stron003

[thestrongstance]

Experience changes your life. It changes how you see things, how you perceive the world and your future expectations. With experience, you may look at life, in the words of Joni Mitchell, from Both Sides Now. On this episode, I’m bringing you stories from three trans folks about seeing different sides of their own personal life events. Story Tellers: JB Fuoco [“Seeing Both Sides (and the Middle Too)”] is a Latinx, queer, transgender business analyst and native Southerner. He currently lives in Portland, OR where he serves on the board of Portland Latinx Pride. He and his spouse are heavily involved with the LGBTQ+ Business Alliance and are developing a cultural competency training around trans* folk in the workplace to be rolled out to local ...

This month on The Strong Stance we have another stories episode. These are my favorite episodes because we get to hear stories from all types of trans and non-binary people.This episode features stories from JB Diaz Fuoco, Julian, and Kris McElroy. Tune in to listen and to learn how to submit your own story!

[thestrongstance]

This month's Spotlight is focused on Chris Jennings: drag king, photographer, podcaster and host of the new weekly Facebook Live show, Coffee with Chris.

On this month’s episode of The Strong Stance, tune in as Chris Jay discusses all of the amazing things they do in the drag world, with their photography, and with their newest live adventure, The Coffee with Chris Show! *Spoiler Alert:* They *might* have even taken your family photos at JCPenney…

[thestrongstance]

Tiffany Mott-Smith and Kris Oseth of The Queer Public Health Podcast join me to discuss queer public health, and the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

With the recent House passing of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the state of queer public health is even more unsure and in danger. On this episode of #TheStrongStance, I am joined by +Tiffany Mott-Smith and +Kris Oseth to discuss queer public health and their new podcast, aptly named The Queer Public Health Podcast.

[thestrongstance]

Join me as I speak to Avre' Vickers about his life, his path starting Lost Boys United, and his love for the youth basketball players he coaches.

I had a great time talking to Avre’ Vickers about all the things he is doing as of late, not least of which is creating his own beard products company, Lost Boys United, and impacting young lives as a youth basketball coach. Tune in!

[wearetransilient]

Transilient in the Face of Harder Times

This is a video made out of images from our interviews in the Summer of 2016. They can be read on our social media accounts and our website: www.wearetransil...

#transisbeautiful

#wearetransilient

Please keep loving yourself and keep fighting. 

We are in this together and we love you.

[thestrongstance]

The Strong Stance: Adjusting to Southern Intersections

Moving to any new environment always means adjustment: Taking a new job, starting a new family, moving to a new city. With each of these shifts often comes a new culture and a new social circle. And while building that circle can be at least somewhat difficult for most people, it’s particularly more onerous if you belong to a community that is not widely accepted or even understood. Combine that with any other minority status and the intersectionality of those identities can compound those adjustments....

[stron003]

Hey folks! Check out this great conversation I had with Melvin Whitehead and Morgan Rich about their recent moves to Georgia and the adjustments they've made relocating from larger cities to the Deep South, particularly as #QTPOC.

[twocpoetry]

The One-Sided Messengers

We are the one-sided messengers, The Black Lives that never get riots, But are always making sure people respect them, And are even present for them.

We are the one-sided messengers, Existing both on the front lines and the back burner. Protecting the legacies, Of those who won’t even put our real names in stories about how they killed us.

We are the one-sided messengers, Straddling the worlds of loving our people, And living in fear of them. Our bodies are merely collateral, In this economic exchange of police for activist politics.

We are the one-sided messengers, Those who will watch the videos of our cis brethren dying, In the hopes that we do not lose the empathy they never had for us. Videos that no one ever bothers to record when we are slaughtered.

We are the one-sided messengers. The ones who will boost videos of Black joy, And keep our Black Trans pain to ourselves, Because it is only making people uncomfortable.

We are the one-sided messengers, Organizing movements that are still not meant for us to benefit from, Attending rallies never held in our name, While our Trans elders live off Go Fund Me campaigns, Instead of cisgender solidarity for the shoulders they stood on to make it out alive.

We are the one-sided messengers, Building safe spaces that we are not welcome in, Teaching classes that do not have us in the curriculum, Writing songs that no one will repeat without a cis name attached. Holding hands with our attackers and abusers, As a form of taking what we can get, Because normally those hands are beating us to death, Shooting us in cold blood, Burning our corpses, And then typing posts about how we deserved it.

We are the one-sided messengers, Those that will kill for and die from the same Black hands that raise fists in the name of liberation.

We are the one-sided messengers, Misgendered, under-represented, Slaves to a system that is ironically built on the premise of dismantling all systems, Still erased, even today.

We are the one-sided messengers… And I fear we always will be.

[stron003]

I love and uplift all of my black and brown trans brothers and sisters...

[thestrongstance]

The Strong Stance Spotlight: Benny's June

The month of June was particularly eventful for a lot of the queer community: Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, Pride, the Pulse shooting in Orlando and more...and clearly not all of it was positive. These events affected people in different ways and, in the case of Benny Rodriguez, they weren’t the only events that made June emotionally taxing. So we sat down for a chat about...Benny’s June. We discussed the Latinx community, the anti-blackness found at many of the aforementioned events, and the...

June was hard for a lot of people…check out this chat I had with Benny Rodriguez about how the events of this past month affected their life.We discussed the Latinx community, the anti-blackness found at many of the aforementioned events, and the erasure that was so blatantly evident in the wake of tragedy.Tune in for this episode of The Strong Stance Spotlight to hear ‘Benny’s June’.

[stron003]

I'm out at Augusta Pride today. Come find me!!! (at Augusta Pride Festival)

[stron003]

At the We Stand With Orlando benefit at @msr_lesbian_bar (at MSR)

[stron003]

Look what I found in the back of my drawer... #gayish #pridemonth❤️💛💚💙💜 #lgbtqiapride

[stron003]

Thanks to the best father-in-law ever for this awesome shirt!! #StandAgainstHB2

[thestrongstance]

The Strong Stance Spotlight: Basil Soper & Transilient

My wife and I recently took a trip down to New Orleans for a week. Just before we left, I was introduced to this month's guest via a mutual friend on Facebook, and in a bizarre turn of events, he happens to live in New Orleans. So long story short, I got to meet him and talk about this amazing adventure he’s about to embark on...and I had to have him on to share it with The Strong Stance listeners. My guest is Basil Soper and he is joining us to discuss his life and his newest project, Transilient....

On this episode of The Strong Stance Spotlight, Basil Soper discusses his life and his newest project, Transilient @wearetransilient. It’s an amazing traveling, photo-based storytelling project that has already been featured in @theadvocatemag. TUne in to learn more!

[thestrongstance]

The Strong Stance Stories EP02_Family Matters

Welcome to another installment of The Strong Stance Stories. For those not familiar with The Strong Stance Stories, this is the this is the newest flavor of the podcast and it’s simply storytelling. These particular episodes will feature all types of stories from all types of trans and gender non-conforming people. The aim here is to showcase our community’s voices and lived experiences and to provide an outlet for art and expression. We are continually looking for stories and at the end of the show,...

Tune in to The Strong Stance Stories: Family Matters. Each of these segments features a story about events involving a family member or members. I am so amazingly proud of this episode and our storytellers, Julian and Ari.**I am still looking for stories!**If you would like to share a story on the show, send me an email at thestrongstance(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll send you all the details. There’s also more info in this episode.

[thestrongstance]

Strong Stance Bathroom Bill Breakdown

In the last several weeks, both the state of North Carolina and the city of Oxford, Alabama have passed legislation limiting or prohibiting the trans community from utilizing the public facilities of their correct gender. These bills are HB2 in North Carolina and City Ordinance 2016-18 in Oxford. Join me as I breakdown some of the points, counterpoints and realities of these bills and the harm they inflict on the trans community, as well as the complete lack of protection that they provide to the people...

5/6/16: On this episode of @TheStrongStance, I break down the NC & AL bathroom bills: the points, counterpoints & realities.

[thestrongstance]

Introduction to The Strong Stance

Finally! A dedicated Tumblr account for #TheStrongStance! This has been a long time coming…

The podcast was founded in Oct 2013 on the Back2Us Radio Network. We discuss issues affecting the transgender & gender non-conforming community.

I’m going to share some of the recent episodes so you can get a flavor for what we do here. Follow us and host Eli Strong (@stron003).

You can also connect w/ us on FB (https://www.facebook.com/TheStrongStance) & subscribe to the show on Spreaker (http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-strong-stance-with-eli-strong) for future episodes.

Have a story to tell? Let me know! I want to give voice to anyone in the trans/gnc community. Get in touch & I’ll get you ALL the details.

[stron003]

The Strong Stance Spotlight: Basil Soper & Transilient

My wife and I recently took a trip down to New Orleans for a week. Just before we left, I was introduced to this month's guest via a mutual friend on Facebook, and in a bizarre turn of events, he happens to live in New Orleans. So long story short, I got to meet him and talk about this amazing adventure he’s about to embark on...and I had to have him on to share it with The Strong Stance listeners. My guest is Basil Soper and he is joining us to discuss his life and his newest project, Transilient....

On this episode of #TheStrongStance Spotlight, Basil Soper (@tulsi-bear-photos) discusses his life and his newest project Transilient (@wearetransilient) . It's an amazing traveling, photo-based storytelling project that has already been featured in @theadvocatemag. Tune in to learn more!