Representative Andrew Gray | House District 20
TRANS RIGHTS PODCAST EPISODES
TRANS RIGHTS: wildlife biologist Aaron Poe discusses being a father to a trans daughter in Anchorage
Aaron Poe has been a wildlife biologist in Alaska since 1998. He is the father of a trans daughter in the Anchorage School District, and today we discuss that experience.
This episode is the first in a series on trans rights. The inspiration for these interviews is three bills currently moving through the Alaska State House: HB 183 which bans trans girls from playing girls sports; HB 105 which requires kids to get signed permission slips approving their preferred name and pronouns; and HB 338 which allows doctors to be sued up to 20 years after performing gender affirming procedures on trans youth.
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TRANS RIGHTS: An Air Force family raising a trans child
The Banning family consists of:
- Lindsey, clinical psychologist, mom
- Charlie, age 15, non-binary trans masculine
- Ezzy, age 12, sister
- Earl, neuropsychologist in the Air Force at Elmendorf, dad
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TRANS RIGHTS: Retired Army 1st Sergeant Jessica Kalarchik on being trans
Jessica Kalarchik was an Army First Sergeant who deployed with me and the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1-297th infantry battalion to Kosovo 2019-2020. 1st Sergeant Kalarchik presented as a very masculine man, and I never suspected that she was a trans woman. She was medically retired after 31 years in the military during her next deployment to Poland. Leaving the military gave her the freedom to begin her life as a openly trans woman, with the support of her wife, her daughters, and her grandchildren. She is the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit brought by the ACLU against her birth state of Montana over the right to amend the gender on her birth certificate.
To read more about the lawsuit, click here.
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TRANS RIGHTS: Henry, a 15-year-old trans boy and his mom
Henry is a 15 year old trans boy. He and his mother are the guests today discussing their experience in Alaska. No last names will be given in the interest of their safety.
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TRANS RIGHTS: David Leslie, an Inupiaq Sipiniq (Two-Spirit)
David Leslie is an Inupiaq Sipiniq (Two-Spirit) living in Fairbanks. He is a frequent testifier against the anti-trans bills moving through the Alaska State House. We discuss his specific perspective as a queer Alaska Native man.
To check out the book recommended by our guest, Yuuyaraq: The Way of The Human Being, by Harold Napoleon, Click here.
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TRANS RIGHTS: Becca Bernard, a lawyer, minister, and mom to a trans girl
Becca Bernard is a former environmental lawyer and a Unitarian Universalist community minister based in Anchorage. She is also mom to two children, one of whom is trans.
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TRANS RIGHTS: Dr. Joshua Safer, author of the Endocrine Society Guidelines
Dr. Joshua Safer is the executive director of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in New York. He is the founding medical director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, and he was the inaugural president of the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH). He serves on the Global Education Initiative for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Dr. Safer was a co-author of the Endocrine Society Guidelines for the medical care of transgender patients.
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TRANS RIGHTS: Dr. Marci Bowers, President of WPATH
Dr. Marci Bowers is a pelvic and gynecologic surgeon with more than 32 years’ experience. She is the president of WPATH – the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Her gender diverse work has been highlighted through appearances on Oprah, CBS Sunday Morning, Discovery Health and the TLC reality series, “I am Jazz." She was interviewed in 2021 by Leslie Stahl for “60 Minutes.” Dr. Bowers is recognized as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people on the Guardian’s World Pride Power List. She has performed more than 2250 primary Male-to-Female Vaginoplasties and 3900 Gender Affirming Surgeries overall.
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TRANS RIGHTS: Rep. Andrew Gray on garnering more support for Trans Rights
Today is the final episode in our series on Transgender Rights. I, Rep. Andrew Gray, explain the purpose of this series and broadcast the special order that I gave on the Alaska State House floor on April 17, 2024. It provides an olive branch to folks who may be on the other side with regards to these issues. It is my sincere belief that the vast majority of those opposed to trans rights have not had conversations with trans people, their families, or health care providers. If they had had the talks that I have had over the past ten days, they would not support the anti-trans legislation currently being considered.
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