Revolution Not Performance: How True Allyship Creates Lasting Change

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Jackie Steele joins Shane and Blossom to discuss bisexual visibility, community leadership, and what it means to show up as a true ally during challenging times. Through personal stories and candid conversation, they explore the intersection of activism, self-care, and creating sustainable change for the LGBTQ+ community.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Transparency Podcast Show.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to the Transparency Podcast Show.
My name is Shane Ivan Nash andI'm with my favorite host, the
Most my best friend in the world.
Yes, we are on the air.
Oh, I didn't know.
Yeah, we're doing a casual openthis time.
You need to redo that BlossomSeabrook.
No, I love this opening.
I'm not even changing this.
We're keeping it natural.
I love it.
It's messy and that's how itshould be for jackie steel, the
guests that we have today.

(00:25):
Jackie, how the fuck are you?

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm okay, welcome to the transparency podcast show
girl how do you like the set?

Speaker 1 (00:34):
it's gorgeous right.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Can you believe trans people actually have this?

Speaker 1 (00:38):
I mean, here for, oh my god, yeah, this is what we're
gonna show america.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
You're welcome yeah, oh, ps.
Make sure you hit the subscribebutton down below, so that way
you'll know when we post newvideos.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Down below, hit that little button, hit the like
button and then go ahead and putyour comment of hate.
It also still helps with themetrics for us and we still get
paid on it because we aremonetized as a YouTube channel.
And thank you, blossom, for thework we do together to make it
happen, to make a coin togetheron that bullshit.
Anyways, jackie, how the fuckare you doing today?
Why are we here?

(01:08):
What are we doing?
What are we talking about?
Because I'm ready for thecheese man, I'm ready for the
shit.
There's so much we could talkabout.
I don't even know what to talkabout with you because I've
known you for so long, but wherethe fuck what's?

Speaker 1 (01:19):
we doing is a great question.
I think that is the questionfor every possible topic we
could cover.
So you know, look, I'm rested,I'm hydrated, I'm mostly minding
my tiny ass business, but stillup in these streets a little
bit.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
So there's lots to share.
Well, we are excited to see you, honey.
Listen for you to be only fourfoot nine, or Eleven, eleven,
eleven, let Eleven.
Let me tell you something,y'all.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
I would have thought you were like a good 5'5".

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Let me tell you something about Jackie Steele.
Jackie Steele has a mightypowerful voice.
She does a lot of great workfor the bisexual community and I
want to open up by talkingabout that.
What made you want to invest inthe bisexual community?

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah Well, my focus is our whole community.
I'm just the bi bitch, and sorarely there's a bi voice.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Wait, you're gay.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Oh, we should tell the people, we should tell them.
It's for the children.
We have to educate.
This is an educational program.
Yes, I'm a militant queer, nota militant yes.
And among those militant queerletters, yes, we get that here.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yes, we have sound effects.
We're ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
I don't know if you knew this yet, but we are
ridiculous.
There has never been a moreappropriate sound effect for me.
Yes, we're so glad you love it,thank you.
I am bi, technically pansexual,but it falls under the bi

(02:52):
umbrella, for those who don'tknow.
So, uh, yeah, so I'm the bibitch and I look, I only
identify in that way becausethere's a kid somewhere,
probably not very far from wherewe're sitting right now.
That cannot do that, yeah, andso it's important for me to
always take up space in that way.
Other than that I'm a fullycooked dish.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
I don't fucking explain myself to me, yeah,
because I'm not gonna lie likebi erasure is very real.
It's a hundred percent real youare one of the people that I
follow that really you're mybisexual, Like yeah.
Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Representation Right, Like when I think of a bisexual
.
I'm like Jackie steel.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yes exactly.
Right, I'll take it Sure.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's better than some other because the
representation that you have aswell, I think the approach might
even be part of the sexualitythat you're, the way that you
cause.
You deal with both sexes veryequally and I love that about
your.
I don't know about that, no no,no, no no.
At least from what I see.
I'm sure you're going to saybut like?
I mean in terms of like, whenyou're not so much an

(03:38):
accountability, I'm more talkingabout when you're building
folks up.
Okay, yeah, so accountabilityis different.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
We know that's, that's, I know where you're
going there but I'm talkingabout this man finishes
statement and then I'll see howI react, exactly.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Exactly.
Let me mansplain to you it's mytrans privilege.
Okay, it's my trans right.
I'm just living my, my dream asa mediocre white man and just
getting a podcast.
I'm doing everything that I'msupposed to do, because this is
my goal.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
This is in my transition.
I am.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
But what I will say is the way that you've
approached activism in a healingway.
I'm not saying cause I know youstart fires, but people don't
really talk about the ways youheal.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
Because what.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
I remember in a lot of the ways that I dealt with
everything that I experienced.
You were my anchor, like youwere the person that I was able
to send my little file to incase I needed to, in case
somebody was going to disappearme because it was scary with the
stuff we were dealing with.
And you really, you like, Ilove this about you.

(04:38):
You don't make me feel trans,you don't like.
I don't know this is probablyproblematic, let me know but you
make me feel like a cis man,but in a good way, like in a way
that you see me as a man, treatme and respect my emotions,
even call me out on some shit.
Like god, you're such a fuckingman.
Um, yeah, duh, hello, I'm not.
You're duding, I know, I knowand I and I love how you genuine

(05:02):
like because, because a lot ofpeople look at you and be like,
oh, you hate men, like, and I'venever felt that way from you as
a very fucking binary, fuckingmonster trucks kind of guy, like
the way that you've approachedour relationship.
You've been like no, that's afucking dude and that's a white
dude and uh, but you still likelove and cared for me when a lot

(05:22):
of people in community,especially during that time,
pretty much abandoned me.
Like there, when a lot ofpeople in community, especially
during that time, pretty muchabandoned me, like there was a
lot that was going on duringthat assault and all of the
stuff that we were doing withthe city and all of that stuff
and the police and this and thatand you saw me for many, many,
many, many, many years likefighting for everybody in the
streets and always being thatguy for everybody.
And then when I turned aroundand I realized there was not

(05:43):
that many people doing that forme, you were that person for me
and I that's why I wanted tobring you on the podcast today
is just to even tell people moreabout who Jackie Steele is,
because of how much you mean tome as a human being, like your
work.
That happened.
I mean I was telling Blossom alittle bit about some of like
the dark stuff that I wasexperiencing and I still not

(06:05):
quite ready to fully talk aboutit.
But like there were times whereI didn't know and you knew like
I could, I couldn't even form asentence, like I was not making
sense because of howoverwhelmed I was getting
messages and inundated withpeople that were telling me they
were assaulted at this bar andthat bar and this and that, and,
and I was having to process itto the point where, when I was

(06:27):
trying to explain things to you,I felt like I was crazy,
because I was like what ishappening?
And you were able to like theone person to be like hey, I can
see you're having a mentalbreak, but I still see you and I
support you in that spaceBecause, like I, I fucking like.
I mean when I was screaming,crying at the fucking podium in
West Hollywood, like I knew Iwas losing my shit, but I also

(06:48):
understood that I needed to doit because of the 20 years of
all the messages that everybodywas like and I felt like I was
like a spearhead.
But if I didn't have yoursupport, jackie, like I don't
know where I would be, what I'dbe doing?
Like the combination betweenlike blossom you and then,
especially like my wife, um, andbig shout out to nicole like I,

(07:12):
hey, girl, I, I am the man thatI am today because of the women
that I have in my life that arevery powerful and I just I know
this is such the longest introfor you, but I just really want
people to set the tone for youbecause I've seen so many people
character assassinate you asthis man-hating lesbian fucking
which they didn't even knowyou're bisexual?
exactly, yeah, you're not.

(07:32):
And and like, if anything, I'veeven seen you talk about men's
mental health because even likesome of the stuff that you've
experienced with other men thatyou've supported when they've
gone through stuff, and likeyou're an ally in a true sense,
where you're not just aone-sided ally like we've seen
some people do, then we'vewatched them make their mistakes
and not to say we don't makemistakes, but like I just really

(07:54):
appreciate how you have treatedme equally and saw me when I
was really vulnerable and stoodfor me as an ally and especially
as a cis person, because what Iwas dealing with, like I
they're still going to probablybe a movie made after that shit,
because it's like what the fuckunderstand, you know so that
was my intro of how amazing youare.
So what's your rebuttal?

Speaker 3 (08:15):
I have one too, but I'm gonna let y'all have that
first I'd like to, I'd like torefute that I know I actually
fucking hate, men yeah, I dothat.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
Thank you for noting that on the record.
No, first of all, what I likeabout that intro is that it just
launches us right intocommunity and like what we're
here to do, right?
So why are we here?
This is why we're here.
For me, this is like why we'rehere on an existence level,
right, we're here to connect.
We're here to build community,we're here to build family, and
that family comes in alldifferent shapes and forms and

(08:43):
tones, and slices and dices andall that good stuff, right?
But I think, number one, I amhere for you always, anytime.
You know you can hit that phoneand she's answering, no matter
what.
That's just what it is, and Ioffer that to a lot of people.
And I think answering the phoneis the first step, and I think
a lot of times, right, it's sucha simple thing.
Right, asking how you areanswering the phone is the first

(09:04):
step.
And I think a lot of times,right, that's, that's just it
sounds.
It's such a simple thing, right, asking how you are answering
the phone, showing up to thething.
It sounds simplistic, but Iwish more people would take that
step and do that thing.
Right, you don't have to takesomeone else's trauma on.
You don't have to internalizethat there's ways that you can
support people in trauma withouthaving to bring yourself into
it, or you know, and that'speople are uncomfortable.
People are uncomfortable forall kinds of reasons their own

(09:27):
stuff, that they're not capableof taking that on or supporting
you.
Because people think, oh, inorder to support this, I have to
be a this and a that and a thisexpert.
You got to be a human, you gotto be a friend.
You have to show up and youhave to be kind.
So, and for me, I think, theman-hating lesbian stuff you

(09:48):
know it's delicious, I love it.
I you know, if I can make a mancry before 8 am, I've won the
day.
I know.
I was just speaking about thisrecently.
We were talking about activism,we were talking about folks
that speak out and you're bothsuch strong, important voices.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
Allegedly.

Speaker 1 (10:10):
And living through your own experiences, sharing
your own experiences, but alsostanding up for people that's
not always reciprocated, that'snot always received, that's not
always celebrated, and weunderstand what that's like to
show up and then sometimes nothave folks show up for you, and
that's a whole other level ofself-care.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
And here's the thing talking about showing up.
This is what I really loveabout you and don't hate me for
telling this story, but you'vealways shown up for trans people
.
Because there was a certaincommission in the city of West
Hollywood that we will not namehere that when it first came out
I took issue with Like with oneof the city council members.
He ended up actually writing mea personal letter about the

(10:47):
commission because Jackiesounded the alarm that there
were not trans representationsitting at the table when this
commission, which is supposed tobe for all of us, was created.
I took major issue with thatand I was very vocal about it
and I called pretty much for thecommission to be dismantled.
But I received a phone call fromyou one day and I thought you

(11:08):
were going to call me aboutanother event, a bisexual event
that I was.
I did a reading for this eventand you were there.
It was funny cause I was comingin and you were out.
It was in Santa Monica.
I thought you were calling mefor that Cause.
I think you were the one thatgot me hooked up with it.

Speaker 2 (11:23):
If I'm not mistaken, you got her hooked up with
bisexuals.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Yeah, but here's the thing, though.
The conversation was, jackiewas calling me in and pulling me
to the side about my thoughtson the commission, and the thing
was, when I listened to you, Ithought, wow, this is what I
want more people to do.
If they take issue withsomething that I say, just call
me in.
If you are my friend and mysupporter and you love me, call

(11:50):
me in.
And we actually had a veryfruitful conversation, and I
just want people to know thatyou are one of those people that
stands up for trans rightswhile still holding the truth to
the things that you stand with,and that's one thing I love.
And we need more accomplices,because I don't like to use the
word allies.
Right, like you, and so youknow, I think one question for

(12:11):
me is how do you find rest andself-care in?
all the things that you do.
I really want to know that.

Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah, can I unpack that situation for just two
shakes?
Okay, yeah.
So, first of all, it's myresponsibility as a CIS person
to have that conversation and ifI'm here to be in community
with you, I wanted to understandwhat your thoughts were.
I wanted to hear your thoughtsdirectly myself.
I didn't want other peopletelling me.
I didn't want another CISperson telling me what you
thought.
I want to hear what you think,and I'm one of the most vocal
people.

(12:43):
So I'm like, if I'm taking aleft turn, if I'm doing
something wrong or that is notin alignment with what the
community want, that's myresponsibility to get sorted or
to have a dialogue and see wherewe go.
And so the this.
I will say what it was.
The Lesbian and Gay AdvisoryBoard existed in the city of
West Hollywood for about I meanwell, now it's 30 years, but it
had existed for decades and itwas lesbian and gay.

(13:05):
And when I got appointed, I wasthe first bisexual on that body
and I said well, let me tellyou what that means.
We're all coming in where thisis what we're going to do,
moving forward.
And so I, my mission was tomake it an LGBTQ board.
There was a transgenderadvisory board, not in in to
supplant that body.
In addition to so that board.

(13:26):
That body could be focused ontrans needs specifically and
focus on the community and thenthis board, because they were
talking about absolving yeah,they were talking about, but I
didn'twant them.
Yeah, because they proposed forthat.
Yeah, get out of here.
No, we need.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
That's why I think blossom had that it's because
they told us they were going todissolve because, I was pissed
too.
I was like what do you mean?
You're dissolving?
No, no, that's, that's not themove.

Speaker 1 (13:45):
And look, getting representation for the first
time in decades doesn't mean youdissolve the representation
when you already was strugglingto receive so that and I that's
why I fought to keep that body.
But we did fight for theexpansion to make sure that we
had inclusion, because we're nothaving a conversation about
this community without transfolks.
That's.
This is who's done the labor,this who, and I talk about our
community and I'm like we oftenmake it difficult for the people

(14:07):
who literally spend their daysputting food in the bellies of
our community in need.
You know, roofs over this,these are the things and clothes
on people's backs.
That's the real life stuffevery single day that I know
that we here do you dospecifically, and it's that's
what matters.
So you know we don't need lessof that, we need more In terms
of rest.
I took like a year off of theworld, as I think you both know.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
Deleted all your social media.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
I took down my social media.
I just shut down and Ibasically sent an email to a few
select folks and a text, Ithink, in advance, that just
said I'm going off the grid, I'mtaking some time and I will let
you know.
I'm telling you I'm okay, I'lllet you know if I'm not and also
when I'm back, cause I just Ineed a beat from everything.
Um, I had two brothers passaway last year.
There was just a lot happeningfor me, thank you, and I, um, I

(14:53):
needed some time and that wasthose were my third and fourth
siblings, Plus my parents havealready passed.
So just a lot.
It was like kind of the closingof the chapter of a lot of loss
in my life, and so I needed thattime and I took a lot.
I stopped, I've been doingstand-up.
I took a beat from that.
I took a beat from activism.
I'm still you know me and Istill will take the call and do
those things on a one-to-onelevel or kind of in community.

(15:15):
But I wasn't forward-facing, Iwasn't in these spaces or
streets, and I spent a lot oftime just watching horror movies
with my dog.
I just that's it.
I hike, I watch horror movieswith my dog.
I'm spending a lot of time and,quite honestly, this entire
period for me has been about andmy what's in, like my line of

(15:36):
sight is about breaking my ownpatterns.
You know we can talk about allthe shitty friends and bad
relationships, but whether it'sfamily, work, doesn't matter.
What it is.
You could say this relationshipwasn't right for me, it was a
job, all right, it was my familymember, I got to deal with some
stuff, but the reality is it'smy job to look at my patterns.
It's the most difficult thingto do to break your patterns,

(15:59):
which is breaking parts ofyourself that need it.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
But if you're going to love, if you're gonna be able
to get rest, you have to takethat I'm so fucking proud of you
because you know you didn'tused to say any of this shit
because, like, this onlyhappened, like jackie, like this
last year.
Because when I have known you,jackie, like every event it's
always like jackie stealspinkies in it in some way shape
or form and I'd I'd be like Goddamn, like what do you mean?

(16:27):
you're doing this, you're doingthat, you're doing this, you're
doing that, you're doing this,and I love that you took the
time to refocus yourself, andwhat I'm really proud to see you
do is actually reallyprioritize yourself because, as
an ally for community, I've seenyou for many, many years and
you and I talk about this a lot,and this is the reason why I
built the podcast and startedbuilding my own stuff is because

(16:48):
I was pouring into so manyother people, um, and I wasn't
pouring into myself, and I justI'm really proud of the fact to
see that, a allegedly, Iinfluenced you, allegedly, um,
but b that you're, you're,you're taking care of yourself
and actually setting boundaries,yeah, and not answering every

(17:10):
single call which you don't haveto.
You know, um, it's beautifulthat you have, but I think that
I can sense a different energycoming from you.
You know what I mean like it's,it's, it's, it's and it's not
like it's, it's.
I don't even know, that's,probably I don't, I'm not even
religious, but it's like it's.
It's like like it's I don'teven know, I'm not even
religious, but it feels like agodly energy.
It feels like you're vibratingin a different tone right now.

(17:31):
That is healthier for you thanbefore, because before it felt
like you're so tight, it's manic, when I was in your space, and
now, like this energy, it feelsflowy.
And I'm glad that you've reachedthat space, because I think
that for you.
It's time for you to you know,get back up on the stage and do
stand up, because, first of all,the world's falling apart.

(17:51):
So we need to see you and likewhat are your projects, what are
your ambitions, even if they'renot, you know, set in stone?
Where are we going to findJackie Steele in the future?
What are some of the goals thatwe can put out in the ether?
So maybe somebody hears thisand says, hey, I want to fund
that or something or be a partof it.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
Oh, thank you for that.
So, I think.
First, I just want to holdspace because the two of you
have really been incredibleexamples for me of how you use
your voice, how you are apowerhouse in these spaces, but
also how you pull yourself outof a space if and when you need
to, and that's not been easy.
I've watched you both do it.
We're in these streets together.
I know what it's cost, but Ialso see you both on the other

(18:32):
side of having to do thosedifficult breakups, whatever it
is friendships, positions,working in these kind of more
governmental, whatever spaces,whatever it is.
When you know what's right foryou, nobody can tell you
different, and I appreciate bothof you and you also both, I
have to say, and I cry once ayear, so I probably won't get
emotional, but I will say thatthe both of you really picked me

(18:55):
up and you, you know I alwayssay no one's coming to get you,
but that's not true, because Icame and got you sometimes and
you came to get me.
You actually came to get me andsaid we're taking you out for
the day.
Yes, when the world was like.
I don't think she's going tolet her do what she's doing.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
No, fuck that.
I was like let's go toUniversal.
That was a beautiful day.
I felt like a sugar daddy.
I was like I loved it.

Speaker 3 (19:18):
And shout out to Mother Karina.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
And it was so beautiful because that's the
other thing too is like all ofus, and that was why it was
really intentional aboutbringing.
You are always in likeactivists, let's help people,
let's pour from our cup, let'spour from our cup.
And I had a little, you know,and I wanted to pour from my cup
into y'all and create somethingthat it wasn't like hey, we're
working, we're, we're.
That's a fucking dinosaur,we're on a tram.

(19:41):
Like what the fuck?
Like it just spit at me.

Speaker 1 (19:43):
And I was also like you're going to sugar daddy me
Please, daddy.
Yes, See, then.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
In that time frame I had just ended some friendships,
and one was a five-yearfriendship.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Same.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
Y'all are both aware who the person is and it was
very hurtful to hear them talkso poorly about me, because I do
know what they said, um,especially about my situation at
the time and you know, whenthis person was like a sister
for five years, um, I just myheart just crumbled and you know

(20:18):
, being around y'all thatparticular day it healed my soul
because, being around you twoand mother Karina, I was able to
begin to like let that go.
And I've been working throughthat, through therapy, letting
go of any, um, uh, resentment.

(20:39):
Yeah, so I can be on top ofthings and we need your voice so
much in this community and youinspire me in ways, because
you're another loud one like me.
You're another one loud onelike me and when you get up and
you shout the truth, it's likeyou're six feet.

Speaker 2 (20:59):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
It's just like you're six feet, but it also empowers
me that, hey, it's okay to beloud.
Hey it's okay to get thatmessaging out there because I
need y'all to listen to me,right?
You know, recently I don't know, you did not know this, but I
was not selected for theTransgender Advisory Board.
Oh, I didn't know that this goaround, and so we just found out

(21:20):
this week.
Oh, I didn't know that, okay,out this week.
And so you know, I havethoughts about that and I think
for me my time has definitelycome to an end there.
I was the person that foughtfor the name of the Transgender
Advisory Board.
When it came to our events, Iwas just like the tone has to be
the Transgender Advisory Boardof the City of West Hollywood

(21:41):
Presents, because their wholething was the City of West
Hollywood and its Transgenderthing was the city of West
Hollywood and it's TransgenderAdvisory Board.
And I went to those folks and Isay it looks like y'all are
stealing from us and stealingour creativity, our ideas, and
so I demand that y'all changeour labor and I demand you
change it.
And they had no problem withthat and so being on there for
like three or four years, it'sbeen great.

(22:02):
Seppi Shine was the one thatbrought me there.
Shout out to Seppi.
Seppi believed enough in me andI was so grateful and so humble
to be there on that TransgenderAdvisory Board.
I think that the way that theygot rid of me was unfair and
wrong, especially when therecould have been, when you have
access to me and you could havecommunicated that to me.
But I must tell you what Ibelieve is happening.

(22:24):
I believe that the universe isprotecting me from a crumbling,
and I think the crumbling isgoing to happen with all these
boards and commissions, but Ialso think the crumbling is
going to happen with citycouncil and it's coming soon.
And I believe the universe isremoving me from a crumbling
that's going to impact so manydifferent people because, number

(22:45):
one, we're under a Trumpadministration, right, they're
already looking to cut funding.
Right, and they're alreadyattacking the city, the city of
West Hollywood.
They're a counter protestagainst queer people in the city
of West.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
Hollywood.
There was a hate incidentwithin 25 minutes of the
announcement of the election inthe city of West Hollywood
because you know, I startedgetting calls from one of the
bars and I think you know, lookas you know I still work on a
lot of the safety stuff in thosetimes.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
As much as you try to escape, you can't.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah well and I'm feeling rested.
So I've got, like everyone, Ifeel like now, where we are and
where I'm finding myself interms of you're asking, like,
what I'm doing is you know theand I want to touch on something
Blossom mentioned as well, butI think you know where we are is
a lot of folks are exhaustedand drained and terrified,
rightfully so, on all counts.
You know, whatever everybodyneeds to do at this point is

(23:32):
exactly what they should bedoing.
I've taken this year and so I'mlike okay, let's rock, like
let's, I'm ready to knuckle upall day.
So, because I'm rested, becauseI've spent that time, because I
did all this stuff Right, I'mrested because I've spent that
time, because I did all thisstuff right.
And I think you know your place, your position on those bodies,
your voice.
What you bring to the table notbrought, because it doesn't

(23:56):
matter what the title is, it'saround.
Titles are always relevant tome what you brought to that, to
that table, and what you'vebrought to the community has
affected it and that's likethat's a period.
That's a period Like there's noend to that right, there's no
going back on that.
You shapeshifted.
You shapeshifted the way thatthey address things, the way
they position things.
You taught city staff andleadership how to position
things and they did.
They were willing to receive.

(24:16):
So yeah, there's people thataren't in this and that, but
then there are people that areand changing those things.
And I remember when I worked atthe city to add pronouns and we
had all that dialogue and thenthere wasn't pronouns on the
hiring for the city and so acommunity member that wanted to
apply called me.
They were like shocked, theywere upset, and I said give me
like an hour, I'll call you back.
And I made a bunch of calls andthe city was like we have

(24:40):
to—we'll sort it out.
And it wasn't.
Not everything is is someoneaiming to do that?
Sometimes it's just they're alltrying to get things done and
they're not looking at it and noone's waving that flag.
But when someone comes in likeyou, someone teach as a
teachable moment when you saynow there are pronouns on all
the hiring, now they've adjustedthe entire hiring pattern to
reflect.
But the point of that is to sayyou shifted the way that those
things are positioned.

(25:01):
And I remember saying in council, speaking specifically about
you and one of the items thatyou know everybody was talking
about, and I was furious I'moften furious as calm as I am
now.
I was furious about the way youwere being received, because
it's what I see so often,specifically with black women
and specifically with transwomen.

(25:21):
Okay, and the reality, and I'vesaid the problem is you only
want to hear us when we'rescreaming, because it's more
convenient than hearing our pain.
But we start out trying to talk, we start out trying to address
and you let this community,shane has to stand there and
scream and stop.
And then it's they were thisand blossom has to pop all the

(25:43):
way off, which is always tastyto watch.
But were this and Blossom hasto pop all the way off, which is
always tasty to watch, yeah,but not necessary and it
shouldn't be necessary.
You shouldn't be required tohave that energy.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
No, that was painful to do that.
For me that was a trauma, likethat's not something I wanted to
do and I was quiet at first andI was giving them the
information and it got to thepoint where I had to get to
weird shit that was going on.
But I will agree with you thatthere are a lot of city staff
that does try, like you know,shout out to to moya you know,
oh yeah, I want to like givemoya a moment, because I don't

(26:12):
think that they get enoughrepresentation.
They're a non-binary staffmember that is truly like an
anchor as well in the city.
That um helped a lot of thestuff that we were doing when we
were doing the sexual assaultand the test strips and
everything.
So much so that, like peoplewere saying like tab was doing
more than council was a certainpoint that we were acting as

(26:34):
council members, which Iunderstand where that perception
came from.
But the subject matter that wewere covering, like tab, like I
was the chair of tab and I use,you know, using white privilege
in that space and also theprivilege that I had as chair to
have that conversation, becausethere were so many people that
came forward to me that weren'tperfect victims.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Right.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
So they weren't listened to and because I was,
you know, whatever fit, whatevermetrics of like, I wasn't a guy
that goes around drinking andgets, you know, I'm very
responsible.
So for that to happen to me theway that it did, it was
obviously like, oh shit,something is really going on in
this situation.
We need to take a look at it.
Meanwhile, there was, you know,countless, especially gay men

(27:17):
that, hey, maybe they were doingpoppers that night or something
, or maybe some sort of illicitsomething.
So they couldn't feel like theycould fully tell what happened
because, again, they weren't theperfect victim.
And it wasn't until I camealong as like, hey, this super
responsible guy who is on allthese boards and all of this
stuff, and, oh my God, ithappened to him.
And there was even a privilegein that space, because I don't

(27:37):
think that I would have evenmade the impact that I did if I
was just a regular degular guy.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
Can I offer a thought on what you just said?

Speaker 2 (27:44):
Yeah, of course.
I could always be wrong here.
No, I'm not that kind of whiteguy.
I love being wrong.

Speaker 1 (27:51):
Responsible guy, but you also had a responsibility
because you took that positionto be a leader and that's you
leading.
And it was not fucking easy,and I think the fact that we
even have the phrase perfectvictim says everything we need
to know about sexual assault inthis country.
Right, uh, there's no perfectnon-victims.
So what?
What does a perfect victim oranything even look like?

Speaker 2 (28:09):
but.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
I think that's part of it, um, and I think that
that's what activists are for.
That's what we're supposed todo.
That's why we lean into thesepositions.
Right, it's it's.
We're not self-aggrandizing,we're not here, I'm not ever
running.

Speaker 2 (28:22):
No I set myself on fire and lost everything.
I mean, you know, I literallylost my life savings.
I lost everything to fight,like people still don't fully
know how, like the fact that I'mhere and doing this and being
where the fuck I am.
Like the people that know me,close to me, like you and
blossom, know how far down I wasand how much I lost to fight
that fight for so many otherpeople that's that's the

(28:42):
sacrifice, and that's what youdo, and that's what people do,
and it takes, it takes and ittakes things from you, but
that's a sacrifice you make forcommunity.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
If I can offer just a couple of thoughts in terms of
like Please, it's your episode.
Tell us no, no, no, like whereto go, and all this jazz, I
think we're like look, we don't,we don.
We know that we need to figureout how to work in community.
We know that the other side isconstantly holding hands under
the table and that's why they'reable to move forward.
We know that we have a lot ofanti-racism work to do in the
LGBTQ community.

(29:12):
That needs to be at theforefront of every single queer
leader's body of work.
In my opinion, anti-transsentiment needs to be at the
center of the work and upliftingand bringing folks into the
space.
But I think I'd love.
My interest right now is infinding ways to get queer
candidates uplifted and elected,to get black candidates
uplifted and elected in real,tangible ways that move things

(29:34):
forward.
Not just an endorsement, notjust these things.
What does it look like tocreate a body of work where, for
example, we build somethingwhere queer candidates can come
to us, candidates can come to usand apply and instead of just
giving them here's $200 thatyou're going to spend on one you
know social post or somethingwe literally build an
infrastructure where we havementorship social media posts

(29:56):
not even you're doing the work.
You go be a candidate.
You go win.
You go be a queer leader.
There is a room full of peoplethere are go win, you go be a
queer leader.
There is a room full of people.
There are experts in theirfields that will execute your
social media.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Build a static website, phone bank for you
that's so fucking important,because I've even considered it
and a lot of people go shane whyare you not doing it?
And I will tell you I haveimposter syndrome.
I will tell you, I look at itand I go like I don't know if I
could meet the.
But then I'm like, look atwho's doing it and it's, but
like also I don't want to go upthere and give people false hope
as well.
I, because if I were to do youknow I do things but you're the

(30:30):
definition of hope, so you cannever get false I don't know I,
but I still have that, that thatimposter syndrome on stepping
into that role, because I I feellike there's like I don't know,
like some sort of class theytook or something.
That I'm not, that I haven't.

Speaker 1 (30:45):
You know what I mean it's cis privilege, it's white
privilege, it's it's maleprivilege.
So lean into that.
But okay reality and the other,I guess, but the reality is it
is that privilege and what weknow from working in these, at
least the democratic spaces andsome of that type of work that
I've, you know, in Boston.
I've done this work together andwe know, but like these folks
have to work three times harderto get the dollar, to get the

(31:05):
vote and you have major LGBTQorganizations who I won't call
out because we're going to tryto make some changes, but I will
say that we need to beelevating these folks and rather
than saying I endorse you Okay,well, I get a logo for that
Joke.
Now what do I do?
Instead of that, there'sleadership development, there's
bringing folks in who want torun and there's elevating you,

(31:27):
not telling you what you're notdoing, telling you what you can
do, not telling you who youshould be, elevating who you are
right.
That is why you're in that role.
These people don't haveanything.
I'm in these spaces with thesepeople, and you know.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
So that's not the reality, right, folks?

Speaker 1 (31:40):
like that want you to believe and want people to
believe, so you don't rise.
That is what this country andthis system is built on only a
certain amount of folks rising,and there's some great people in
leadership roles that areelected that it ain't everybody.
So let's not start with thenonsense.
But the reality is, theconstruct is jacked okay, and so

(32:01):
when I'm looking at what's myrole, I don't want to run, but
when I hear you run, I want toknow.
That's exactly who I'm talkingabout.
I want to build a framework.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
I keep feeling that pull for some reason.
But it's that imposter thingand it's also I guess you're
right I just don't have it'shard for cause.
If I'm going to do something, Ineed to see what the five-year
plan how do we achieve?
And for me, I do have to.
Even though I'm white, I'mstill a trans person and it's
still like how am I going tonavigate that?
Because look at what's going onwith sarah mcbride she's still

(32:30):
getting misgendered by this,that and the other, and don't
but still I can, I can do thateasy and easy peasy pie.
But also, like the fundraisingthing, like you said and this is
what we were talking about evenin the episode with uh ryan and
greg is like the liberal sidedoes not fund or create this
channel at all.
Like it's like, like, like Ilove the idea that kamala harris

(32:54):
is considering ruddering againright, let's, let's, let's have
that conversation.
But at the same time, like whyis it only like three people to
choose from and that's all wehave?
Like we have pete budaj, kamalaharris, barney sanders, aoc.
Like why is there still not awhole bunch of other people on
the pipeline coming up frombehind them, since they're
moving positions?
But then there's like thiselitist thing that goes on.

(33:14):
And I gotta be frank with you.
I've been invited to theStonewall Dems and I've always
resisted it.
Can I, can I be real with you?
Because I am very blue collar?
I'm, and, and when I'm in theorganization and when I'm in
that space and when I'm around alot of those people, um,
sometimes and this is probablygonna say it wrong too, some of

(33:35):
the conservative talking pointsabout like blue collar working
and stuff.
I see that because I still worka blue collar job, right?
So when I'm in these likereally elitist dem spaces, I'm
like this, ain't it Like whatthe fuck are we doing, talking
about followings and shit, whenthere's all of these things and
uh, coalitions we could bebuilding and resources, and but
meanwhile it's like oh, uh,she's got a Gucci bag on.

(33:56):
I'm like what the fuck are we?

Speaker 1 (33:58):
doing it's business as usual, and it's the same old,
same old.
We cannot move forward with thesame old, same old.
We cannot move forward with thesame old, same old, and so I
want to share something.
But, Blossom, did you want toadd something to that?

Speaker 3 (34:08):
No, I was thinking like with Sarah McBride.
I've known her for over adecade when I started doing
activism with HRC, because HRCwas the reason how I got my
platform.
I met Sarah then, so she wasthe press secretary, secretary
for the human rights campaignbefore she became a senator.
And so I just want to say withSarah, she's worked so hard.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
Yes, she has.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
Right, sarah has built everything that she has
got, and it's a littlechallenging when some trans
people of color who don't knowSarah kind of put her in this
box of judgment.
And I'm not saying she can't becriticized for anything that she
says or do, but she's reallythere to do the work.
And I think it's different whenyou personally know somebody

(34:49):
versus like what you see ontelevision or on the internet or
whatever like that, becauseoptics are an illusion to me and
I've always felt that way.
And you know we're talkingabout Stonewall Democrats and
running for office, and there'vebeen times where I've thought
about running for office as welltoo, but I always go for who is
going to be my inspiration,right, and I think people like

(35:11):
representative jasmine crockettyeah, um is a very great example
for me, because one thing abouther is she gonna sit up there
and say what she needs to say,right, and then you know,
especially with her goingagainst nancy mason, what's that
other girl name?
Um, marjorie marjorie, uh,taylor green or whatnot, like I
see so much.
Whatever the fuck it is, listen, I see myself in that.

(35:34):
Yes, yes, and you body bleachyeah, and I think what is it?
And you know what I think?
Same too.
I feel yeah because to seeyourself in it.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
Talking to Ben Shapiro.
Right yeah, before I had thatinteraction with him, I had this
idea of who he was right.
Right.
And then when I was sittingthere on the set and watching
how he was in it because, again,my interaction with him was
later in the episode, even ifthey showed it sooner because
that's how editing works I, um,I realized like this guy ain't

(36:08):
shit and it's.
It's crazy because, like, evenlike in the government positions
we've been in, I've had thatalso imposter syndrome.
But then when I do go in theroom I'm like holy shit, what do
you mean?
You have like it's easy for meto look at a situation, even if
I don't have full knowledge onit, and be like, oh, I can hear
your point, I can hear yourpoint, I can hear how the two of
you are misinterpreting eachother, and I'm really good at at
at that connection thing.
I mean that's why even theepisode sometimes we can go on

(36:29):
tangents and I can hear whateverybody's saying and find that
point and land us and like thatworks in politics really well
and I can see myself doing that.
But at the same time it's likethere's no true like funding
source or mentorship, but itsounds like you're building it
and I just want to say thank youfor doing that, especially with
queer folks, because our lackof representation, especially as

(36:52):
like a trans mask individual.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
I have a very unique life that I live Like it's.
It's the combination of likeyes, I still deal with the
patriarchy and all the thingsthat women have to deal with
Right Of sit down, be quiet oflike yes, I still deal with the
patriarchy and all the thingsthat women have to deal with
right Of sit down, be quiet, but, at the same time, I still deal
with men's mental health, oflike, the expectations of a man
and all of the challenges thatcome with that, which is not an

(37:15):
easy thing to navigate and doesnot also have resources.
So I kind of got the shitty endof both sticks.
It's like, sit down and bequiet but carry all the heavy
shit too.
So, like it's a veryinteresting path to walk and a
lot of people don't evenunderstand that my perspective I
can look at a situation wherewe're talking about sexual
violence and and and reallytruly understand it in so many

(37:38):
layers because I am trans,because I have that perspective
of like understanding what it'slike to experience it, but also
the male's perspective as well,and even like the effects of
testosterone can be verypowerful in that, and that's
even something that a lot of ciswomen are not even aware of of
like, damn testosterone make youa horny little toad.
You know what I mean, like andlike to the point where, like

(38:01):
whoa bro, I didn't know this iswhat you guys were dealing with.

Speaker 1 (38:06):
You know what I mean, but like that is true
intersectionality yeah, thething is these words are used,
right, but what are we really?
That's and that's why I like.
When I spoke at thereproductive rights rally, I was
like all of this signage behindme, absolutely not.
All of this signage is cisdriven.
We are not having amulti-layered conversation.
We're not talking aboutreproductive rights for trans

(38:29):
men.
We're not talking about SA.
When we're talking about SA,we're not including gay men in
the conversation.
And we can talk about thesethings and we can talk about
ourselves in the kind ofwholeness of community and still
respect and focus on the nuanceand the specificity.
Right, we can have a body thatrepresents all these things and
never take away from this otherarea, because we allow and build

(38:51):
up a very specific conversationand work with that level of
intention.
But I think when there's somany people that are there to
self-center and self-aggrandize,that aren't genuinely there for
the lift, that's where we are.
That's why we are where we are.
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (39:06):
I want to do the work and change my name, actually,
like I literally would justdisappear after it was done.

Speaker 3 (39:10):
Yeah, so how do y'all feel about this around
boundaries and activism?
Yeah, now, going back to whatyou just said about like the
signage or whatnot could we makeroom for?
Because this is not my livedexperience, I don't have the
capacity to talk about it, but Ifeel that if you should be a

(39:31):
part of the conversation, thenyou should put your signage next
to me.
I shouldn't be doing that labor.
How do we feel about that?
And should there be a balancebetween that?
Because I think that's alsowhat's happening too.
Like I talked about in the lastepisode, there's a difference
between commentary and justlived experience, and when talk
as a trans woman, when I talkabout trans men, it's not my

(39:52):
lived experience, but forcommentary reasons, because it's
a trans issue, I talk about itand I have to talk about it in a
way that does not make me seemlike that's my lived experience
and that I know it all.
And so, applying that to whatyou just said, like, where do
you think the line should bedrawn or lifted?

Speaker 1 (40:11):
I think that it's the responsibility of leaders in a
space to think from that lensright, and it's almost like if
you're going to do a project andyou were like these are the
three things I want to do inthis podcast and every single
episode I do this.
I do a solid intro, I do aguest development and I do a
solid outro and make sure theaudience knows where to find me.
Those are the three things.

(40:32):
As a stand-up, I get up, I makesure the crowd knows who I am,
I deliver to the room and I makesure they know where to find me
.
It's like boom, boom, boom.
So for me, when I talk aboutactivism, it's that.
So when I'm saying it, I'm notsaying it as I should be the
person to say it or that anybodyshould be.
What I'm saying is I want thoseleaders to know, I want you to
rethink how you're walking intothese spaces and how you're

(40:53):
creating these spaces.
So the next time we've now donethis, there will be a trans
woman up at this podium, therewill be additional signage,
because you've brought in morepeople and you've worked with
the intention of what you speakabout.
Right, it's performance-basedand not performative.
Yeah, yeah, and you'reperforming and that, I think, is

(41:14):
the.
That's what I hope and that'skind of what I want to hold
community to.
And I think even when I was inStonewall, I was the leadership
development chair and I shutdown the entire program.
Two things happened during thattime.
A lot's happened, but twothings happened during that time
.
The first thing is they came tome the heads of the political
and the president at the timeand they said oh, you're really

(41:36):
tapped in the community and wereally need some transgender
people involved.
And I said I'm going to stopyou there.
Why don't you have already?
How long has this organizationbeen operating?
You don't folks on this bodythat are representative of our
full community, and I want toknow why.
I want to unpack.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
Do you remember?

Speaker 1 (41:54):
when this was.
I think this was where did.
Where were you when we met?
What role were you in when wewhen me met?
Cause I was a chair ofleadership development.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
Did you come in after that?
I was when Ashley Marie Prestonwhen she was there.

Speaker 1 (42:07):
I think this was, I think this was before that Cause
.
Then I left for a chunk ofyears, so, and basically I was
like I'm not bringing mycommunity into a harmful space
and until I know why this isn'ta safe space for community,
we're going to have to unpackthat.
Um, and we did.
And then, you know, we got somefolks involved.
But then then we I was doingthe DEI, excuse me, no, I was
doing the leadership program.
No no, no, no, Before, wellbefore, that was right, exactly,

(42:29):
exactly.
I'm like, oh, we could have anentire you know episode on that,
but on the nonsense.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
I love the button, thank you.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
They're taking away DEI.
You never let black women dothe work in the first place.

Speaker 3 (42:42):
Exactly Hello.

Speaker 1 (42:43):
So I'm like but that was, it was cute.
So I think we shut down theprogram because I said there are
some intersectionality issueshere, there's a lot of misogyny
here, there's racism here, anduntil the leaders all go through
an unpacking whiteness seminar,until we start to do some of
this work, I'm not going tobring people in and develop them
and tell them this is a safespace to learn and grow.
So sometimes it's just shuttingshit down and addressing it in

(43:06):
the house before you bring folksinto the house, and sometimes
it's, you know, in the mix,whatever, but it's, it's how we
get there.
And I think these spaces, um, Ithink there's work to be done.
It's just a matter of who's inthe space.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
But if you want to run, please, well, on that note,
jackie, um, do something.
Where the hell can people findyou?
I love it.
You know where I'm going.
I have to be professional, okay, uh, where the hell can people
find you?
I know your socials are offright now, but we're going to
turn them back on, allegedlyright.
Um, we'll put them in thecaption below for folks to also

(43:38):
find on the video, and then Iknow you're going to get back
into some stand-up stuff.
Hopefully we can get you ontiktok.
I'm trying.
I know I have an addiction totiktok.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
I'm just getting everybody on there who else like
, goes viral and shutseverything down.
It was not, it was a weird flex, but I needed it, so it happens
um, but where can folks findyou?

Speaker 2 (43:56):
and then, uh, what is your?
One quick short message to thequeer young folks that are
dealing with this administration, because you and I and blossom
even though she doesn't look atum are allegedly a little older
and dealt with.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
Uh oh, that was a compliment.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
Okay, yeah, that was not backhanded, that was, that
was cute, that was cute what areyou?
talking about.
I gave you a kiss on the otherepisode.
Um, anyways, what would youtell that young queer person?
Because we listen, we didn'thave rights back in the day,
like when we grew up, like noneof this stuff even existed and
we built this stuff and now it'sa little bit being taken away

(44:32):
because it's going through agrowth period, is what I'm going
to call it.
What are you going to tellthese folks that feel like their
whole life they saw equalityand now it's being ripped away?
What are you going to tell them?
That to give them the fuckinghope to not?

Speaker 1 (44:46):
you know, yeah, solid question, I think for lots of
pressure.
You got to solve it I takeoffense to the word short though
, but I think um kidding oh myGod, I just heard it oh.

Speaker 2 (44:55):
God, cancel me, cancel me.

Speaker 1 (45:01):
I knew I was going to bring it right now.
Um, I think number one you canemail me at Jackie steel LA at
gmailcom.
You can get ahold of me throughuh, through Shane and blossom,
and always happy to answer anyquestions or offer any community
support if needed, or how toget folks engaged in spaces.
I think, in terms of our youthand just community and where we
are, I think we need torecognize that this is a
revolution.
We need to recognize that whatour ancestors built for us, what

(45:22):
our community built for us, howwe got to the rights that we
are now complaining are beingtaken away, which is
understandable.
We need to restart byrespecting how we got them, how
we got here, and I think weforget.
I think for a variety of reasons.
Right, we're a bit of a fastfood, fast paced society and I
think we want everything at ourfingertips, but our history is
long and deep and we need tospend more time.

(45:43):
I'm interested in bridging thegap for people.
I'm interested in educating ouryouth and helping support how
we bring folks into the frameand go.
You know, maybe we do a littletea with Blossom and talk about
community and talk about historyand talk about the future.
Right, like these are themoments just conversation, and,

(46:05):
I think, the biggest thing I canoffer.
I went to the Loyola MarymountUniversity convening on Project
2025 last Saturday and I spentthe day there and it was
actually.
I've gone to a lot of thingsthat don't have teeth.
I think a lot of these bodies,boards, all these groups there
aren't a lot of teeth and I liketeeth.
I want something that's goingto get something done.
I want to see some voices andhear some voices that are going
to get something done.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
Well, they keep removing the teeth Right.
Well, but that's but then we, Ithink.

Speaker 1 (46:30):
But I think it's about also knowing if a body
ain't for me, then I'm not goingto get my work done there.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
There's a reason I'm not on certain commissions.
They have no teeth.
I'm not interested.
Same Period.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
Love it.
Love it for you.
There's no teeth.
You won't see me spending mytime.
I will celebrate the effortyou're putting in, but it ends
there.
For me, this day was because itwas truly educational and not in
a talking at you way.
It was professors, it waslawyers, it was people fighting
these cases in court right now,people that are teaching on this

(47:01):
and fighting it simultaneously,and it was, uh, we're activists
with like long bodies of workand the number one thing and I'm
thrilled to call you but youknow I always call you in on
something, so I'm like you'recool.
I mean, I'm a call a cool humanalso.
Um, we are, uh, I'm looking atdoing like a, like a KYRs
program, at pride.
Um, I am.
I am not thrilled that ourprides are just going to happen
this year.
I'm not thrilled that we'rejust going to do pride Like
shit's okay.

(47:22):
Um, I'm not opposed to anybodylike having a good time party
cutting up, God knows.
You both know what I'm sayingis we're really just going to
execute this year Like it's justbeen, like it's just another
year.
We're not in this.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
Well, the corporate, you know, gays are right.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
But the reality.
But we all have a responsibilityin this space.
And so, for example, I got aletter from one of the major,
major, major prides not LA, notin this state, um and.
And the two pages deep wereabout we stand with and we
believe in the same old shit,right?
And I was like I'm just goingto read this again and look for

(47:55):
where it says you won't take asingle dollar from, you will not
accept a sponsor who, oh, itdoesn't say that, right, because
you're still not going to vetyour sponsors, you're still not
going to reject corporatedollars from these spaces.
You're still not going to sayif you've harmed our community,
if you've pulled back your DEIefforts, if you support these
things, if you funded thesethings, we won't take your money
.
I would rather gather in a parkand, I don't know, jump rope or

(48:25):
something, than watch a stagethat was funded by trash.
And I think, until we recognizewe're in a revolution, until we
recognize we need to buck upand do things differently and
this corporate ownership of ourrainbow and who we are to the
point where they can put it upand pull it down whenever they
feel like.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
Thank you, I was just going to say that point is the
fact that this year, from myunderstanding, a lot of prides
are now struggling because allthose corporate dollars are now
being pulled away.
Good, yeah.
Good, good, but it should showall those folks that were in
those positions, that weremaking all those gobs of money,
how fragile and how much thoseactivists that you ignored were

(49:00):
important to even your wallet.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
But that's how important it is to make sure you
are working with partners whoare there for us and not just to
get what they can.

Speaker 2 (49:08):
Well, that was the kind of behavior that we were
always trying to advocate, forthis was going to happen, right?

Speaker 3 (49:14):
Yeah, because a lot of these corporations that have
pulled out, especially underTrump's DEI, like it was
performative activism in thefirst place and we've called it
out every year, they justslapped a rainbow on it.

Speaker 1 (49:24):
But this is why I keep saying there's a reason.
We are where we are.
That's right.
Are we are not better than this.
We are not less racist thanthis as a country.
We are not less transphobic asthis.
This is who we are.
That's the bottom line on thecollective whole.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
There was a lot of greed involved as well.

Speaker 1 (49:41):
Well, there's greed Again.
That's the baseline of all ofthis right.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
It's the root of all evil.
Right.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
Tracy Porter, who is a black woman, a lesbian, an
activist.
She wrote a sub stack and shewas talking about some
experience with white fragilityand one of the lines she wrote
that I thought was so brilliantwas this is power defending
itself and that was about aspecific situation, but I
thought that line this is powerdefending itself this is what
we're looking at.
We've seen people rise up on atiny bit, and it is.

(50:07):
They waited until they couldstomp it down, but we're not
being stomped down.
So, in terms of my message, forour youth or community, this is
a moment in history of ahistory that's got a lot more
years to be made.
We have a lot more work to do.
There are a lot of people whofought and lost their lives in
the revolution to get us here,and this is our revolution.

(50:28):
This isn't our comment section.
This is our revolution and thereality is, until we embrace
that and until we pull eachother in and together we can
battle about a conversation, wecan go and we have this is the
thing we can do these things,but I'm going to ride for you,
period, because you're my familyand we're a community.
We have to learn that Battleover.
I have an argument.

(50:48):
Debate a fact, debate aconversation.
Have a different opinion.
Also, learn to have a differentopinion.
Now, if it's not offensiveracism, that type of stuff,
obviously those aren't opinions,honey.
But if you have, a differentopinion about a topic.
Okay, you like cilantro, I don't.
You like something, I don't.
Whatever it is that you can do,okay, we can have those things.
You can have a differentopinion.
You can come to things adifferent way.

(51:09):
No one's answer is the rightanswer.
This has to be done in acollective, with respect for the
nuance and the differentsections of our community.
Know your rights.
Tell your friends their rights.
Tell your friend's friendstheir rights.
Tell your friend's grandmothertheir rights.
You cannot share people'srights.
Now enough and the baseline ofwhat it means.

(51:30):
There's the emotion and thefear around what's happening,
understandably, but then there'sthe fact, and the facts around
what's happening are paramountright now.
Yes, we have to make surepeople understand.
This is what was just said wasgoing to be done.
This is why this will nothappen.
This is why this could happen.
This is what it means in realtime.

(51:51):
This is what it means to youand these are your resources.
That's it.
So, talking about some of thekyr stuff at pride we're looking
at, maybe just going out anddoing like ice information,
information on trans rights,information on some of the bills
that are happening right nowand how folks can realistically
get involved.
Um, that's it.
And on that note one, I know Italk too much no, no, that's
what it's for.

(52:12):
It's going to realistically getinvolved.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
That's it.
And on that note, I know I talktoo much.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
That's what it's for.
It's a podcast, listen, that'swhat it's for.
On that no, never apologize forspeaking.
What the fuck?
One thing I want to say beforeI throw it to blossom I know
these protect.
First of all, I think it'sintentional to make sure to
actually go to the originalcreator and buy that shirt,

(52:35):
because donations are actuallybeing sent from that.
So, folks, if you're buyingthat from someone else, please
be intentional.
And I know we're having theconversation about Can we tag
that?

Speaker 1 (52:44):
Can we tag that?

Speaker 2 (52:45):
Yeah, we'll tag it below and make sure to be
intentional about that purchase.
And I understand we're there toprotect the dolls, right?
Yes, but the bricks were theones that stonewall and we have
to protect those as well.
We cannot just look at ourcommunity as a monolith.
We protect all non-binary folks, our trans folks, if that's how

(53:05):
they choose to identify.
Jackie Steele, I do appreciateespecially talking about bi
erasure, because that's animportant topic to me, for me as
well, because I guess allegedlymy wife is bisexual.
I don't know, she justidentifies as me at this point,
but, um, it's important to Forme to be an ally for your
erasure and offer you a platformand some of those bricks have

(53:26):
to be torn back down.

Speaker 1 (53:28):
Oh my god.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
And blossom.
You want to close this out anddo our amazing rap for the day
and tell us where to follow andall that fucking beautiful shit
you do I sure.

Speaker 3 (53:36):
Would You're so silly , Make sure you hit the
subscribe button down below sothat way you'll know when we
post new videos when me andShane are on the air.
We thank you so much forwatching and take a little time
to enjoy the TransparencyPodcast show.
We'll see you next time.