© 2024 Louisville Public Media

Public Files:
89.3 WFPL · 90.5 WUOL-FM · 91.9 WFPK

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact info@lpm.org or call 502-814-6500
89.3 WFPL News | 90.5 WUOL Classical 91.9 WFPK Music | KyCIR Investigations
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Stream: News Music Classical

Strange Fruit: Monica Roberts of TransGriot; High School Poets Write about Identity

You know her from her groundbreaking work as the  TransGriot, and as a frequent commentator on Strange Fruit. We know her as our Auntie Monica. Award-winning blogger  Monica Roberts stopped by the Strange Fruit Studios on a recent visit to Louisville, and we checked in with her about the state of trans human rights. While Monica's blog covers a little bit of everything—"sports, feminism, human rights, whatever I feel like talking about," she says—the overarching focus is the lives of transgender women of color.

Why a trans women of color blog rather than a general trans women blog? "Trans people of color experience a transition much differently from our white counterparts," Monica explains. "We are impacted negatively by racism that we deal with in our parent society, and even in the LGBT ranks." Even within the  transfeminine community, there are challenges unique to different segments of the population. "The issues that I face as a trans woman of African descent, and the issues that a trans woman of Latina descent faces are two different issues," she says. "I don't have to deal with, like a Latina woman does, being jacked up on the street for immigration issues. But both of us  do have to deal with stop and frisk." We also take you along as we visit an after-school spoken word poetry workshop, where high school students—largely LGBTQ and African American—work through tricky subjects like oppression and identity, through their writing. And in our Juicy Fruit segment, we get an update on football player Michael Sam.He was released by the Rams, picked up by the Cowboys' practice squad, and obsessed over by ESPN when it comes to  showering with the team. We also talk about a conservative commentator who thinks gay people should  pay more for life insurance, and learn about Dr. Story's first book, " Patricia Hill Collins: Reconceiving Motherhood."

Laura is LPM's Director of Podcasts & Special Projects. Email Laura at lellis@lpm.org.