Gender Spiral with Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas

Gender Spiral with Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas

Ally Beardsley & Babette Thomas
Land USA
Sprog EN
Episoder 63
Seneste 11.08.2026

Gender Spiral is an award-winning podcast about queer people's relationship to gender. Hosts Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas interview trans and queer guests about their reinventions and evolutions, exploring how these journeys are not always linear. The show is produced by Audiation as an original series.

Episoder

  • Men Who Think I Am One of Them Speak (w/ Stacey Waite) 11.08.2026 49min
    Poet and professor Stacey Waite is staying in Nebraska, and examining masculinity as they raise their son. Get Stacey's Lambda-nomiated book A Real Man Would Have a Gun. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Listen to this episode ad-free, watch the video version, and access other perks on our Patreon: patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Thank you for supporting us! Find transcripts, merch and more at genderspiralpod.com. Follow us on Instagram @genderspiral.
  • Everyone Needs Gender Liberation (w/ Raquel Willis) 28.07.2026 1t
    Activist and writer Raquel Willis tells us why we can't lose focus on intersectionality in the gender liberation movement. Plus, she talks about recording her experience of growing up Black and trans in a Catholic southern family in a memoir at the ripe age of 33. TRIGGER WARNINGS: death of a parent, suicide, grief Learn more about Raquel and her work at raquelwillis.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and YouTube. Get a copy  of her memoir The Risk it Takes to Bloom. Stay connected and get involved with Gender Liberation Movement on their website and on Instagram. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Listen to this episode ad-free, watch the video version, and access other perks on our Patreon: patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Thank you for supporting us! Find transcripts, merch and more at genderspiralpod.com. Follow us on Instagram @genderspiral.
  • Black Trans Masculine Experience (w/ TYGAPAW) 14.07.2026 47min
    From their all-girls school growing up in Jamaica, to the international customs kiosk, to their Carribean neighborhood in NYC, DJ TYGAPAW (aka Dion) examines moving through the world now passing as a man versus their former experience of Black womanhood. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. This episode features music from TYGAPAW's new album "Together You Gather All Power Applied Worldwide," which you can purchase on Bandcamp and stream on all music platforms. Listen to this episode ad-free, watch the video version, and access other perks on our Patreon: patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Thank you for supporting us! Find transcripts, merch and more at genderspiralpod.com. Follow us on Instagram @genderspiral.
  • HRT After Menopause (w/ Cuthwulf Eileen Myles) 30.06.2026 42min
    Poet and novelist Cuthwulf Eileen Myles (Chelsea Girls, An American Poem, Working Life) debuts a new name - and haircut - in a conversation about transitioning in their 70s, their "butch straight" mother and "definitely queer" father, and the influence of death, sobriety and a working class childhood on their writing.  Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Listen to this episode ad-free, watch the video version, and access other perks on our Patreon: patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Thank you for supporting us! Find transcripts, merch and more at genderspiralpod.com. Follow us on Instagram @genderspiral.
  • Gender Spiral is BACK! Season 4 Coming Soon 29.06.2026 1min
    Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas are kicking of another season of spiraling featuring all new interviews with trans and queer people from across the gender spectrum. Hear from poet Eileen Myles, activist Raquel Willis, electronic musician Tyga Paw, critic Andrea Long Chu, performance artist Jibz Cameron, writer and theorist Da'Shaun L. Harrison, and many more as we continue on our quest to explore gender in all its forms! New episodes out biweekly wherever you get your podcasts. And check out our Patreon for ad-free listening, videos, and bonus content!
  • Gender Spiral LIVE at University of Pittsburgh! 01.05.2026 1t 1min
    In March, we got to close out UPitt's Pride week with a special live show! It was a blast talking to students, answering their questions, and reflecting on how Gender Spiral has grown over the past 3 seasons. You might say we were on fire- so much so that there may have been an incident involving a fire alarm about halfway through... Stay tuned- season 4 begins very soon! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Listen to this episode ad-free, watch the video version, and access other perks on our Patreon: patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Thank you for supporting us! Instagram: @genderspiral Find transcripts, merch and more at genderspiralpod.com.
  • Season 3 Highlights (w/ Ally & Babette) 12.02.2026 36min
    It's been a month since season 3 ended, so we decided to catch up and reflect! Here are some of our favorite moments from this season, plus an update on what's going on in our own lives. Here are the clips you heard in this episode (in order): Ericka Hart & Ebony Donnelly, "Parenting on Purpose" Kamra Hakim, "Community Care in the Catskills" Cass Adair, "A Baby? In This Economy?" Judith Butler, "Judith Butler Talks About Their Gender" J Wortham, "There is No Solo Future" River Nice, "Money Sucks -And- You Can Do It" Judith Butler (again), "Judith Butler Talks About Their Gender" Make sure to go back and re-listen to these and all of our other episodes from season 3 during our hiatus! And sign up for our Patreon for bonus content including video interviews and more. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Kiki (and Bouba) with Ally & Babette 01.01.2026 46min
    Happy New Year! We took some time to catch up with each other, look back on season 3, and discuss Sandra Bullock's secret lesbian club (and Heated Rivalry, ofc). We also responded to some listener voicemails! Thanks for spiraling with us in 2025! Season 3 was our biggest season yet, but we've got so much more spiraling to do in 2026. Stay tuned! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Judith Butler Talks About Their Gender (w/ Judith Butler) 15.12.2025 54min
    The legendary gender philosopher and scholar Judith Butler tells us about their personal relationship to non-binary identity. They also provide insight on the global rise of anti-trans ideology, the subject of their 2024 book "Who's Afraid of Gender?" Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • There is No Solo Future (w/ J Wortham) 02.12.2025 41min
    What are the practical skills you need to survive the apocalypse? Writer, podcast host, culture afficionado, and reiki practioner J Wortham has done the research (and watched a lot of Survivor). J shares what they learned during their survivalism crash-course on a remote island in Mexico, tells us about their reiki and breathwork practices, and examines why dissasociation might not always be a bad thing. Keep up with J Wortham on Instagram @jennydeluxe, and on Substack. Check out their first book "Black Futures," their article "My 10-Day Crash Course on Surviving the Apocalypse," and their podcast "Still Processing." Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Suing the Government (w/ Zander Schlacter) 18.11.2025 34min
    Artist Zander Schlacter and his lawyer Carl Charles from Lambda Legal explain the effects of the Tr*mp administration's executive order barring trans folks from obtaining passports with their correct gender markers, and why Zander is suing the US State Department about it. For more information about Zander's case, visit lambdalegal.org. Find Zander on Instagram @zanderschlacter, and check out the reel he posted when his case was filed. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Transitions and Tattoos (w/ Eoin McGraw) 04.11.2025 1t 1min
    You might already know Eoin from our live show in Chicago this past May, but you're about to get to know him even better! Before the show that day, we got a chance to talk with him in-depth about the world of powerlifting, having a cis identical twin, and why for Eoin, tattooing, sexuality and gender are all intricately connected. Then, we got tatted! Find Eoin on Instagram @eoin_mcgraw and book a tattoo if you're in the Chicago area, we highly recommend his work! He also travels for guest spots, so keep an eye out in case he comes to your city. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • The Revolution Will Be Self-Published (w/ Sasha Fuentes) 21.10.2025 1t
    The multi-talented Sasha Fuentes tells us about developing his queer archival practice, collecting vintage gay p*rn, and the importance of print media in the age of digital censorship. And stick around to the end of the episode: our very special season finale guest, the legendary Judith Butler(!), joins in to discuss bridging intergenerational differences within the queer community. Follow Sasha on Instagram @three6sashiaa, and get their zines and screenprints on their webstore. Stay tuned for our full episode with Judith Butler in December! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Community Care in the Catskills (w/ Kamra Hakim) 07.10.2025 54min
    Everyone wants to run away from society and build a queer homestead with their polycule, but what does it actually take to make that happen? We talk to artist and organizer Kamra Hakim about the land they bought in upstate New York, the artist residency/community space they created on it, and why conflict management is actually the most important skill in an off-grid queer community (besides knowing how to fix a generator). Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. You can find Kamra on Instagram @almostkarmabutnotquite, and Activation Residency @activationresidency. Check out Kamra's music on Bandcamp and their book Care Manual: Dreaming Care Into Being at Flower Press. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • My Best Trans Wedding (w/ Rose Dommu) 23.09.2025 52min
    Twitter-queen-turned-fiction-novelist Rose Dommu talks about her new book Best Woman: a family drama Trojan-horsed into a rom-com loosely based on Rose's personal experiences. We also get her opinions about DIY hormone cocktails, bleaching your way out of a crisis, and what Fire Island is really like for trans folks. Best Woman is out NOW! Get your copy at a local bookstore or on Bookshop.org! You can find all of Rose's fiction novel reccomendations on THIS LIST. And find Rose on Instagram @rosedommu. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • Gender Spiral LIVE in Chicago! (Night 2 w/ Irregular Girl & Mari De La Rua AKA Stephanie) 16.09.2025 1t 18min
    Missed us in Chicago? NEVER FEAR, THE RECORDING IS HERE! Two Chicago drag ICONS joined us for night 2 of our weekend at iO Theater in May. Irregular Girl and Mari De La Rua (AKA Stephanie) tell us about being in a drag family, how drag informed their gender identities, and why drag would suck without trans women. Find our incredible guests on Instagram @imirregulargirl and @dragmestephanie Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • A Baby? In This Economy? (w/ Cass Adair) 09.09.2025 1t 7min
    We're continuing the thread on trans & queer parents in a conversation with scholar, writer, audio producer Cassius (Cass) Adair. He tells us about transitioning in the early days of Tumblr, getting baby fever in his late 20s, and the nitty-gritty of pregnancy and parenting as a trans dad in Minnesota. Check out Cass's work at his website cassiusadair.com. There, you can find links to his writing, audio work, and trans media consulting firm Sylveon Consulting (which he co-runs with our friend Tuck Woodstock!). Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch!
  • The Strongest Woman in the World (w/ Marley Gotterer) 26.08.2025 58min
    While recovering from surgery, comedian Marley Gotterer (who you probably already know from TikTok and Insta reels) made time to tell us about getting facial feminization (FFS) and chat about her love of sports, how she got to run social media for Cardi B, and lifting twinks live on stage. Check out Marley's work and get notified about her upcoming shows on her Instagram(s) @marleyismarley and @transsportsgirl. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out, and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/GenderSpiralPodcast. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with all things Gender Spiral. Find transcripts at genderspiralpod.com/episodes, and check out our NEW merch store at genderspiralpod.com/merch! We're almost sold out of most items- get them while you can!  
  • Lou Sullivan and The Pink Butt Book (w/ Zach Ozma & Ellis Martin) 12.08.2025 1t 10min
    Lou Sullivan, arguably one of the first out gay trans men, kept diaries from age 11 until his death in 1991. Decades later, Zach Ozma and Ellis Martin compiled those diaries into "We Both Laughed in Pleasure" (aka the Pink Butt Book) which tells the story of Lou's full, freaky, fascinating life. Zach and Ellis talk to us about painstakingly parsing through Lou's Catholic school cursive and learning that the trans experience is really on a historic loop. Get your copy of "We Both Laughed in Pleasure" from Nightboat Books, or request a copy at your local library. Read up, then join us for a book club discussion with Ellis & Zach by signing up on our Patreon (for just $2) and joining our Discord. Date is TBD and will be announced on Instagram! For further reading, check out Zach and Ellis' recommendations. Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review us to help us out.
  • Gender Spiral LIVE in Chicago! (Night 1 w/ Lynzo the Heartthrob & Eoin McGraw) 29.07.2025 1t 34min
    Missed us in Chicago? NEVER FEAR, THE RECORDING IS HERE! On night one of our two-night extravaganza at iO Theater in May, Ally and Babette were joined by drag artist/DJ/rapper Lynzo the Heartthrob and tattoo artist/overall lovely human being Eoin McGraw for a hilarious and thoughtful convo. Then, they answer some audience questions! Stay tuned- night two will be posted soon exclusively on our Patreon! Hosted by Ally Beardsley and Babette Thomas, Gender Spiral is a quest to explore the modern experience of being a human in our gendered world. Subscribe/follow/rate/review to help us out.

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