Experience changes your life. It changes how you see things, how you perceive the world and your future expectations. With experience, you may look at life, in the words of Joni Mitchell, from Both Sides Now. On this episode, I’m bringing you stories from three trans folks about seeing different sides of their own personal life events.
For those not familiar with The Strong Stance Stories, it’s simply storytelling. These particular episodes will feature all types of stories from all types of trans people. The aim here is to showcase our community’s voices and lived experiences and to provide an outlet for art and expression. We are continually looking for stories and at the end of the show, I’ll give you more information about how to submit those stories. Until then, sit back, relax….and welcome...to The Strong Stance Stories.
Story Tellers:
JB Fuoco [“Seeing Both Sides (and the Middle Too)”] is a Latinx, queer, transgender business analyst and native Southerner. He currently lives in Portland, OR where he serves on the board of Portland Latinx Pride. He and his spouse are heavily involved with the LGBTQ+ Business Alliance and are developing a cultural competency training around trans* folk in the workplace to be rolled out to local businesses. Additionally, JB works to mentor trans* youth and their families as these youth first express their gender identities. He focuses primarily on families of color and immigrant families that might also be dealing with cultural and language issues despite being open and accepting of their child’s gender identity exploration. Before moving to Portland, he was an active member of his Unitarian Universalist congregation and is currently looking for a new faith community in the Pacific NW. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and spending time with his spouse, Morgan, their four dogs and their cat. He is currently training for his first half marathon and 25K trail run. He can be reached at jb@casadafuoco.com.
Julian ["It’s Hard to Understand, I Know"] is a 30 something year old black trans man navigating life as a mental health professional in Washington, DC on a non-profit salary. When he’s not working, he enjoys learning about ways to be a better therapist, playing and listening to music and long walks on the beach. He can be reached at capitaljayh@gmail.com.
Kris McElroy ["Fears and Joys"] is a bi-racial, straight, transgender student, and native to the Maryland area. He lives with various medical and mental health conditions, including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder. Kris is currently pursuing his PhD in Multidisciplinary Human Services. Additionally, he is active in his church and surrounding communities, and has held various volunteer roles working with adults with mental illness, disabilities, and children. He can be reached at klife2012@yahoo.com.
