Tilly's Trans Tuesdays

Every single day living as a trans person in the US is an unending battle on dozens of different fronts, and it all adds up and takes a toll. Let's talk about what it's like when you're attacked every day, from every angle, and the constant fight that bigoted (or indifferent) cis people have turned our lives into. Actress and writer Nicole Maines returns to discuss deciding our own paths, and how there's a million and one ways to be a person. Listen up, Beverly! NICOLE MAINES Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nicoleamaines.bsky.social Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleamaines TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2024/08/06/the-constant-fight/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Hormone Replacement Therapy, Tucking and Binding, Trans Kids 1: Facts and Dangers, Trans Kids 2: The Intake Exam and Trans Flight, The False Dichotomy, 2022 US Trans Survey Results 1-4, Boymode/Girlmode, Gender Dysphoria, Trans Panic, Names and Pronouns, Misgendering and Passing, Trans Sports 1: Origins and "Advantages," Trans Sports 2: Science and Bigotry, Complete Trans Healthcare (or lack thereof), Legal Name and Gender Marker Change, Trans Representation in Media 2022, Trans Representation in Media 2023 1-3, Trans Representation in Media 2024 1-3, Trans Representation in Media 2025 1-4, Bad Representation: Lovecraft Country, Bad Representation: Emilia Perez, Chasers and the Fetishization of Trans Women 2: Reactions and Origins, TERFs, Trans Voices 1: Gendering, Trans Voices 2: Hearing the True You, Trans Rage 1: Stop Forgetting About Us, Trans Rage 2: Cis Apathy, The Erasure of Trans Men, Trans Politics 2: You Must Vote to Protect Us, Trans History 1: How and Why We Name Trans People in History, Trans Intersectionality REFERENCE MATERIAL Transgender teen asked to submit to TSA strip search - https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2021/09/city-rdu-tsa-transgender-strip-search-lawsuit The Horrible Things That Happen to Trans People Going Through Airport Security - https://www.vice.com/en/article/transgender-airport-security-harassment-experiences-tsa/ Why It Took Decades for LGBTQ Stories to Be Included in Holocaust History - https://time.com/5953047/lgbtq-holocaust-stories/ New Research Reveals How the Nazis Targeted Transgender People - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/new-research-reveals-how-the-nazis-targeted-transgender-people-180982931/ The Pink Triangle - https://www.thepinktriangle.com/history/symbol.html Excerpt read from Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix - https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Transmission-trans-allegories-Matrix/dp/B0BY2FCSVX/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

You don't get to just call yourself an ally to trans people without action to back it up. Ally is a verb, and if you're not willing to do even the easiest, smallest thing to help trans people, you are not our ally. No matte how much you want to think you are so that you can feel like a good person. So let's talk about what performative allyship looks like, so you know how to avoid falling into that trap. Writer, comedian, and actress Riley Silverman returns to discuss taking small steps, and the line between work and fun! RILEY SILVERMAN Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rileysilverman.bsky.social Insta: https://www.instagram.com/rileysilverman Website: https://www.rileysilverman.com TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2024/08/05/performative-allyship/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Transmedicalsim (and WPATH version 1), Trans Day of Visibility (yes you are trans enough), Trans Politics 1 and 2, Trans Panic, Stop Staring at Us (trans people are human beings), Trans Microaggressions, No Escape 1 and 2, The Fetishization of Trans Women 2, Gender Dysphoria, Photos and Reflections, Photos 2: The Selfie Apocalypse, Trans Voices 1-3, Performative Allyship 2: False Allyship, Proactive Allyship (be an accomplice) REFERENCE MATERIAL Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix - https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Transmission-trans-allegories-Matrix/dp/B0BY2FCSVX/ Keanu Reeves Didn’t Know The Matrix Was a Trans Allegory - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/08/keanu-reeves-the-matrix-trans-allegory Lilly Wachowski's Latest Project Is Mentoring Up-and-Coming Trans Filmmakers of Color - https://www.them.us/story/lilly-wachowski-mentoring-the-matrix-interview Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

What happens to trans women when we call out and name chasers? Where does our fetishization come from? It may (not) surprise you to learn it's from the exact same people responsible for astroturfing the entire anti-trans movement, the same class of people responsible for so many of the crimes they accuse trans women of. And holy crap, do I have receipts. And you need to know that IT'S ALL CONNECTED. Buckle up, it's gonna be bumpy. Actor, comedian, and writer Boone Williams returns to discuss using your privilege and platform, and how trans people love Sonic the Hedgehog! BOONE WILLIAMS Insta: https://www.instagram.com/boonewwilliams TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boonewwilliams TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/05/05/chasers-and-the-fetishization-of-trans-women-2-reactions-and-origins/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Chasers and the Fetishization of Trans Women 1: Explanation and Examples, Trans Intersectionality, Implicit Queerphobia, Transmedicalism (and WPATH version 1), Trans Sports 1-2, Trans Kids 1-2, The Erasure of Trans Men REFERENCE MATERIAL Anti-LGBTQ+ Grooming Narrative Surged More Than 400% - https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/new-report-anti-lgbtq-grooming-narrative-surged-more-than-400-on-social-media-following-floridas-dont-say-gay-or-trans-law-as-social-platforms-enabled-extremist-politicians-and-their-allies-to-peddle-inflamatory-discriminatory-rhetoric Pizzagate conspiracy theory - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory What 3 million new documents tell us about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein - https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/31/politics/new-documents-trump-epstein How Trump Appears in the Epstein Files - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/trump-epstein-files.html The New York Times Quotes Trans People Less Often Than Other Major News Outlets - https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/new-york-times-trans-quotes-tracker Former NYT Editor Lays Out How The Paper Pushes Anti-Trans Bigotry - https://transnews.network/p/a-directive-from-above-former-nyt-editor-lays-out-how-the-paper-pushes-anti-trans-bigotry Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump - https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell The Rise of the ‘Sigma Male’, a New Kind of Toxic Masculinity - https://www.vice.com/en/article/sigma-male-toxic-masculinity/ Jeffrey Epstein vs. transgender people - https://www.transgendermap.com/people/jeffrey-epstein/ Emails Reveal Epstein Encouraged Controversial Scientist to Study “Transgender Biology” - https://www.them.us/story/jeffrey-epstein-robert-trivers-transgender-research-emails How the pseudoscience is made: From dark money to an academic journal - https://queersciencelab.beehiiv.com/p/how-the-pseudoscience-is-made-from-dark-money-to-an-academic-journal Billionaire-Funded Anti-Trans Bathroom/Sports Ban Ballot Initiative Moves Forward In Maine - https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/billionaire-funded-anti-trans-bathroomsports We Have to Talk About Dr. Ting and Epstein - https://www.burnsnotice.com/we-have-to-talk-about-dr-ting-and-epstein/ When a trans woman first accused Jeffrey Epstein of rape, the media mocked her - https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/07/when-a-trans-woman-first-accused-jeffrey-epstein-of-the-media-mocked-her/ Epstein transgender bombshell: Powerful men closed ranks while a trans teen was left to fend for herself - https://www.queerty.com/epstein-transgender-bombshell-powerful-men-closed-ranks-while-a-trans-teen-was-left-to-fend-for-herself-20260205/ Epstein Backed ‘Billionaires’ Dinner’ Network of Prominent Anti-Trans Figures - https://transnews.network/p/epstein-backed-prominent-anti-trans-figures Fossil Fuel Billionaires Are Bankrolling the Anti-Trans Movement - https://atmos.earth/political-landscapes/fossil-fuel-billionaires-are-bankrolling-the-anti-trans-movement/ Trans rights aren’t tanking the Democrats - https://www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-not-to-defeat-authoritarianism/julia-serano/ Trans Porn Rose 75% In Popularity This Year on Pornhub - https://www.them.us/story/trans-porns-pornhub-popularity Data Finds Republicans are Obsessed with Searching for Transgender Porn - https://lawsuit.org/general-law/republicans-have-an-obsession-with-transgender-pornography/ Pornhub reveals the age group who surprisingly watches the most adult trans content - https://www.out.com/gay-entertainment/pornhub-trans Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

We've talked about systems that aren't set up to acknowledge the existence of trans folks... so now let's talk about some that are the complete opposite! Because making things easy on us is actually not that hard to do, when you care to. Comic writer and musician Magdalene Visaggio returns to discuss letting the feelings be and writing and performing this show's theme song! MAGDALENE VISAGGIO Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/magsvisaggio.com TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2024/08/19/inclusive-bureaucracy/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Discriminatory Bureaucracy, Legal Name and Gender Marker Change, Names and Pronouns, Trans Voices 1-3 Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

We've talked about how difficult it can be for trans people to escape the way society others us and constantly reminds us of our transness. This week we take it a step further and look at a legitimately dehumanizing situation I went through, and how one true cis accomplice turned everything around by standing up for me. Author Alex Ritany returns to discuss being a forever DM and soupy gender identities! ALEX RITANY Insta: https://www.instagram.com/alexritany Website: https://www.aritany.com/ TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2024/08/09/no-escape-2-some-escape-aka-cis-allyship/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) No Escape, A Pandemic Transition, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Trans Voices 1-3, Boymode/Girlmode, Names and Pronouns, Misgendering and Passing, Proactive Allyship (be an accomplice) Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

James Gunn's Superman film is, perhaps, the most quietly trans-affirming superhero movie ever made. Let's talk about the inherent queerness of the superhero genre, what makes Superman so special, and why the 2025 film adaptation hit so many trans people like a Kryptonian at mach 5. Comic writer Jadzia Axelrod joins us to discuss spheres of space! Will you fall into her trap? What's YOUR secret identity? JADZIA AXELROD Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/planetx.bsky.social Website: https://www.jadziaaxelrod.com TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/03/24/supermans-trans-affirmation/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Gender Dysphoria, Parents Who Will Never Know the Real You (aka My Dad), A Trans Re-wedding, The Past and Why it Haunts Us, Boymode/Girlmode, Coming Out as Trans, Trans Kids 1-2, Cis Spousal and Partner Support Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

Something amazing's happening in Los Angeles -- The Joy Who Lived, a two week trans theater festival, with trans people telling our own stories without cis gatekeepers. It's beautiful, it's healing, it's a joyous celebration of transness. And the good news is you can see the entire festival even if you're not in L.A.... because it'll all be livestreamed! Tickets are available now! Producer, performer, musician, and Joy Who Lived steering and programming committee member, Aurora Zenith, joins us to discuss how you can support and get involved with the festival, and surprise extroversion! Listen: find Laser. Also, I'm powerful! THE JOY WHO LIVED FESTIVAL Website: https://joywholived.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/joywholived AURORA ZENITH Insta: https://www.instagram.com/aurorazenith TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/03/10/interview-with-aurora-zenith-about-the-joy-who-lived-trans-theater-festival/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

We continue our examination of complete seasons of tv I saw in 2025, with some good rep, some decidedly *weird* "rep", and one show that's so tropey it's really harmful. Featuring discussion of Loot, Murderbot, Only Murders in the Building, The Pitt, Pluribus, Poker Face, and more! Jessie Earl returns to discuss competency porn and makin' biscuits! JESSIE EARL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessieGender1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jessiegender.bsky.social Identiteaze on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/jessiegender-identiteaze TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/02/24/trans-representation-in-2025-media-part-3-tv-part-2/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Trans Representation in 2025 Media parts 1-2, Cis People Get Gender Affirming Healthcare Too, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Proactive Allyship (be an accomplice) Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

It's time for my annual trans rep in media report! Let's talk about the good, the bad, and the yikes, starting with every recent movie I saw in 2025! Includes "The Day the World Blew Up," "Kpop Demon Hunters," "National Anthem," "O'Dessa," "Saving Buddy Charles," "We're All Going to the World's Fair," and more! JESSIE EARL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessieGender1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jessiegender.bsky.social Identiteaze on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/jessiegender-identiteaze TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/02/10/trans-representation-in-2025-media-part-1-movies/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Trans Representation in 2022 Media, Trans Representation in 2023 Media parts 1-3, Trans Representation in 2024 Media parts 1-3, Bad Representation: Emilia Perez, Implicit Queerphobia, Cis is Not a Slur (there is no default human), The Trans Allegory of I Saw the TV Glow Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

When so much of the news seems devoted to transphobia, fear, and taking trans people's rights away, the baseline of how trans acceptance SHOULD be can feel absolutely radical. Let's talk about what that's like with what is, perhaps, the platonic ideal of trans inclusion: Roller Derby. Therapist and trash connoisseur Theo Embeck joins us to discuss starting small, and seeing yourself through the eyes of your community. I'm marker impervious! TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2026/01/27/radical-trans-acceptance-roller-derby/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) What Real Cis Acceptance Looks Like, Body Hacking, The False Dichotomy, Cis is Not a Slur (there is no default human), Performative Allyship, Performative Allyship 2: False Allyship, Trans Sports 1 and 2, Misgendering and Passing, Rainbow Capitalism, TERFs REFERENCE MATERIAL The roller derby community’s fight to save the inclusive sport they built - https://xtramagazine.com/culture/roller-derby-sports-bans-gender-inclusivity-271947 Judge halts New York county from enforcing trans athlete ban after roller derby league sues - https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/judge-halts-new-york-county-transgender-athlete-ban-rcna236656 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association - https://wftda.com/ Roller derby - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_derby The Tillyverse Discord server - https://discord.gg/rzX9bAEEuD Captain Painway derby updates - https://bsky.app/profile/tillybridges.bsky.social/search?q=painway SFV Roller Derby - https://sfvrollerderby.com/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

When transition progresses further than ever before, when you're more of your true self than you've ever been... it can cause the people around you to reveal THEIR true selves, and they can end up being people we don't really want to be around. Kent Eigengrau returns to discuss Barbies and fireworks! Gimme trans hearts only! KENT EIGENGRAU Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-eigengrau-444447268/ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/83ea7687f Art: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?artist=%22Kent%20Eigengrau%22 Tabula Rasa game: https://wildestworlds.itch.io/tabula-rasa-discovery TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2025/12/16/the-unintentionally-intentional-trans-allegory-of-lisa-frankenstein-part-7/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) The Trans Allegory of I Saw the TV Glow, Cis People Get Gender Affirming Healthcare Too, Trans Kids 1: Facts and Dangers, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Performative Allyship, False Allyship, Gender Euphoria, Trans Trauma 2: Societal Gaslighting REFERENCE MATERIAL Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix - https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Transmission-trans-allegories-Matrix/dp/B0BY2FCSVX/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

This week we see the gender conformity hell Lisa's been forced to live in, encounter our true selves for the first time, and try to figure out who we are... all while the cis people who are supposed to love us put their discomfort over our very real pain and needs. Kent Eigengrau returns to discuss physical acting and figuring out deodorant! Make sure I'm dead! KENT EIGENGRAU Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-eigengrau-444447268/ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/83ea7687f Art: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?artist=%22Kent%20Eigengrau%22 Tabula Rasa game: https://wildestworlds.itch.io/tabula-rasa-discovery TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2025/12/02/the-unintentionally-intentional-trans-allegory-of-lisa-frankenstein-part-5/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) Implicit Queerphobia, Internalized Transphobia, The Erasure of Trans Men, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Transmedicalism (and WPATH version 1), No Escape (from reminders I'm trans), Photos 2: The Selfie Apocalypse, Cis Grief, Confidence, Trans Trauma 2: Societal Gaslighting, Cis Spousal and Partner Support REFERENCE MATERIAL Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix - https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Transmission-trans-allegories-Matrix/dp/B0BY2FCSVX/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬

This week we see what happens when we're rejected by those we love when we come out, do some Latin deciphering, and discuss two of the most important single images that drive the transness of this film home. Kent Eigengrau returns to discuss Raiders of the Lost Ark, and how Dungeons and Dragons is great at teaching your friends your pronouns! How do you check your nails? KENT EIGENGRAU Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-eigengrau-444447268/ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/83ea7687f Art: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?artist=%22Kent%20Eigengrau%22 Tabula Rasa game: https://wildestworlds.itch.io/tabula-rasa-discovery TEXT VERSION https://www.tillystranstuesdays.com/2025/11/18/the-unintentionally-intentional-trans-allegory-of-lisa-frankenstein-part-3/ FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at https://TillysTransTuesdays.com ) The Trans Allegory of Lisa Frankenstein parts 1-2, Photos and Reflections, Trans Tabletop Roleplaying Games REFERENCE MATERIAL Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix - https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Transmission-trans-allegories-Matrix/dp/B0BY2FCSVX/ Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at https://daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and https://soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Bluesky: @pendantaudio.bsky.social‬