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Choices. Aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago. because now you have a backup plan and a choice that's freedom to be plan b is the number one ob-gyn recommended emergency contraception it is not an abortion pill get it immediately at all major retailers in store or delivery use plan b emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex the sooner you take it the better it works zolaire omelizumab is proven

to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

If you want your guests to ask, wait, where is this from? Tea Forte is the perfect place to start. Known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic leaf, tea forte delivers premium blends served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world beyond the tea itself the beautifully designed packaging curated gift sets and tea chests make every day feel elevated from brunches to dinner parties birthdays to thank you gifts tea forte turns everyday hosting and gifting into something effortlessly refined memorable and genuinely special shop now at tea forte.com or on amazon hi everyone it's so Sophia, welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome back to this week's Work in Progress, friends. We are joined by a personal hero of mine, both as an artist and as an incredible advocate who fearlessly stands up and out and loud and proud for her community and for the rest of us too. Today, we are joined by none other than Laverne Cox. She is here to talk about her new book, Transcendent, which is one of the more beautiful things I've read in a long time. And you know Laverne from History Making Milestones, all the Emmy nominations, the magazine covers, her breakout role in Orange is the New Black that transformed transgender representation in pop culture and all of the incredible things that she's done since. I mean, my God, if I read her whole bio, we're going to be here for an hour before I even get her on the show. She has been such a, I mean, my God, like a beacon of light in a world that has not often understood her. She has broken barriers. She has led both as a leader and a culture maker, and she has helped to shift the world around her for the better. And through her acting, her producing, her activism, and now Transcendent, she is going even farther reflecting on family, identity, faith, trauma, healing, and ambition, the pressure that comes with being the first. And she's sharing so many parts of her remarkable journey with us in a way that I am just absolutely in awe of. So let's dive in and hear about how Laverne is going about sharing her story, continuing to be an activist in 2026 when it's more dangerous than ever for trans people to be visible, and where she's finding joy. Let's dive in with Laverne. I have to tell you.

Yes. and i i would love if depending on how your week looks to ask you a few more questions about this but the tldr is i'm getting close to finishing my first book and had no idea it would be so hard um or such actual torture and i feel like you coming this week in this moment of this dumpster fire of a fucking year with this book like you you feel like my fairy godmother right now just being like girl you can finish your book and you can say the things so thank you

you said you're almost done what like what phase you're done with the first draft I'm done with

the first draft I'm now in that phase of editing you know I wondered how I would do it and then I realized i had far too much and then i've had to cut some things that i love for length which is hard and then there's the full story and then there's the world where people like us who are who don't become famous from writing but are famous and then write a book can't exactly

always tell the full story i tried to protect people by changing names and stuff but i i just didn't think there was a point to write it if i wasn't gonna like yes go there what's the point like yes um so i was like if i'm going to do this it's going to be raw i i for me i was like i want to say what happened but like not beyond that what if i learned and from yes humble beginnings from um that abuse that shame that trauma how am i an adult who is healthy and yes happy and loves myself yeah but torture feels like exactly the right word um I just didn't know no one told me that no one ever told me that like I like no one I've never heard an author like say it was torture

uh-huh it was like I thought I was gonna die yes oh there there have been weeks where I'm like I don't think I slept last night why am I so stressed why is this so hard why is this so scary and nobody talks about it. I wonder when I think about the way this sort of pendulum of society swings and how if we could have gone back to, you know, 5, 10, whatever we want to pick years ago, when we were on an upswing, I think back to the things you share in the book about childhood. You know, this little kid in Mobile, Alabama, who probably felt more like a lot of us feel now afraid and I wonder it sort of personalizes even more my first question I love to ask people which is would your 8 or 9 year old self see themselves in you today if they got to meet like if you got to sit down with that little version of you do you think that child would be so blown away by you living your life

I wonder if she would be 8 or 9 year old version I wonder if she'd be scared I wonder if she'd be scared because there's like There is the fantasy that, like, I definitely had as an eight, nine-year-old that, like, this could be possible for sure. But I wonder if that eight, nine-year-old would be ready to, like, witness, like, to understand that this is who I became. I wonder if she was so, she was made to feel afraid of this. And I think because she internalized so much transphobia. So I'm like, I've never heard someone ask the question quite like that. They always say, what would you say to your eight-year-old self? But what if you met? And I'm thinking, and honestly, I'm like, I wonder if she'd be frightened. I wonder if she'd be sort of in disbelief. But I also wonder if she'd be in awe. I mean, just the visual part. But then I know she'd recognize me, like recognize like the spirit, because the spirit is the same. That she would know very well. And then I think she would see that like so much has been, so much armor has been taken away so that that spirit can flow more freely and be more apparent in the world and less sort of armored up and protected.

I love to think about it when I when I talk to people about it I I always think like if I were in the totally emotionally raw sci-fi movie of my dreams myself today would walk on to like a playground you know in Manhattan and meet up with my nine-year-old self and what would that be like And I think it's actually so profound that you say that that little girl might be so blown away.

by the possibility and maybe a little afraid of it it's because it's one of the things I've come to wonder about why there is so much of a reaction to trans folks and I think about I think about this a lot and I think I really related it I'm going to show the people at home because the book is called Transcendent and I know you know when we when this airs it will have just been out for a few weeks so if you don't have a copy yet what are you doing but when I looked at the title I thought about it because transcendence as a concept is holy it's very spiritual the idea that you can transcend something is about transformation transformation is alchemy alchemy is magic I believe for myself the experience of my life in our community and the blessings I have as a cis person as a queer cis person having trans friends is that of all of us on earth trans people are miracles I think people are afraid of trans people because limits don't exist in the same way. The stories humans have told themselves, you know, are not all that's true. Absolutely. And you're so in touch with the essence of humanity itself as a big concept. Freedom as a permission slip, not an idea. And I think for people who are not free, that is

frightening. Absolutely. A lot of the reason that there's the backlash against trans people specifically and first is because we kind of are the solution. We're the answer, right? Like if I can be assigned male at birth and told I'm male and I'm supposed to, you know, dress this way, act this way, live this way. And I say, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not true. I'm actually, I was assigned male, but I've always been a girl and now I'm a woman and I can make the choice to live in that truth. And after a lot of struggle, years of struggle that you read about in the book, I can get to a place where I am living in my truth and like throw off those shackles that people have sort of put on me. I can transcend your ideas of who you think I'm supposed to be. And if I can do it, you as a cis person, Sophia, can do it. And a non-queer cis woman or man can also do it. It doesn't have to look like being trans, but you don't have to subscribe to what people tell you that men and women should be and should do. And that is a threat to the patriarchal system. And particularly in this fascist Christian nationalist moment, it is a threat to the fascism that they're trying to sort of roll in. Patriarchy is essential to fascism. And so we see, I don't think it's all connected for me. I don't think it's a mistake that when we have all this anti-trans bigotry, there is the rolling back of reproductive rights, right? All these hurdles to getting reproductive care. Florida is such a great example of so much of this. But in Florida, for example, only doctors can administer gender affirming care when 80 percent of transgender Floridian receive their gender affirming care from nurse practitioners. Yes. So. Effectively, 80 percent of trans people who live in Florida can access gender affirming care, that's children and adults. So that's one of those sort of, you know, trap laws that they use to kind of deny us health care. And so that is not disconnected from racism, from sexism. It's all connected.

We'll be back in just a minute. But here's a word from our sponsors. friends you know we like to prioritize our health over here at work in progress and we like to do that grounded in science we got so much amazing feedback from you all when we had a medical expert on the show talking about allergies allergic reactions how to be prepared whether you're the person with allergies like me or you are a caregiver for someone or the parent of a kid who has them we all need as much information about this stuff as possible so we can stay safe And that's why I'm excited about our new friends at Neffy. This is for parents or caregivers of a child that experiences allergic reactions from food, medicine, insect, or other allergy triggers. Now, listen, I know this time of year can feel like a lot. There's summer activities and camp and travel and getting ready for back to school. You are doing everything to make sure your child is...

safe wherever they are. You're educating coaches and teachers and other parents on your child's allergies, scheduling doctor's appointments, filling out camp and school forms, and the other things that come with managing your child's allergy diagnosis. But at some point, you have to trust they'll be okay if an allergic reaction happens when you're not there, right? Which is why I want to tell you about Neffy, the only needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for those who weigh 33 pounds or more. It's used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. And Neffy works as well as a needle injector and delivers the same trusted epinephrine in a nasal spray. It's designed to be safe and easy to use at the first sign of symptoms. So in a high stress moment, your child or someone else can act quickly to treat an allergic reaction, even if you're not there. Neffy is also small, discreet, and easy to carry, including in a backpack or a lunchbox or a sports bag. So your child is prepared anywhere the day takes them. You can pay as little as $0 for at least four Neffy devices, two packs, through the Copay Savings Program with commercial insurance if eligible. Patients should not pay more than $199 for Neffy. If you have medical conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may worsen, So tell your doctor about nasal, heart, thyroid, or kidney issues, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, diabetes, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, and any and all medications. Side effects include nasal discomfort, headache, runny nose, shakiness, and throat irritation. Those are not all side effects. If your child needs a new epinephrine prescription or refill, don't wait. Ask your doctor about Needle-Free Neffy today. visit neffy.com that's n-e-f-f-y dot com or call 1-877-MY-NEFFY to learn more stay safe out there choices aren't they great it's why plan b made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago because now you have a backup plan and a choice that's freedom to be Plan B is the number one OBGYN-recommended emergency contraception. It is not an abortion pill. Get it immediately at all major retailers, in-store, or delivery. Use Plan B emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the better it works.

Zolaire omelizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

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something new. But also, how did this start with us? You know, I had a moment, I was in the car I was on one of my managers, Morgan, yesterday, and we were sort of talking about, you know, how people often aren't don't realize something is an issue until it affects them personally. And I was like, well, what about empathy? And then I then I had a moment of thinking about people that people weren't educated or whatever. Then I was like, oh, wait, am I being empathetic in this moment? Am I having the empathy that like I'm suggesting other people should have? And so I'm constantly like, because it starts with me and charity begins at home. So when I'm like doing what we should be doing out there, I'm like, am I doing it? How can I be more empathetic in my life? Am I having a moment of like lacking empathy for people who have been propagandized to who have, you were talking about my ex who just, and so many people who actually, if they faced the reality like particularly white people my ex is a white straight white um republican cop i think like if he were actually to face the reality of like this structural racism that exists in this country the um how the police have been an enforcement of that structural racism since slave patrols and that that had and that that hasn't stopped you know i remember one time he was like how in 20 it was 2024 how in 2024 are the police still uh um racist institution right and like i was like i don't know and i was kind of like i said it because i just need we had we we had we broken up i think we had broken up and we were at the 30 after i break up with someone i do 30 days no contact and then so it's past the 30 days and i and he was like trying to wanting to get back together and i was just like i can never be cool with the police thing and like i just let it all hang i hadn't said it just that way and while we were dating and i was like i i still this is the truth to me and he was like how how how and i was just like oh stop and frisk is bad and he was like that's not true and i was like it is you're a cop

you're a nurse and he believed it yeah i was just like how do you not you're an actual police officer you're like you don't know that eric adams brought back stuff and frisk like you like he really didn't know yeah and so i was like i think that's one of the interesting things

when you sit at an intersection of more experience or more wisdom you kind of experience these these dually weighted scales right like you shouldn't in 2026 have to teach anyone like they can go out and learn but if we don't open the people to learning or even investigating in order to be

taught by teaching at all do we lose them and it's and it's crazy frame people don't even have the frame like this is what what is what is abundantly clear to me me now is that people don't actually have because things have been so misframed and like that's what i've been struggling with over the past like three years like three years ago i realized we were like we that trans people lost the culture and we were really fucked like that i was like oh shit we were really so for the past like three years i've been like trying to figure out how to rhetorically sort of combat this without having conversations or debates around my humanity i didn't want to i don't want to have a conversation on the oppressor's terms about my right to exist as myself and so it's like how do i have that conversation and the world has kind of given me we've gotten empirical data right like so we so we have a project 2025 we have um this current regime that it like it's introduced you know thousands of executive orders that seek to race trans people like on page four project 2025 race these words from every piece of legislation or policy that exists in a federal level some of those words were transgender gender identity um reproductive rights abortion ei etc right and they've gone about doing a lot of that like um um the head of the president of the heritage foundation went on television i i said that i was in the view a few days ago and i said you know project 2025 like 60 60 done yes president of the heritage foundation was just literally on tv last week saying how how excited he was that you know he He said,

we gave 1,900 and something action items for the president to do in Project 2025. He's achieved about 1,045 or so of them, right? So he was on TV. And so then I go on The View and say this, and in the comment section, well, someone reacted to the video and clipped it and didn't do the whole thing. And it said, it's 2026. Are we still talking about Project 2025?

Oh my God, girl.

I was like, girl, you're, and he was a gay Republican. Come on. I'm like, you don't know that your man from the Heritage Foundation was just on TV? Bragging about this in open.

Last week, girl. Yeah, like out in the open air, fellas. Come on. It's crazy to me.

But it's also by design. Yes. So it's by design that people, that they don't want us educated, right? Donald Trump said, I love the poorly educated. Yes. Ronald Reagan back in the 80s said, you know, when they didn't want to make, when all of sudden, you know, public funding for universities, like they limited that, limited Pell Grants, and then allow universities just to raise the cost of going to school. It's because they don't,

they want fewer people to be educated. Yes, they've demonized education. And more college

educated people vote Democrat than Republican, but fewer people are going to college. It's all by design. We're in a really precarious situation right now. And what this moment presents us with, If we take the opportunity, though, that a Harris administration probably wouldn't have is the understanding, like looking at like thinking about Don Roberts and how this has been a 45 year project for him and Heritage Foundation, 50 year project. And a lot of their sort of wet dreams of deregulation, of rolling back abortion, Chevron deference, a lot of things that have happened in the Supreme Court. it's in the gutting of the administrative state right things that would regulate them this is their wet dream come true and they have been patient and have kept the same goals but like switched the messaging up right like now we say they'll say dei now it was critical race theory a few years ago it was affirmative action before that it was welfare queens before that so they maybe change the language, but the goals are still the same. And so then where's our mandate for freedom for the people? Where's our mandate to give power back to the people and in our structures and institutions with a long-term project to undo this? And there is really a need when apartheid, when apartheid is in South Africa, they wrote a new constitution.

Yes. We'll be back in just a minute after a few words from our favorite sponsors. friends you know we like to prioritize our health over here at work in progress and we like to do that grounded in science we got so much amazing feedback from you all when we had a medical expert on the show talking about allergies allergic reactions how to be prepared whether you're the person with allergies like me or you are a caregiver for someone or the parent of a kid who has them we all need as much information about this stuff as possible so we can stay safe And that's why I'm excited about our new friends at Neffy. This is for parents or caregivers of a child that experiences allergic reactions from food, medicine, insect, or other allergy triggers. Now listen, I know this time of year can feel like a lot. There's summer activities and camp and travel and getting ready for back to school. You are doing everything to make sure your child is safe wherever they are. You're educating coaches and teachers and other parents on your child's allergies, scheduling doctor's appointments, filling out camp and school forms, and the million other things that come with managing your child's allergy diagnosis. But at some point, you have to trust they'll be okay if an allergic reaction happens when you're not there, right? Which is why I want to tell you about Neffy, the only needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for those who weigh 33 pounds or more. It's used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. And Neffy works as well as a needle injector and delivers the same trusted epinephrine in a nasal spray. It's designed to be safe and easy to use at the first sign of symptoms, so in a high-stress moment, your child or someone else can act quickly to treat an allergic reaction, even if you are not there. Neffy is also small, discreet, and easy to carry, including in a backpack or a lunchbox or a sports bag. So your child is prepared anywhere the day takes them. You can pay as little as $0 for at least four Neffy devices, two packs, through the Copay Savings Program with commercial insurance if eligible. Patients should not pay more than $199 for Neffy. if you have met conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may worsen. So tell your doctor about nasal, heart, thyroid, or kidney issues, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, diabetes, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, and any and all medications. Side effects include nasal discomfort, headache, runny nose, shakiness, and throat irritation. Those are not all side effects. If your child needs a new epinephrine prescription or refill, don't wait. Ask your doctor about needle-free Neffy today. Visit neffy.com, that's N-E-F-F-Y dot com, or call 1-877-MY-NEFFY to learn more. Stay safe out there. Choices, aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter

emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago, because now you have a backup plan and a choice. That's freedom to be. Plan B is the number one OBGYN recommended emergency contraception. It is not an abortion pill. Get it immediately at all major retailers, in-store, or delivery. Use Plan B emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex.

The sooner you take it, the better it works. Zolaire omelizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 milligrams is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

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back we keep moving forward because it wasn't it wasn't you know because visibility again it was a moment of visibility but there wasn't we didn't there wasn't an organized movement well we there was progress being made because a lot of the

reaction to, you know, when we think about the North Carolina HB2 bill, the bathroom bill from 2016, that was a response to a city in North Carolina that it passed, that it added trans people and gay and lesbian people to their human rights protections. So that these are immutable characteristics that should be covered against being discriminated against. And so that was starting to happen on a state level that was starting to happen in different cities, that we were being covered under human rights protection and under civil rights protection so it would become illegal to discriminate against us um for being gay trans lgbtq plus and so that was progress and then now the rollback of that is what we're seeing with they weren't able to do it with bathrooms because people were like that's ridiculous initially they weren't but they went to sports and that was and they poll tested this they were like of all the trans issues what like you know pisses you off most and because so many people don't think of trans women as women they thought like trans people trans women specifically in sports and that was the trojan horse that ushered in um banning gender forming care and then so many people like you know gender forming care for children there's so much misinformation about that and so much misunderstanding about what it means to be trans that that is an old school Anita Bryant what about the children kind of argument that has been very successful at creating a permission structure to not only take away gender from and care for young people, but also for adults. And then to usher in now we have bathroom bans, right? So there's a dehumanization that happens from the rhetoric around trans women in sports and then trans children, mutilating children, a man in girls sports and it's not happening language and it's dehumanizing language when there's like the reality like most of the states i remember i'll never there's two things i think about when i think about trans girls in sports with the governor stephanie rule on msnbc this is iconic video iconic to me anyway where the governor of west virginia had just signed a sports ban banning trans girls from sports and stephanie was like and he was like i you know i used to coach sports and we don't want anybody you know taking advantage and having an undue you know you know doing something that would be unfair and he was like and she was like are there any examples in your state of somebody you know doing this and he was like well I don't I don't know you know do you know any trans athletes and you say well not that I know of and and he was like well she was like well why are you passing this like you said this if there's no evidence that you're aware of that you can cite of someone taking advantage and having it you know or you don't even know of any trans people in your state why are you signing why why are you spending legislative time to pass this and signing it into law right especially when like you know education

health care um like yeah all the things right um but they can pass an anti-trans bill like hun they'll do it and then so and then there was um i think it was was it i always forget the state fisher wells is from i'm like thinking kentucky um i may be wrong but she um oh there's this devastating a beautiful yet devastating video of her testifying before her um state legislators and talking about how she the um field hockey team how like they in middle school they they the girls field hockey team just did was non-existent but she wanted to play field hockey so she went and got girls and organized and got the girls together to like form a field hockey team and they start practicing and they were ready to play their first game and right before the first game she found out that she couldn't play because she's trans and she was the one who like organized the whole thing and she was like I just want to play you know I you know and if we have we we're not great like she was it was a team she's not about dominating or unfair she just wanted to play with her friends and she was the only trans athlete that anyone knew of in the state and I I think the lawmakers even said how brave she was. And then they passed the ban and signed it into law, banning her, this one girl from playing sports.

One little girl in an entire state.

But that's not, that's not unusual. That's what it is. The NCAA said of like the, what was it, 1,500 athletes.

510,000 athletes in the NCAA and only 10 were trans.

Thank you for that.

10 of 510,000. It's like, what are we doing here? And I think it's crazy to realize that the right has learned the hard way. Like, well, everybody knows a woman. Everybody knows a queer person. They've learned that in this sort of unknown space, so many of us know trans people. We don't. know are trans so many of us know people like me are lucky enough to know and openly love trans people in our lives and what's crazy to me is it almost seems like they realized oh because the numbers are smaller and we can make these people seem unknown we can create a whole fiction yes

we can create a trans boogeyman yes this whole fiction let's make we don't have trans people on on to talk about trans people we'll just like everybody and this is leftist right people on the left on the right feeling bold to talk about trans issues without a trans person in sight and everybody has an opinion like everybody you know and i watch a lot of leftist media and like and i just can't you know the i won't name the show but they were just like this these for very progressive leftists we're talking about well i think there is a question about you know trans health care for young people i'm like why is there a question and why is it your

business can i ask a question about that because here's what drives me crazy people don't realize gender affirming care for kids is often letting them go to a therapist who affirms them

and calling them whatever name they want maybe throwing out their hair maybe cutting hair a

haircut a piece of clothing sometimes in their teens they go on puberty blockers by the way so so do so many cis kids for a variety of health reasons it's nobody's business what makes me crazy though is nobody talks about gender affirming care when matt gates is out there getting 40 vials of botox stuck in his face or half the republican electeds by the way and probably half the democrats too have all had hair plugs nobody complains when some rich girl's dad gets her a set of implants for her high school graduation or a nose job when she turns 16

nose jobs at 16 or younger i know it but it's actually but the thing is when it's not when it's non-trans kids when it's just it's like not it's actually not our business it's a decision that the child makes with their parent and their doctor but when it comes to trans folks it all of a sudden I mean when you the scrimetti case that was argued at the supreme court that um banned gender from a cure at least the decision was limited only in that particular state I think was Tennessee so it's not like federal but they were arguing that this is new medicine that's experimental and none that none of that's actually true it's a lie at the supreme court like it was crazy and the argument was that this is not discrimination because of sex, because of gender discrimination, because both trans boys and trans girls can't get hormones or puberty blockers. Insane. Sis girls and boys can't. If you have for social puberty and you need puberty blockers, if you need for whatever reason hormones and male hormones and you're assigned male or female homeless you can get those but if you're trans yep you can't but that's not gender discrimination

yeah joe rogan's out here talking about how he's on tea and it's changed his life and i'm like hey

joe rogan you have gender affirming care and joe rogan but it's also talking talked about on this podcast how he loves trans porn how he loves trans porn he's had a few guys come on and talk about

their addiction to trans so he's okay to fetishize people and also take their health care but not let

them have healthcare agency. Absolutely. They're connected. Of course. They're connected. And in the right, I believe in the right wing imagination, when they were doing that, don't say gay stuff in Florida and like any mention of trans anything in school is grooming because they, in the, in the Republican imagination, trans, transness is only always sexual. Yes. And queerness too. because they're watching the trans porn because we're not watching it i'm 54 years old i know a lot of trans people i don't know any trans women or men i don't know any trans people who watch trans porn i know a lot of straight men straight men and i can't tell anybody who they are straight whatever they identify straight straight identify sure no a lot of them who watch they're the ones who watch in transform and it was the second most searched porn category of 2025 yes it was the most legislatively repressive year for trans people ever yes these things are connected i am having

such a good time talking to laverne i i just i can't let her go this will be the end of part one of our episode and we will be back for a part two to get into all the specifics on the book and so much more choices aren't they great it's why plan b made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago because now you have a backup plan and a choice that's freedom to be plan b is the number one ob-gyn recommended emergency contraception it is not an abortion pill get it immediately

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