The One Practice That Makes Hard Things Easier and Good Things Better

The One Practice That Makes Hard Things Easier and Good Things Better

Some relationships feel harder than they should be. The conversations that used to flow now feel careful. The distance keeps quietly growing. Most advice tells you to talk it out, set boundaries, communicate better, pick the right words. But what if the most important thing you could do has nothing to do with conversation skills at all? One single practice has been studied in depth, and it might be the single most underused tool for keeping the people you love close. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/support]

The Transgender Millionaire You've Never Heard Of

Reed Erickson used his fortune to quietly build the foundation of transgender healthcare in America. The first gender clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital existed because of his funding. So do many of the medical pathways trans people still rely on today. He was eccentric, generous, problematic, and absolutely essential. Joe and Rya kick off Pride Month by getting to know an ancestor of the transgender community. Sometimes family is a little strange, and that's exactly the point. Check out the Shinigami Eyes browser extension [https://shinigami-eyes.github.io/] (not affiliated). Image: Jean Beaufort Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/support]

How to Actually Change Someone's Mind About LGBTQ+ Issues

At some time in your life, you've probably tried to convince someone that LGBTQ+ people deserve respect and equality. You presented facts, you raised your voice, and you walked away more frustrated than when you started. It's so easy to assume the worst about people who disagree. What if there was a better way? If you've ever wanted to reach someone on the other side of the LGBTQ+ conversation but didn't know how, this one's for you. Stay informed with the Trandescendant Dispatch email [https://dispatch.trandescendant.com/]. Image by Leo Hidalgo (creative commons [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3_friends.jpg]) Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/support]

Joe & Rya TAKE FIVE: Watertown LGBTQ School Board Scandal

Students rehearsed Omar Thomas's "A Mother of a Revolution" for months. Then their school board banned it. Joe and Rya unpack the Watertown Wisconsin controversy that's now national news and ask the real question underneath it: can honoring LGBTQ history be considered indoctrination when the music has no words?  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/support]

The Bible's Famous Marriage Vow Is Quietly Queer

You probably know the words "Where you go, I will go." Maybe you've heard them at a wedding. What most people don't realize is that this famous wedding vow was spoken in the Bible between two women, and the book it comes from is queer in ways most readers miss. Joe and Rya walk through the story of Ruth and Naomi and find one of the most quietly affirming stories in scripture for anyone who has ever built family from love rather than blood. The Bible isn't yelling. But sometimes the most important things aren't said loudly.  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043944/support]