On this episode, Cardioncè Ross-Derèon (Mz. Cardioncè) joins Caroline and Lusi for a conversation that moves through survival, migration, faith, and the material work of building support networks for trans people navigating violence and displacement. Mz. Cardioncè traces her early experiences with gender identity in a conservative Christian environment, the impact of domestic abuse, and the barriers she faced in education and healthcare while seeking affirmation outside formal systems.

She speaks about her current work supporting trans and queer asylum seekers, including coordinating community-based efforts that helped a gay man flee homophobic violence in Uganda and resettle safely in Toronto. The discussion centers the practical realities of mutual aid: social media as infrastructure, informal fundraising, cross-border coordination, and the role of trans-led networks in providing housing, documentation support, and pathways to stability.

The conversation also explores Mz. Cardioncè’s ongoing education in child care, her plans to expand nonprofit work focused on safe spaces for trans and gender-diverse people, and the importance of representation, self-belief, and collective care.

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About the Guest

Cardioncè Ross-Derèon is a Toronto-based trans androgynous, female-identifying artist, community advocate, and creative voice. Her work and lived experience sit at the intersection of self-expression, resilience, and community structure. Through art, public engagement, and digital platforms, she uses storytelling as a tool to support gender-diverse and marginalized people with an emphasis on authenticity, visibility, and collective care.

Her background includes organizing within women-centered spaces and developing group structures that prioritize resource-sharing and pathways toward independence. As she continues her education, her work has expanded to focus more intentionally on transgender, queer, and socially segregated communities, reflecting an ongoing commitment to growth alongside the people she serves.

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About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode documents lived experience as historical record.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and Cameron Love, with the local Slothbois

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via PayPal: CarolineREssence

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

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline: 1 800 784 2433

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 7233

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Services Hotline: 1 800 662 4357

On this episode, Angel Lovely joins Caroline and Jordan sit for a conversation that moves through care, survival, art, and the responsibility of witnessing. The discussion is expansive, grounded in what Angel names as “the dimensionality and depth humans can carry” and the multidimensionality we hold within.

Angel speaks about writing, painting, and self-portraiture as practices that held them through isolation, dysphoria, and dissociation. They trace how creative work became a method of returning to the body, building language for non-binary experience, and documenting lives often left outside official records. The conversation explores family distance with care, the impact of hypersexualization on gender perception, and the ongoing work of living authentically. Joy emerges as method: dancing, cooking, reading, and witnessing other queer people living openly become forms of survival and record.

The conversation moves into Angel’s archival practice, centering Black and Indigenous queer tenderness, pre-colonial gender fluidity, ecosensuality, and the ethics of documenting community without extraction. Angel reflects on spirituality beyond lineage, decolonizing ideas of madness and consciousness, and the importance of unlearning bias when holding other people’s stories.

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About the Guest

Angel (they/them) is an artist and writer whose work centers Black and Indigenous narratives as acts of witnessing and archival care. Their practice documents lives, homes, communities, histories, loves, and everyday tenderness often excluded from dominant records. They are interested in literature that feels like home, work that affirms possibility, fluidity, rupture in form, and decolonial, anti-colonial, and Indigenous practices.

Their creative work treats storytelling as a living archive that holds people with care rather than extracting from them. Estrangement from biological family is part of their history and may be discussed with care but is not the focus of this conversation.

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About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode captures lived experience from beginning to end, treating every story as historical record rather than soundbite.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and Cameron Love, with the local Slothbois

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via PayPal: CarolineREssence

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

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline: 1 800 784 2433

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 7233

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Servic

On this episode, Stevie Bees (they/he) joins Caroline, Foxx Cant Jordan Braxton, and Kevin Werner to share their life, work, and community initiatives.

Stevie reflects on childhood in London, Ontario, where music and imagination offered refuge and space for self-expression. Growing up without clear role models, they learned through experience and discovered the first contours of their creativity and identity. These early years surfaced later in the ways Stevie approached personal expression, relationships, and community.

As the conversation moves into adulthood, Stevie traces the evolution of their identity and creative work. They share how their clothing brand began, how attention arrived unexpectedly, and how they responded by supporting community and mutual aid. They discuss the nonprofit they founded, Fairy Godparents, which provides youth and community support through sponsorship programs, toy and period equity drives, and memorial scholarships. They are also the author of the forthcoming children’s book, What Is a Safe Space?

Throughout the episode, Stevie shows how personal, creative, and community work intersect, emphasizing care, connection, and practical support. The conversation remains grounded in lived experience, preserving the nuances of their story beyond public recognition.

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About the Guest

Stevie Bees, who uses they/he pronouns, is a community organizer, artist, and writer based in London, Ontario. They founded an independently grown apparel brand and later established the Fairy Godparents nonprofit. Through this work, they support youth and community with sponsorship programs, toy and period equity drives, and memorial scholarships. They are also the author of the forthcoming children’s book What Is a Safe Space?

⸻

About the Podcast

Preserving trans voices, one story at a time

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode captures lived experience from beginning to end, treating every story as historical record rather than soundbite.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and Cameron Love, with the local Slothbois

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via PayPal: CarolineREssence

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

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline: 1 800 784 2433

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 7233

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2 1 1

On this episode, Erica Deuso (she/her) joins Caroline and Jordan, with special guest co-host Jessie Gender, for a conversation about her life, work, and community leadership.

Erica reflects on childhood in Vermont, where growing up in a working-class family shaped her sense of service and responsibility. Early experiences with economic insecurity, scouting, and public service influenced her commitment to affordability, safety, and care at the local level.

As the conversation moves through Erica’s transition and entry into politics, she shares her approach to leadership rooted in listening, transparency, and practical problem solving. Rather than centering opposition or ideology, Erica focuses on building trust, addressing housing and flood mitigation, supporting first responders, and fostering a Good Neighbor culture in a growing town.

This episode marks both the Season 5 premiere and the four-year anniversary of The Trans Narrative Podcast. It is a conversation about service over spectacle, community over culture war, and what it looks like to lead with empathy while staying grounded in the everyday needs of the people she serves.

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About the Guest

Erica Deuso, who uses she/her pronouns, is a scientist, community advocate, and the Mayor of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Raised in a working-class family in Vermont, Erica studied biology and chemistry and has spent her career helping organizations better serve their communities. She transitioned at age 29 and later entered local politics with a focus on public safety, housing affordability, flood mitigation, and transparent governance. In 2026, she was elected mayor, becoming the first transgender mayor in Pennsylvania.

⸻

About the Podcast

Preserving trans voices, one story at a time

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode captures lived experience from beginning to end, treating every story as historical record rather than soundbite.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and the local Slothbois, with Cameron Love

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via PayPal: CarolineREssence

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

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline: 1 800 784 2433

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 7233

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2 1 1

On this episode, Monica Helms (she/her) joins Caroline, Jordan, Kaz Philips and Tess White for a conversation about her life, work, and enduring impact as a pioneering activist and creator of the Transgender Pride Flag.

Monica reflects on childhood in Sumter, South Carolina, and upbringing in Arizona, tracing her path through military service, transition, and advocacy. Serving aboard nuclear submarines from 1970 to 1978, including during the Vietnam War, Monica’s early experiences shaped her commitment to resilience, integrity, and visibility in spaces that excluded trans people.

The conversation moves through her post-military life, the creation of the Transgender Pride Flag in 1999, and the founding of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) in 2003. Monica shares how her work has fostered community solidarity, visibility, and practical support for trans service members and veterans. Themes of courage, creativity, and continuity run through the episode, emphasizing the tangible impact of one person’s dedication to collective care.

This episode honors a living legend whose work continues to ripple across generations. It is a conversation about persistence, creativity, and the belief that every person deserves to live authentically and be seen in full color.

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About the Guest

Monica Helms, who uses she/her pronouns, is an activist, author, and U.S. Navy veteran. Born in Sumter, South Carolina, and raised in Arizona, Monica served in the Navy from 1970 to 1978. After coming out as transgender in 1997, she became a pioneering advocate for visibility and equality, founding the Transgender American Veterans Association in 2003—the first organization dedicated to trans service members and veterans.

Her creation of the Transgender Pride Flag, first flown at a Phoenix Pride parade in 2000 and now housed at the Smithsonian, has become one of the most recognized symbols of trans pride worldwide. Through her memoir More Than Just a Flag, Monica continues to educate and inspire, centering authenticity, advocacy, and dignity for trans people everywhere.

⸻

About the Podcast

Preserving trans voices, one story at a time

The Trans Narrative Podcast is an international storytelling and archival platform dedicated to preserving trans and gender-diverse lives through long-form narrative. With over 150 episodes across five seasons and listeners in more than 80 countries, each episode captures lived experience from beginning to end, treating every story as historical record rather than soundbite.

🎙️ Trans or gender-diverse? Share your story at transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com 🏳️‍⚧️

Created and Produced by Caroline Essence

“Make it real to me” written by Athena Promachus

Featuring: Talk my Ear Off by Mateo Briscoe and the local Slothbois, with Cameron Love

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via PayPal: CarolineREssence

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

⸻

Resources

Suicide Hotline: 1 800 784 2433

Trevor Project: 1 866 488 7386

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 7233

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1 800 662 4357

S A F E Self Abuse Finally Ends: 1 800 366 8288

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1 800 313 1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2 1 1

On this episode, Caroline, Jordan, and Kevin meet Augustine Lorrie, a queer and transfemme singer, writer, and performer making their Cleveland Play House debut in The Christine Jorgensen Show, a musical cabaret inspired by the life of America’s first transgender celebrity.

Together, they explore Augustine’s journey from a rural upbringing in Northern California to the international stage, tracing a path through UC Santa Barbara, the Yale School of Drama, and performances across Europe. Augustine shares how their identity as a transfeminine artist shapes their craft, how mentorship and method ground their approach to character, and what it means to embody Christine Jorgensen—a figure whose courage redefined gender and media visibility in the 1950s.

This conversation bridges art, activism, and ancestry, examining how storytelling can reclaim trans history and transform public consciousness. Through humor, empathy, and rigorous artistry, Augustine brings Jorgensen’s voice back to life for a new generation, reminding us that liberation begins in truth-telling, and that performance itself can be an act of historical repair.

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Augustine Lorrie is a queer and transfemme singer, writer, and performer making their Cleveland Play House debut in The Christine Jorgensen Show. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara and the Yale School of Drama, Augustine has appeared in productions such as Julius Caesar, Next to Normal, and original solo works performed internationally in Prague and Sicily. Their artistic practice integrates theatre, music, and storytelling to explore trans identity, legacy, and liberation through performance.

TICKETS CAN BE FOUND AT https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/

⸻

About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is a storytelling platform centering trans voices through authentic dialogue and lived experience. With over 130 episodes across four seasons and listeners in 75 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

Created and produced by Caroline Essence

Powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 transnarrativepodcast@gmail.com

💵 Support via CashApp: $gottabesomthinmore

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

⸻

Resources

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

Trevor Project: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357

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

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1-800-313-1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2-1-1

On this episode, Caroline, Jordan, and Tess sit with Osmany Villa, a multifaceted creative, activist, and community leader from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Known for her historic achievement as the first transgender prom queen in Oklahoma, Osmany has become a visible advocate for trans youth and LGBTQ+ representation across the South.

Together, we explore Osmany’s journey of visibility, resilience, and leadership, from her Mennonite upbringing and early transition to her work as Social Media Director for OKC Pride Inc. and Parade Coordinator for The Gayly. Through storytelling, media, and grassroots organizing, Osmany bridges art and activism to uplift her community and redefine what pride looks like in the heart of the Midwest.

This conversation dives deep into representation, identity, and systemic change, illuminating how trans leaders like Osmany are reshaping the cultural landscape through creativity, education, and collective care.

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Osmany Villa is a creative, activist, and community organizer based in Oklahoma City. She made history as Oklahoma’s first transgender prom queen and now serves as Social Media Director for OKC Pride Inc. and Parade Coordinator for The Gayly. Through her activism, storytelling, and digital leadership, she fosters visibility, education, and empowerment for the trans and queer community across Oklahoma and beyond. Outside of her advocacy, Osmany prioritizes wellness, creativity, and time with loved ones—embodying the balance between self-care and social impact.

⸻

About the Podcast

The Trans Narrative Podcast is a storytelling platform centering trans voices through authentic dialogue and lived experience. With over 130 episodes across four seasons and listeners in 75 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

Created and produced by Caroline Essence, powered by Spotify for Creators

📧 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)

Trevor Project: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357

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

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1-800-313-1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2-1-1

On this episode of The Trans Narrative Podcast, Caroline is joined by trans artists and creatives Foxx Cant and Ryan Klinghammer for a conversation exploring art, identity, and creative resilience. Together, they reflect on what it means to create from lived experiences, how transness informs artistic practice, and how storytelling, visual art, and performance become acts of reclamation and community building.

In this episode, the three discuss navigating visibility and vulnerability as artists, the role of authenticity in creative work, and the tension between artistic freedom and societal expectation. They also explore the emotional labor of trans creativity, how art can hold both pain and joy, serving as a site of transformation, resistance, and belonging.

Through honest conversation and shared insight, Foxx and Ryan remind us that art is more than expression, it’s survival, connection, and the radical act of imagining ourselves whole.

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Foxx Cant is a non-binary trans femme filmmaker based in Vancouver, on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. She is the founder of Anomalous Transmissions Media, creator of the YouTube channel Foxxtales, and a manager of two queer small businesses while volunteering for a queer nonprofit.

“Ryan Klinghammer is a transmasc drag king, advocate, and community builder based in St. Louis, Missouri. He currently holds the title of Mr. Trans Midwest 2025 and performs under the name Mars. His work spans the stage and the streets, from leading drag king showcases and workshops, to organizing queer proms, disability marches, and fashion shows that center trans joy. A former theater kid turned cultural worker, Ryan uses pageantry and performance as platforms for visibility, mentorship, and systemic change. His mission is to create sustainable, affirming spaces for trans people to thrive, connect, and reclaim their power.”

———-

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 75 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

Created and produced by Caroline Essence, powered by Spotify for Creator’s.

📧 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)

Trevor Project: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE

Drug Abuse National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357

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

Family Violence Prevention Center: 1-800-313-1310

National Human Service Call Center: 2-1-1