Welcome back to Queer Story Time The Podcast where we honor the lived experiences, wisdom, and resilience of LGBTQ+ individuals across generations. I’m your host, Stevie, and today’s episode features a very special guest: Wendy Cole (she/her), a 77-year-old transgender woman whose life and voice are a beacon for so many in our community—especially those navigating transition later in life.

Wendy is a transition mentor, public speaker, podcast host, and truth-teller whose work is rooted in compassion, candor, and fierce advocacy. After beginning her transition in her late 60s, Wendy has made it her mission to support and guide other trans people through their own journeys—offering not only practical tools and emotional accountability, but also the kind of lived wisdom that only comes from doing the hard work of becoming your full self.

Wendy co-hosts Demystifying The Transgender Journey Podcast and is a visible presence across social media and public speaking platforms, using her voice to humanize trans experiences, challenge harmful narratives, and affirm that authenticity has no expiration date. Whether she’s speaking to a room full of allies, mentoring one-on-one, or pushing back against legislative attacks, Wendy’s message is clear: we’ve always been here, and we are not going back into hiding.

💬 In This Episode:

• What it’s like to begin your transition in your late 60s—and why it’s never too late
• Wendy’s radical message to lawmakers and anti-trans legislation: “You can’t legislate us out of existence”
• Why trans youth need support, mentorship, and guidance—not fear
• How conditional love from family shapes our journey—and what real love requires
• Humanizing trans experiences: why everyday conversation creates change
• Wendy’s unapologetic take on transition, sexuality, dating, and self-acceptance
• Hormone therapy, blockers, and the double standard for cisgender vs. trans people
• Why “being afraid” is not the problem—but being uncommitted is
• How Wendy went from stuck to fully transitioned in six months
• A vision for the future: TV, dating, public speaking—and whatever comes next

Wendy’s Links:

• WendyColeGTM.Net
• Demystifying The Transgender Journey Podcast

🔗 QST Resources & Links:

• Support Queer Trans Thriving Mutual Aid Collective's 2025 Rainbow Care Fund on GiveButter
• Find QSTs Website Home at FutureDrStevie.com

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

In this deeply moving Pride Month episode of Queer Storytime, we center community voices and the power of storytelling to uplift, reflect, and affirm our shared humanity. Host Stevie, shares five personal messages from queer and trans individuals, and their loved ones. Highlighting the resilience, growth, and connection that define our community.

🌈 Featuring messages from:

• Alex – A trans parent of a trans child, sharing a powerful reminder that self-reflection is the most anti-oppressive thing we can do.
• Jackson – A trans man celebrating six years of living as himself, offering a heartfelt message of love and strength for queer and trans youth.
• Jana – A Christian parent whose journey from rejection to unconditional love for her trans son is both sobering and inspiring.
• And more voices affirming that you are not alone.

💬 This episode explores:

• Why inward reflection is essential in the fight against oppression
• The deep need for community support—especially for queer and trans youth
• Stories of transformation, survival, and the power of chosen family
• How allies and parents can show up with love and growth

💖 “If there’s one thing we know to be true—not only presently, but historically—it’s this: We take care of our own.”

✨ Resources Mentioned:

• Listen to Jackson’s full story in Episode 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1muXT9ORP4c (Feb 2024)
• Listen to Jana’s full story in Episode 9:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at6ttAS5th0 (May 2024)

• Read the essay: What I Know to Be True as a Queer and Trans Podcast Host (linked in the episode description)
• Mutual Aid: Apply for care or support the cause via the Rainbow Care Fund 2025

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Join the QST Community Group via Patreon (open to non-paying members)
• Support the Rainbow Care Fund on GiveButter
• Read the original blog post at FutureDrStevie.com

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

🌟 Happy Pride, everyone. May this episode remind you that you are seen, you are held, and you are deeply loved.

Happy Pride to all the dolls, gays, theys, and beyond! We’re celebrating two major milestones in this episode: Pride 2025 coincides with our 25th episode! Host Stevie Inghram takes the mic solo in this heartfelt reflection, offering eight profound truths learned from over a year of powerful conversations with queer and trans guests from around the world.

Based on a widely loved blog post from her new site www.futuredrstevie.com, this episode explores the resilience, wisdom, and beauty within the LGBTQIA+ community and the healing power of storytelling, science, and chosen family.

From our century old fight for survival and the impact of white supremacy on queer existence to the truth that not all queer people can - or should - come out, Stevie’s words are an invitation to deepen our understanding, reframe pride, and commit to a shared vision of healing and liberation.

✨ Key themes include:

• Why queer and trans people simply want to grow old in peace
• The myth that politicians can erase our existence
• How community transforms trauma
• What respect actually looks like
• The importance of allowing queer folks to choose not to come out
• Why your own inner work supports the liberation of others
• The universal possibility of embodying your true self at any age

💖 Plus, two exciting announcements:

1. The launch of a FREE monthly online QST Community Connection group (open to all, including allies!)
2. The debut of the Rainbow Care Fund by Queer Trans Thriving Mutual Aid Collective—a new initiative providing holistic, affirming care for LGBTQIA+ folks through a mutual aid model - https://givebutter.com/rainbowcarefund

Join us for this powerful solo episode that celebrates resistance, joy, healing, and collective care because Pride is about so much more than rainbows.

🎉 Whether you’re out and proud, quietly surviving, or somewhere in between, you belong here in the Queer Story Time Community!

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Join the QST Community Group via Patreon (open to non-paying members)
• Support the Rainbow Care Fund on GiveButter
• Read the original blog post at FutureDrStevie.com

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

🚨 Content Warning: This episode discusses conversion therapy, religious trauma, and anti-LGBTQ+ practices. Listener discretion is advised.

Beautiful queer & trans fam, thank you for your patience with the release of this episode! Join me for this deeply important episode where we hear from a powerful voice who is a queer survivor, activist, and scholar. Today’s guest, Dr. Lucas Wilson (he/him), shares his experience escaping the grips of evangelical “ex-gay” conversion therapy and his ongoing mission to expose how religion — especially the New Christian Right — harms LGBTQ+ folks.

About Today’s Guest

Dr Lucas Wilson is a Canadian academic, author, and proud survivor of a secretive conversion therapy program at Liberty University. He’s now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto–Mississauga and an outspoken advocate who brings scholarly activism to the conversation around evangelicalism, queerness, and systemic discrimination. His work shines a light on the many harms inflicted on sexual and gender minorities by religious extremism and works to give voice to those lived experiences — all while fighting back through both academic and creative avenues.

What We Talk About

• Lucas’s journey from evangelical faith to living authentically as a gay man
• His complicated feelings around spirituality, identity, and self-acceptance
• The role of evangelicalism in shaping anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and discrimination
• The pain, trauma, and erasure experienced by queer folks in religious communities
• The importance of exposing conversion therapy and extremist religious politics
• Advice for queer and trans youth on confidence, community, and self-love
• A call to lawmakers and society to stop legislating against queer and trans lives
• Lucas’s upcoming projects highlighting queer experiences in Christian higher education

Key Takeaways

• Identity is complex; for Lucas, “Jesus” once defined him, but now he finds peace without needing to replace that spirituality.
• Evangelicalism can breed rigid, harmful thinking, but breaking free allows authentic living and greater joy.
• Queerness offers freedom from societal “scripts” — an invitation to create your own path.
• Conversion therapy and anti-LGBTQ+ laws inflict real harm, and those responsible should be held accountable.
• Confidence paired with empathy and community can be life-saving for queer and trans youth.
• Scholarly activism is a powerful tool to expose and dismantle oppressive systems from within.

Guest Links/Resources for Dr. Lucas:

• Instagram: @lukeslamdunkwilson
• BlueSky: @lukeslamdunkwilson
• Threads: @lukeslamdunkwilson
• Twitter: @Wilson_fw
• LinkedIn: Lucas Wilson
• Facebook: Luke Wilson
• Submit Your Story: Lucas is collecting stories of queer experiences from Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries for his next project. Reach out to him via social media if you want to share.

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate all queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

In this powerful episode of Queer Storytime, we dive deep into the urgent and historical topic of mutual aid within the LGBTQIA+ community. From the Stonewall era to the HIV/AIDS crisis and today’s escalating attacks on gender and sexually affirming health care, mutual aid has been a lifeline for queer and trans folks.

Stevie lays out the distinction between charity and solidarity, highlighting why institutional approaches often fall short. As mainstream LGBTQIA+ organizations amass wealth, the most vulnerable in our community — Black and Brown trans folks, unhoused queer youth, disabled queer individuals, and those living under oppressive legal systems — are left behind.

This episode announces a groundbreaking new initiative: A Mutual Aid Collective for LGBTQIA+ Health & Wellbeing. This network will provide access to holistic health resources, guidance, and sliding-scale services for queer and trans individuals, especially those living in states where affirming healthcare is under attack.

Listen now to learn about our community’s resilience, why we need to reclaim the true spirit of mutual aid, and how you can support this collective effort. Remember, our survival is the ultimate act of resistance.

Key Topics Covered:

• The historical precedent of mutual aid within the LGBTQIA+ community.
• The distinction between charity and solidarity.
• Criticism of mainstream LGBTQIA+ organizations hoarding wealth.
• Introduction of the Mutual Aid Collective for LGBTQIA+ Health & Wellbeing.
• How listeners can support or access this new initiative.
• Calls for community-based, nonhierarchical, direct aid over bureaucratic charity models.

✨ Get Involved: If you’re in a position to contribute financially, share skills, or simply spread the word, support the Mutual Aid Collective by visiting here - https://givebutter.com/rainbowcarefund

💖 Need Support? If you are queer or trans and need holistic health services, don’t hesitate to reach out. This initiative is designed for you.

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate all queer and trans people globally.

Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

🧠 How does trauma impact the LGBTQ+ community?

🕉️ What role does Indian spirituality play in acceptance?

🌍 How can we create a more inclusive and compassionate world?

In this powerful episode of Queer Story Time, Host Stevie sits down with Dr. Aninda Sidhana, MD a renowned psychiatrist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and expert in gender, trauma, and mental health. With years of experience working with marginalized communities, Dr. Sidhana is at the forefront of creating safe spaces, combating stigma, and counseling families throughout their child’s coming out process.

Meet Dr. Aninda Sidhana

🔹 Expert in LGBTQ+ mental health, gender identity, and trauma recovery

🔹 Advocate for gender & sexual equality and human rights on a global scale

🔹 Researcher on the intersection of spirituality, psychotherapy & mental health

🔹 Passionate about ending gender-based violence & creating inclusive policies

🔹 Developing programs to support LGBTQ+ individuals & mental health initiatives

Dr. Sidhana brings a compassionate, evidence-based approach to mental health, integrating modern psychiatry with ancient wisdom from Indian spiritual traditions, including yoga, mindfulness, and the Bhagavad Gita. In this conversation, she shares insights from their research and real-world experience in counseling queer and trans individuals through their journeys of healing, self-acceptance, and resilience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How chronic marginalization creates complex PTSD in queer and trans individuals

✅ The history of gender and sexuality in Indian philosophy & why it matters today

✅ Why yoga is an ancient form of psychotherapy that can help heal trauma

✅ How lawmakers and policymakers can (and should) do better for LGBTQ+ rights

✅ The power of storytelling & community in breaking stigma

✅ The importance of self-love, journaling, and mindfulness in healing

💡 "One negative comment can take someone back into a spiral of trauma. Healing starts with safe spaces, education, and self-acceptance." – Dr. Aninda Sidhana

Resources & Mentions:

📖 Studies on yoga, mental health & trauma recovery (shared by Dr. Aninda Sidhana)

🕉️ Insights from Bhagavad Gita & Indian spiritual texts on gender & identity

💜 How mindfulness & journaling help LGBTQ+ people process their experiences

🏥 The role of hospitals & mental health institutions in LGBTQ+ support

🌍 Why safe spaces in schools, workplaces, and communities are essential

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate all queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

🚨 Content Warning: This episode discusses conversion therapy, religious trauma, and anti-LGBTQ+ practices. Listener discretion is advised.

In this explosive episode of Queer Story Time, host Stevie sits down with Matt Ashcroft (Matt Ash TV on YouTube) and Wayne Besen (Truth Wins Out), two fierce advocates exposing the pseudoscience and deep harm behind conversion therapy.

This episode doesn’t hold back as Matt and Wayne reveal:

• 🔍 Jayson Graves’ harmful practices and connections to the ex-gay movement
• Matt and Wayne share their firsthand experiences, discuss the global resurgence of ex-gay ministries, and reveal the dangerous influence of right-wing megachurches and authoritarian governments in fueling anti-LGBTQ+ movements.
• They also call out major organizations like The Trevor Project for their questionable role in advocacy and funding, and break down how conversion therapy groups continue to rebrand and infiltrate mainstream society.

If you've ever wondered about the real dangers of conversion therapy, the financial power behind anti-LGBTQ+ movements, or how to fight back and protect queer youth, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.

Topics Covered in This Episode

✔️ The hidden power structures keeping conversion therapy alive

✔️ How wealthy megachurches and right-wing governments fund anti-LGBTQ+ movements

✔️ The false hope & emotional manipulation used by ex-gay ministries

✔️ Why conversion therapy is a fraudulent, harmful practice that never works

✔️ How survivors can reclaim their identity, power, and truth

✔️ The global expansion of conversion therapy, from Hungary to Russia

✔️ What YOU can do to expose, fight, and end these harmful practices

👉 Tune in now and join the fight against conversion therapy!

Key Quotes from This Episode

• 🗣️ "Conversion therapy is built on a house of cards—of lies. It didn’t work in 1998, and it won’t work in 2025." – Wayne Besen
• 🗣️ "The love bombing you’re experiencing is fake. The moment you start being yourself, they will abandon you." – Matt Ashcroft
• 🗣️ "Survivors, we need your voice. The only way we win this is through education, not silence." – Stevie

Where to Find Our Guests

• 📌 Matt Ashcroft (Survivor, Advocate, Content Creator)
• 📺 YouTube: Matt Ash TV
• 📌 Wayne Besen (Founder of Truth Wins Out, LGBTQ+ Advocate)
• 🌎 Website: Truth Wins Out

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate all queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)

Trans On The Road In The Deep South

🚨Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of sensitive topics including sexual abuse, especially between time stamps 13:30-19:00. Listener discretion is advised.

In this heartfelt episode of Queer Story Time, we’re joined by Terence, a 71-year-old trans man, to explore what activism can look like at different stages of life. Terence shares his unique perspective on creating "safe harbors" for others and the role this plays in fostering community and healing. His story is a reminder that activism isn’t limited to marching in the streets—it can take many forms, all equally valid and impactful.

We also dive into the importance of mindfulness, yoga, and other inward practices that allow us to break down societal norms and assumptions around gender and sexuality. By committing to personal growth, we can create positive change both within ourselves and in the world.

Highlights of this episode include:

• Terence’s reflections on activism and why providing a safe space is his way of contributing.
• The need for all of us to do inward work to challenge societal expectations and heal from harmful norms.
• A discussion on the evolving nature of activism and holding space for queer and trans elders who’ve already fought many battles.
• A preview of upcoming episodes that will continue exploring conversion therapy and queer & trans healing.

Big Announcements:

• Queer Story Time is transitioning off Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) and moving to decentralized social media like:
• Mastodon- @futuredrstevie@mastodon.social
• PixelFed- @futuredoctorstevie
• Loops by PixelFed- @futuredoctorstevie
• Come get a FREE copy of “Your Complete Checklist to Achieving Optimal Health as an LGBTQIA+ Person” by joining the QST Newsletter/Mailing List
• Join the new Queer Story Time Community Hub on Patreon for early access to episodes, exclusive content, and monthly Zoom gatherings. Paid tiers start at just $5/month.
• Subscribe to the Queer Story Time YouTube channel for the new QST Reacts series, featuring Stevie’s take on LGBTQIA+ topics in short, impactful videos.

📣 Spread the Word, Leave A Review, & Follow QST:

If this episode resonated with you, Stevie encourages you to share it widely! This will also help QST expand to an even bigger audience globally. We would also appreciate you leaving a written/star review to help us build our collective effort to liberate all queer and trans people globally.

✨ Join the QST Podcast Community & Get In-Touch:

Looking to see everything happening in our community? Come reach out, connect, and celebrate queer & trans joy together! You can find all QST resources here: https://beacons.ai/qstpodcast

Host: Stevie Inghram, M.S., YT, AWC, NMS-4 (She/They)