The Gender Cool Project

Don’t you love it when one cool discovery leads to another? This happened for me a while ago, when someone in the recent TransYouth Care Symposium mentioned Erin in the Morning. Once I learned about Erin in the Morning, I started to dig into the journalism of Erin Reed. This effort led me to a brand new discovery: The Gender Cool Project. I’m so impressed with this organization! Their mission? To replace false narratives and misinformation about transgender and non-binary folks with uplifting exposure to real live transgender and non-binary people. How great is that? We as humans can get caught up in the headlines and rhetoric of any politicized topic, but it’s our personal, heartfelt experience with other humans that can blast through assumptions and misinformation. This is when we feel and know in a different, deeper way. Thus, we can build bridges instead of deepening divides.

Happily, there’s a really easy way to experience this. It’s not live and one-on-one, but it might still offer some really humanizing exposure to trans lives and trans people. The Gender Cool Project teamed up with ABC studios to create an episode of the show Our America. Episode six is called Who I’m Meant To Be, and it digs into the stories of several young trans and non-binary folks around the country. It’s from the year 2021, so it has the pandemic as a backdrop, but it’s a really thoughtful and casual show that takes you into the everyday lives of trans people. It’s streaming anywhere that streams shows from ABC, and I was able to find it on Hulu. I’m so glad I did!

If you plan on watching, I invite you to do it in an exploratory way. Yes, you’ll learn about people’s lives and experiences, but if you really want to maximize this opportunity, it would be great if you could do it in a way that lets you learn about yourself as well. This list of questions might help you get a clearer picture of what might be important to know about yourself in relation to this topic.

What’s my initial reaction to the idea of looking more closely into trans lives?

As I watch this show, what surprises me?

Where might I find myself passing judgment?

Where do I lean in and feel empathy?

What makes me pull away?

What have I learned that I didn’t know before?

What do I have in common with any of the people in the show?

Do I know anyone else that might benefit from watching this show?

It’s brave and empowering for the Gender Cool Project (and ABC!) to do this episode, but it’s also brave and empowering for you to engage with it deeply as well. Check it out! It’s a 45 minute commitment that can have a much longer-lasting impact on you and our world. 

Want to explore this topic more? Are there are any issues in your life that you could use some support around? I invite you to schedule a complimentary initial consultation with me. Coaching is a safe, judgment-free opportunity to peer into yourself, set goals, and have an informed ally help you find your way to success. You can also find me at nurturelifecoaching.com. Contact me and let’s see what we can achieve together!

And as always, I’m wishing you a day full of contentment, peace of mind, and real connections with the excellent humans around you. Be well!