WEBVTT - Trans Trailblazers: Monica Helms & Darlene Wagner - Part Two

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<v Speaker 1>I find that the trans people that have the best

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<v Speaker 1>sense of humor are also the ones that made the

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<v Speaker 1>best activists.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome, beauties to part two of my interview with Monica

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<v Speaker 2>Helmes and her wife Darlene Wagner. If you have not

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<v Speaker 2>already heard part one, it brings us to where we

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<v Speaker 2>are now. I encourage you to go check it out. First,

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<v Speaker 2>here's Darlene talking about the first time she met Monica.

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<v Speaker 3>We met at a square dance. Okay, the well, it

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't a square dance or more like a contra dance.

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<v Speaker 3>It was contra dance slash square dance, a little bit

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<v Speaker 3>slower than a contra dance, and I asked Monica to dance.

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<v Speaker 3>It was the first time that Monica showed up to

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<v Speaker 3>my dance group that I had been involved with for

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<v Speaker 3>a couple of years and in which I was starting

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<v Speaker 3>to come out as trans, and it was a safe

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<v Speaker 3>base for me.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, what was the trans community like in like two

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<v Speaker 2>thousand and nine when you were coming out?

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<v Speaker 3>There are very few people, like, very few professionals. I've

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<v Speaker 3>I'm a fairly privileged person as far as trans goes.

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<v Speaker 3>For one thing, I'm Caucasian. Second, my parents are fairly

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<v Speaker 3>well off. They own a house and own land, and

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<v Speaker 3>I still had to pay my own way through grad

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<v Speaker 3>school though. Yeah, but I was fairly privileged, and there

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<v Speaker 3>were very few other trans people of my background around.

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<v Speaker 3>Most of the transgender people I knew were African American homeless,

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<v Speaker 3>forced into survival sex work. And to this day I

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<v Speaker 3>rack my heart and mind and pray and meditate on

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<v Speaker 3>ways in which I can reach out to my life

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<v Speaker 3>fortunate sisters who are hurting or maybe maybe not. I

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<v Speaker 3>shouldn't say hurt. I sound a little I probably sound

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<v Speaker 3>a little patronizing. I don't mean to sound that way.

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<v Speaker 2>It's just that I think it's okay to say that.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, since January of this year, six black trans

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<v Speaker 2>women have been shot and killed in the city of Atlanta, right,

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<v Speaker 2>And that, I think is something you know, to say, like,

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<v Speaker 2>those are the people that are most at risk in

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<v Speaker 2>our community, you know, right.

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<v Speaker 3>I want to do everything I can to help them

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<v Speaker 3>and keep them safe. And I'm soon going to be

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<v Speaker 3>getting a five oh one c three going called the

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<v Speaker 3>Transgender Day of Remembrance Atlanta, although I might later have

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<v Speaker 3>to change its name to get the transgender out of

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<v Speaker 3>the title. If according to how the government cracks down

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<v Speaker 3>on transgender organizations. But it's that adaptability thing happening again.

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<v Speaker 3>But I want to focus on violence prevention for transfeminine

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<v Speaker 3>people and also violence prevention for biological females as well,

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<v Speaker 3>because we shouldn't be in conflict with our non trans sisters.

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<v Speaker 3>We are facing the same patriarchal violence and denial of

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<v Speaker 3>bodily autonomy that they are. We should be united rather

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<v Speaker 3>than fighting each other over things like tell her what

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<v Speaker 3>happened to your coworker. One of the non trans women

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<v Speaker 3>recently slain by gun violence was my coworker from CDC,

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<v Speaker 3>thirty eight years old, has two kids and a husband.

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<v Speaker 3>So back on May seventh, I organized a march through

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<v Speaker 3>the Marietta Square commemorating not only the trans women who've

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<v Speaker 3>been slain this year in Atlanta, but also my cisgender coworker.

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<v Speaker 3>We must do everything mobilized and organized to stop femicide.

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<v Speaker 2>What do you to enjoy or what do you get

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<v Speaker 2>out of fulfillment out of being in a relationship with

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<v Speaker 2>another transgender woman? How has that impacted you positively?

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<v Speaker 3>Interestingly enough, Monica thinks of herself as lesbian, whereas I

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<v Speaker 3>tend to shy away from the term lesbian. I might

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<v Speaker 3>actually be bisexual, even though I'm not really attracted to men.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm very very much attracted to feminine type people. I'm

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<v Speaker 3>most strongly attracted to other trans females, probably because it's

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<v Speaker 3>just that's who I connect with the That's probably why

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<v Speaker 3>I've been with Monica all this time. She just being

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<v Speaker 3>next to her, it just feels so safe and so

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<v Speaker 3>familiar to me.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Yeah, what about for you, Monica?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I initially when I first started transitioning, I thought

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<v Speaker 1>that I was bisexual, and when I came out to

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<v Speaker 1>my mom being trans, she said, oh, gee, I wish

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<v Speaker 1>you were just gay. And then about three years later,

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<v Speaker 1>I realized that I wasn't bisexual, that I was only

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<v Speaker 1>attracted to women, And so I called my mom and said,

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<v Speaker 1>guess what, Mom, you got your wish. I am gay.

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<v Speaker 1>All my life, I've only been attracted to girls and women,

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<v Speaker 1>And I realized, why do I have to change when

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<v Speaker 1>I become a woman.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, when you were trying to access medical transition, trying

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<v Speaker 2>to act access gender firming care, was that something that

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<v Speaker 2>you had to hide the fact that you were attracted

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<v Speaker 2>to women?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh? No, No, this was in the late nineties. That

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<v Speaker 1>that stuff I got it was gone. Yeah, that stuff

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<v Speaker 1>was all different.

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<v Speaker 2>It had been changed by our previous generations who had

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<v Speaker 2>made made it better for us.

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<v Speaker 1>Think a lot of a lot of my lot of

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<v Speaker 1>those are my friends. Yeah, like Dallas Dnny.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Dallas Denny was a big part of that. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>What was it like working with Dallas Denny and working

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<v Speaker 2>on those publications during that time?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yeah, Transgender Tapestry. I wrote an article that's the

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<v Speaker 1>way it was, and it was about various things that

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<v Speaker 1>happened in the community over the last time since we

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<v Speaker 1>public policized, and Dallas and I had a really great relationship.

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<v Speaker 1>It was it was so much fun. You know, I

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<v Speaker 1>kind of made it sound like, you know, she was

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<v Speaker 1>at the the the Transgender Tapestry tower and up at

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<v Speaker 1>the you know, the the top of the.

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<v Speaker 4>Executive office executive office.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and uh, you know, and and then she would

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<v Speaker 1>say things like, well, I'm going to double your pay,

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<v Speaker 1>which was zero anyway. So yeah, Dallas has a great

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<v Speaker 1>sense of humor, which I find that the trans people

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<v Speaker 1>that have the best sense of humor are also the

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<v Speaker 1>ones that made the best activists because they didn't get

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<v Speaker 1>burned out. Darlene and I make jokes about everything we

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<v Speaker 1>see something on television and did they just say such?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, and you know we we would just we

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<v Speaker 1>create our own our own jokes out of it. So

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<v Speaker 1>and we call uh the governor of Florida, Ronda Sauron.

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<v Speaker 2>Like sorrows. Yeah, you have to have a sense of

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<v Speaker 2>humor in order to live this life, you know, because

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<v Speaker 2>it really tries you. You know, society tries us, and

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<v Speaker 2>it can be very stressful. And if I wasn't able

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<v Speaker 2>to laugh at myself or life, I don't think I'd

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<v Speaker 2>still be here. You know, we're going to take our

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<v Speaker 2>first break when we come back. Monica and Darlene share

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<v Speaker 2>their experiences with parenting and welcome back.

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<v Speaker 4>Now.

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<v Speaker 2>I know you to mention you recently tried to adopt

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<v Speaker 2>a child. Do you want to talk a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>about that.

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<v Speaker 3>Darlene, I'm gonna like, I'm willing to open up about it.

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<v Speaker 2>When was this, by the way, when.

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<v Speaker 4>We took her in.

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<v Speaker 3>In mid December, she identified as transfeminine. We figured, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>this is going to be a great match because two

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<v Speaker 3>trans women raising a transfeminine child who's been in the

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<v Speaker 3>foster system for five years. We can be her forever family,

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<v Speaker 3>and we can protect her and get her the care

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<v Speaker 3>that she needs. Unfortunately, she had lots of trauma to

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<v Speaker 3>unpack five years in the system, and in before that,

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<v Speaker 3>unspeakable abuse that the Defacts documentation just barely scraped the

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<v Speaker 3>surface of. She was very closed off, noncommunicative. She would

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<v Speaker 3>occasionally laugh, occasionally show some emotion or anger. Actually, looking

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<v Speaker 3>back on it, I should have been more suspicious that

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<v Speaker 3>she didn't get angry more often. She was very detached.

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<v Speaker 3>I really care about this kid, even though she doesn't

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<v Speaker 3>live with us anymore. I loved her as if she

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<v Speaker 3>were my own biological child. Not quite the same as

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<v Speaker 3>a death, because I know that the kid is in

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<v Speaker 3>a different house and is happier, or at least I

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<v Speaker 3>hope she's happier now. And her foster mom said that

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<v Speaker 3>she put on weight during her time that she was

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<v Speaker 3>with us, which is a good sign. So we kind

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<v Speaker 3>of got her to a healthier, physically healthier place at least.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you think you'll ever try to adopt again?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, yeah, I'm not giving a I'm want to have

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<v Speaker 3>a family, and unlike Monica, who had a chance to

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<v Speaker 3>have biological children. I never had that chance, no serious

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<v Speaker 3>relationships with any cisgender women prior to my transition.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, And Monica, what is your relationship with your children

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<v Speaker 2>and your grandchildren? Like now?

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<v Speaker 1>Really good? Actually, we're in fact a week from today

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be flying out to Phoenix to see

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<v Speaker 1>them and then drive to California to see the other son.

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<v Speaker 1>Haven't seen him in a while, and be nice to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to spend some time with them.

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<v Speaker 2>Although Monica and Darlene did not match with their foster child,

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<v Speaker 2>they're still interested in parenting a trans child together. Here's

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<v Speaker 2>Monica as she talks more about the power of activism.

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<v Speaker 2>Were there any more details maybe about your own transition

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<v Speaker 2>story that you wanted to give and just like how

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<v Speaker 2>that was for you at during that time when you

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<v Speaker 2>were transitioning.

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<v Speaker 1>I joined a online group, well it was not necessarily

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<v Speaker 1>only just online, but it was a group of former

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<v Speaker 1>submarine sailors called United States Submarine Veterans of America. And

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<v Speaker 1>so I joined them before I transitioned, and then I

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<v Speaker 1>started transitioning, and I wanted to still be part of

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<v Speaker 1>the group. You know, there was a local chapter and everything,

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<v Speaker 1>and and the local chapter was having a problem with

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<v Speaker 1>me being me, So it took a little bit, but

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<v Speaker 1>I finally renewed my membership in this organization, becoming the

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<v Speaker 1>first transferson in the organization and it you know, it

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<v Speaker 1>was also my first active activism.

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<v Speaker 2>And I know you're also the first trans people to

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<v Speaker 2>place a wreath on the.

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<v Speaker 1>Tomb of the Unknown. Yeah, A Trensien your American Veterans Association.

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<v Speaker 1>We went to DC in two thousand and four and

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<v Speaker 1>it was a march to the Wall because a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of trans women were afraid to go to the wall

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<v Speaker 1>and see the names of people that they knew and stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>and so we wanted to give them a safe thing

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<v Speaker 1>to do it. And we had fifty people show up

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<v Speaker 1>and it was was wonderful. And then that on that weekend,

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<v Speaker 1>we also laid a reef at the Tomb of the Unknown,

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<v Speaker 1>first trans organization to do that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's huge, Monica. Thank you just for for everything

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<v Speaker 2>you've done for the trans community and for trans veterans.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, that's that's amazing. I know you you're talking

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<v Speaker 2>about moving out of Georgia because of the way that

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<v Speaker 2>the things have been.

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<v Speaker 3>Lighter, hopefully rather than sooner. Georgia is my home, and

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<v Speaker 3>I've tried living in other states before, but I was

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<v Speaker 3>really homesick.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And I being raised in Georgia my whole life too.

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<v Speaker 2>I've never called any other state home before, so it's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of a hard reality to start to kind of

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<v Speaker 2>think about. And I hope that doesn't come to that.

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<v Speaker 2>But what keeps you both hopeful when the times are

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<v Speaker 2>as bad as they are. What keeps you both going well?

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<v Speaker 1>For me, it's noticing that every time there is another election,

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<v Speaker 1>even in a small election or some place, the Republicans

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<v Speaker 1>are losing. Just last week, there was an election for

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<v Speaker 1>the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, and the Democrat won, the

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<v Speaker 1>first Democrat to run this city in a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>And the person that the Republican who ran was spouting

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<v Speaker 1>all the Rohn de Santis things and apparently the people

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<v Speaker 1>didn't want to hear it. So I'm hopeful that what

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<v Speaker 1>we might be seeing is, you know, it's a little

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<v Speaker 1>scary to hope that it's going to half of it

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<v Speaker 1>to see all these elections come about where people with

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<v Speaker 1>something that is going to help other people is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be the ones that get elected, not the people

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<v Speaker 1>that want to take us back in time.

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<v Speaker 2>What about you, darling, do you have anything?

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<v Speaker 3>My greatest hope during these dark times is the inherent

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<v Speaker 3>strength of the transgender and non binary communities. There's a

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<v Speaker 3>lot more to us than what we lack in political

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<v Speaker 3>clout or economic resources. There is a fire, a natural

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<v Speaker 3>fire inside of us that cannot be extinguished. And Monica

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<v Speaker 3>alluded to how elections are important. In voting is important,

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<v Speaker 3>but I would expand upon that. We've got to put

0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:18.800
<v Speaker 3>our fire inside of us to work not just around elections,

0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:24.160
<v Speaker 3>but year round, especially even in off years like this

0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:27.600
<v Speaker 3>past year was an off year in the Georgia. Legislator

0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:34.080
<v Speaker 3>passed nasty laws to suppress us. But we stood up.

0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:41.600
<v Speaker 3>We stood up at the Liberty Plaza outside of the

0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:46.640
<v Speaker 3>Capitol building. We're going to stand up more across the summer.

0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:51.000
<v Speaker 3>We are going to organize, We're going to mobilize. We

0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:54.400
<v Speaker 3>might get a little militant, but that's what it takes

0:16:55.200 --> 0:17:02.000
<v Speaker 3>when we are under attack systematically, we have to push

0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:06.280
<v Speaker 3>back with all the energy and intensity inside of us.

0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:11.160
<v Speaker 3>And I want to conclude with the words of Winston Churchill,

0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:17.800
<v Speaker 3>never give up, never give up, never give up. And

0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:22.440
<v Speaker 3>then my own words too. You are loved.

0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:26.640
<v Speaker 2>We're going to take our last break here, listeners. When

0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:29.159
<v Speaker 2>we come back, we will wrap up our conversation with

0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:47.159
<v Speaker 2>Monica and Darlene with a question from Janie Danger, and

0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:48.240
<v Speaker 2>we're back, listeners.

0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:53.720
<v Speaker 5>I actually have a transflag of my own in my

0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:58.240
<v Speaker 5>house above my bed, and in fact, the person who

0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:01.240
<v Speaker 5>bought it for me bought it at pre I'd, i.

0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:03.200
<v Speaker 4>Want to say, twenty nineteen and I wasn't.

0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:05.800
<v Speaker 5>Able to go because I had to work, and they

0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:10.719
<v Speaker 5>bought it from you like yourself, and he signed it.

0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:11.679
<v Speaker 1>Did I sign it?

0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:13.000
<v Speaker 4>Yeah? You did sign up?

0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:16.720
<v Speaker 1>Oh yeah, because we were We did booths every once

0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.439
<v Speaker 1>in a while to you know, for either our church

0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:23.120
<v Speaker 1>or other places, and then I would sign flags.

0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:26.440
<v Speaker 5>Well for people. I appreciate that. It's very cool and

0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:28.520
<v Speaker 5>I like to tell people that when they see it.

0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:32.280
<v Speaker 5>And also anytime I post like a picture or like

0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:35.240
<v Speaker 5>a video or something and people see my room, I

0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.120
<v Speaker 5>get a lot of comments from people saying you need

0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:40.600
<v Speaker 5>to iron your flag, and it's like, you need to

0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:42.400
<v Speaker 5>mind your own fucking business.

0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:43.760
<v Speaker 4>How about that?

0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:45.240
<v Speaker 2>What do you think about ironing?

0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:48.240
<v Speaker 5>You think about I've and the reason I've not done

0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.760
<v Speaker 5>it is because I don't want to mess up the signature.

0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:55.400
<v Speaker 5>And also I don't own an iron, So yeah.

0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:58.040
<v Speaker 1>It's like, you know, it's up to your up to you,

0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:01.400
<v Speaker 1>you know, right, you know it's your flag, that's my flag.

0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:05.680
<v Speaker 4>You know it's an our flag. Yeah, well but this

0:19:05.720 --> 0:19:07.160
<v Speaker 4>one's literally mine.

0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:11.080
<v Speaker 1>Yes, that one's yours. So you do what you want with.

0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:14.000
<v Speaker 4>It, thank you. So I can tell that to the haters.

0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:16.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, tell that to the haters. Monica Helmes said, do

0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:18.639
<v Speaker 2>whatever you want with your flag, thank you.

0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:20.919
<v Speaker 1>Are you on? Are you on Facebook?

0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:22.280
<v Speaker 4>I think I'm on.

0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.160
<v Speaker 5>I am on Facebook, but I don't really. I don't

0:19:25.200 --> 0:19:27.760
<v Speaker 5>really use it. I've been trying to get banned from

0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:28.800
<v Speaker 5>Facebook for years.

0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:30.560
<v Speaker 1>Oh well that should be easy.

0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:32.560
<v Speaker 4>It's surprisingly not.

0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:37.000
<v Speaker 5>You can get away with the horrendous things on Facebook.

0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:41.920
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'm more afraid of getting a concerned phone call

0:19:42.000 --> 0:19:45.600
<v Speaker 3>from my mom if I post something that's a bit

0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:50.680
<v Speaker 3>off on Facebook. So my my mom polices my posts

0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:51.680
<v Speaker 3>on Facebook.

0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:55.760
<v Speaker 5>So yeah, it's the worst one because your whole your

0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:59.159
<v Speaker 5>whole family's there. Why would why would I want to

0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:01.600
<v Speaker 5>use the social med My family is on.

0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:06.120
<v Speaker 1>Her whole family is definitely on and everything.

0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.040
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you should see Jenny on Twitter and what's the

0:20:09.080 --> 0:20:11.399
<v Speaker 2>other one, the new one, the Blue Sky, the Blue Sky.

0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:14.240
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, yeah, you gotta get I don't have any invite codes.

0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:15.240
<v Speaker 5>I would give you guys some.

0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:15.600
<v Speaker 4>If I do.

0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:17.600
<v Speaker 2>She's dying for a Blue Sky invite code.

0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:18.360
<v Speaker 4>But yeah, I got.

0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:22.440
<v Speaker 5>I'm on there now wife Sucker dot blue Sky Social.

0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:26.440
<v Speaker 5>Yeah that's kind of all I had. I really liked the,

0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.879
<v Speaker 5>uh the progress part. And also I didn't know you

0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:31.080
<v Speaker 5>were a Christian. I'm also a Christian and that was

0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:32.800
<v Speaker 5>really touching.

0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:35.399
<v Speaker 2>So I didn't go, do you were a Christian? Janey?

0:20:35.640 --> 0:20:36.960
<v Speaker 4>Yeah. If I've not talked about that.

0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:38.600
<v Speaker 2>I've never we've never talked about that.

0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:39.320
<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

0:20:39.440 --> 0:20:43.760
<v Speaker 2>Wow, yeah, I'm learning things, so yes, well yeah.

0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:46.159
<v Speaker 3>Well maybe one of these days that you can do

0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:48.800
<v Speaker 3>a breakout Christian punk rock hit.

0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:53.359
<v Speaker 5>In the other incorporated some mostly on the on the

0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:55.960
<v Speaker 5>new album that I have coming out. I've gotten some

0:20:56.080 --> 0:21:00.800
<v Speaker 5>kind of It's not incredibly uh it, but there is

0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:04.080
<v Speaker 5>a lot of themes like that, and there for sure

0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:05.399
<v Speaker 5>things of God.

0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:10.919
<v Speaker 4>And you listen to Fly flyly, I used to Oh yeah,

0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:12.440
<v Speaker 4>Paramore girl.

0:21:12.440 --> 0:21:14.520
<v Speaker 3>Oh yeah, Para is awesome.

0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.600
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, or under Oath if we're talking like Christian more

0:21:18.760 --> 0:21:20.080
<v Speaker 5>specific Christian bands.

0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:22.080
<v Speaker 2>Have y'all listened to Ethyl Kane yet.

0:21:24.520 --> 0:21:25.240
<v Speaker 3>Ethyl Caine?

0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:25.800
<v Speaker 5>Y'all?

0:21:25.800 --> 0:21:29.080
<v Speaker 2>Ethel Caine is she is our She's our trans. So

0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:34.120
<v Speaker 2>she's a trans woman from Tallahassee, Florida who makes music

0:21:34.680 --> 0:21:37.879
<v Speaker 2>all about like the Southern it's like Southern Gothic like,

0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:41.040
<v Speaker 2>and it's like got some like religious undertones because she

0:21:41.119 --> 0:21:46.480
<v Speaker 2>was Her album is called Preacher's Daughter because she was literally, uh,

0:21:46.520 --> 0:21:48.560
<v Speaker 2>what do you call it? The people that do the

0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:53.159
<v Speaker 2>snakes and stuff? Yeah, she was the son of a

0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:54.160
<v Speaker 2>of a snake.

0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:58.360
<v Speaker 5>There's a certain kind of Christianity. I forget what it's called.

0:21:58.400 --> 0:22:01.760
<v Speaker 5>It's like, I don't know if it's southernist. But in

0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:05.639
<v Speaker 5>that movie Faces a Death, that's the one actual real

0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:09.440
<v Speaker 5>death they show. It's a preacher who's like, I've got

0:22:09.480 --> 0:22:12.159
<v Speaker 5>the power of God within me. The snakes won't hurt me,

0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:14.160
<v Speaker 5>and this they killed him.

0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:16.639
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well what if the snakes have the power of

0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:17.600
<v Speaker 3>God in them too?

0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:20.640
<v Speaker 4>That's true and that goes back to what you said

0:22:20.720 --> 0:22:21.360
<v Speaker 4>about like.

0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:24.919
<v Speaker 3>You gotta respect nature.

0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:28.200
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, God and nature, the two and two like true

0:22:28.200 --> 0:22:32.640
<v Speaker 5>things like everyone else, like, yeah, of a preacher that's

0:22:32.720 --> 0:22:35.760
<v Speaker 5>just a total like Charlatan like you know, it's like

0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.520
<v Speaker 5>it's like the atomic bomb versus a coughing baby.

0:22:40.680 --> 0:22:44.280
<v Speaker 3>True.

0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:48.840
<v Speaker 2>And that brings us to the end of this week's

0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:51.880
<v Speaker 2>episode and a last to the end of season two

0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:57.480
<v Speaker 2>Beauty Translated. I hope you enjoyed all of the conversations

0:22:57.480 --> 0:23:00.400
<v Speaker 2>we had this time around. Thank you all so much

0:23:00.400 --> 0:23:03.840
<v Speaker 2>for your support and listenership. I couldn't do this without

0:23:03.840 --> 0:23:07.600
<v Speaker 2>all you bouties out there. Please continue to encourage everyone

0:23:07.640 --> 0:23:10.280
<v Speaker 2>you know to listen to the show, because I believe

0:23:10.320 --> 0:23:12.760
<v Speaker 2>that the more people who listen to these stories, the

0:23:12.880 --> 0:23:16.280
<v Speaker 2>further down the evolutionary path to understanding we will become

0:23:16.440 --> 0:23:19.600
<v Speaker 2>as a society. If you haven't already, please leave the

0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:22.840
<v Speaker 2>podcast a rating and review over on Apple Podcasts. It

0:23:22.840 --> 0:23:26.320
<v Speaker 2>would mean the world to me. And now this is goodbye,

0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:28.920
<v Speaker 2>but only for a little while. I will be back

0:23:28.960 --> 0:23:31.800
<v Speaker 2>for season three of Beauty Translated in the fall with

0:23:31.960 --> 0:23:36.080
<v Speaker 2>more badass trans trailblazers. Thank you all so much, and

0:23:36.200 --> 0:23:46.840
<v Speaker 2>until we meet again, stay beautiful. Beauty Translated is hosted

0:23:46.840 --> 0:23:49.960
<v Speaker 2>by me Carmen Laurent and produced by Kurt Garon and

0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:54.760
<v Speaker 2>Jessica Crinchitch, with production assistance from Jennifer Bassett Special thanks

0:23:54.800 --> 0:23:57.960
<v Speaker 2>to Ali Perry and Ali Canter for their support. Our

0:23:58.000 --> 0:24:02.000
<v Speaker 2>theme song is composed by Aaron Kaufman. Beauty Translated is

0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:06.000
<v Speaker 2>proud to be part of the outspoken network from iHeart Podcasts.

0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:10.920
<v Speaker 2>For more iHeart Podcasts, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:24:11.080 --> 0:24:12.840
<v Speaker 2>or wherever you get your podcasts.