The pilot episode of Gender Blender, a new radio program on gender issues co-hosted by Trannywreck Radio’s Rebecca Nay and TransNation columnist Jacob Anderson-Minshall.

This episode of Gender Blender with your hosts Rebecca Nay and Jacob Anderson-Minshall focuses on how gender influences and impacts homelessnes.  We were joined in the studio by Shannon Singleton who is the shelter coordinator for Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES) located at 11 NW 5th Ave in downtown Portland and Reverend Chuck Currie who is the interim minister of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon and has been involved with homeless activism for over two decades.  Jake also spoke with Jody Marksamer, 34:13 minutes (31.34 MB)

This episode of Gender Blender with your hosts Rebecca Nay and Jacob Anderson-Minshall focuses on how gender influences and impacts homelessnes.  We were joined in the studio by Shannon Singleton who is the shelter coordinator for Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES) located at 11 NW 5th Ave in downtown Portland and Reverend Chuck Currie who is the interim minister of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon and has been involved with homeless activism for over two decades.  Jake also spoke with Jody Marksamer, Director of 25:27 minutes (23.31 MB)

As the transgender community gains wider visibility, there's been a growing awareness of the transformation involved in a person's gender transition.  But what about the Trans person's friends, family, co-workers or partners?  How must they change in order to accept the transgender person they care about?

While there are few things more primal than the need to use the bathroom many trans and gender variant individuals find that answering natures call is needlessly complicated and often downright dangerous. Few gendered spaces are as vehemently patrolled and the penality for violating gender norms can range from ejection to arrest to bodily harm. Bathroom acess isn't just a trans issue, as many single parents discover when faced with signs baring them from from accompanying non-same-sex children into public restrooms or dressing rooms.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

It's the first question asked after the birth of a baby.  But sometimes the answer isn't obvious?  In about one out of every 1,500 births a child is born so noticeably atypical in terms of genitalia that a specialist is called in. Out of every thousand birth one to two children have traditionally been exposed to surgery to "normalize" the appearance of their genitals. Even more people are born with subtler forms of sex anatomy variations some of which won't show up until later in life.
 

Portland’s Gay Pride wrapped this last weekend.  Despite the “unity” theme, at least one group chose this year to go their separate way.  Why did trans march organizers decide to postpone their event—renamed Gender (Free) For All—until August 1st? Do trans people really belong in the LGBQ community anyway?  Especially if they no longer identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual—or if they never did?

We addressed these questions and more. We were joined by three guests, including an organizer from the Gender (Free) For All; a local trans political activist; and a woman with Harry  Benjamin's  Syndrome

Across this country there are dozens of women forced to serve time in mens’ correctional institutions. Our sex-segregated facilities aren’t the friendliest places for those with non conforming genders. Transgender women, especially those who haven’t undergone a total physical transformation including sex reassignment surgeries, are still regularly housed with male inmates. What is that experience like? What can be done to improve the situation? What happens to a trans person who is arrested in Portland? What other ways does gender impact the experience of inmates?
 

This episode examines the issues of class and gender from some different perspectives.  In 2009, have women acheived equality?  In 2008, Hillary Clinton was a candidate for President of the United States and Sarah Palin was a VP nominee.  Numbers of women CEO's of major corporations are increasing.  Nancy Pelosi serves as the Speaker of the House in Congress and just recently, Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the U.S. Supreme court.

Women may have come a long way, but have women arrived in all segments of our society?  Where are we as a society?