How to Be a Girl

When he was three years old, my son informed me that she was actually my daughter.  I'm now the mother of a happy, confident little …

What's it like raising a transgender child?  How did your family respond?  What about school?  How in the world does this work?  This episode gives …

Am I insane?  How can I be so sure that my young child is transgender?

Music credits: "Her Love Comes in Air" by soundZcapa, "Gato" by Rod Hamilton, "Kaikou" by Satori.

How girlie do you have to be to secure your spot in the girl club?  And what happens when your own mother questions your girl credentials? 

Bonus: The Origins of Acrobat Girl:

Music credits:  "Action" …

She's six years old and transgender.  I'm a single mom.  This is what happens when we both hit the dating scene and compare notes about it.

Music …

This episode is a little different from the others I've made. It's mostly just my daughter talking, answering my questions about what it's like being …

When my "son" first started saying that "he" was actually a "she," I went looking for information. I wanted hard numbers.  I wanted data.  I wanted science to tell me to do. This is what I discovered. 

If you'd …

Earlier this year, my daughter got to meet the transgender TV star Laverne Cox. I wrote about it for my blog, and that heart-warming, feel-good post went crazy viral on the internet.  But there's more to the story.  …

This episode has been six months in the making, because that's how long it took for this story to play out. It's the story of my daughter …

This is a continuation of Episode IX. It tells the rest of the story of what happened when my transgender daughter started second grade at a new …

I never thought a bathroom bill - the kind they passed in North Carolina - would come to my home state.  But it did.  They're trying to pass one …

This isn't a full episode.  Just a little update on what we've been up to, with some very silly audio of my daughter. (What can I say? It's been a …

When my husband and I split up four years ago, we agreed to share custody of our...."son." Four years later, we have a transgender daughter, and the crazy truth is that I've never really asked him how he feels about …

My daughter has lots of friends, and she's big on play dates with other little girls.  But sometimes we need to book a special play date, because sometimes you just need to hang out with somebody who's just like you.  

When I first realized I had a transgender child, Lauren reached out and told me it was going to be OK. Ever since, she's been the one I lean on when …

My 8-year-old transgender daughter is not giving up.  She's eating popcorn and singing and telling jokes and she has some advice for you. 

She hasn't got a womb or ovaries but she wants to be a mommy.  How do I tell my young daughter that she won't ever be a biological mother? 

It’s still five years off, but I think about it all the time.  What’s it going to be like when my transgender daughter becomes a teenager?

In 2013, Obama opened a window for transgender people when he made it easier to change the gender on your Social Security record. But with Trump coming into office, it looks like that window is about to close.  I hadn't …

This tiny episode is mostly silly, and a little bit serious.  I also have some news.  Plus, cat videos. 

(KUOW is hosting a How to Be a Girl listening party in Seattle on February 26! Reserve a seat at …

I thought I was pretty brave until I met my counterpart from a red state.

How can the best of times also be the worst of times? This spring nearly washed me away... but not quite. 

This mini-episode contains: One VERY excited little girl awaiting Santa, news of the big changes coming to our lives, my plans for the future of this podcast, and... a miracle! 

Music credits:

Dee Yan-Key,  "Santa on …

After a pretty lengthy hiatus, we're back!  The first episode of the 2018 season comes out next week.  Here's a little taste of what's to come.  

Of course I knew this was going to happen eventually.  But that didn't make it any easier when it did. 

In this episode, my daughter and I get to talk with two of our heroes.  Jazz Jennings is a reality TV star, LGBTQ activist, and arguably the most famous transgender teen in the world.  Her mom Jeanette is as brave as …

I want you to meet my good friend, Emma. When she was a little girl, she was just like my daughter. But no one knew her for 60 years. I'm so glad she's here now.

(Note: I recorded this interview early this year, when my …

This episode is different from any of our previous episodes. It’s also a do-over, because the first version of this episode overlooked the fact that my daughter is growing up, fast. She’s almost a teenager, and we …

For years, people have asked me what I would do when my daughter hit puberty. Was I going to let her do... “the medical stuff?"

Well, right after …