On this episode, Caroline and Athena sit down with Mateo Briscoe, aka Local Slothboi, a Sacramento-based musician whose songs explore self-discovery, transition, and lived experience. Mateo takes listeners through his journey from early music experiences to finding his voice as a trans artist, and how creativity became a lifeline for self-expression.

Together, they dive into the role of music in fostering connection, understanding, and empowerment. Mateo shares the inspiration behind his acoustic EP, personal songs like “Little Guy” and “Insane,” and the ways performance and community help him navigate identity, anxiety, and self-love.

This conversation is about courage, authenticity, and the power of art to create community. Mateo highlights the importance of supporting trans artists, maintaining vulnerability in content creation, and showing up as oneself, on stage, online, and in life.

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Mateo Briscoe Bio

Inspired by Amy Winehouse and Tracy Chapman, Mateo Briscoe, aka Local Slothboi, is a trans musician and songwriter from Sacramento, California. Beginning with open mic nights and expanding to performances at venues such as Ace of Spades, Holy Diver, and The Boardwalk, Mateo’s music channels vulnerability, resilience, and unapologetic self-expression. Through songs like “Talk My Ear Off,” “Little Guy,” and “Insane,” Mateo explores themes of identity, self-discovery, transition, and the challenges of navigating life with ADHD and anxiety. His work emphasizes community, connection, and using music as a platform to uplift trans voices and create spaces for understanding and authenticity.

https://www.tiktok.com/@local_slothboi?_t=ZP-8zXmE0XyLPC&_r=1

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About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is a storytelling platform centering trans voices through authentic dialogue and lived experiences. With over 130 episodes across four seasons and listeners in 69 countries, the show creates space for guests to share their journeys, insights, and work—on their own terms.

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus, covered by Boy Bowser

The Trans Narrative was created and produced by Caroline Penny, powered by Spotify for Podcasters.

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via CashApp: $gottabesomthinmore

Find us on Facebook, TikTok, Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Resources

Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) 1-800-DONT-CUT

American Foundation for Low Vision 212-502-7633

Trevor Project (Suicide) 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Family Violence Prevention Center 1-800-313-1310

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline 1-800-662-4357

National Human Service Call Center 2-1-1

On this episode, Caroline, Cynthia, and Jordan sit down with Nia Chiaramonte, author of I Hardly Knew Me, co-founder of Love in the Face, and featured voice in the Hulu documentary We Live Here. Nia takes us through her profound journey, from growing up in an evangelical Christian family in Iowa, to embracing her truth as a transgender woman, wife, mother of five, and advocate for queer families.

Together, we explore the intersections of faith, family, and identity along with what it means to deconstruct deeply rooted religious beliefs while building a life grounded in authenticity, love, and resilience. Nia shares the power of writing as both survival and testimony, and how she and her wife Katie have transformed personal struggle into a model of community care and advocacy.

This conversation is about courage, truth-telling, and the necessity of unlearning shame in order to build futures of belonging. Nia reminds us that unconditional love is not a theory, it’s a daily practice of survival, joy, and resistance in a world that often denies all three.

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Nia Chiaramonte (kara-MONtae), with her wife Katie J. Chiaramonte, is the co-founder of Love in the Face and co-author of Embracing Queer Family. Together, they work to support transgender and LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families on their journeys of self-discovery. She and Katie were featured in the Hulu documentary We Live Here.

Nia is also the author of I Hardly Knew Me: Following Love, Faith, and Skittles to a Transgender Awakening, a memoir written not in hindsight but in real-time moments of transition, faith deconstruction, and self-acceptance. With humor and vulnerability, she shares the lived realities of trans experience—from family conversations and faith community fallout, to resilience, love, and the radical act of becoming visible.

From navigating her marriage and parenting five children, to building resources for queer families, Nia’s work embodies the belief that true liberation begins with telling our stories and creating spaces where love is stronger than shame.

📖 Learn more:

• ​ I Hardly Knew Me — [https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/i-hardly-knew-me/]
• ​ Love in the Face — https://loveintheface.com

⸻

About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is a storytelling platform centering trans voices through authentic dialogue and lived experiences. With over 130 episodes across four seasons and listeners in 69 countries, the show creates space for guests to share their journeys, insights, and work—on their own terms.

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus, covered by Boy Bowser

The Trans Narrative was created, and produced by Caroline Penny, powered by Spotify for Podcasters.

If you’d like to reach out or be part of the show:

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via CashApp: $gottabesomthinmore

Find us on Facebook, TikTok, Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) 1-800-DONT-CUT

American Foundation for Low Vision 212-502-7633

Trevor Project (Suicide) 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Family Violence Prevention Center 1-800-313-1310

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline 1-800-662-4357

National Human Service Call Center 2-1-1

On this episode, Athena, Caroline, and Foxx Cant sit down with Kit M. Caelsto (they/them), an author, spiritual mentor, and founder of Feathermane Soul. Kit takes us through their journey, from a bullied childhood in Iowa, to becoming a published author of romance and equestrian fiction, to embracing their identities as transgender, neurodivergent, chronically ill, and disabled.

Together, we explore how storytelling serves as a thread connecting Kit’s work as an author, a graduate student in Religious Studies, and a spiritual guide. Kit shares how narrative therapy, yoga, and reiki help trans and disabled people reclaim spirituality outside exclusionary frameworks, and how authentic representation in literature can create new pathways for empowerment and belonging.

This conversation is about authenticity, embodiment, and the liberatory power of reclaiming our own stories. Kit reminds us that healing and transformation are not found in conformity, but in weaving personal truth, spirituality, and creativity into fully lived, embodied lives.

“Kit M. Caelsto is an author of over two decades, publishing across multiple genres, and the creative mind behind Feathermane Soul, where they guide others in reclaiming story and spirit. Their work bridges equestrian literature, queer and disabled representation, and spiritual practices rooted in yoga, meditation, and reiki. As the Author Yogi, Kit mentors writers, while their ongoing graduate work in Religious Studies informs a deep exploration of spirituality, embodiment, and narrative. Their journey reflects resilience, self-discovery, and a dedication to helping others find authenticity and joy through storytelling.”

To learn more about Kit’s work, visit feathermanesoul.com or follow them on Instagram @feathermanesoul.

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About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is a storytelling platform centering trans voices through authentic dialogue and lived experiences. With over 130 episodes across four seasons and listeners in 69 countries, the show creates space for guests to share their journeys, insights, and work—on their own terms.

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus, covered by Boy Bowser

The Trans Narrative was created and produced by Caroline Penny, powered by Spotify for Podcasters.

If you’d like to reach out, or be part of the show, contact us at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

Support and donations can be made to Cash App tag $gottabesomthinmore

Find us on Facebook, TikTok, and on Apple, Spotify, and iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Thank you for your support.

Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) 1-800-DONT-CUT

American Foundation for Low Vision 212-502-7633

Trevor Hotline (Suicide) 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Family Violence Prevention Center 1-800-313-1310

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline 1-800-662-4357

National Human Service Call Center 2-1-1