Ep. 1 - Why a Cisgender Woman Made a Podcast About Transgender Rights Activism

#1: Glad you’re here! In this episode, host Mandy Giles reveals the who, what, and why behind the podcast.

Everyday Trans Activism is a production of Parents of Trans Youth, a social impact business providing learning, support, and community to parents and caregivers of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse kids.

Host Mandy Giles (she/her) is the Texas parent of two transgender young adults and a fierce advocate for trans kids, their families, and the transgender community.

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Welcome to Everyday Trans Activism, the podcast spotlighting everyday people working for transgender rights and equality, so you can be inspired to take action. This podcast is brought to you by Parents of Trans Youth. Go to www.parentsoftransyouth.com for more information. And now, onto the show.

Welcome everyone! I am Mandy Giles. My pronouns are she/her and I am super excited to introduce you to the Everyday Trans Activism podcast. Advocating for transgender kids and the trans community is a huge priority for me. And I have learned so much from other people who are fighting for transgender rights and equality, especially transgender people themselves, and hearing their stories and how they got started into activism. And that's what we do on this podcast.

We talk with trans [00:01:00] activists and learn how they got started and what their priorities and projects are now and what advice they might have for us in our own journeys to advocacy and activism. So this podcast is for people who believe in trans rights and trans equality, and want to be inspired by stories of individuals fighting for that. This includes members of the transgender community members of the queer community, parents of trans kids, and allies.

So a little bit about me and why I started the podcast. I am the mom of three kids, two of whom are transgender, young adults, non-binary to be specific. And I live in Houston, Texas, with my husband. I am also the founder of the social impact business Parents of Trans Youth, which provides learning, support, and community to parents and caregivers of transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse kids. And I started this resource to share hope and [00:02:00] love and help and resources to parents of trans kids. It's the kind of stuff that I wish I had when my kids came out. So it's kind of a landing spot for parents at the beginning of their journey, but also a community for people who have the same shared, lived experiences. And a big part of what I do is advocate for trans kids, their families, and the transgender community.

And I kind of fell into that. During the 2021 Texas legislative session, I just happened to be in Austin when the first anti-trans bill came up in a Senate committee hearing. Now, I didn't know that normal everyday people could go to the Capitol and give in-person public testimony. I thought you had to be like a policy expert or have activist superpowers or something. But I got connected with advocacy organizations in Texas and [00:03:00] the most amazing individuals who really walked me through that process. And that day I was terrified because I was just a mom telling my very personal and vulnerable story about how this bill affected my family and my kids and other families and kids like mine. But after I gave my testimony, I felt awesome. And I was able to testify a couple more times that year before Senate and House committees. And every chance I could, I went to rallies and demonstrations in Austin. And that whole experience of being active that year during that legislative session and actually three special sessions after that really opened up my world in so many ways.

I saw a whole new level of what it means to support trans kids that can mean speaking up and speaking out. And I got really plugged into a statewide [00:04:00] network of other parents of trans kids and activists and advocates and other organizations. And I met amazing trans adults and trans kids and allies from all over Texas and heard their stories. And I got a better handle on where my place is in this sphere of advocacy as the parent of transgender kids and as a cisgender person.

So skipping to the 2023 lege session, because in Texas, legislative sessions are every other year. I was still active, still fighting. Since 2021, I had been learning and soaking up information on advocacy and activism. And learning about the trans community, every chance I could. And I'd stayed in touch with all the advocates and the trans individuals that I met at the Capitol. And now that I was entrenched in this fight, I really had a better understanding [00:05:00] of really just how amazing these folks were, especially the transgender people I knew and how incredibly knowledgeable they were.

And they were just everyday normal people who just happened to be activist superstars and using their talents and passions and experiences to make a difference. And so I wanted to share the richness of their wisdom with other people. So I started an Instagram live series during the 2023 session. And every week I interviewed somebody working for trans rights in Texas, and I thought it would be about what bills to watch and what actions that we should be taking. And we did do some of that. But it turned into something a little different and so much more. And something absolutely beautiful and unexpected. I ended up interviewing mostly transgender people. And I did hear their stories of how they got [00:06:00] started in activism. We went so much deeper. I heard their passion. And their love for their transgender community. And they let us look inside their hearts and get a glimpse of what it was like to be transgender in the workplace, or be fighting for the right to exist or fighting for your trans children. I mean, I think I cried almost every week and I learned to keep a pile of Kleenex next to me while I was doing these interviews. And I learned that everyone starts somewhere with their activism and everyone uses their own talents and skills and where they feel they can make the most difference. Which was so incredibly inspiring to me to know that we can all make change for the transgender community and fight for trans rights and equality.

It makes me think of that quote; I think it's attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Do what you can with what you have, where you are. And y'all, if I can become [00:07:00] an activist - this 51-year-old mom - anyone can, and people ask me all the time if I've always been involved with activism or policy or into politics. And the answer is no, I had zero experience before 2021. I thought that kind of thing was for like those political people. But like so many others, it took something very personal to light my fire. And for me to figure out how I could use my skills and experience to work for change.

So this podcast has two goals. First, it's the answer to the question: How do I get started in advocacy and activism? Because people ask me that all the time. We will listen to stories. We will learn from people who have been there and we will soak up their wisdom.

And second, this podcast amplifies trans voices. Most of my guests will be transgender to center their narratives, amplify [00:08:00] their voices, and learn from their lived experiences. Now I could talk all day long about parenting trans kids and what to do to advocate for them. But I am not transgender. And so we need to go to the source - to the everyday voices behind the fight, the movement and the work.

Now I might have a guest outside of the trans community now and then, but they'll be people who also value centering the trans experience and who are also deep in the fight for trans equality and trans liberation. So each episode, I will interview a guest who is involved in trans activism in their own way, so you can be inspired on your own path.

And if you want to get started on your journey right now, I have got an action for you. Find a trans-led organization that is close to you. And trans-led means that transgender people are on the board, are in leadership positions, [00:09:00] and that the organization benefits the trans community. Learn about it, get on their mailing list, follow them on social media. That is a great first step into learning more about trans activism and listening to what actions you can take.

If you want to learn about trans activism and be inspired, then subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. Thank you, friend. I'm glad you're here.

Hey y'all, thanks for listening to the Everyday Trans Activism podcast. For show notes and resources mentioned in today's episode, head over to www.parentsoftransyouth.com/podcast. This show was produced by Parents of Trans Youth, a resource providing learning, support, and community to parents and caregivers of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse kids.

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