Episode 187: Alison Bechdel

Tuck chats with Sawyer K. Kemp about the news that Ian McKellan is involved in an all-trans staged reading of Twelfth Night. Topics include whether Twelfth Night is trans, what baseball and Shakespeare plays have in common, and what prison has to do with any of this.  Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear discussions of West Virginia, trans cringe, 17th-century trans intra-community conflict, which Shakespearean role Shohei Ohtani would play, and whether acting is good or bad :) Find Sawyer at sawyerkkemp.com and at Queens College. ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Tuck chats with Niko about coming out as a grocery store cashier, deterring ghosts and bears, writing memoir with a bad memory, and misspelling Neko Case’s name on your bloody arm.  Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear Tuck and Niko’s favorite musical covers, plus discussions of Wilco, Meg 2, Ohio for girls, Canada’s Boston pierogi pizza, Guy Fieri sparkling water, Yukon tourism, trans buffer names,  and childhood autism lore. Niko’s book The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman is on sale now. ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Tuck and Ozzy chat with cartoonist Alison Bechdel (she/her). Topics include: Which Dykes to Watch Out For characters are canonically t4t-married, top surgery’d, or in a nonbinary asexual polycule  What did Alison do with that MacArthur genius grant money? Did we successfully convince Alison that DTWOF’s Stuart is an egg?! Dyke vs. lesbian vs. gay woman: which one is “coy and ridiculous”? Plus: Alison’s relationships with Marx’s Capital, the 1980 Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, Sex and the City, and the American Heritage Dictionary Submit a piece of Theymail: Today’s messages were from Queering the District Podcast and the Trans Mag. Find Alison at linktr.ee/alisonbechdel. Spent is available now at your local bookstore.  Tuck and Matte Lubchansky are chatting live in Astoria, Queens, on July 29! Tickets available now. ~~ Join our Patreon to access our weekly newsletter and monthly Gender Conceal episodes, including last month’s chat with Niko Stratis.  Find transcripts and more at genderpodcast.com. We’re also on Instagram @gendereveal. Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music: Blue Dot Sessions Sponsors: DeleteMe (code: TUCK20) and Max Burns UX.

Tuck chats with writer Harron Walker (she/her). Topics include: Sleepaway Camp (1983) vs They/Them (2022) Making sense of GSA Day of Silence circa 2007  Advice for women who keep accidentally dating eggs Ways that even “supportive” adults influence trans kids’ genders Plus: The Marshafication of Cecilia Gentili, Bill Clinton’s death in a tragic saxophone accident, and three tips for being normal :) :)  Submit a piece of Theymail: Today’s messages were from Eliot West Editorial and Chrysalis Magazine. Find Harron at harronwalker.com and @harnwaw. Aggregated Discontent is available at thisistrans.info and your local bookstore.  You can find Harron’s profile of Cecilia Gentili on Vulture and read the full interview transcript via the Poetry Project.  ~~ Join our Patreon to access our monthly bonus episodes and weekly newsletter. Find transcripts and more at genderpodcast.com. We’re also on Instagram @gendereveal. Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music: Blue Dot Sessions Sponsors: DeleteMe (code: TUCK20)

Tuck and Mckenzee chat about the big knife in Moonstruck (1987), pizza mnemonics, blue foods, trans vibing, and the special cat that David Lynch invented for Dune (1984). Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear additional movie reviews and recommendations, plus our medical histories(?!), cat updates, lite gossip, tips for being normal, and much more.  You can follow Mckenzee & Tuck on Letterboxd if you're into that sort of thing. Come see Gender Ordeal in Brooklyn on May 9, which is your last chance to see our little trans comedy show!!!!!!! Tickets at genderpodcast.com/live. ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Tuck chats with author Caro De Robertis (they/them). Topics include: Caro’s oral history work with trans, genderqueer, and two-spirit elders of color Why Spanish can be more gender-affirming than English  How Caro’s knowledge of South American dictatorships informs their perspective on US politics  Why Black trans women were encouraged to detransition during the AIDS crisis (and other stories from elders) Plus: Butch babies, genderfuck, and staying free (!) Gender Ordeal be in Chicago (4/24), Minneapolis (4/25) and Brooklyn (5/9) and then we’re done forever! Grab your tickets at genderpodcast.com/live see u soon!!! This Week in Gender: We share info about US border crossings.  How to enter the US with your digital privacy intact (Wired) Tracking the foreign nationals detained by ICE as tourists or U.S. residents (Axios) What green-card and visa holders should know before traveling abroad (NPR) Can Border Agents Search Your Electronic Devices? It’s Complicated. (ACLU) Countries issue advisories about trans people traveling to the United States (CNN) Submit a piece of Theymail: Today’s message was from the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. Find Caro at caroderobertis.com. So Many Stars is available for pre-order now. ~~ Join our Patreon to access our monthly bonus episodes and weekly newsletter. Find transcripts and more at genderpodcast.com. We’re also on Instagram @gendereveal. Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music: “Huffalo” “Four Count” & “Nine Count” by Blue Dot Sessions Sponsors: DeleteMe (code: TUCK20)

Happy Trans Day of Having a Nice Snack! In this bonus episode, Tuck and Ozzy chat with author Jeanne Thornton (she/her) about ‘90s chatrooms, masking quizzes, community open mics, second-person narration, a possible Plot Conflict Trans Misery Industrial Complex, and hidden crossover events in the Jeanne Thornton literary universe. Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear discussions of Topside Press goss, job interview horror stories, trans motherhood advice, Jeanne & Anton’s friendship origin story, and whether the ending of A/S/L is “ontologically evil” lol. Grab our Trans Day of Snack graphic here.  Find Jeanne @jeanneticallymodified and at jeannethornton.com and instarbooks.com, and at World Transsexual Forum every fourth Monday at Franklin Park. A/S/L is available from Soho Press. Come see Gender Ordeal on tour in Chicago and Minneapolis in April!  ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Ozzy and Tuck chat with philosopher Talia Mae Bettcher (she/her). Topics include: Creating a theory of trans oppression beyond the “wrong body” and “beyond the binary” accounts  How clothing can be part of an abusive system of forced disclosure  “Let’s meditate on genitalia if we can for a moment” Why are there so many terfs in philosophy??  Plus: Phoria, apparitionals, moral sex, and other fun new vocab  This Week in Gender: Updates on Trans Day of Having a Nice Snack community events! Apply for funding at bit.ly/tdos2025 or donate at @Tuck-Woodstock & PayPal.me/TWoodstock. Submit a piece of Theymail: Today’s messages were from Queer Third Space and Voces Language Club. Find Talia’s work here and here. Beyond Personhood is available from University of Minnesota Press. Gender Ordeal is coming to Chicago and Minneapolis! Grab your tickets quickly at genderpodcast.com/live. ~~ Join our Patreon to access our monthly bonus episodes and weekly newsletter. Find transcripts and more at genderpodcast.com. We’re also on Instagram @gendereveal. Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music: “Kickstep” by Blue Dot Sessions Sponsors: DeleteMe (code: TUCK20)

Tuck explains this year’s Trans Day of Snack celebrations — which includes the opportunity to organize a Gender Reveal-funded gathering! — before chatting with Seattle Trans Joy’s Jerika Che (they/them). Topics include: How do I organize a Trans Day of Snack event in my area? How do I choose a location? How can I spread the word? What safety measures might be helpful? Plus: Trans vegan donuts, potlucks, and emotional support cis? For more organizing tips and stories, listen to last year’s episode with Jerika. Learn more about Trans Day of Snack via these PopSugar and Vice articles. (We also chatted with TDOS co-founder Lilith on Gender Conceal.) Organizing your own Trans Day of Snack event? Apply for a small grant at bit.ly/tdos2025. (Folks can send donations to @Tuck-Woodstock or PayPal.me/TWoodstock) CHICAGO! Gender Ordeal is coming to you! Tickets on sale now, please come hang out!  ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music: “Beignet” and “Palms Down” by Blue Dot Sessions

Tuck chats with Palestinian activist Yaffa (they/she) about their experiences with last year's student encampments, their belief in collectivism, and their journey to mononymity.  Listen to the full episode on Patreon to hear what Yaffa learned about gender from Palestinian elders, among other topics.  Find Yaffa @yaffasutopia across platforms, and at themasgd.org and merajpublishing.com. ~ Senior Producer: Ozzy Llinas Goodman Logo: Ira M. LeighMusic: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music: Blue Dot Sessions