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Forgotten history sits just beneath the surface of our community, and today we dig it up with care. We walk through the Tenderloin after the Compton Cafeteria Riot to find trans organizers meeting at Glide Memorial, building Conversion Our Goal (COG) in 1967, and setting a standard for peer-led support that moved beyond survival. From there, we follow the thread to the National Transsexual Counseling Unit (NTCU) in 1968, a first-of-its-kind hub that offered counseling, referrals, job training resources, and legal guidance when official channels refused to see us.

We also spotlight the Labyrinth Foundation Counseling Service, founded in New York by trans man Dr. Angelo Torbene, also known as Mario Martino. Labyrinth shows what full-stack care looked like before the term existed: licensed mental health support tied directly to gender-affirming pathways, discreet coordination with outside institutions, help with name changes and IDs, and even weekend room, board, and transportation for clients traveling from out of town. Each piece speaks to a single goal—protect privacy, reduce harm, and get people to care faster. These organizations didn’t just resist stigma; they engineered solutions that worked on the ground.

By tracing these lineages, we connect the dots between yesterday’s mutual aid and today’s networks of telehealth, legal clinics, and community funds. We honor the Black and Brown trans leadership that set these efforts in motion, and we pull forward the practical lessons: centralize knowledge, build buffers against hostile systems, and keep services integrated so people aren’t left to navigate alone. If this history shifts how, you see our present, share the episode with someone who needs the receipts. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which piece of this story you want us to explore next.

Further Info:

The Labyrinth Counseling Center, Dr. Angelo Torbene: 7d278t12c

History of Conversion Our Goal: Compton’s Cafeteria, 1966 – Guernica

Subject: National Transsexual Counseling Unit - Digital Transgender Archive Search Results

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The Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Transman In Search of Media Atl, GA. Sound design and music production also created by Trans Man In Search of Media.

Support trans media, by becoming a paid subscriber or listener, info is on the website.

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This episode explores how social support shapes mental health for Black trans masculine folks and Black trans men, moving beyond crisis response to everyday thriving. The podcast offers a clear definition, two self-assessment questions, and practical ways to build aligned, reciprocal networks.

• mission and focus on Black transmasc folks and Black transmen’s mental health
• definition of social support and why it matters
• two questions to assess current networks
• shifting from crisis-only help to thriving support
• choosing affirming people who uplift goals
• reciprocity, consistency and staying connected
• fill out this questionnaire to measure support levels

Addition social support questions:

1. Family Support:

• How would you describe your relationship with your family? (close, distant, strained, no relationship)
• Do you feel comfortable discussing your gender identity and mental health with your family? (Yes/No)
• Have you experienced rejection or discrimination from your family due to your gender identity? (Yes/No)

2. Friend Support:

• How many close friends do you have?
• Do you feel comfortable discussing your gender identity and mental health with your friends? (Yes/No)
• Do your friends provide emotional support, practical help, or information related to your gender identity and mental health? (Yes/No/Don’t have any friends)

3. Community Support:

• Are you involved in any LGBTQ+ communities or organizations? (Yes/No)
• If yes, how does involvement in these communities impact your mental health? (Open-ended)
• Do you feel supported by the broader Black community? (Yes/No)

4. Overall Support:

• Overall, how would you rate your level of social support? (very poor, poor, acceptable, good, very good)
• What type of support do you find most helpful? (Open-ended)
• Are there any specific support needs that are currently unmet? (Open-ended)

The podcast was based on research found here. If you want to get into the technical aspect of social support, click the link.

Also, share, listen, follow, subscribe to the podcast, and continue to discuss mental health with other black trans masculine folks and black trans men

If you are suicidal or suffer from suicidal ideation, call TransLifeline 877-565-8860; Black Line 800-604-5841; Trans Lifeline text 313-662-8209; The Trevor Project 866-488-7396

Support the show

The Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Transman In Search of Media in Atl, GA. Sound design also created by Transman In Search of Media.

Send us a text

Ever wonder how far we've come in understanding transgender mental health? The journey from pathologization to progress has been long and challenging, but knowing this history is essential for appreciating our present and building a better future.

The Band Brothers Mental Health Podcast dives into the origins of transgender mental healthcare, tracing its evolution from the 19th century—when trans folks were misunderstood, labeled as homosexuals, and institutionalized—to today's more affirming approaches. This eye-opening exploration reveals how pioneering figures like Magnus Hirschfeld and Harry Benjamin began distinguishing transgender identities from sexual orientation, setting the stage for gradual improvements in understanding and care.

We reveal the significant shifts in medical perspectives, from the first formal diagnosis of "Psychopathia Transsexualialis" in 1949 to the inclusion of "transsexualism" in diagnostic manuals in the 1980s, and finally to the revolutionary change in the DSM-5 in 2013 that focused on gender dysphoria rather than pathologizing identity itself.

If we don't know where we have been, how far we have come, we will become discouraged and fall into despair. This episode offers a crucial historical perspective while emphasizing the importance of continued advocacy. The work isn't finished, but by understanding our collective journey, we can draw strength from those who persevered before us. Subscribe now to join a community committed to improving the mental health and support for Black transmen and Black transmasculine folks, because knowing our history empowers our future.

• DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• DCD: Disorders of Sexual Development
• ICD: International Classification of Diseases
• Reference: Psychiatry.org - Gender Dysphoria Diagnosis

Support the show

The Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Transman In Search of Media in Atl, GA. Sound design also created by Transman In Search of Media.