is like I have 1080 01:02:27,800 --> 01:02:32,720 Speaker 2: to like I'm the hottest when I think that I'm 1081 01:02:32,760 --> 01:02:35,160 Speaker 2: hot or that like I think that I'm worthy, and 1082 01:02:35,160 --> 01:02:37,240 Speaker 2: that it can't come from an external. 1083 01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:38,080 Speaker 3: Source or like validation. 1084 01:02:38,840 --> 01:02:42,240 Speaker 2: So it's all encompassing of like loving the art that 1085 01:02:42,280 --> 01:02:44,200 Speaker 2: I'm putting out, leaving that song the way that I 1086 01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:47,800 Speaker 2: just apologized basically for like, oh I don't like music, 1087 01:02:47,840 --> 01:02:49,080 Speaker 2: I don't, you know, Like why am I doing this? 1088 01:02:50,040 --> 01:02:52,320 Speaker 2: I need to like love the fact that I did 1089 01:02:52,360 --> 01:02:57,640 Speaker 2: that for myself and claim it. And I think that's 1090 01:02:57,680 --> 01:03:03,880 Speaker 2: also is like standing by my decisions and my content 1091 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:10,480 Speaker 2: in my opinions and my identity and not being apologetic 1092 01:03:10,560 --> 01:03:13,680 Speaker 2: for it. So I think that's where I am working. 1093 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:16,760 Speaker 2: I'm a work in progress, and I think for anyone listening, 1094 01:03:17,560 --> 01:03:20,560 Speaker 2: I just hope that they can see that the transition 1095 01:03:20,640 --> 01:03:23,440 Speaker 2: that I'm going through is just a different version of 1096 01:03:23,520 --> 01:03:26,680 Speaker 2: the transition that they're going through, and it might not 1097 01:03:26,720 --> 01:03:31,000 Speaker 2: have anything to do with gender, but how beautiful it 1098 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:33,680 Speaker 2: would be if we were all just fascinated instead of 1099 01:03:34,880 --> 01:03:40,480 Speaker 2: hateful or darkly and deeply confused by people, and just 1100 01:03:41,480 --> 01:03:42,640 Speaker 2: found a little bit of wonder. 1101 01:03:43,960 --> 01:03:46,480 Speaker 1: I love that. I love that because you know what 1102 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:52,480 Speaker 1: I really think it is. I think generationally it's been 1103 01:03:52,520 --> 01:03:55,600 Speaker 1: so dangerous to be a human in the world that 1104 01:03:55,680 --> 01:04:01,320 Speaker 1: we have been cultured to want the spotlight on us. 1105 01:04:01,360 --> 01:04:02,720 Speaker 1: So it's like, oh, well, if you're mad at all 1106 01:04:02,720 --> 01:04:04,200 Speaker 1: those people over there, you won't be mad at me, 1107 01:04:04,880 --> 01:04:08,800 Speaker 1: if you know, in like evolutionary times, it's like, well, 1108 01:04:08,800 --> 01:04:10,520 Speaker 1: if that village on that side of the mountain is 1109 01:04:10,520 --> 01:04:13,640 Speaker 1: getting attacked, will be safe over here? We shouldn't be 1110 01:04:13,640 --> 01:04:21,240 Speaker 1: attacking anyone. We we have generations of economic understanding, we 1111 01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:25,120 Speaker 1: have generations of mental health understanding, we have we know better, 1112 01:04:25,560 --> 01:04:28,240 Speaker 1: we can actually create systems that work for everyone and 1113 01:04:28,280 --> 01:04:31,320 Speaker 1: don't make anyone feel like they're threatened. And if we 1114 01:04:31,440 --> 01:04:34,959 Speaker 1: actually keep everybody safe, we can just all be safe 1115 01:04:34,960 --> 01:04:36,240 Speaker 1: and we don't need to judge each other. 1116 01:04:36,560 --> 01:04:38,360 Speaker 3: So I can't wait that. 1117 01:04:38,840 --> 01:04:40,720 Speaker 1: You know that, I think is like the planet's work 1118 01:04:40,760 --> 01:04:48,560 Speaker 1: in progress. But don't but please know that you being 1119 01:04:48,600 --> 01:04:51,320 Speaker 1: courageous enough to be yourself reminds other people they can too, 1120 01:04:51,360 --> 01:04:54,440 Speaker 1: and to your point, we're all in transition all the time, 1121 01:04:54,880 --> 01:05:00,760 Speaker 1: whatever whatever manifestation that takes on, we really are. Yeah, 1122 01:05:00,880 --> 01:05:02,440 Speaker 1: so let's do it together. 1123 01:05:02,640 --> 01:05:04,280 Speaker 3: What's your work in progress right now? 1124 01:05:04,920 --> 01:05:08,240 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, I mean really patience. I've had to 1125 01:05:08,280 --> 01:05:11,640 Speaker 1: exercise a lot of it over the last year. It's funny. 1126 01:05:11,640 --> 01:05:15,760 Speaker 1: I was the most celebrated in twenty twenty two when 1127 01:05:15,800 --> 01:05:18,480 Speaker 1: I painted a really good picture for everyone, but internally 1128 01:05:18,520 --> 01:05:20,800 Speaker 1: I was the most depressed I'd ever been. I felt 1129 01:05:20,880 --> 01:05:26,160 Speaker 1: so sad. Teach people loved me, and then I I 1130 01:05:26,200 --> 01:05:29,160 Speaker 1: got free and I chose my joy and I've never 1131 01:05:29,280 --> 01:05:38,640 Speaker 1: been more brutalized or lied about. And yet I would 1132 01:05:38,640 --> 01:05:41,480 Speaker 1: do it all over again to feel as free and 1133 01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:43,280 Speaker 1: in my own body as I feel now, And that 1134 01:05:45,200 --> 01:05:47,840 Speaker 1: that's a big deal, because I don't think I could 1135 01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:48,840 Speaker 1: have done it ten years ago. 1136 01:05:49,320 --> 01:05:53,040 Speaker 2: And the people that celebrate that joy that are here 1137 01:05:53,280 --> 01:05:57,160 Speaker 2: and you know, my people, however, many of us there 1138 01:05:57,200 --> 01:05:59,520 Speaker 2: are that were here, and we're here for it, and 1139 01:05:59,520 --> 01:06:02,080 Speaker 2: we see that within you and in a way like 1140 01:06:02,880 --> 01:06:05,080 Speaker 2: I didn't get to know you during that time, and 1141 01:06:05,120 --> 01:06:08,080 Speaker 2: I only now get to see how cool that we 1142 01:06:08,120 --> 01:06:12,440 Speaker 2: are meeting when we're both like figuring that out about ourselves, 1143 01:06:12,480 --> 01:06:15,920 Speaker 2: but also we are like accepting those parts of ourselves, 1144 01:06:15,960 --> 01:06:17,640 Speaker 2: which I think is really really beautiful. 1145 01:06:18,440 --> 01:06:23,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like early in your transition and when I 1146 01:06:23,600 --> 01:06:25,480 Speaker 1: was like, I'm doing so much work to be happy. 1147 01:06:25,520 --> 01:06:28,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to get there someday. You know, we met 1148 01:06:28,360 --> 01:06:31,000 Speaker 1: and instantly liked each other. But isn't it cool that 1149 01:06:31,040 --> 01:06:35,360 Speaker 1: our like deep friendship was launched and is evolving out 1150 01:06:35,400 --> 01:06:39,000 Speaker 1: of like this most honest place where we're holding out 1151 01:06:39,080 --> 01:06:41,400 Speaker 1: the good, all the bad, all the hard, all the exciting. 1152 01:06:42,040 --> 01:06:43,760 Speaker 1: Like I don't think that's an accident. 1153 01:06:44,240 --> 01:06:45,760 Speaker 3: No, I just I love you. 1154 01:06:46,560 --> 01:06:48,680 Speaker 1: I love you. I'm so proud of you. 1155 01:06:49,360 --> 01:06:49,760 Speaker 3: Thank you. 1156 01:06:50,680 --> 01:06:53,440 Speaker 2: It makes like I don't know why, but people like 1157 01:06:53,560 --> 01:06:55,680 Speaker 2: you or sometimes I'll call jewels and like I want 1158 01:06:55,680 --> 01:06:57,880 Speaker 2: to start crying, and not because I'm sad, but I'm 1159 01:06:57,920 --> 01:07:00,920 Speaker 2: just like I feel like I don't know. I just 1160 01:07:01,000 --> 01:07:02,280 Speaker 2: I love you and I want to thank you for 1161 01:07:02,320 --> 01:07:03,240 Speaker 2: having me on today. 1162 01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:06,800 Speaker 3: And I love you. People you know enjoyed this and 1163 01:07:06,960 --> 01:07:09,080 Speaker 3: I did, so there's something. 1164 01:07:09,320 --> 01:07:11,160 Speaker 1: And I get excited too. I'm like, oh my god, 1165 01:07:11,200 --> 01:07:13,640 Speaker 1: imagine what what version of this interview will do a 1166 01:07:13,720 --> 01:07:15,760 Speaker 1: year from now. It's going to be great. 1167 01:07:16,160 --> 01:07:16,720 Speaker 3: I can't wait,