Show Notes
In this episode, we are joined by comedian, podcaster, and author Charlie James. We begin with an unexpected (but charming) introduction to Pamphlet, Charlie’s cat, followed by Charlie’s very thoughtful answer to our silly question wheel. Charlie discusses his experience transitioning while building a comedy career in the public eye and then we turn our attention to a listener-submitted voicemail asking how to respond when a child comes out to you as trans. Raimi and Charlie consider the question, “what did I need to hear?” and the group chats about leading with joy, enthusiasm, and curiosity.
As always, we finish with recommendations: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’s deleted episode “The Gatekeeper” from Disney+, the Trans Youth Emergency Project, and x + y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender by Eugenia Cheng.
Most importantly, make sure to check out and pre-order Charlie's new book, I’m Just A Little Guy: How to escape the horrors and get back to dillydallying, coming out fall 2025!
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More from Gender Playground
In this final episode of Gender Playground Season Two, the GP team gives listeners a peek behind the curtain! Marcelle and Raimi are joined by Coach and Associate Producer, Reese Carr, for a conversation about the making of this podcast! We also tackle two additional voicemails we didn't get to in our other episodes and then, as always, end on some recommendations!
In our penultimate episode of Season two, we are joined by friend of the pod, Elio Colavito (he/they)! Elio chats with Marcelle and Raimi about their doctoral research on the history of trans community-building and mutual aid. The group chat about the importance of being connected to community from the past into the present. In response to this week's listener voicemail, Marcelle, Raimi and Elio think through how to support kids when someone in their life comes out or transitions, including changing the pronouns used.
Children’s writer and educator, Lindz Amer (they/them), is our special guest this week! We ask Lindz about their experiences making both indie and mainstream children's media, their goal to make more LGBTQ+ inclusive children’s content and how Queer Kid Stuff came from a desire to create resources they wish they had when they were a kid. Lindz then helps us answer a voicemail from our listener Jasper (they/them), on how to approach talking with and challenging kids on gender essentialist ideas that may pop up in time constrained contexts like team sports.
Very special friend and parental teammate of the pod, Trevor Chow-Fraser (he/him) joins us this week. The conversation includes a great reminder that while we may see room for growth, that does not mean that we aren’t currently doing a good job! This week's listener voicemail covers the decisions that can arise when kids enter into new administrative spaces, like kindergarten, and the tricky navigation between gender presentation and passing, filling out forms, and identity.
Join us on the playground with fellow ‘gender nerd’ and this week's guest, S. Bear Bergman (he/him). In this episode, we chat about Bear's new book, Special Topics In Being A Parent: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned About Parenting, Mostly the Hard Way, and answer a listener-submitted voicemail from Steph! We talk to Bear about the benefits of leading with personal experience rather than a position of expertise when it comes to parenting advice, and his desire to write a book about caretaking that didn't gender the parenting experience. We then dive into Steph's voicemail all about gender neutral parenting.