Interview with Laith Stevenson (They/Them)

M is a trans/non-binary art therapist, fat activist and artist whose work focuses on body justice, intersectional social justice and eating disorder treatment equity access. They are the Director for Walden Behavioral Care’s Rainbow Road, the country’s first virtual Eating Disorder 2slgbtqia+ IOP & PHP, which is proud to announce having over 90% Queer Staffing (as of February 2022). They also co-own and operate Rainbow Recovery where they support people through the gender affirmation process, complex trauma recovery, eating disorder recovery and body image issues. M is committed to the mission that all bodies deserve recovery and that marginalized bodies need to be amplified in the eating disorder landscape to eradicate the stereotypes surrounding eating disorders and gender. To that end M had the honor to participate in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Artful Practices for Well-being, presented at national and international conferences on the use of HAES, Intuitive Eating and Intersectional Social Justice in mental health care and teaches multicultural and diversity practice in Master’s Level Art Therapy programs. When M isn’t working they enjoy raising many animals including Pinball Wizard, their blind dog, watching all things Horror on repeat, obsessing over all things Elton John, and enjoying time with their partner. You may follow M on Instagram @queer.art_therapist This episode was recorded on the unceded land of the Hawaiian Kingdom/Kanaka people, and the unceded land of the Quinnipiac and Wappinger people aka Connecticut. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music.

Gabes Torres (she/they/siya) was born and raised in the colonized islands of the Philippines, and comes from an ancestral lineage of freedom fighters, musicians, educators, and community organizers. As a person who has experienced a great deal of geographical movement, Gabes aims to teach the message of international solidarity and global liberation.. She is a therapist, singer-songwriter, and organizer whose work pays attention to community care and safety, and anti-colonial ways of healing and (un)becoming. Gabes founded and co-facilitates the Heritage Workshop, a virtual workshop for the people of the global majority, where they collectively explore and bear witness to ancestral lineage, stories, and medicine. You may follow Gabes on Instagram, Twitter, and her main website. https://gabestorres.com/about/ This episode was recorded on the unceded land of the Hawaiian Kingdom/Kanaka people, and the unceded land of the Duwamish people aka Seattle, WA. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music.

Content Warnings: sexual trauma, abortion, racial trauma. In the 4th interview of the season, you’ll hear Nica Selvaggio speak with Ash Kennon. Ash Kennon is a non-binary activist, artist and SAG-E actor. Ash uses every and any platform to spread laughter, joy and awareness. Ever since being assaulted in 2013, which resulted in a pregnancy that they kept, Ash has been determined to tell their story- to let others know they’re not alone, and to bring light to a very serious problem in today’s society. In the future Ash hopes to write a tell all book, that will give others hope and the healing steps necessary to navigate all kinds of trauma. Until then they are focusing on being the best parent and overall person they can be as well as Acting and working on productions, bringing more Non binary representation to sets and tv screens. In this episode, you’ll hear Ash and Nica/o discuss the role of early childhood sexual trauma in the formation of body image struggles, how to use psychedelics to help heal trauma, the impact of race and intersectional identities on body image, the importance of consent in healthy relationships, and how to use creativity to foster self-love. This episode was recorded on the unceded land of the Hawaiian Kingdom/Kanaka people, and the unceded land of the Tongva people aka Los Angeles, CA. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music.

In the third interview of the season, you’ll hear Nico interview Chuck Moore (they/he), a songwriter and musician based out of Los Angeles and the front person of alt-country project @cartalkmusic. When not working on music, Chuck moves their body, walking around their neighborhood, dancing or biking. To them, movement brings clarity to the self. That’s what drew them to contribute to the non-binary body image project, how a physical action can transcend feeling of connection with oneself and the natural world around them. In this episode, Chuck and Nico dig into how to take care of yourself post heartbreak and the importance of dating yourself when you’re single (ironically, they are both no longer single ✨). Additional topics covered are what to do in moments of gender panic, the transcendental nature of music, and what to do when you’re not feeling “trans enough.” This episode was recorded on the unceded land of the Hawaiian Kingdom/Kanaka people, and the unceded land of the Tongva people aka Los Angeles, CA. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music.

Content Warnings: references to drug use, almost OD experience, childhood trauma.In this episode Nica/o Selvaggio (they/them) interviews Laith (formerly known as Benji when the episode was recorded) Stevenson (they/them) about their relationship with dance, poetry, food, body image, and their gender and sexuality journey. Laith shares some of their stunning poetry and their experiences being a Black Queer Non-Binary artist in this world. This episode was recorded on the unceded land of the Hawaiian Kingdom/Kanaka people, and the unceded land of the Muscogee people aka Atlanta, GA. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music.

(Content Warning: descriptions of a graphic death and end of life care choice, eating disorder behaviors and weight loss numbers mentioned) : In this episode, you will hear from Nica/o about their history with hunger and Bulimia Nervosa, body and gender dysphoria, and how their status as an adoptee and trauma survivor has impacted their relationship with their body image. Special thanks to Jai Myer (@relentlesslyeye) for the gorgeous logo and to Curt Rivadeneira (curtiv.myportfolio.com) for the intro and exit music. Special thank you and acknowledgment to the Aina of the Hawaiian Kingdom and Queen Lili’uokalani and her people, as Nico is a visitor to the land on which this episode was recorded.

In today’s episode, your host, Nico Selvaggio discusses what it feels like to be a trans/non-binary person who bleeds. Content warning- menstruation, PMDD, suicidality. Podcast Art by Jai Meyer (IG: @flawlesslyodd), Podcast Music by Curt Rivanderia (curtiv.my portfolio.com)

In the inaugural interview of the first season of The Non-Binary Body Image Project, Nica/o Selvaggio interviews Tristan Katz. They chat everything from how to feel attractive in the throes of gender dysphoria, the difference between envy and desire, and the dance of holding both privileged and oppressed identities in the body as a white trans person. Tristan Katz (they/them) is a writer, educator, and digital strategist specializing in business and marketing coaching-consulting, web and graphic design. They serve a wide range of clients in the wellness industry, including yoga teachers, healing arts practitioners, and other prominent change-makers. As an equity-inclusion facilitator, Tristan offers workshops and trainings centered around queer identity and LGBTQ+ awareness with an anti-oppression and intersectional lens. Through their podcast, articles, digital workbooks, and marketing workshops, Tristan supports those who seek to grow their work while staying aligned with the practices of yoga, equity, diversity, and inclusivity. You can find more of their work on their website www.katz-creative.com or on their IG: @tristankatzcreative Podcast Art by Jai Meyer (IG: @flawlesslyodd), Podcast Music by Curt Rivanderia (curtiv.myportfolio.com)