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From Surviving to Thriving: Amber Fourman on Authenticity, Transition & Visibility | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey", hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Amber Fourman, a transgender woman in the construction industry who spent decades hiding her identity to survive bullying, an abusive father, workplace risk, and harmful relationships. Amber describes learning to “transition to masculinity” for safety, later recognizing her gender dysphoria through therapy, and living double lives until a thyroid cancer diagnosis became the catalyst to transition. She shares how remote work and supportive HR helped her return to the workplace as Amber, her rejection of “passing” as a standard, and her approach to confronting intentional misgendering by making others own their bias. Amber discusses advocacy, the importance of supporting transgender youth, and her book, “My Life in Transition: Becoming a Phoenix,” plus ways to reach her at afrose.net. For More Information about Amber Fourman: https://www.afrose.net/ https://www.instagram.com/af_rose_2026/ https://www.youtube.com/@AmberFourman https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-fourman-6a32128 https://www.tiktok.com/@amberfourman https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587379217187 For a signed copy of Amber’s Book “My Life in Transition: Becoming a Phoenix” https://www.afrose.net/category/books For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

From Coal Country to Ohio Politics: Arienne Childrey on Transition, Visibility and Service | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole talk with Arienne (Ari) Childrey, an Ohio community leader, advocate, and candidate for Ohio House District 84 who became the first transgender person in Ohio history to serve on a city council. Ari shares growing up poor in a small coal-mining community in Southwestern Virginia, early memories of knowing she was different, the trauma of being forced to hide it, and years shaped by bullying, internalized transphobia, and a deeply conservative Pentecostal culture. She describes how therapy, transitioning at 34, and finding love with her husband helped her move from performing to simply being, and how visibility and authentic relationships can reduce fear. Ari explains why she entered politics in Ohio’s reddest district, emphasizing practical service, resisting culture-war distractions, and building bridges across divides. She also shares how some family relationships changed after she came out, including her father’s steadfast support.   For more about Arienne Childrey: [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/ari4ohio https://x.com/Ari4Ohio Ari’s book Last Flight Home is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Flight-Sanctuary-Arienne-Childrey/dp/B0HFXJCDSV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PFJZU3RFVLRS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.b-cZ1rBvCY7CGPBssKbrsAsVY1zkYJ_Vi5aqKx9nsaclGp6J0s8JvTs6nge_q59EIuUVn86CWNvqkHRNufcQqxwtpBFaDzmK2LUXdModpMSoE32pWhj4sa6BQRQCUOWhQnT5gFwcz5hM3E1ig8S_7wRXPFaRjgfo3E_ZIaCFktgsNAZI9-Ejbi0XjNGz_hOoA4pTFrWFvLzP0wMJSaQU7wpsGy3lrCSwM6E7V18GGiA.HvLfN2cbSvdY8zmWQM98-y1ZtJBARySYl3uFV3uPb6M&dib_tag=se&keywords=last%2Bflight%2Bhome&qid=1788847465&s=books&sprefix=last%2Bflight%2Bhome%2Cstripbooks%2C346&sr=1-1 For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Nico Lang on American Teenager: Centering Trans Youth Voices, Joy, and Survival Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome award-winning journalist and author Nico Lang to discuss Lang’s bestseller "American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era." Lang explains why they spent a year traveling the U.S. and immersing for weeks with families to present transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid teens’ own voices, portraying both political threats and ordinary teenage life. They describe selecting eight teens from dozens of pre-interviews based on rapport and a “way in” to each story, emphasizing that no single person represents the whole community. The conversation highlights reframing narratives beyond trauma to include hard-won, messy joy; addressing misconceptions such as parents forcing kids to be trans; encouraging allies to show up, even imperfectly; and Lang’s hope that the book helps families, educators, and lawmakers listen and understand trans youth as people. For more about Nico Lang: https://www.instagram.com/queernewsdaily https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-teenager-how-trans-kids-are-surviving-hate-and-finding-joy-in-a-turbulent-era-nico-lang-jo/1c5e3a8bc1a77620?ean=9781419773839&bkshp-astro=t https://allstora.com/products/american-teenager-how-trans-kids-are-surviving-hate-and-finding-joy-in-a-turbulent-era-1?variant=46299403616492 For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Venus de Mars: Punk Rock Pioneer on Coming Out, DIY Survival, and the Fight to Live Authentically Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Venus DeMars, frontwoman of All the Pretty Horses and an early openly transgender artist in the DIY punk scene, about growing up without language for being trans, navigating gender expectations, and finding early inspiration in music and culture. Venus recounts a slow, atypical puberty, attempts to blend in, and how art and music became both outlet and refuge. She describes coming out at 28 through therapy and an MMPI assessment, confronting 1980s gatekeeping and unaffordable medical pathways, and finding an underground support group before going public through performance art and TV. Venus details persistent self-advocacy to access and maintain hormone care, the risks of underground hormones, and bringing trans authenticity to the punk stage despite industry rejection. She reflects on shifting politics, visibility’s impact, and urges allies to trust their support and affirm trans people’s right to ordinary lives. For more information about our guest: https://venusdemars.bandcamp.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Things-Trans-Glam-Punk-Rock-Love-Story/dp/168134243X https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Mars https://www.instagram.com/venusdemars For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.

Siena’s Transgender Journey: From Lifelong Dysphoria and Suppression to Integration, Joy, and Authenticity In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Siena, a trans woman in her 60s who transitioned about nine years ago, about growing up in a conservative, rigidly gendered culture with no safe language or representation for what she felt. Siena describes early longing to be a girl, shame shaped by media portrayals, puberty struggles, secret cross-dressing, substance use, depression, and suicide attempts, alongside achievement and perfectionism used to gain affirmation. She shares how meditation and spirituality became another form of coping, and how meeting a shame-free trans woman at a festival shattered her compartmentalization and prompted disclosure, counseling, support groups, and gradual public presentation. Siena discusses marriage, family and workplace reactions, experimentation, hormones and surgeries, and how transitioning brought relief, freedom, deeper relationships, and a broader understanding of human identity and compassion. © 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

A Relationship Transitioning Too: Jessika and Adrienne on Late-Life Awakening, Love, and Doing the Work In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Jessika Janene, a transgender woman whose “egg cracked” during the 2020 pandemic, and her wife Adrienne Wehr, as they discuss transitioning later in life and how a partnership changes too. Jessika shares childhood indicators, a sudden moment of clarity that led to rapid social and medical transition, and the need to live authentically despite fear, describing it as a “freight train.” Adrienne describes caregiving for her mother while supporting Jessika, the grief and emotional complexity for partners, and the importance of truth, community, therapy, and spiritual practices. They reflect on advocacy, challenges with friends and family, finding support groups, and a poignant moment of acceptance from Adrienne’s mother near the end of her life. © 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. For more information about today’s guests: Jessika: https://www.instagram.com/jessikajanene1/ https://jessikajanene.com https://www.facebook.com/jessika.janene   Adrienne: https://www.instagram.com/adriennewehr/ https://adriennewehr.substack.com/ https://www.facebook.com/adrienne.wehr/   For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Pastor Lynn on Raising Two Transgender Children: Faith, Advocacy & Inclusive Love | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey," hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Pastor Lynn, an ordained Lutheran minister and mother of two adult transgender children, Robin and Emily. Pastor Lynn shares how Robin came out at 12 as transgender and later identified as non-binary, and how her early mistakes—doubting Robin’s name, struggling with pronouns, and expecting her child to educate her—pushed her to seek resources, connect Robin with queer youth groups, and prioritize a safe, affirming home. She describes securing gender-affirming care, navigating school and camp bathroom restrictions, and supporting Emily’s later transition at 19. Pastor Lynn also explains how mistranslation and proof-texting shaped anti-LGBTQ readings of the Bible and how she now advocates more visibly within faith communities.   Works Mentioned in this Episode: 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture directed by Sharon Roggio The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by Rachel Pepper and Stephanie Brill © 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Michelle’s Transgender Journey: Surviving Trauma, Finding Faith, and Living Out Loud Demystifying the Transgender Journey Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole welcome Michelle, a transgender woman with multiple advanced degrees and an eidetic memory, to share her story of identity, resilience, and freedom. Raised in a small DC-area town by a Pentecostal minister father, Michelle describes realizing she was female as a teen, coming out at 15, and being brutally abused and forced back into the closet for decades. During a later divorce, therapy with a transgender therapist helped her name her experience and come out as a woman born transgender; she quickly began hormone therapy and pursued gender-affirming surgeries while navigating dysphoria and dysmorphia. Michelle discusses family reactions, parenting a teenager exploring identity, rebuilding community after a church relationship ended, and finding an affirming church nearby. She emphasizes humor, supportive “tribe” building, and not giving up after surviving multiple suicide attempts. © 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc. To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Intersex: The Hidden Reality, Forced Surgeries, and Why Sex Isn’t Either/Or | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole focus on intersex experiences with guests Vickie Boisseau (Organization Intersex International) and Jim Costich (retired medical lab professional and speaker). They explain how intersex has been historically pathologized and deliberately hidden, discuss the lack of adequate language and the conflation of sex and gender, and challenge the cultural insistence on a strict binary, emphasizing “all/and” rather than “either/or.” Jim shares being born in 1957 with ambiguous anatomy, being sent to a gender clinic at 14, and later discovering at 44 that he has a vagina. Vickie describes being surgically altered starting at eight months, undergoing 14 failed hypospadias repairs, hormone interventions, partial androgen insensitivity, and a later adult amputation and ovotestes removal. They criticize non-consensual infant surgeries, note intersex is common but rarely discussed, and recommend books by Hida Viloria, Sharon Preves, and work by Cynthia Mulit.   For More Information about Vickie Boisseau: https://www.facebook.com/vickie.boisseau  Elder A. Vickie Boisseau - Intersex Campaign for Equality IC4E | LinkedIn  https://www.instagram.com/vickie2spirit    For More Information about Jim Costich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-costich-34919340 https://www.facebook.com/jim.costich/  https://jamescostich.substack.com/   Writers Mentioned: Katrina Karkazis Hida Viloria: Intersex and Identity: The Contested Self Sharon Preves Cynthia Mulit: "Intersex Experiences, Activists' Perspectives, and Counseling Implications"   For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.    To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

From Role Playing to Role Model: Dr. Grace Kinsley Finds Joy in Community Care and LGBTQ Visibility In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole speak with Dr. Grace Kinsley, a retired locum GP in Nova Scotia and trans woman who knew she was not a boy at age six but hid for decades, describing puberty as terrifying and living behind a “mask” until a “transition or die” moment at 55 amid extreme stress and suicidality. Grace shares how she came out to her wife Sandra (who supported her immediately), faced resistance from her mother, began socially transitioning right away, and started HRT five months later after WPATH assessments, describing profound physical and emotional changes, increased confidence, and sustained joy. She discusses gender-affirming surgery in Montreal, her advocacy with GSAs and queer youth, safety in public spaces, and the importance of education, science-based care, and empathy for both transition and detransition.   For more about Grace Kinsley: https://www.facebook.com/grant.kinsley   For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com   (c) 2026 Key Innovative Solutions, Inc.    To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Krystal’s Gender-Affirming Surgery Journey (Part 3): Preparation, Recovery, and Finding Peace In part three of Krystal’s three-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Wendy Cole and Lynn Murphy welcome back Krystal following her recent gender-affirming surgery at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. Krystal explains how her dysphoria and safety concerns led her from considering surgery to realizing she needed it, how she chose her surgical team, and the lengthy requirements involved, including letters, BMI goals, tucking, and extensive hair removal. She describes the emotions and logistics of moving up her surgery date, the hospital experience, early recovery challenges, and key post-op care such as swelling control and long-term dilation. Krystal shares that post-surgery she feels “normal,” calm, and at peace, reflecting on gratitude, womanhood, and what trans perspectives reveal about gender.   Video Content Mentioned in this Episode: Pt 1 of Krystal’s Story on DTTJ: https://youtu.be/o-EMMRsf3bk Pt 2 of Krystal’s Story on DTTJ: https://youtu.be/LroRkCwUiJo “Born To Be” Documentary on Mount Sinai: https://www.borntobefilm.com/   For more information about Krystal Franqui: https://www.instagram.com/krysfran2472  https://bsky.app/profile/ember83.bsky.social   For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com   To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Krystal Franqui on Dysphoria, HRT Relief & Choosing Visibility (Part 2 of 3) | Demystifying the Transgender Journey In part two of Krystal Franqui’s three-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Krystal describes years of trying not to transition by using detailed mental stories and intense hobbies like Civil War reenacting to distract from dysphoria, until COVID-era stress triggered severe panic attacks and breakdowns at work. After starting therapy and being diagnosed with gender dysphoria, she began HRT in 2021 and describes rapid improvements in mood, relationships, and mental clarity, alongside losing a job after coming out to HR. Krystal shares her family’s reactions, including supportive children and an accepting mother, recounts early experiences of gender euphoria, and explains being trans through analogies like a pebble in a shoe and describing color to someone born blind. She also explains why she chose visibility and education over going stealth. For more information about Krystal:  https://www.instagram.com/krysfran2472  https://bsky.app/profile/ember83.bsky.social For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

In Part 1 of this 3-episode series on Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole introduce Krystal Franqui, a 42-year-old woman who affirmed her gender four and a half years ago, is married, and has two adult children. Krystal describes early childhood discomfort with her body, neurodivergent diagnoses (ADD and later autism), isolation at school, and a pivotal dream and puberty experience that intensified dysphoria and depression. With little representation or support in the late 80s and 90s, she tried to “learn” boy behavior by masking and creating rules for what boys could say and do. She joined the Navy in 2001 to prove “manhood,” deployed on an aircraft carrier, and later worked in civilian aviation, still feeling socially out of place. Around 2006 a counselor raised “gender identity disorder,” but family resistance led her to repress it for 15 years, using elaborate internal stories and intense hobbies to cope, ending as COVID approached. For more information about Krystal:  https://www.instagram.com/krysfran2472  https://bsky.app/profile/ember83.bsky.social For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202 https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney https://womenwhopushthelimits.com To contact Wendy: MeetWendyCole.com. https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm

Transitioning Later in Life: Stephanie Donnell on 10 Years of HRT, Surgery, and Living Openly In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Stephanie Donnell, a lifelong electronics professional and YouTuber who completed her transition about 11 months ago at age 66 after more than a decade of medical transition. Stephanie shares early experiences of dysphoria and cross-dressing in an era with anti–cross-dressing laws and little language or representation, her 43-year marriage and her wife’s acceptance, and the step-by-step realities of transition: support groups, informed-consent HRT, orchiectomy, extensive hair removal, WPATH letters, weight-loss requirements, gastric bypass and panniculectomy, and a long path to vaginoplasty. She discusses workplace experiences, unexpected changes from progesterone, safety and authenticity, and the importance of empathy, visibility, and better public understanding of sex vs. gender.  For more about Stephanie Donnell: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.donnell.4  https://www.youtube.com/@radiodf

Transgression: A Mental Health Advocate Investigates the “Real Trans Agenda” in Saskatchewan | Todd Rennebohm   Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Todd Rennebohm, a Saskatchewan-based mental health advocate, author, and podcaster who created the eight-part documentary podcast series “Transgression: My Search for the Real Trans Agenda in Saskatchewan.” Todd shares his background with lifelong mental health and addiction struggles, a suicide attempt, treatment and sobriety, and how a widely shared letter sparked his advocacy and led to his podcast “Bunny Hugs and Mental Health.” He explains why trans-related policies in Saskatchewan compelled him to investigate, how he built trust with the trans community through allyship training and consultation, and what he learned about the diversity of trans experiences, the political motivations behind Bill 137, “Parent Bill of Rights,” and the mental health impact of limiting information and support for youth—especially in rural and Indigenous communities.   For More About Todd Rennebohm: https://bunnyhugspodcast.com/  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/transgression-my-search-for-the-real-trans-agenda-in/id1841926991 https://www.instagram.com/bunnyhugspodcast/ Sometimes Daddy Cries: Rennebohm, Todd, Stueck, Jessie: 9780228834670: Amazon.com: Books    For more information about this project: https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202  https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney  https://womenwhopushthelimits.com    To contact Wendy: https://www.MeetWendyCole.com   https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm  https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm