July 17, 2023 • 32 mins
Kokomo City is a documentary about four transwomen, the black community, our phobias, and our “conditioned ideas” towards alternative lifestyles. D. Smith’s personal story as a transwoman has not been easy, she has been blacklisted, discarded, embarrassed and etc, but this road led her to her truth as a storyteller and Director.
While listening if any portion of this episode makes you feel discomfort offer yourself grace. Try to remember that the world is changing, so in a lot of ways we are all adjusting, unlearning, and “transitioning” to become a society that doesn't transfer pain but heals and accepts one another for our differences.
Watch the Trailer: KOKOMO CITY - Official Trailer / Directed By: D SMITH / in Theaters July 28th
Connect: @carichampion @truedsmith @kokomocityfilm
Learn More. KOKOMO CITY FILM
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's like, literally, one day I was in the studio
wearing baggy jeans, and then the next time they see me,
I'm wearing i have blue eyeshadow on my eyes and
I'm wearing heels and expect people to just turn it
off and accept that. And so that took me some
time to really heal from that, blaming people for not
just accepting who I am, especially in the black industry.
(00:23):
And it was a lesson that I often try to
advise other people people.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That is d Smith talking about her transition and how
difficult it was for her to realize that a community,
a music community that she loved no longer loved her.
That's all coming up on this edition of Naked.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
It's the greatest disperse and entertainment and Naked Win and
Carry Champion and carry Champion is going to be a champion,
a champion, they carry Champion, they got Champion, and care
with Chapion and care with Chapy.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Great Fred Entertainment getting you where. Hey, everybody, welcome to
another edition of Naked. Today's podcast is one where I
would like you all to implore empathy, grace and mercy.
Grace learned from the church and from my mother. And
what I've been taught is when we receive a blessing
(01:23):
that we truly don't deserve, I e. When we've been
acting out and we know we don't deserve it, but
we get in it. Grace mercy is when we don't
get the punishment we deserve. I'm gonna give you a
little mercy. So all of those things are needed today.
I know, as a journalist, especially in the world we
(01:44):
live in, when we talk about transgender LGBTQ, I hesitate
to have conversations because I don't know what pronounce to use.
She heard them, they I get confused. I am of
the age where I am confused, and so I steer
(02:05):
clear of it, or I just refer to the person
as their name. And then on today's podcast, I have
d Smith. D Smith has transitioned and twenty fourteen D
Smith went from being a man to a woman. Prior
to that, D Smith was out as gay. Prior to that,
(02:30):
D Smith lived a life where he back in the day,
pretended to be heterosexual and date women, and that has
to be difficult to live. A lie. Often times we
do it. We lie about how successful we are, We
(02:50):
lie about who we like or love. We lie about
the life we live. But to feel which I wouldn't understand,
but to feel out of home, out of not in
comfort with your body, it has to be something that's
excruciatingly painful. It just has to be. And this is
the first time I've ever really thought about it because
(03:12):
she d Smith came on my podcast today to talk
about Cocomo City. It is a film that features the
lives of four trans women as they take us through
their introductions to sex work and how they try to
reconcile the demands of survival with the risk of their jobs,
(03:34):
but also being their most authentic selves, and of course
the complicated relationship that the black community has with gay
in trans It's a complicated relationship. D Smith said she
prayed to God when she was six years old and said, God,
I know you made a mistake. I forgive you, but
(03:55):
just make me a girl. Can you imagine carrying that
burden at six years old? So with that being said,
I just ask you again for empathy, compassion, mercy and
grace as you listened to d Smith tell her story,
but most importantly, she's very proud of this work. Cocomo City.
(04:20):
Everybody welcome d Smith to Naked and Care with Chatpian
and Care with Chat. First off, thank you so much
for doing this and more importantly, your courage. I love
the story, and I love what you're telling and what
you're sharing. I usually like to do an origin story,
and I have great researchers, at least I believe they are,
and I was able to get more of your background.
(04:41):
I wanted to be fully prepared. I'd like for you
to tell me where you grew up, your gospel background, and.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And what made you you as a youth. Uh well,
I originally I'm originally from Miami. That's where I'm based.
Now that's full circle moment. It's crazy. I did grow
up in church and it was I mean, it honestly
(05:09):
was the joy of my life. I grew up, you know,
with my grandparents. My dad and my mom were divorced,
and my dad was a musician. He traveled the world,
So a lot of my influences really came for my grandmother.
Like she taught me how to drive. I still drive
with two feet, thanks but no. Church was a huge
(05:32):
part of my upbringing and the fabric of my musical education.
And I moved to New York I moved to New
York when I was seventeen, and I went there homeless
and slept in the streets of New York and became
a subway singer. Eventually got money to buy I meant
(05:53):
to get a room in Harlem, and I ended up
getting a publishing gale, my first wishing deal, and yeah,
and then I started to work with major artists like
you know, Lil Wayne, Carry Hilson, Sierra Monica and all
the you know, they were popping.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So yeah, it was, it was. It was.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I've always been really ambitious and crazy enough to just
kind of like always take a chance on things.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I do love the idea of taking a chance. And
you named some you name some artists you like they
were popping. I'm like, they still pop. In what you're saying,
like they still popping. So you eventually, I personally, let's
go personally as opposed to professionally personally. I read that
you came out when you were how old. Well I
(06:44):
never came out. I was actually forced out. I was
I was dating a girl. I was dating a girl
and she.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Started questioning because we we we weren't having sex as much.
And I blamed it on stress. I blamed it on
a lot of responsibilities and I just wasn't into it.
I was in love with her, but I was so
into men and I couldn't it just she was just
(07:11):
became very suspicious, and someone in the music industry I
still don't know to this day, basically kind of you know,
asked her, do you think maybe D could be gay
or by or something? And that opened up and I
just got tired of, you know, denying and hiding and
I literally just like, okay, okay, I'm gay, I'm sorry.
(07:34):
And then and from that I thought it would be over,
We'll be friends, and it just it just it was
very heartbreaking for her and really heartbreaking for me that,
you know, I did that to her. But that was
that was my coming out. But I transitioned in twenty fourteen.
I think that's probably what you're referring to.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
No, no, no, I was refering to you saying that
you were telling I read that you told some family
members and they were not happy with it, mainly your father.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Oh no, yeah, about me being transgender. Yeah, that was
like later, that was like twenty fourteen, and in yeah, no,
still not good with him, but but you know, he
claims he loves me unconditionally.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Which is kind of like funny. Humans, we're just working.
We just all trying our best, whatever that looks like
for them. You come out and you tell this young
lady in the music industry that you're gay. Were there
any repercussions about saying that in terms of your professional career?
Was anyone feeling a way they didn't want to work
(08:37):
with you? Everything was fine, everything was Did anything change
in your life outside of it mentioning or coming out
as gay before you condition? Yeah? Both both times I
got embarrassed. But it's funny.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
It's just like church, right, you could be gay, but
if you dress a certain way, we'll accept it, especially
if you're bringing something to the table, whether you're a
quid director, director, the organist, or the drummer. You know,
if you can if you're not, you know, hard to
deal with, we can accept it. And that's that's the
hip hop hypocrisy. Yeah, it's like there's so many gay,
(09:17):
homosexual people in the music industry, including women.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's not just men.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
You know, I've been in the music industry for over
fifteen years. There's a lot of homosexuality in the artists
and the managements and the you know, the regular labels themselves.
But you can't force people to just come out or
to be what you think they should be.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
People. You have to respect people's process in progress.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
But mine, I've always kind of been like ahead, and
most of my connections in the black community, in the
in the music industry with black people, right, most of
my contacts, most of the n ars, most of the
artists and the managers that I was dealing with. And
so when I started to dress way more feminine, it's like,
literally one day I was in the studio wearing baggy
(10:04):
jeans and goud it's so crazy about me even saying this,
you know, and fit its and and and then the
next time they see me, I'm wearing i have blue
eye shadow on my eyes and I'm wearing heels and
expect people to just turn it off and accept that.
And so that took me some time to really heal
from that, blaming people for not just accepting who I am,
(10:26):
especially in the black industry. And it was a lesson
that I often try to advise other people, like it's
you want people to accept you for who you are,
but it's very unrealistic that people know and fall in
love with one person and you want them to just
completely turn that off and look at you as the
same person. It's very, very hard to do. So my
(10:48):
transition to female as a direct I met as a
producer in the black community.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's very difficult, wasn't it so layered? So layered you
specifically reference being in the black community. There's taboo associated
with it. What was your experience, because that's when I
say courage. That takes a lot of courage. I have
seen and hear and know how people react and how
were you able to push through that? That was very like,
(11:19):
I don't say groundbreaking, but no, it was groundbreaking. No,
no one in the black community had ever dealt with
the trans woman that was a stable, successful producer music producers,
especially working with multiple rappers, and they didn't know how
to deal with that. And the first thing to do,
as Black people, we like to run and hide rather
than having a face to face, mature, emotionally balanced discussion
(11:43):
about this, you know, and and it became a nothing
because we shut it off and we get rid of
it and you're just dismissed. So that was the experience
of you know, coming out as transgender. So all of
the awards, the money, the you know, the relationships, none
of that mattered. Everything went out of the window, just
(12:04):
like that, and so the money stopped coming in and
opportunity stopped coming in for me. It was described as
blacklisted to me in my research. Is that an appropriate
way to describe how you felt once you transitioned in
the music industry? I think that's a really harsh, extreme word.
But I was also in denial for years, and I
(12:24):
made excuses for all of those people that persecuted me
for being myself. I love black people, and I loved
all the people that dismissed me. I made excuses for them,
and I suffered. Now, you know, almost ten years later,
I understand that that wasn't you know, that was discrimination.
(12:49):
It was very hurtful and I was absolutely blacklisted, black balled,
or whatever you call it. And it wasn't anything that
I did to anyone. It's something that I did for
my and people took that personal. I don't know how
so I would describe that. You know, I literally lost
everything due to that, and I don't regret it. I
(13:09):
don't regret it, you know, because it was I probably
I don't know how other way I would have continued
to live my life that way. When you decided to transition,
what was the process, And by process, I mean, was
it that you, like, I just can't live a lie anymore.
You had to come out of this image, this lie,
or you had to feel as if you wanted to
(13:31):
be at home in your body. What is this process
for you? It was very closer to the latter.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
It's a little cliche to say, but when I was
maybe six, I want to say seven, but definitely six.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I remember saying a prayer to God that I know.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You made a mistake. I know God, I know we
all make mistakes. You clearly made a mistake by making
me a boy. But here's the good news. I will
forgive you if you just make me a girl. And
I prayed and cried, and I got beatings for being
caught wearing my grandmother's dresses and my mom's guest dresses
and shoes, and kissing my brother's friends and the closet.
(14:10):
I didn't you know it was it was beyond gay.
I was never molested, I wasn't exposed to anything homophobic.
Nothing was pushed on me. You know, it was natural
for me as a child to desire to be a
woman and and uh, it's always been something that I
wanted to do, but the older I got, it was
suppressed because of upbringing, church girls, the music industry.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Friends. It wasn't even considered. I didn't consider it. I
just always dreamt of it. And so when I started
seeing more things publicly and understanding, you listen, time is flying,
you know your life is This is something I always
wanted to do, and I decided to take hormone therapy.
But before that, I took therapy for a year with
doctors just to talk it through and make sure that
(14:55):
I wasn't tripping. And yeah, so uh, after a year
a therapy, I decided to transition. Don't go anywhere. We
have more with d Smith after we pay these bills.
You do not want to miss her very compelling and
compassionate story, you guys. This one is this one is special.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Back in the moment, every champion and Cary Champion is
to be a Championata Champion and Cary Chappion and Carrie
Chappy Yata Champion.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
And carry Chappion and carry chap Entertainment and Naked Weird.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Very Champion and carry Chappion is to be a Championata champion,
and Carrie Chappie and Niggery got a champion and carry
Chapion and carried.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Shep Let's pick up where we left off. D Smith
joins us on naked And so when you now look
back on the therapy, the the transition physically and what
you perceived as lost, what are your biggest lessons your
(16:04):
biggest takeaways?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Well, this process has taught me how damaged our community
is as black people. I don't know whose fault it is.
You know, I wanted to blame my dad for things.
I want to blame my mom. I blame myself. You know,
it was so many things growing up that we could
all say that's why, that's why, that's why. But someone
(16:29):
raised my father, someone raised my grandfather, someone beat my
great grandfather, someone, you know, and it caused us not
to coddle our children, coddle each other emotionally as children.
And you know, we're neglected emotionally and is extremely damaging,
really traumatizing for us as black people. We rarely, rarely,
(16:52):
rarely get the opportunity to afford a healthy mental child flick.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You know, we rarely do.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It's it's very harsh growing up as a as a
black child, and we're used to it. We're used to,
you know, the punishment, the words, the ass weapons, the
we we already know what it is. No matter where
we are in the world, it's a universal black thing.
We're all raised by the same parents. As they say, preach, go, go,
preach so and so I realized through my process of
(17:22):
transitioning it wasn't just the transitioning, it was just mental undoing.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And I had to be realistic, not extreme saying this
is wrong, this is wrong. I had to really step
out objectively and.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Realistically as a human, say what it is it that
I identify as a What what do I gravitate to,
What makes me feel comfortable, what makes me feel proud
and safe?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
And what's natural for me? What is natural?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
And I had to I had to commit to that,
and I wanted to find that and and learn and
heal with that. But then doing that, those are all
the things that I was taught was wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You know, I know my father loves me, but it's
what's happening with him. I can't blame other black men
and ask them to accept me and respect me. If
my own father don't and I don't want to be
a hypocrite my my father. My father used to tell
me it's really personal, but I'm okay. And my father
used to tell me growing up that he and his
(18:21):
friends used to beat up gay people and really buoyant
guys and like in school, like fight them for no reason,
just fight them and beat them up, all the gay boys.
Like that was the end thing back in the day,
you know, and he was. We took proud of that,
pride of that.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
And now he has not only one transgender daughter, he
has too. I have a sibling that's transgender. So it's like,
I don't We're not karma. But at the same time,
you have to parents like to fight what they know
is in them as well. You know what they're fighting.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
And I don't know what my dad's going through, but
you know, let's just go to show, like blue Face
acting his baby his child is he gay?
Speaker 2 (19:11):
At the five six years old? It's like, why do
we do that? As parents? It's like, as black.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
People, it's traumatizing. It's scary to be accused of something
that you are or that you aren't in a way
that feels vicious and threatening.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, I will say this. I sense your carefulness with
your words and the way in which you're trying to
have grace and mercy when you talk about something that
is so very painful. I think a lot of what
you're describing is just a lack of education and understanding.
(19:49):
And so you take all of these experiences that I
feel and I could be wrong in real time you're
still dealing with and you have the opportunity to create
this wonderful film that has won awards at Sundance, that
has been celebrated for its authenticity because people don't know
(20:12):
how to be authentic whatever you're doing with in life, right,
and I think that there is definitely a connection there.
How would you describe and make sure I'm saying this right,
Cocomo Cocobo, Cocomo City, Cocamo City. I'm making sure I'm
saying that correct. How would you subscribe Cocomo City for
(20:32):
those who are going to watch Cocomo City is like.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
It's a black film that to me, it's a it's
a black film, it's black more before its LGBT. I
I do accept you know how people label it because
you know this is this is new and I'm just
I'm grateful for platform, but I I do like to
(20:59):
point out that there are men in the film that
love women.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Some of them are fathers.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Most of them are fathers, and it's not fair to
throw them into the LGBT bus because we're too lazy
to name it something else.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
It's like, just because I'm transgender and I've made a
film doesn't mean it's LGBT. It's like, but Cocomo City
is like a I said, I wanted to create a
film that if if Tarantino and Spike Lee was to
make a documentary, what would that look like? So it's
it's a it's a fresh take on the transgender narrative creatively,
(21:38):
you know, visually. So yeah, it's basically, you know, for
trans women telling their stories about being uh, sex workers
and that dichotomy between them and the Black community as
a whole, and what that looks like to them and
their experiences. Yeah, that's that's pretty the sum up of
(21:59):
Coco City. But it's also the current and fresh. It's
a new take on on us as black people.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
What is your what's your inspiration? What is your inspiration
for Cocamo City? Black people? I want, I want I
am a creative person and I want to express myself
creatively and it is it's it's a black It's.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Almost like you ever seen like I wanted to feel
like you've ever seen that, You've ever seen good times
like that show Good Times and they have that painting
with the bodies.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
They're all long and they're doing like this and they're.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Dancing and you're liketionistic, surrealistic, so realistic, but it's black.
It's like creative, but it's so black. You can almost
smell the funk. You could feel the high. You know,
it's like I want Coole City like that. You just
know what it is universally. You can put it on
mute and you still feel you feel that that universal
(23:02):
body language of black people and how we talk. It's
just a it's a new calling card for us as
black people and queer people to push the uh the
needle further with our storytelling and also tap back into
our blackness and our stories.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
And you know, I want to do that. I want
to be a part of that. The acknowledgment and the
awards that you've received so far, does that validate you
in any way? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, I mean hell yeah, you know, it's like I
made Cocomo City with the bare minimum materials.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I had to.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Edit, I did the cinematography, and I directed it and
mainly because I had no money, only because I had
no money, but also it's something I would want to
have done anyway. You know, as a creator is fulfilling
to me. You feel really validated. You do like, okay,
you see me. Do you feel seen? Do you feel seen?
(24:13):
Truly seen?
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I do.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I do, but I feel seen as I also feel seen.
I feel seen as a creator. It's not I'm recognized
as a trans woman that that's a creator that happens
to be transgender.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
I do feel that. I don't feel like there's too
less or too much more of ratio. But I have to.
I have to keep going.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I've tapped into something that I'm really good at, and
I have resource and access to do more and to
tell more stories and to help more people. How much
more dignifying can you be? Dignified?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Could you be? As a director?
Speaker 1 (24:52):
To get a standing ovation and Sundance and Berlin at
the International premieres and there when we went to to Berlin,
the girls they came as well, the cast, those people
stood up I'm not kidding.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I have the video to prove it. They stood up
for almost ten minutes clapping and would not stop. Wow
did they make you crying? Oh? What? I was a disaster.
I was a disaster. I was a mess. I was
in shop.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
And actually when we went to screen the film, before
we even played it, we came in after everyone had
sat down. We were going to sit in the back,
and as we walked in, people just started clapping and
stood up when we even walked in. So when the
movie was over, forget about it. And and the fact
that I was able to see the girls respond and
look at themselves on that screen because I had seen
(25:41):
this movie a thousand times before they seen it, and
I just couldn't wait to see them. Could you imagine
filming something in your the raw state, saying whatever you
want to say. Half the time, you were smoking and drinking,
and you did a documentary with no makeup, half dressed,
and you put all of that trust into one person
that you don't even know, and then you hear that
(26:03):
it's going to sundance and it's gonna be on a
huge screen in front of people, and you've not seen anything,
you don't can't remember what you said, what you were
wearing with the life. That took a lot for those women.
It took a lot from me because I was just
like nervous about the audience, nervous about how does it
how is it gonna look on the screen, and more
importantly are the girls gonna be okay with what I did?
(26:26):
So there was a lot of anxiety there. But to
see those girls being so proud just it was worth
every frame frame.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Every champion and Cary Champion is to be a champion,
out a champion and carry Chappion and Cary chat be
out a champion and carry Chappion and Carrie she.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Entertainment and make it work.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Kerry Champion and Carrie Champion is to be a champion
of Champion and Carrie Chappie and the girls a champion
and carry Chappion and Carrie shep.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
You talk about now that you've done this, you have resources,
you have access, you have attention, You feel validated, all
of the things that so many of us think we want.
Is there anything else that's missing for you? I don't.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I yeah, there there there are. There's a lot of
there's a lot more healing that I need that I
want to do in my life. A lot of things
I walked away from, you know. I I have two
projects that I'm about to start developing now with some
great production companies, really big situations, and thank you. I
(27:39):
can't tell you how grateful I am. It's this has
been the most frustrating part of the whole journey, is
not finding the words.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's just.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Share with people that that really shows what I feel
right now, you know. But yeah, there's there's things I
there's a lot of closure that I want as a
person to to you know, to move on with my
life and and to be able to help more people.
And I want, I want, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I kind of want to go back to church. I
know this sounds weird. I really missed.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I hated church for years because it's so hard, even
not as a trans person, just hard. You know, people
are tough in church as well, you know. But I
miss the smell of church. I missed the drums in
the choir. I miss I missed going giving offering. I'm
not I missed that experience as a child, you know,
But I don't know what that process looked like with
(28:31):
me going back to church. I don't know how dedicated
I want to be. I just I kind of miss it.
Uh And I don't know, know that's random. I know
it's random and just crazy. But I miss church, you know,
I missed that was a huge part of my life,
you know. But hopefully, you know, if I could find
somewhere safe that that's pretty close to my upbringing, that'll
(28:53):
be that'll make me pretty happy.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Safe is the key word. We all like to feel safe.
Everything you're asking for is regard lists of gender. It
is just a human nature. It's a part of the humanity.
We need to feel safe, we need to feel seen,
we need to feel validated. These are all A lot
of people don't like to admit that they need validation.
We are human. What do you mean, of course validation, girl,
I need validation. It doesn't mean that it comes from
(29:20):
It doesn't mean you're insecure. It's who it comes from,
that's right. Validation means it helps you. It fuels you
as a person, like it it fuels you even having
a boyfriend or having like being tipped at a restaurant
as a waiter, like being validated is it's a reward
and it's the enforcement of what you already know the
(29:42):
dream is and who you are, and it's okay to
have some reinforcement. You got to build these walls every
so often. You got to make sure they're stood and sturdy.
That's it's absolutely completely fine. As you tell this story,
I have so much empathy and compassion for you. And
I said it from the begin. It takes a lot
of courage to live your true, true, true self, to
(30:04):
live in your authenticity, especially in the world that tries
to tell you that you're not validated. So I am.
I'm grateful that whatever the vision was was placed on
your heart and you're sharing a story that needs to
be told. And I'm impressed, truly impressed with Samith that
I'm sending you just so much love. I really am.
Thank you for joining it to get all in. I'm
not gonna let it go. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wonderful.
(30:26):
I appreciate it. Thank you. You guys. Go check out
Cocoono City July. Give me the date because I'm going
to say it again. I'm twenty eight, got it. Thank you,
thank you, thank you. I don't know about y'all. Again,
I don't know about y'all, but I I essentially want
to see this, no matter how uncomfortable I am as
(30:47):
a journalist having these conversations, because they're just not normal.
They're not in our everyday lexicon, They're not in our
everyday subject matter. I do need to be educated, We
do need to know. We just do. We can't turn
our back on an entire community and not acknowledge that
they exist, or understand their existence, or at least try
(31:09):
to understand their existence and why they move and feel
and think the way that they do. Use whatever pronoun
you'd like, but it is imperative because it is not
unlike our struggle as black folks who feel the racism,
the ism is there. Executive producers Lena Waith, a longtime
(31:30):
friend of D Smith, along with songwriter Stacey Barth, helped
get this project together. It might be bart, but y'all
get it. The film comes out July twenty eighth, so
by the time that you listen to this podcast, you
should be nice, ready and primed again. I want to
thank d Smith for joining us, and more importantly, I
(31:51):
want to thank you guys for understanding that these are
these tough conversations that we need to have, These naked
conversations that we need to have, which is the reason
I created this podcast. Have a great day and I'll
talk to you soon
It's like, literally, one day I was in the studio
wearing baggy jeans, and then the next time they see me,
I'm wearing i have blue eyeshadow on my eyes and
I'm wearing heels and expect people to just turn it
off and accept that. And so that took me some
time to really heal from that, blaming people for not
just accepting who I am, especially in the black industry.
(00:23):
And it was a lesson that I often try to
advise other people people.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That is d Smith talking about her transition and how
difficult it was for her to realize that a community,
a music community that she loved no longer loved her.
That's all coming up on this edition of Naked.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
It's the greatest disperse and entertainment and Naked Win and
Carry Champion and carry Champion is going to be a champion,
a champion, they carry Champion, they got Champion, and care
with Chapion and care with Chapy.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Great Fred Entertainment getting you where. Hey, everybody, welcome to
another edition of Naked. Today's podcast is one where I
would like you all to implore empathy, grace and mercy.
Grace learned from the church and from my mother. And
what I've been taught is when we receive a blessing
(01:23):
that we truly don't deserve, I e. When we've been
acting out and we know we don't deserve it, but
we get in it. Grace mercy is when we don't
get the punishment we deserve. I'm gonna give you a
little mercy. So all of those things are needed today.
I know, as a journalist, especially in the world we
(01:44):
live in, when we talk about transgender LGBTQ, I hesitate
to have conversations because I don't know what pronounce to use.
She heard them, they I get confused. I am of
the age where I am confused, and so I steer
(02:05):
clear of it, or I just refer to the person
as their name. And then on today's podcast, I have
d Smith. D Smith has transitioned and twenty fourteen D
Smith went from being a man to a woman. Prior
to that, D Smith was out as gay. Prior to that,
(02:30):
D Smith lived a life where he back in the day,
pretended to be heterosexual and date women, and that has
to be difficult to live. A lie. Often times we
do it. We lie about how successful we are, We
(02:50):
lie about who we like or love. We lie about
the life we live. But to feel which I wouldn't understand,
but to feel out of home, out of not in
comfort with your body, it has to be something that's
excruciatingly painful. It just has to be. And this is
the first time I've ever really thought about it because
(03:12):
she d Smith came on my podcast today to talk
about Cocomo City. It is a film that features the
lives of four trans women as they take us through
their introductions to sex work and how they try to
reconcile the demands of survival with the risk of their jobs,
(03:34):
but also being their most authentic selves, and of course
the complicated relationship that the black community has with gay
in trans It's a complicated relationship. D Smith said she
prayed to God when she was six years old and said, God,
I know you made a mistake. I forgive you, but
(03:55):
just make me a girl. Can you imagine carrying that
burden at six years old? So with that being said,
I just ask you again for empathy, compassion, mercy and
grace as you listened to d Smith tell her story,
but most importantly, she's very proud of this work. Cocomo City.
(04:20):
Everybody welcome d Smith to Naked and Care with Chatpian
and Care with Chat. First off, thank you so much
for doing this and more importantly, your courage. I love
the story, and I love what you're telling and what
you're sharing. I usually like to do an origin story,
and I have great researchers, at least I believe they are,
and I was able to get more of your background.
(04:41):
I wanted to be fully prepared. I'd like for you
to tell me where you grew up, your gospel background, and.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And what made you you as a youth. Uh well,
I originally I'm originally from Miami. That's where I'm based.
Now that's full circle moment. It's crazy. I did grow
up in church and it was I mean, it honestly
(05:09):
was the joy of my life. I grew up, you know,
with my grandparents. My dad and my mom were divorced,
and my dad was a musician. He traveled the world,
So a lot of my influences really came for my grandmother.
Like she taught me how to drive. I still drive
with two feet, thanks but no. Church was a huge
(05:32):
part of my upbringing and the fabric of my musical education.
And I moved to New York I moved to New
York when I was seventeen, and I went there homeless
and slept in the streets of New York and became
a subway singer. Eventually got money to buy I meant
(05:53):
to get a room in Harlem, and I ended up
getting a publishing gale, my first wishing deal, and yeah,
and then I started to work with major artists like
you know, Lil Wayne, Carry Hilson, Sierra Monica and all
the you know, they were popping.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So yeah, it was, it was. It was.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I've always been really ambitious and crazy enough to just
kind of like always take a chance on things.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I do love the idea of taking a chance. And
you named some you name some artists you like they
were popping. I'm like, they still pop. In what you're saying,
like they still popping. So you eventually, I personally, let's
go personally as opposed to professionally personally. I read that
you came out when you were how old. Well I
(06:44):
never came out. I was actually forced out. I was
I was dating a girl. I was dating a girl
and she.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Started questioning because we we we weren't having sex as much.
And I blamed it on stress. I blamed it on
a lot of responsibilities and I just wasn't into it.
I was in love with her, but I was so
into men and I couldn't it just she was just
(07:11):
became very suspicious, and someone in the music industry I
still don't know to this day, basically kind of you know,
asked her, do you think maybe D could be gay
or by or something? And that opened up and I
just got tired of, you know, denying and hiding and
I literally just like, okay, okay, I'm gay, I'm sorry.
(07:34):
And then and from that I thought it would be over,
We'll be friends, and it just it just it was
very heartbreaking for her and really heartbreaking for me that,
you know, I did that to her. But that was
that was my coming out. But I transitioned in twenty fourteen.
I think that's probably what you're referring to.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
No, no, no, I was refering to you saying that
you were telling I read that you told some family
members and they were not happy with it, mainly your father.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Oh no, yeah, about me being transgender. Yeah, that was
like later, that was like twenty fourteen, and in yeah, no,
still not good with him, but but you know, he
claims he loves me unconditionally.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Which is kind of like funny. Humans, we're just working.
We just all trying our best, whatever that looks like
for them. You come out and you tell this young
lady in the music industry that you're gay. Were there
any repercussions about saying that in terms of your professional career?
Was anyone feeling a way they didn't want to work
(08:37):
with you? Everything was fine, everything was Did anything change
in your life outside of it mentioning or coming out
as gay before you condition? Yeah? Both both times I
got embarrassed. But it's funny.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
It's just like church, right, you could be gay, but
if you dress a certain way, we'll accept it, especially
if you're bringing something to the table, whether you're a
quid director, director, the organist, or the drummer. You know,
if you can if you're not, you know, hard to
deal with, we can accept it. And that's that's the
hip hop hypocrisy. Yeah, it's like there's so many gay,
(09:17):
homosexual people in the music industry, including women.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
It's not just men.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
You know, I've been in the music industry for over
fifteen years. There's a lot of homosexuality in the artists
and the managements and the you know, the regular labels themselves.
But you can't force people to just come out or
to be what you think they should be.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
People. You have to respect people's process in progress.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
But mine, I've always kind of been like ahead, and
most of my connections in the black community, in the
in the music industry with black people, right, most of
my contacts, most of the n ars, most of the
artists and the managers that I was dealing with. And
so when I started to dress way more feminine, it's like,
literally one day I was in the studio wearing baggy
(10:04):
jeans and goud it's so crazy about me even saying this,
you know, and fit its and and and then the
next time they see me, I'm wearing i have blue
eye shadow on my eyes and I'm wearing heels and
expect people to just turn it off and accept that.
And so that took me some time to really heal
from that, blaming people for not just accepting who I am,
(10:26):
especially in the black industry. And it was a lesson
that I often try to advise other people, like it's
you want people to accept you for who you are,
but it's very unrealistic that people know and fall in
love with one person and you want them to just
completely turn that off and look at you as the
same person. It's very, very hard to do. So my
(10:48):
transition to female as a direct I met as a
producer in the black community.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's very difficult, wasn't it so layered? So layered you
specifically reference being in the black community. There's taboo associated
with it. What was your experience, because that's when I
say courage. That takes a lot of courage. I have
seen and hear and know how people react and how
were you able to push through that? That was very like,
(11:19):
I don't say groundbreaking, but no, it was groundbreaking. No,
no one in the black community had ever dealt with
the trans woman that was a stable, successful producer music producers,
especially working with multiple rappers, and they didn't know how
to deal with that. And the first thing to do,
as Black people, we like to run and hide rather
than having a face to face, mature, emotionally balanced discussion
(11:43):
about this, you know, and and it became a nothing
because we shut it off and we get rid of
it and you're just dismissed. So that was the experience
of you know, coming out as transgender. So all of
the awards, the money, the you know, the relationships, none
of that mattered. Everything went out of the window, just
(12:04):
like that, and so the money stopped coming in and
opportunity stopped coming in for me. It was described as
blacklisted to me in my research. Is that an appropriate
way to describe how you felt once you transitioned in
the music industry? I think that's a really harsh, extreme word.
But I was also in denial for years, and I
(12:24):
made excuses for all of those people that persecuted me
for being myself. I love black people, and I loved
all the people that dismissed me. I made excuses for them,
and I suffered. Now, you know, almost ten years later,
I understand that that wasn't you know, that was discrimination.
(12:49):
It was very hurtful and I was absolutely blacklisted, black balled,
or whatever you call it. And it wasn't anything that
I did to anyone. It's something that I did for
my and people took that personal. I don't know how
so I would describe that. You know, I literally lost
everything due to that, and I don't regret it. I
(13:09):
don't regret it, you know, because it was I probably
I don't know how other way I would have continued
to live my life that way. When you decided to transition,
what was the process, And by process, I mean, was
it that you, like, I just can't live a lie anymore.
You had to come out of this image, this lie,
or you had to feel as if you wanted to
(13:31):
be at home in your body. What is this process
for you? It was very closer to the latter.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
It's a little cliche to say, but when I was
maybe six, I want to say seven, but definitely six.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I remember saying a prayer to God that I know.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You made a mistake. I know God, I know we
all make mistakes. You clearly made a mistake by making
me a boy. But here's the good news. I will
forgive you if you just make me a girl. And
I prayed and cried, and I got beatings for being
caught wearing my grandmother's dresses and my mom's guest dresses
and shoes, and kissing my brother's friends and the closet.
(14:10):
I didn't you know it was it was beyond gay.
I was never molested, I wasn't exposed to anything homophobic.
Nothing was pushed on me. You know, it was natural
for me as a child to desire to be a
woman and and uh, it's always been something that I
wanted to do, but the older I got, it was
suppressed because of upbringing, church girls, the music industry.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Friends. It wasn't even considered. I didn't consider it. I
just always dreamt of it. And so when I started
seeing more things publicly and understanding, you listen, time is flying,
you know your life is This is something I always
wanted to do, and I decided to take hormone therapy.
But before that, I took therapy for a year with
doctors just to talk it through and make sure that
(14:55):
I wasn't tripping. And yeah, so uh, after a year
a therapy, I decided to transition. Don't go anywhere. We
have more with d Smith after we pay these bills.
You do not want to miss her very compelling and
compassionate story, you guys. This one is this one is special.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Back in the moment, every champion and Cary Champion is
to be a Championata Champion and Cary Chappion and Carrie
Chappy Yata Champion.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
And carry Chappion and carry chap Entertainment and Naked Weird.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Very Champion and carry Chappion is to be a Championata champion,
and Carrie Chappie and Niggery got a champion and carry
Chapion and carried.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Shep Let's pick up where we left off. D Smith
joins us on naked And so when you now look
back on the therapy, the the transition physically and what
you perceived as lost, what are your biggest lessons your
(16:04):
biggest takeaways?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Well, this process has taught me how damaged our community
is as black people. I don't know whose fault it is.
You know, I wanted to blame my dad for things.
I want to blame my mom. I blame myself. You know,
it was so many things growing up that we could
all say that's why, that's why, that's why. But someone
(16:29):
raised my father, someone raised my grandfather, someone beat my
great grandfather, someone, you know, and it caused us not
to coddle our children, coddle each other emotionally as children.
And you know, we're neglected emotionally and is extremely damaging,
really traumatizing for us as black people. We rarely, rarely,
(16:52):
rarely get the opportunity to afford a healthy mental child flick.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You know, we rarely do.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It's it's very harsh growing up as a as a
black child, and we're used to it. We're used to,
you know, the punishment, the words, the ass weapons, the
we we already know what it is. No matter where
we are in the world, it's a universal black thing.
We're all raised by the same parents. As they say, preach, go, go,
preach so and so I realized through my process of
(17:22):
transitioning it wasn't just the transitioning, it was just mental undoing.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And I had to be realistic, not extreme saying this
is wrong, this is wrong. I had to really step
out objectively and.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Realistically as a human, say what it is it that
I identify as a What what do I gravitate to,
What makes me feel comfortable, what makes me feel proud
and safe?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
And what's natural for me? What is natural?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
And I had to I had to commit to that,
and I wanted to find that and and learn and
heal with that. But then doing that, those are all
the things that I was taught was wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You know, I know my father loves me, but it's
what's happening with him. I can't blame other black men
and ask them to accept me and respect me. If
my own father don't and I don't want to be
a hypocrite my my father. My father used to tell
me it's really personal, but I'm okay. And my father
used to tell me growing up that he and his
(18:21):
friends used to beat up gay people and really buoyant
guys and like in school, like fight them for no reason,
just fight them and beat them up, all the gay boys.
Like that was the end thing back in the day,
you know, and he was. We took proud of that,
pride of that.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
And now he has not only one transgender daughter, he
has too. I have a sibling that's transgender. So it's like,
I don't We're not karma. But at the same time,
you have to parents like to fight what they know
is in them as well. You know what they're fighting.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
And I don't know what my dad's going through, but
you know, let's just go to show, like blue Face
acting his baby his child is he gay?
Speaker 2 (19:11):
At the five six years old? It's like, why do
we do that? As parents? It's like, as black.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
People, it's traumatizing. It's scary to be accused of something
that you are or that you aren't in a way
that feels vicious and threatening.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, I will say this. I sense your carefulness with
your words and the way in which you're trying to
have grace and mercy when you talk about something that
is so very painful. I think a lot of what
you're describing is just a lack of education and understanding.
(19:49):
And so you take all of these experiences that I
feel and I could be wrong in real time you're
still dealing with and you have the opportunity to create
this wonderful film that has won awards at Sundance, that
has been celebrated for its authenticity because people don't know
(20:12):
how to be authentic whatever you're doing with in life, right,
and I think that there is definitely a connection there.
How would you describe and make sure I'm saying this right,
Cocomo Cocobo, Cocomo City, Cocamo City. I'm making sure I'm
saying that correct. How would you subscribe Cocomo City for
(20:32):
those who are going to watch Cocomo City is like.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
It's a black film that to me, it's a it's
a black film, it's black more before its LGBT. I
I do accept you know how people label it because
you know this is this is new and I'm just
I'm grateful for platform, but I I do like to
(20:59):
point out that there are men in the film that
love women.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Some of them are fathers.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Most of them are fathers, and it's not fair to
throw them into the LGBT bus because we're too lazy
to name it something else.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
It's like, just because I'm transgender and I've made a
film doesn't mean it's LGBT. It's like, but Cocomo City
is like a I said, I wanted to create a
film that if if Tarantino and Spike Lee was to
make a documentary, what would that look like? So it's
it's a it's a fresh take on the transgender narrative creatively,
(21:38):
you know, visually. So yeah, it's basically, you know, for
trans women telling their stories about being uh, sex workers
and that dichotomy between them and the Black community as
a whole, and what that looks like to them and
their experiences. Yeah, that's that's pretty the sum up of
(21:59):
Coco City. But it's also the current and fresh. It's
a new take on on us as black people.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
What is your what's your inspiration? What is your inspiration
for Cocamo City? Black people? I want, I want I
am a creative person and I want to express myself
creatively and it is it's it's a black It's.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Almost like you ever seen like I wanted to feel
like you've ever seen that, You've ever seen good times
like that show Good Times and they have that painting
with the bodies.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
They're all long and they're doing like this and they're.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Dancing and you're liketionistic, surrealistic, so realistic, but it's black.
It's like creative, but it's so black. You can almost
smell the funk. You could feel the high. You know,
it's like I want Coole City like that. You just
know what it is universally. You can put it on
mute and you still feel you feel that that universal
(23:02):
body language of black people and how we talk. It's
just a it's a new calling card for us as
black people and queer people to push the uh the
needle further with our storytelling and also tap back into
our blackness and our stories.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
And you know, I want to do that. I want
to be a part of that. The acknowledgment and the
awards that you've received so far, does that validate you
in any way? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, I mean hell yeah, you know, it's like I
made Cocomo City with the bare minimum materials.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I had to.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Edit, I did the cinematography, and I directed it and
mainly because I had no money, only because I had
no money, but also it's something I would want to
have done anyway. You know, as a creator is fulfilling
to me. You feel really validated. You do like, okay,
you see me. Do you feel seen? Do you feel seen?
(24:13):
Truly seen?
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I do.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I do, but I feel seen as I also feel seen.
I feel seen as a creator. It's not I'm recognized
as a trans woman that that's a creator that happens
to be transgender.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
I do feel that. I don't feel like there's too
less or too much more of ratio. But I have to.
I have to keep going.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I've tapped into something that I'm really good at, and
I have resource and access to do more and to
tell more stories and to help more people. How much
more dignifying can you be? Dignified?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Could you be? As a director?
Speaker 1 (24:52):
To get a standing ovation and Sundance and Berlin at
the International premieres and there when we went to to Berlin,
the girls they came as well, the cast, those people
stood up I'm not kidding.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I have the video to prove it. They stood up
for almost ten minutes clapping and would not stop. Wow
did they make you crying? Oh? What? I was a disaster.
I was a disaster. I was a mess. I was
in shop.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
And actually when we went to screen the film, before
we even played it, we came in after everyone had
sat down. We were going to sit in the back,
and as we walked in, people just started clapping and
stood up when we even walked in. So when the
movie was over, forget about it. And and the fact
that I was able to see the girls respond and
look at themselves on that screen because I had seen
(25:41):
this movie a thousand times before they seen it, and
I just couldn't wait to see them. Could you imagine
filming something in your the raw state, saying whatever you
want to say. Half the time, you were smoking and drinking,
and you did a documentary with no makeup, half dressed,
and you put all of that trust into one person
that you don't even know, and then you hear that
(26:03):
it's going to sundance and it's gonna be on a
huge screen in front of people, and you've not seen anything,
you don't can't remember what you said, what you were
wearing with the life. That took a lot for those women.
It took a lot from me because I was just
like nervous about the audience, nervous about how does it
how is it gonna look on the screen, and more
importantly are the girls gonna be okay with what I did?
(26:26):
So there was a lot of anxiety there. But to
see those girls being so proud just it was worth
every frame frame.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Every champion and Cary Champion is to be a champion,
out a champion and carry Chappion and Cary chat be
out a champion and carry Chappion and Carrie she.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Entertainment and make it work.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Kerry Champion and Carrie Champion is to be a champion
of Champion and Carrie Chappie and the girls a champion
and carry Chappion and Carrie shep.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
You talk about now that you've done this, you have resources,
you have access, you have attention, You feel validated, all
of the things that so many of us think we want.
Is there anything else that's missing for you? I don't.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I yeah, there there there are. There's a lot of
there's a lot more healing that I need that I
want to do in my life. A lot of things
I walked away from, you know. I I have two
projects that I'm about to start developing now with some
great production companies, really big situations, and thank you. I
(27:39):
can't tell you how grateful I am. It's this has
been the most frustrating part of the whole journey, is
not finding the words.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's just.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Share with people that that really shows what I feel
right now, you know. But yeah, there's there's things I
there's a lot of closure that I want as a
person to to you know, to move on with my
life and and to be able to help more people.
And I want, I want, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I kind of want to go back to church. I
know this sounds weird. I really missed.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I hated church for years because it's so hard, even
not as a trans person, just hard. You know, people
are tough in church as well, you know. But I
miss the smell of church. I missed the drums in
the choir. I miss I missed going giving offering. I'm
not I missed that experience as a child, you know,
But I don't know what that process looked like with
(28:31):
me going back to church. I don't know how dedicated
I want to be. I just I kind of miss it.
Uh And I don't know, know that's random. I know
it's random and just crazy. But I miss church, you know,
I missed that was a huge part of my life,
you know. But hopefully, you know, if I could find
somewhere safe that that's pretty close to my upbringing, that'll
(28:53):
be that'll make me pretty happy.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Safe is the key word. We all like to feel safe.
Everything you're asking for is regard lists of gender. It
is just a human nature. It's a part of the humanity.
We need to feel safe, we need to feel seen,
we need to feel validated. These are all A lot
of people don't like to admit that they need validation.
We are human. What do you mean, of course validation, girl,
I need validation. It doesn't mean that it comes from
(29:20):
It doesn't mean you're insecure. It's who it comes from,
that's right. Validation means it helps you. It fuels you
as a person, like it it fuels you even having
a boyfriend or having like being tipped at a restaurant
as a waiter, like being validated is it's a reward
and it's the enforcement of what you already know the
(29:42):
dream is and who you are, and it's okay to
have some reinforcement. You got to build these walls every
so often. You got to make sure they're stood and sturdy.
That's it's absolutely completely fine. As you tell this story,
I have so much empathy and compassion for you. And
I said it from the begin. It takes a lot
of courage to live your true, true, true self, to
(30:04):
live in your authenticity, especially in the world that tries
to tell you that you're not validated. So I am.
I'm grateful that whatever the vision was was placed on
your heart and you're sharing a story that needs to
be told. And I'm impressed, truly impressed with Samith that
I'm sending you just so much love. I really am.
Thank you for joining it to get all in. I'm
not gonna let it go. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wonderful.
(30:26):
I appreciate it. Thank you. You guys. Go check out
Cocoono City July. Give me the date because I'm going
to say it again. I'm twenty eight, got it. Thank you,
thank you, thank you. I don't know about y'all. Again,
I don't know about y'all, but I I essentially want
to see this, no matter how uncomfortable I am as
(30:47):
a journalist having these conversations, because they're just not normal.
They're not in our everyday lexicon, They're not in our
everyday subject matter. I do need to be educated, We
do need to know. We just do. We can't turn
our back on an entire community and not acknowledge that
they exist, or understand their existence, or at least try
(31:09):
to understand their existence and why they move and feel
and think the way that they do. Use whatever pronoun
you'd like, but it is imperative because it is not
unlike our struggle as black folks who feel the racism,
the ism is there. Executive producers Lena Waith, a longtime
(31:30):
friend of D Smith, along with songwriter Stacey Barth, helped
get this project together. It might be bart, but y'all
get it. The film comes out July twenty eighth, so
by the time that you listen to this podcast, you
should be nice, ready and primed again. I want to
thank d Smith for joining us, and more importantly, I
(31:51):
want to thank you guys for understanding that these are
these tough conversations that we need to have, These naked
conversations that we need to have, which is the reason
I created this podcast. Have a great day and I'll
talk to you soon
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