View From The Other Half

Audio Summary

In the podcast, “View from the Other Half” by Griffin Hansbury, the speaker describes his and his friends’ experiences as transgender individuals. He explains that they were born and raised as females but grew up to identify as males. Their transition was not easy. In order to feel a sense of belonging in society and self-acceptance, they felt the need to take testosterone and go through dangerous surgeries. Although they had to make changes in their bodies, they were happy to look like how they identified. Yet, they revealed that they faced a serious challenge when trying to navigate the dating life. The transgender men at the podcast described that for a long time they were considered as lesbians. This was not the case as they were men. Yet, they did not take it as a huge offense and even continued their dating experience. One of the transgender men at the podcast, Ray, explained that he did not know how to ‘pick up’ women after his transition. Later, they explain their encounter with a group of women as they headed to Atlantic City. The girls asked them if they wanted to go skinny dipping and as excited as the guys were, they denied the offer. Why? Because they knew that they would have to explain why their bodies are not 100% anatomically male. For the group of transgender guys, this was a harsh reality. Although they admit their lives have been difficult throughout their transition, each man has had different experiences. While Ray has experienced trouble, Ethan’s confidence has led him to hook up with almost all the women he has pursued. However, there was one exception to this story. Nate always knew that he was a male but his discovery was that he was attracted to other men. He struggles constantly in finding someone who accepts his transition from women to man and being gay. This podcast brought light into the struggles of trans individuals.

Outside Example

As I was hearing the podcast, I was reminded of a very realistic and modern show called “Good Trouble.” The show is a spin-off of another show called “Fosters.” In “Good Trouble,” the two main characters, sisters Callie and Mariana, move to L.A. to begin their adult lives. Upon their arrival, Callie begins to have a romance with one of her neighbors, Gael. Their relationship was very casual but Callie seemed shocked and almost offended when she found out that Gael was bisexual. Gael explained that he did not think that he needed to tell her about his sexual orientation because it should not matter. Eventually, Callie accepted it and they grew to have a serious relationship that did not last very long. Although their relationship didn’t last, they remained really good friends to the extent that Callie helped Gael’s sister, Jazmin, in a complicated legal matter. Jazmin was born and raised as Alejandro, a man who grew to serve in the army. After coming back from the army, she decided to perform surgical procedures to become a woman. Despite her female looks and the L.A. transgender protection laws, she faced discrimination everywhere she went. She was assaulted by a cop and fired from her job for having an inaccurate ID. Throughout the show, Jazmin attempted to change her ID and all her legal documents but she failed because the process was very tedious and expensive. On top of all this, her family did not speak to her after her transition. Hence, Callie seeks help from one of her lawyer friends who explains to Jazmin that she can file a lawsuit against the cop and her former employer but that she would probably spend a lot of money and would unfortunately, lose.

Connection

The audio and the series are very similar because they display the hardships of the lives of transgender individuals. The series goes further to illustrate the lives of all LGBTQ+ members. Unlike many other shows who illustrate the LGBTQ+ community as “gay best friends” or “sexy lesbians,” both the podcast and my example do a good job at detailing the reality. There are many members of the LGBTQ+ community who do not have the same economic, social or emotional support as others. In both the podcast and “Good Trouble,” the audience is able to see average people who went through a physical change and are excited for their lives only to be discriminated by society. Although the podcast emphasized more on the challenges of dating than on legal matters, both sources brought awareness in how difficult the lives of transgender individuals are. Attempting to showcase their true identity comes with many strings attached like denial from family, friends and society. As heard in both my example and the podcast, the transgender individuals become afraid of being denied by others so they avoid social interaction. Transgender individuals are forced to always explain why their names and/or bodies do not match their said identity or appearance. It must be very difficult to introduce yourself by saying “I’m Jazmin but I was originally Alejandro” or “by the way, I used to be a woman.” It definitely is a challenge that should not exist. Transgender individuals should not have to explain their bodies or names as if they were some sort of unknown species. They are human. They have rights.