WEBVTT - Telling Your Own Story 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.480 Good morning, peeps, and welcome to ok F Daily with 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:18.840 me your Girl, Daniel Moody recording from the Home Bunker, Folks, 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.840 I want to address something that I saw across social 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:27.480 media yesterday when it came out. So the Wall Street Journal, 0:00:28.440 --> 0:00:35.320 who we know, is a conservative, right wing Republican outlet, Okay, 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:39.159 make no bones about it. You may go there to 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:44.240 like get you know, stock reports, business updates, blah blah, 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:49.960 but it's coming through a white male cis conservative straight lens. Okay. 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:54.120 So they decided to run a hit piece on Joe Biden, 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:58.600 and everybody on social media was outrage. Oh my god, 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:01.160 how could the Wall Street Journal bahblah blah blah blah. 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:08.119 And I'm like, can we all understand why the Wall 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:11.520 Street Journal would run a hit piece on Joe Biden? 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:15.280 And if I were Joe Biden, I would use it 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:19.440 and the campaign I would use it to my advantage. 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:23.279 Wall Street doesn't want me as their president. You know why, 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:30.080 because I'm not in the business of creating American oligarchs 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:34.600 in the way that the Republican Party is. You see, 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:39.080 Wall Street doesn't want me as president in twenty twenty five. 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:44.680 Do you know why? Because that's when the welfare checks, 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:51.559 the tax breaks that Donald Trump wrote in to law expire. 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:57.800 And so what does that mean for the CEOs and shareholders, 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:02.640 the multi billionaires and multi millionaires. Well, it means that 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.480 in twenty twenty five, the jig is up and we're 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:10.600 gonna make sure that these people pay their fair share. 0:02:10.639 --> 0:02:13.840 Because if there's anyone that should be getting tax breaks, 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:17.919 it should be hard working, everyday American people who are 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:22.040 struggling with student loan debt, who are struggling with health 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:27.200 care costs, who are struggling with inflation. And why are 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:30.640 they struggling with inflation. It's not my hand that's doing it. 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:34.919 It is greed and the Wall Street Journal, they are 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:39.280 the purveyors of the greed is good mantra that we 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:42.080 heard back in the eighties that was cemented by Reagan 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:50.440 right and legitimized and immortalized by every Republican thereafter. That's 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:56.400 how the fuck you use bad press and you spin 0:02:56.480 --> 0:03:01.040 it to your advantage. This is not fucking rocket science. 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:08.440 Trust and believe when you see these stories that pop up, 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:12.840 understand who the fuck is running these newsrooms and where 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:18.120 their allegiance lies, which is to their own fucking deep, 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:26.240 dark pockets. These motherfuckers don't want a Democrat who may, 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:32.880 in fact have them actually pay what is owed back 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:36.320 to this country. Let me tell you something, the Mark 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.120 Cubans of the world, who will come out and say, yeah, 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.400 I paid two hundred and eighty eight million dollars in 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:47.040 taxes because like, this country has served me very well, 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:49.360 and that is the least that I can do, because 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:53.920 you know what, he's making multi fucking billions. Where would 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:57.920 we be if these motherfuckers weren't able to continue getting 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:03.920 a free goddamn ride. So don't get it twisted when 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:09.280 you see bad press about Joe Biden and no commentary 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:14.880 from the Wall Street Journal that is deeply criticizing Donald 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:17.679 Trump and the fact that he's a fucking convicted felon, 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:21.120 because at the end of the day, their whiteness and 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:24.280 their wealth is going to protect them, or they think 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:28.800 it's going to protect them from fascism, but you know 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:34.280 history tells us otherwise. Coming up next, dear friends, we 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:39.039 have brought back to the show GEO Santiago, who I 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:43.800 interviewed back in January when I was in New Orleans 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:48.880 at the LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference, and today 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:55.280 GEO joins us during Pride as we discuss the stories 0:04:55.320 --> 0:05:00.479 of trans people. What does it mean to tell your 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:05.240 own story instead of one being dictated to you. That 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:12.440 conversation with Geo is coming up next, folks. I am 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:17.400 very excited to welcome back to WOKF Daily Geo Santiago, 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:22.360 who you on may remember we did an interview back 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:26.440 in January when I was at the Creating Change Conference 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:31.000 in New Orleans that was put on by the LGBTQ 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:34.800 Task Force and Creating Changes, a conference that happens every 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.839 year to kind of look at the landscape of policies 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:42.000 and issues that are affecting LGBTQ plus people. And this 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.440 time around, we welcome Geo back to wok F Daily 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:51.400 during Pride Month, where you are involved in a new 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:56.679 campaign that was launched by Glad as well as ground 0:05:56.720 --> 0:06:01.760 Media entitled Here We Are. And I was going to 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:03.920 say here we are now, but it's just here we Are, 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.560 and I just want to tell folks before we jump 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:10.600 into conversation. So Here we Are is a national storytelling 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:14.920 campaign launched on June first, twenty twenty four, joining an 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:19.400 ongoing campaign to build a country where transgender people can 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:23.800 be their authentic selves and express their identity openly and 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:27.920 free from fear. You can learn more about Here we 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:31.599 Are Now dot com. You can learn more about the 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:36.840 campaign there. But Geo, let's start off with why you 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.440 decided to get involved with Here we Are and tell 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.720 your story. Why is that important to you? 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:45.080 Yeah? 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:47.960 First off, thank you for having me back. Super excited 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:50.920 to be here, and for me, it was important because 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.360 I feel like transgender people are not telling their own 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:57.000 stories in the media. You know, our stories are being 0:06:57.000 --> 0:07:02.200 told for us, whether it is by the opposition or allies, 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:06.120 and we need to be able to talk about ourselves 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.080 for ourselves. And also, I think was extremely important to 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:14.640 be a black Matthew and presenting transperson telling their story 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:16.000 and talking about trans joy. 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:16.800 I don't feel like. 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:19.760 We see that enough, you know, And I think that 0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:24.080 that is so true. One I believe that even still. 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:26.840 I think one of the stats on here on the 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.800 website herewe Are Now dot Com says that seventy one 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:35.600 percent of Americans claim that they've never met someone that 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:41.720 is transgender. And so when you hear that statistic, what 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:45.320 does that tell you, right, what does that tell you 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:50.920 about our media, our communities. Do you think that that 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:58.280 number is because folks don't feel safe identifying themselves outwardly 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:01.400 as trans or why do you think that that is. 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:04.280 I think it's a lot of different things. That's a 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:06.920 little complex. So to the first piece, I think it 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:09.680 definitely is a safety issue for people that they are 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:14.680 not outing themselves as trans, so people don't know that 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:16.720 they are trans. You know myself, if you did not 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:18.480 know that I was trans, you would just think that 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.960 I was a cist gender black man. But I also 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.800 feel like it is because people think that they know 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.240 what a trans person looks like, you know, so they 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:31.640 can say, oh, I've never met a trans person because 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.400 in their mind they think they know what every single 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:36.400 trans person is supposed to look like, so they think 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.520 that they can tell what a trans person is. And 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:44.000 so I guarantee my neighbors would be people in that 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.800 report to say they've never never met a transperson because 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:49.480 they don't know that I'm trans and they don't see 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:51.800 me that way. So I think it's a lot of 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.560 different things. And I also think as far as in 0:08:55.600 --> 0:09:01.280 the media, trans people are not being shown own first off, 0:09:01.400 --> 0:09:05.040 in enough light, so shout out to glad and ground 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:07.760 for doing this and trying to show trans people. But 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:10.840 I also think when we're seeing trans people, we are 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:15.880 often seeing trans people who are not esthetically passing. So 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.080 people think they know, you know, okay, that trans person 0:09:19.120 --> 0:09:23.240 I can tell or are passing. But again they're not 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:27.200 a representation of everyone, So that makes it hard and 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:28.959 that's why these numbers are just so skewed. 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:31.240 I want to go back to what you said about 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:35.520 sharing stories of joy. I also think that oftentimes when 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:41.600 we do have headlines that are telling stories about trans people, 0:09:42.360 --> 0:09:48.200 it is namely about violence, it is namely about anti 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:52.240 trans policies, right, So it isn't coming from a place 0:09:52.480 --> 0:09:57.680 of a whole person narrative, right like look at this 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.760 lovely queer family, or look at this you know, amazing 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:05.120 queer athlete or what have you. It is always coming 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:08.559 from the negative. So talk to us about your story 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:13.040 and what you have shared, and we'll share with us today. 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:14.319 Yeah. 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:17.200 So I knew it i was five that I was different, 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:20.160 So I've kind of always known that, And you know, 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.400 I lived most of my life as a black, masculine 0:10:23.520 --> 0:10:28.040 lesbian until I was twenty seven and decided to medically transition. 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.640 But you know, I come from a large family. I 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.960 come from an extremely loving family. Like it was a 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.240 little hard at some points for them to you know, 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:40.600 grasp me being trans, but you know, then it came 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:44.359 very full circle and you know they're extremely supportive. 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:44.600 You know. 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:47.200 And when you watch the video, you'll see that my 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.559 sister is alongside of me in this video. She's an 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:54.960 amazing ally and a true advocate. And you know, it's 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.640 not her being in this video with me just as 0:10:57.640 --> 0:10:59.760 my sister, it is her being in this video with 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:03.960 me also in her role as an advocate and an ally, 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:06.200 and I want to be able to highlight the work 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:08.600 that she does in the community and kind of also 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:10.160 give her that stamp of approval. 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:14.040 But you know, I'm I'm literally just me, Like I 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.839 love to, you know, play. 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.760 Sports, coach sports, you know, be with my family, and 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:23.640 I'm just a regular person. And I think being able 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:28.640 to show that aspect is extremely important. You know, we're 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:33.120 not seeing enough of trans people and especially trans masculine 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:37.040 people literally just living their lives like I'm just out 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:38.840 here thriving, you know, living my bad. 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:40.400 I love that I. 0:11:42.000 --> 0:11:45.360 Really am. I'm like, you know, I'm obviously. I feel 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:50.440 like the problem is every single person has issues, like yes, 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:54.240 and some people's issues are heightened by their race. Obviously, 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:57.560 some are you know, gender, some are gender identity. But 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:02.520 I don't live my life in the ideology that any 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:04.440 issue that I have is because I'm black, or any 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:07.520 issue that I have is because I'm trans. Like, I 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.280 want to relish in the joy that I have in 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:14.640 my life, you know. And I enjoy being around my friends, 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:17.800 being around my family, you know, I enjoy going to 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:21.720 Disney like I am unapologetically a Disney adult, you know. Like, 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:25.200 and people don't think about that. People see trans people 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.080 and they think that being trans is our entire identity, 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.040 and I'm like, no, like it is not. It is 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:33.360 a piece of who we are. 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:37.640 Another piece of who you are is a veteran. You 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:41.800 served this country, and I thank you for your service. 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:47.800 And you were serving during a time when we tell me, 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.319 was it before or after? Donas dontell? 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.200 It was? It was during Donas Don't tell. 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:56.920 It was, So tell us about that experience of you 0:12:57.120 --> 0:13:03.640 serving and being a masculine trans person. 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:07.120 So when I was serving, I had not yet started 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:11.680 to medically transition, So I was living as a black mask, 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:14.359 lesbian in the Air Force. 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:20.040 Which still I'm like, okay, okay, it is like the 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:23.760 craziest thing because people might not understand, but you know, 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:27.640 like the Air Force is like the elitist branch, so it. 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:29.000 You know, it was hard. 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.320 You know, I was not in company with a lot 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:33.760 of people that looked like me, whether that be those 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:38.240 who were female identified or those who were black, and 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:41.400 so it was one of the hardest times of my life, 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:45.920 you know, to be able to come from a place 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:51.080 where you're seeing all types of different people, you know, cultures, 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:53.520 all of these things to you know, being where I 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:55.600 was stationed in Texas and on the base that I 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:58.280 was on, where it was like basically just mostly like 0:13:58.320 --> 0:13:59.360 a lot of white people. 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:01.480 But what that taught. 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:05.440 Me was, you know, to like always believe in myself, 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:07.520 you know, and so one of the core values is 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:11.040 you know, service to self, you know, and excellence and. 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:12.800 All you do is integrity first. You know. 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:15.199 These are things that I learned in the Air Force 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:16.760 that I use in my life still. 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:18.760 And another thing that I learned there was like. 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:21.800 To adapt and overcome, you know, as a black person, 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:24.800 I had to adapt and overcome every single day when 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:27.320 I was in the military, and even more so as 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:31.640 a black person in the LGBTQ community, because you're almost 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:35.760 living a double life, especially during donas dontail, because I 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:39.760 could not be on base with my girlfriend. I could 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:43.320 not be just like out and about in the grocery 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:47.200 store with my girlfriend, like in the same city, because 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:51.040 anyone from Bates can see you, and now you can 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:54.280 be in trouble, so you had to be like very careful. 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.760 So I was stationed in San Antonio, so I spent 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:58.920 a lot of time in like Austin, which was like 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:01.960 forty five minutes way our Houston, you know, which was 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:04.720 like three hours away. Because I was able to be 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:08.680 my authentic self in those places with like a little 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:10.280 less fear of someone seeing me. 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:16.760 Can you talk more about what it felt like to 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.520 live a double life in that way, and maybe even 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:24.520 a double life in terms of the military, But then 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:31.200 the decision to then medically transition and then I would 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:33.720 assume that would mean in some ways then be able 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:36.720 to integrate. So can you take us on that journey. 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:42.680 Yeah, So being able to live a double life exhausting. 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:46.560 Let me just it is so exhausting, and being in 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:49.800 the military already is exhausting in itself, I think just 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:53.080 you know, for the atmosphere for everything that is happening, 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:56.200 especially at that time, you know, because it was just 0:15:56.240 --> 0:15:59.120 a few years after like nine to eleven, so things 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.600 are still very heightened. And so that was a lot, 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.680 you know and a lot of like mental turmoil to 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:10.840 be like how do I live as my authentic self 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:13.960 but also not jeopardize my my job, you know, my 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:15.440 livelihood all of these things. 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:19.000 Because I just want to say, as a service member, 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:24.600 you wouldn't even be allowed to get mental health services, 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.720 right like, so so I'm you know, I'm saying like 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.600 we think, okay, well, hipA like you you can go 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:34.240 and you can and sit down with a you know, 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:36.840 with a therapist that can kind of you know, help 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.040 you through. But you couldn't do that, could you. 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.080 I could. I would have had to have a private 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:42.720 one and the edge. 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:43.480 Pay out of pocket. 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:46.200 Yeah yeah right, And that wasn't even just something that 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.520 was really talked about or known even you know back then. 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:50.960 But yeah, I could. 0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:53.280 Not go to the therapist on base and be like 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.280 I am struggling because I'm gay, you know, like they 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.160 would be like, oh, you're really out of here. You know, 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:02.280 they were already a lot of eyes on me because, 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:03.880 like I said, I was masculine presenting. 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:04.119 You know. 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:06.479 I had a short haircut, like I had cut my 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:08.919 all my hair off when I was in like my 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:12.720 technical training. I can remember this day like it was yesterday. 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:16.800 I graduated boot camp and I had like fairly long hair. 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:20.280 And about two weeks into my technical training, I was 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:24.280 with my friend who was another black masculine lesbian, and 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.439 we were at the Base store and I was like, 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:27.840 you know what, I'm gonna go to the barber shop 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:29.840 and cut all my hair off. She's like, berdie, You're 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:31.840 not going to do it. I was like I'm gonna. 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:32.199 Do it, you know. 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:36.080 And I knew that there could be consequences, but I 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:38.159 was like I want to do this. And so we 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:41.159 went and I sat in the barbershare and I was like, 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:43.600 cut it all off. And he was like are you sure? 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:45.240 And I was like yeah, cut it all off, and 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:47.879 he cut all my hair off. I went back to 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:51.600 the dorms with a clean fade, and people were like, 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:54.479 you can't go in there. You can't go in there. 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:56.760 There's a few moles doors, and I was like, I know, 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.080 and they're like, okay, so you can't go in there, 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:01.880 and I'm like, like, it's me and then people were 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.560 like oh snaps like and. 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:06.480 So then I had to have like a meeting with 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:08.480 you know wow. Yeah. 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:11.159 So it was it was very much because they are 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:13.520 there standards and like I said, the Air Force is 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:16.879 the elitist branch. So even in ways of how you 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:21.000 could wear your hair, those types of things, it you know, 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:22.879 when I'm like, okay, this is a piece of me 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:27.160 that I can bring, it was still an issue. Fast 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:32.120 forwarding to being able to transition. I didn't transition until 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:35.840 I got out of service, got them and I was 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:39.080 at the doctor at the VA one day and talking 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:42.879 you know to one of the primary care physicians there, 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:45.000 and I was just like, this is how I feel. 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:50.240 I'm not really sure what the VA like, if there's 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:52.560 anyone I can talk to about this. And so I 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:56.199 started talking to a therapist because at this point, you know, 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:57.960 I'm not in service, I don't really have to worry 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:00.879 about don't ask, don't tell. And I started talking to 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:03.240 my therapists about it, and she said, Hey, there's a 0:19:03.320 --> 0:19:06.879 doctor at the Cleveland VA who's like wanting to start 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:10.359 to see patients that are OLGBTQ, maybe you can go 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.680 see her. And then that's when I went to see 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:18.920 my doctor, doctor Meghan McNamara, who is phenomenal, and we 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:21.239 just started talking about what it will look like for 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:25.360 me to medically transition. And to her knowledge at that time, 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:28.840 into you know, my knowledge, she had never had another transpatient. 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:30.399 She had never had another patient come out to her 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:31.159 as transgender. 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:33.879 So she was kind of learning as I was learning, 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:35.680 and we went on this. 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:39.560 Journey together and then ultimately we were able to kind 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:43.760 of talk to some other people and open the very 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:48.480 first transgender specific clinic in the entire VA system in 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:52.000 twenty fifteen. And so this was after like three years 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:56.119 of you know, kind of working together. But here we 0:19:56.160 --> 0:19:59.480 are now. You know, now there's sixty seventy of these 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.240 types of c within the VA system, you know, where 0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:06.359 transgender veterans LGBTQ veterans are able to go and get 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:11.280 adequate medical care. And so for me, it was I 0:20:11.440 --> 0:20:13.840 was not able to live authentically while I was in service, 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:15.959 but I'm able to do it now as a veteran, 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:19.160 and I was able to assist other veterans in being able. 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:19.680 To do the same thing. 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:23.160 I mean, that is just Geo. That is extraordinary, Like one, 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:27.480 I just like the courage to go to the VA 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:33.439 doctor and express your truth and then for that doctor 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:36.520 to actually meet you where you were and be on 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:42.040 that journey together. I just think is extraordinary. Because again, 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:45.000 you know, kind of goes back to your original statement 0:20:45.040 --> 0:20:50.520 about thriving. We hear so many traumatic, horrible stories and 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:55.320 not enough of the let's do this together story, right, 0:20:56.440 --> 0:21:00.439 And I just think that that is so important. I 0:21:00.480 --> 0:21:04.520 do want to, you know, again to help in terms 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:08.879 of educating of my audience, right, which I think is 0:21:08.920 --> 0:21:12.159 really important. And again I want people to think about 0:21:12.200 --> 0:21:15.719 that seventy one percent of Americans and think of this 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:19.359 interview as your opportunity to say, ah, i may not 0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:23.240 have met Geo in person, but I've listened to Geo's story, 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:26.880 So let me open my mind a bit. Tell us 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:32.760 the journey and the difference right between being and identifying 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:39.639 as a masculine lesbian and then the transition into being 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:43.280 a trans man and like and because I think that 0:21:43.480 --> 0:21:48.160 again it goes to the negative of well, these LGBTQ people, 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:50.040 they just don't know who they are, what they want 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:52.240 and blah blah. They're always changing things and changing their 0:21:52.240 --> 0:21:54.639 pronouns and this that and the other thing. And so 0:21:55.440 --> 0:22:00.520 reflect if you would for us that kind of that transition. 0:22:01.440 --> 0:22:01.680 Yeah. 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:04.880 So I believe I said this to you in January 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.280 when we spoke. But you know, living my life for 0:22:08.280 --> 0:22:11.280 almost twenty seven years as a black woman, you're virtually 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:15.040 invisible in this world until someone needs you. Like people 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:18.520 aren't tracking fellow black women unless they need black women. 0:22:19.440 --> 0:22:23.200 And so to leave a life as a black woman, 0:22:23.400 --> 0:22:26.800 regardless of whether it's masculine or not, and kind of 0:22:26.800 --> 0:22:31.440 be able to navigate invisibly to being a black man, 0:22:31.600 --> 0:22:35.520 a young black man, that is the highest targeted person 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:37.199 in this country, you know. 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:38.320 And so to. 0:22:40.400 --> 0:22:45.040 Give up basically this autonomy of freedom of self really 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:48.280 what it is to be like every single day when 0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:51.760 I leave my house, I have to think twice about 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:57.080 my life is a wild concept, you know. And I 0:22:57.240 --> 0:22:59.159 say to those who are like, oh, people are just 0:22:59.440 --> 0:23:02.360 you know, changing mind doing like nobody chooses to have 0:23:02.440 --> 0:23:05.840 this enormous target on their back for no reason, ye 0:23:06.040 --> 0:23:09.720 if it is not who they truly are. And so 0:23:10.440 --> 0:23:14.080 I tell people all the time, Yes, being trans is 0:23:14.480 --> 0:23:16.960 a part of who I am, and it's an important piece. 0:23:17.119 --> 0:23:19.880 But people see me as a black person before they're 0:23:19.880 --> 0:23:21.880 going to see me as a trans person. They're gonna 0:23:21.880 --> 0:23:23.560 see me black first, and they're gonna read me as 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:28.520 a black man before, Oh, that's a black trans man, 0:23:29.000 --> 0:23:31.960 you know. And so I have to think about all 0:23:32.000 --> 0:23:35.679 of that and what those complexities are. But even the 0:23:35.760 --> 0:23:39.600 socialization of moving your life from being a black woman 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:41.119 to a black man is different. 0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:41.679 You know, I'm. 0:23:41.560 --> 0:23:44.159 Mindful when I get in the elevator, if you know 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:46.280 certain people are in the elevator, you know, where do 0:23:46.320 --> 0:23:48.879 I stand, or if I'm walking on the street, you know, 0:23:49.000 --> 0:23:53.280 crossing over and understanding. You know, we shouldn't have to 0:23:53.280 --> 0:23:55.720 live our lives like that, but that's what, you know, 0:23:55.800 --> 0:23:59.679 we have to do sometimes for safety. 0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:03.919 I appreciate you lifting that up again in terms of 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:07.760 the target, nobody chooses. Nobody would willingly choose to be 0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:10.320