A Life Lived Trans

REPLAY - Bridging generations even when they tell you to shut up. W/ The Alexandra Billings!

On this episode of A Life Lived Trans, Alexandra Billings drops by in all her hilarious glory and discusses together with Mardi P. and Lenny Z., the need for connection and understanding between trans generations and the significance of sharing experiences of acceptance and resilience.  Show notes: * Russo, Why We Fight (1988): https://youtu.be/C0Q8p0HCQEs?si=s4jJCAQbHyXcXYSO [https://youtu.be/C0Q8p0HCQEs?si=s4jJCAQbHyXcXYSO] * The AIDS Monument: https://aidsmonument.org/ [https://aidsmonument.org/]   We have had some family and personal health issues and were't able to record last week. Pls enjoy this free video episode. Its one of our favourites that with did last year. We will be back next week with a new episode full of the fabulous banter you have come to expect from us!

S03E12 Pick me gays vs. the crows have eyes

Season three, episode 12 of A Life Lived Trans opens with hosts Mardi P. and Lenny Z. checking in personally before diving into a packed agenda. Lenny shares that he's navigating some difficult family struggles, which leads to a warm exchange about the complexity of family relationships for trans people — estrangement, boundaries, and the particular pain of having unsupportive family members, including conservative relatives. Both hosts reflect on their own histories with chosen family, stealth living, and the hard-won community they've built over decades. The bulk of the episode takes on the Met Gala, where Mardi and Lenny call out what they see as the tokenizing of trans women — namely Hunter Schaefer and Alex Consani — at an event now bankrolled by Jeff Bezos. Mardi draws a sharp parallel to her own experience in the 1980s being the "token tranny" at wealthy Vancouver parties, and the conversation expands into a broader critique of "pick-me gays" who distance themselves from the trans community for social acceptance, at a moment when trans youth suicide rates are climbing in both the US and UK. They also touch on passport gender policy rollbacks under the current US administration, and celebrate Trans History Week with a rundown of Canadian and American trans trailblazers. The episode wraps with a joyful segment on Chris Paul Rainbows' upcoming children's book Guinea Pigs Don't Wear Pants — a gender-affirming picture book with charming self-illustrated pages, available for pre-order with a portion of sales going to the It Gets Better foundation. Mardi also gives a brief update on the memoir she's writing, describing the process as both cathartic and re-traumatizing, with a first chapter due the following week. https://www.guineapigsdontwearpants.com/ [https://www.guineapigsdontwearpants.com/]

ALLT: S03E11 Passports, Patriarchy & Genital Operators

Mardi and Lenny open the episode with their signature irreverent energy, welcoming new Patreon supporters and giving a shoutout to their editor "Sparkly Fairy" for elevating the show's production quality.  They reflect on why they started the podcast — to counter the false narrative that trans people are a recent phenomenon — sharing how both men and women transitioned in the 1970s and have watched representation slowly trickle into mainstream culture, from Christine Jorgensen to the award winning series Transparent.  Mardi recalls the latest huge increase in Trans Visibility during the Pandemic and the early days of uncensored TikTok when she found a huge audience of young trans people hungry for elder representation, a pipeline that has since been algorithmically throttled. The hosts dive into a lively, frank discussion about the distinction between gender identity and gender expression. Drawing on Mardi's colorful past as a "professional gennytill operator," they discuss the world of bimbification and cross-dressing fetish culture — not to shame it, but to clearly separate it from the transgender experience. They frame both as products of a patriarchal society that punishes gender nonconformity, making compassionate space for the kink world while pushing back against conflation with trans identity. The episode wraps into a segment on Caitlyn Jenner's passport woes, a broader conversation about trans rights, legal battles, and municipal representation through the lens of New York City's new LGBTQ appointee. – This is a Life Lived Trans

Beyond Borders: One Trans Man's Journey to Safety, Self, and Belonging

In this deeply moving episode, hosts MahD and Lenny Z sit down with guest Justin A. for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation about life, identity, and resilience. Justin opens up about his personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance — a path marked by courage, reflection, and an unwavering sense of self. The conversation takes an honest look at the realities many trans individuals face in today's political landscape, including Justin's decision to relocate to Mexico in search of safety and community. Far from a story of defeat, it's one of agency and intentional living. Throughout the episode, all three voices weave together themes of community, solidarity, and hope — reminding listeners that shared stories have the power to shift perspectives and build bridges. The hosts and Justin also reflect on how far trans rights have come, while acknowledging the very real work that remains. Thoughtful, warm, and inspiring, this episode is an invitation to listen, learn, and celebrate the strength found in living authentically. – This is a Life Lived Trans.

ALLT S03E09: Our Trans Boots On The Ground Capital Hill Report, Threads "Final Boss of Trans People" Contest and Trans Elder Babble

Honey, pull up a chair — this one has got everything: psychiatry, policy and community celebration. Between them, Mardi and Lenny carry nearly a hundred years of a life lived trans – through the decades when there were no words for it and no roadmaps. Just persistence, instinct and an absolute refusal to disappear. This episode opens with a listener message from a mother navigating her four-year-old's emerging gender identity. Drawing on decades of personal experience, they offer guidance rooted in one simple principle — when a child expresses who they are consistently, persistently and without wavering, that is not a phase. That is self-knowledge. Dr. Terra Cody Weston ( @terra_forme on Threads & IG ) child and adolescent psychiatrist, joins from Capitol Hill where she is working on a psychiatric fellowship inside Congress. Quietly and magnificently, she is making noise in all the right places — sharing what remains very much alive in the fight for trans rights, from legal pathways and state-level protections to a psychiatric community finding its courage. And because joy is its own kind of resistance, she tells us about the Final Boss of Trans People, a bracket-style community contest running on Threads @terra_forme , now in its second year. The contest spotlights activists, pioneers, artists and icons from across trans life — building visibility, community traditions and a sense of collective pride. Honest, warm and politically engaged. This is A Life Lived Trans.