Black Queer Canon: The Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This week, we have reached the end of the journey with the final episode of We See Each Other: The Podcast. Hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell welcome Pose and American Horror Story star, Angelica Ross. She speaks on the state of trans media representation, how comedy has been both a gift and curse for the trans community, and what it means to indict one’s self. Then, our hosts speak with political journalist and host of The Anti - Trans Hate Machine, Imara Jones. Imara speaks on how trans representation in media has changed over time, going from no representation at all to hypervisibility in just the span of a few years. While media representation is still an obstacle, Imara asserts that erasure is the most violent act on the trans community. 

But first, some heartfelt final thoughts in Pass The Mic, where we hear from some community members from the Unique Women Coalition, and a WSEO listener.

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Mentioned in the Show

Chicago’s Kit Kat Lounge

The Anti-Trans Hate Machine podcast

TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Neverending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s to come on We See Each Other: The Podcast, hosted by Journalists Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell, based on the book, We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film written by Tre’vell Anderson.

In this, the penultimate episode of We See Each Other: The Podcast, Tre’vell and Shar dive into the nonbinary pool, with all its pronouns. So what does it mean to call oneself nonbinary? Tre’vell reveals the journey they took before accepting and claiming themself. To further explore the nuances of being nonbinary, Shar and Tre’vell speak with the model and and host of PBS’ Brave Spaces Devin-Norelle (ze/zim/zis). 

Mentioned in the Episode

Living Non-Binary in a Binary Sports World

Journalist Frankie de la Cretaz

Brave Spaces (PBS)

Devin-Norelle

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

Hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell welcome producer and co - director of the documentary, The Stroll, Kristen Lovell as they discuss the documentary’s portrayal of trans sex workers who worked in the Meatpacking District of New York City during the 90s. Lovell also speaks on finally having the control of the Black trans narrative behind the camera, and not just as the subject. Then, our hosts speak with the producer and director of the documentary, Kokomo City, D. Smith. She discusses the audience's reception to the film and  the legacy of Koko Da Doll, the star of the film who was tragically murdered earlier this year. 

But first, Tre’vell and Shar discuss sex work representation in media as it pertains to Black Trans women and while it being a necessary piece of trans history to learn, it is not the end all be all of trans representation. And later we hear what every day trans folks have to say about trans visibility in another segment of Pass The Mic.

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

Mentioned in the Show

D. Smith on Kokomo City

Kokomo City

Pose (Hulu)

Stroll

Good Trouble (Freeform)

Sylvia Rivera’s Place

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Plugs 

Kokomo City will be in select theaters on July 28th 

The Stroll drops June 21 on HBO 

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

On this week’s episode, hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell speak with 9-1-1: Lone Star's, Brian Michael Smith. The actor shares how he is now able to bring all sides of himself to the table as an actor. But first, our hosts discuss masc representation in media, or rather the lack thereof. With cis women actors playing transmasculine characters as the norm back in the day, like Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry, our hosts discuss how this practice creates further confusion and harm into the trans conversation. Then later, we Pass The Mic to our everyday trans siblings and get a lesson on transmasculine activist and civil rights pioneer, Pauli Murray.

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

Mentioned in the Show

Dr. Kortney Ziegler

Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen

Soldier’s Girl

Laith Ashley

Strut 

Isis King

Queen Sugar

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

On this week’s episode, hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell sit down with iconic performer and alum of The Jerry Springer Show, Mimi Marks. Mimi recalls her time on Jerry, learning from her mistakes while in the public eye, and shares some advice for folks who may be new in their trans journey. And after, our hosts meet with activist and community organizer, Hope Giselle as she discusses how race and racism is left out of trans discourse, especially in media. 

But first, Tre’vell and Shar have some table - talk on the one, the only - Laverne Cox. Our hosts discuss the actress’ career and the impact she had not only in media, but the world, with iconic moments like her role as Sophia in Orange is the New Black, her Emmy nomination, and her cover for Time Magazine. Along with the rise of Laverne, the uptick in the profitability in “outrage culture” is also examined. Last but not least, we “Pass The Mic” and get to hear from B, Calypso, and Kris on what they think is missing from trans media. 

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Mentioned in the Show

Laverne Cox

The Jerry Springer Show 

Angelica Ross 

Hunter Schafer

Dylan Mulvaney 

Jacob Tobia’s autobiography Sissy

Time Magazine’s The Transgender Tipping Point

Vanity Fair: Caitlyn Jenner: The Full Story

Janet Mock in Marie Claire: I Was Born a Boy

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

On this week’s episode, hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell discuss trans visibility within the reality tv realm with very special guests, Grammy award nominated artist and winner of MTV’s Diddy’s Making His Band, Qing Jaila Simms and writer, comedian, and Survivor: Game Changer key player, Zeke Smith. Both reality tv pioneers discuss their experience filming on set and navigating high visibility in the real world once the cameras stopped rolling. But first, Tre’vell and Shar discuss “Possibility Models” or the first examples of queerness/transness in media that queer audiences may have related to growing up - stars like Isis King in America’s Next Top Model or Leiomy Maldonado from America’s Best Dance Crew or even children’s media like the Powerpuff Girls, Sailor Moon, and Sesame Street. And later, we hear from Bryanna, Calypso, Ney who share their personal connections with trans characters from the last 20 years, on shows like Pose, Noah’s Arc, and RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film the book wherever books are sold

Mentioned in the Show

To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar 

Diddy’s Making His Band 

Survivor: Game Changers 

Pose

Isis King 

Leiomy Maldonado

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Neverending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

In this week’s episode, hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell sit down with special guest  Trace Lysette, star of the critically acclaimed film Monica, as she shares her experience with the outpouring of love she’s received from audiences of the film, and what it may take for Hollywood to make more films centering trans characters. But first, we discuss cross - dressing characters in film and television, and how they’re oftentimes played by cishet men, like Tyler Perry or Martin Lawrence, who are able to profit greatly off of these character tropes; Later we hear from members of the Unique Woman’s Coalition on the their most memorable moments in trans visibility growing up. 

Over the course of this series, Tre’vell and Shar will be including the personal experiences of ‘everyday’ trans people. To that end, anyone in community who wishes to comment on or speak to issues brought up on the show, please share your thoughts with them. We’ve made it easy to record a message. Just click SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther and follow the very simple instructions. If you’d like to email Shar and Tre’vell, you can send any message to FANTI@maximumfun.org and put WSEO in the subject line.

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

We made it easy to share your thoughts. Go to SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

You can buy We See Each Other the book wherever books are sold

Mentioned in the Show

Monica

Trace Lysette

Comedian Tim Bae

Terri Joe

Mel Mitchell @TheBaddestMitch

Rickey Smiley’s Bernice Jenkins

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharssaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina (IG @neverendingninanotes)

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun! 

In episode two of this limited series, hosts Tre’vell Anderson and Shar Jossell discuss the first trans characters who changed their perspective on transness in media. Then later, special guest actress, DJ, and dancer, Lina Bradford graces us and shares what it was like coming up during the club kid era, her career, and who in media influenced her the most. After that, folks from the Unique Woman’s Coalition share their thoughts on how trans visibility, or even the lack of trans visibility, can have an effect on audiences. 

Unlike with the book We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV & Film, WSEO: The Podcast allows Tre’vell and co-host Shar to pass the mic, so to speak, to trans people who aren’t in the limelight. They might be your neighbor, or live on a different continent. Throughout the course of this series (through June 2023), and perhaps beyond, Tre’vell encourages anyone ‘in community’ to share their feedback and experiences with us, and it might be used on the show. We’ve made it easy to record your own message using the Speakpipe app on your phone or desktop by clicking the link: SpeakPipe.com/WeSeeEachOther

Mentioned in This Episode 

Calpernia Addams

Recommended Viewing

Find us on IG: @Slayzhon

You can buy We See Each Other the book wherever books are sold

IG:

@Rayzhon 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon (WSEO IG) 

Twitter

@trevellanderson 

@sharsaysso 

@slayzhon 

@vivalapalma (Producer, Palmira Muniz)

@swishswish (Senior Producer, Laura Swisher) 

Music: Neverending Nina

Producer: Palmira Muniz

Senior Producer: Laura Swisher

Laura Swisher is senior producer 

Music: Never Ending Nina

We See Each Other: The Podcast is produced and distributed by MaximumFun.org

This podcast is supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color co founded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation. It’s a production of Slayzhon and Maximum Fun!