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This podcast features a diverse array of voices of people who were born transgender, their families, friends, coworkers, and healthcare professionals. Your cohosts, Lynn W. Murphy, a cisgender woman, and Wendy Cole, a transgender woman, created a unique partnership to interview a wide array of transgender individuals and allies. Their goal is to combat misinformation and disinformation by educating people and facilitating compelling conversations.
For more information go to
In this episode of 'Demystifying the Transgender Journey,' hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole engage in a candid conversation with Dr. Diana Sorrentino, a leading expert on gender diversity and transgender identity. Dr. Sorrentino shares her extensive research and personal experience to help parents understand and support their transgender children. Topics include the impact of social acceptance, the biological and psychological aspects of gender identity, and practical steps parents can take to provide affirmative support. This episode offers valuable insights for families, medical professionals, and anyone eager to learn more about the transgender experience.
Dr. Sorrentino is a member of:
World Professional Association for Transgender Health – WPATH
Gay Lesbian Medical Association – GLMA
Outcare – LGBTQ+ Healthcare
Author of Transgender Families: Helping Parents and Families Understand Gender Diversity and Being Transgender Because No One Transitions Alone.
https://www.amazon.com/Transgender-Families-Dr-Diana-Sorrentino/dp/B0DLQHVX8Y
Host of Paradoxes of Gender Podcasts – academically focused on CE requirements for medical and behavioral healthcare professionals working with gender diverse and transgender individuals, families, and allies.
https://paradoxesofgender.com/
paradoxesofgender@earthlink.net
LinkedIn: Dr. Diana Sorrentino, Ph.D.
Podcast: https://paradoxesofgender.com/podcasts-1
For More Information:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
Episodes
4 hours ago
4 hours ago
Transitioning Later in Life: Stephanie Donnell on 10 Years of HRT, Surgery, and Living Openly
In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Stephanie Donnell, a lifelong electronics professional and YouTuber who completed her transition about 11 months ago at age 66 after more than a decade of medical transition. Stephanie shares early experiences of dysphoria and cross-dressing in an era with anti–cross-dressing laws and little language or representation, her 43-year marriage and her wife’s acceptance, and the step-by-step realities of transition: support groups, informed-consent HRT, orchiectomy, extensive hair removal, WPATH letters, weight-loss requirements, gastric bypass and panniculectomy, and a long path to vaginoplasty. She discusses workplace experiences, unexpected changes from progesterone, safety and authenticity, and the importance of empathy, visibility, and better public understanding of sex vs. gender.
For more about Stephanie Donnell:
Friday May 01, 2026
Friday May 01, 2026
Transgression: A Mental Health Advocate Investigates the “Real Trans Agenda” in Saskatchewan | Todd Rennebohm
Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Todd Rennebohm, a Saskatchewan-based mental health advocate, author, and podcaster who created the eight-part documentary podcast series “Transgression: My Search for the Real Trans Agenda in Saskatchewan.” Todd shares his background with lifelong mental health and addiction struggles, a suicide attempt, treatment and sobriety, and how a widely shared letter sparked his advocacy and led to his podcast “Bunny Hugs and Mental Health.” He explains why trans-related policies in Saskatchewan compelled him to investigate, how he built trust with the trans community through allyship training and consultation, and what he learned about the diversity of trans experiences, the political motivations behind Bill 137, “Parent Bill of Rights,” and the mental health impact of limiting information and support for youth—especially in rural and Indigenous communities.
For More About Todd Rennebohm:
https://www.instagram.com/bunnyhugspodcast/
Sometimes Daddy Cries: Rennebohm, Todd, Stueck, Jessie: 9780228834670: Amazon.com: Books
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm
Friday Apr 17, 2026
Friday Apr 17, 2026
Intersex, Identity & the “Four S’s”: John Schindler on Surgery, Secrecy, Shame, and Silence
In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview intersex advocate John Schindler, who explains what intersex means, how variations can involve hormones, chromosomes, and gonads/genitals, and why non-consensual infant surgeries remain a civil rights issue. John shares their personal medical history, including early surgeries, a missing or atrophied pituitary, participation in an NIH human growth hormone program, and delayed puberty until testosterone treatment at 20, which shifted their identity from asexual to gay. John discusses frequent misgendering, coming to identify as intergender and non-binary, and the “four S’s” of the intersex experience: Surgery, Secrecy, Shame, and Silence. John also describes how speaking publicly supports families and students, references research on intersex biology and cancer resistance, and highlights resources including Intersex Friends and Families and Organization Intersex International.
For More Information about John Schindler and organizations mentioned in this episode:
Email John: jpjscogar@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/747602648624184/
https://www.seaofvisibility.com/
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
Friday Apr 10, 2026
Friday Apr 10, 2026
Danielle Miller: Transitioning Later in Life, Single Parenthood, and Living Authentically | Demystifying the Transgender Journey
In this episode of Demystifying the Transgender Journey, hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Danielle Miller, a transgender woman who shares her lifelong awareness of feeling female, a dysfunctional childhood, and the secrecy and fear that shaped her early years, including being threatened and later locked in a psych unit misdiagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Danielle describes marrying twice while trying to suppress her identity, raising her son largely alone after divorce, and building a successful HVAC business in Yuma, Arizona. She explains discovering transgender resources later in life, beginning HRT, changing documents, transitioning gradually at work despite family hostility, and celebrating milestones including bottom surgery and upcoming rhinoplasty. Danielle discusses support from friends and employers, her close bond with her son and grandchildren (who call her “Papa-rina”), dating after surgery, safety concerns, and her wish that people stop labeling transgender identity as mental illness.
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Raising Gender-Expansive Kids with Love & Autonomy | Kali Robinson (Mother of a Trans/Nonbinary Child)
Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Portland writer and mother Kali Robinson about raising three gender-expansive children, including oldest, who came out in kindergarten after a peer said only girls wear dresses, prompting a supportive teacher to teach pronouns and helping classmates adjust quickly. Kali describes treating gender like left-handedness, giving kids autonomy over clothes and pronouns, and doing regular check-ins while letting them lead. She discusses supportive school structures such as gender-neutral bathrooms and a trans affinity group, her own early grief and anger about trans safety in the U.S., and how she learned through community, books, and firsthand narratives. Kali shares strategies for building confidence, kindness, and safety skills, thoughts on puberty and blockers, and advice for parents and communities to normalize gender diversity through love, curiosity, and conversation.
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Friday Mar 20, 2026
In this episode of "Demystifying the Transgender Journey,
hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview Renee Thibeau, the mother of three whose transgender daughter, Elle, first expressed at age seven that she was “supposed to wake up a girl,” then at age 10 sent a message that confirmed every parent’s worst fear. Renee describes choosing to embrace her daughter, seeking family therapy and medical support, and helping Elle socially transition with clothes and affirming steps, while noting Elle’s twin brother with autism immediately used her name and pronouns correctly. Renee discusses bullying, school changes, puberty blockers and estrogen, misconceptions about youth medical care and surgeries, and how policy changes delayed Elle’s planned surgery, leading to a gap year. She emphasizes education, biology, and unconditional love as essential to supporting transgender kids.
For more episodes about the biological process of being born transgender:
For additional episodes about families supporting transgender loved ones:
For more about Renee Thibeau:
https://www.tiktok.com/@neebeaux
https://www.youtube.com/@Reneethibeau-3cgm
https://www.facebook.com/renee.newcombe.7
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Juli Grey-Owens on Transition, Advocacy and GENY: Demystifying the Transgender Journey
Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview New York transgender advocate Juli Grey-Owens, founder and executive director of Gender Equality New York (GENY), who helped pass the Gender Equality Non-Discrimination Act signed in 2019 and provides training for agencies, police recruits, and healthcare workers. Juli recounts early childhood experiences of gender identity, years of privately presenting as a woman, and how dysphoria intensified with age while she built a manufacturing career, marriage, and family. After being outed and fired following public advocacy in 2015, she pursued a legal settlement, began living full-time as Juli at 62, and expanded statewide activism, including town halls that led to GENY’s incorporation and 501(c)(3) status. She describes transition as a personal journey with different “stops,” discusses safety and allyship, and urges understanding that transgender people seek peaceful lives, not harm.
For more information about Juli:
https://www.facebook.com/GenderEqualityNY/
https://www.instagram.com/genderequalityny
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
MeetWendyCole.com.
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Demystifying the Transgender Journey: Wolfie Lopez on Being Non-Binary, Gender Exploration, and Finding Joy
Hosts Lynn Murphy and Wendy Cole interview therapist and social worker Wolfie Lopez, a non-binary, queer clinician with an MSW from the University of Michigan and over a decade of crisis-intervention experience. Wolfie shares their personal journey from feeling different in childhood and discovering LGBTQ vocabulary online to exploring identity in college, considering transitioning, and ultimately identifying as non-binary without pursuing HRT or surgery. They define non-binary as existing outside the male/female binary while emphasizing that gender is a spectrum and definitions vary by person. The conversation covers puberty and body dysphoria, body acceptance, representation in media, how to approach learning with curiosity and respect, the importance of pronouns (especially in families), therapist competence, suicide prevention basics like Mental Health First Aid, and the need to seek joy and gender euphoria amid a reactionary political climate.
For more information about this project:
https://www.thetransgenderjourney.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demystifying-the-transgender-journey/id1799458202
https://www.facebook.com/thetransgenderjourney
https://womenwhopushthelimits.com
To contact Wendy:
MeetWendyCole.com.
https://www.facebook.com/wendycolegtm
https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-cole-gtm