A Minnesota Trans-Atheist

Maddy Love, transwoman living in Minnesota, talks with and about people in the trans, atheism, Satanism, skepticism, and science communities. Then, since there's no one to stop her, she talks about anything else she finds interesting or irritating - like podcast hosts writing summaries in 3rd person

Ep 50 Stephanie Zvan 08/30/2019

Ep 49 Cup of Words with Paige Converse 06/27/2019

Ep 48 Maddy is Interviewed 04/30/2019

Ep 47 Everyone's Agnostic 01/04/2019

Bonus Episode Shout Out to Marissa Alexa McCool 09/01/2018

Ep 46 Slurm Flirty Worm 08/08/2018

Ep 45 Yannick Taylor 06/15/2018

Ep 44 Giving Birth as a Man 03/16/2018

Ep 43 Dr. Eric Meininger 02/04/2018

Ep 42 The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence 10/30/2017

Ep 42 The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: This podcast is proud to be a part of the Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative: Main show page is The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links 001:13 Brief personal transition story 007:58 Thank you 009:05 Interview with Jennifer Landuis - Director of Social change at The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence 138:35 Mya Byrne, American Dream (so far away) My guest for this episode is Jennifer Landuis, she is the Director of Social Change at the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence. This conversation may be difficult for some listeners as it is a frank discussion on the work Jennifer is doing in combatting sexual and gender violence. The conversation takes a few detours on the way, we touch a bit on her Christianity and social justice and getting deeper the conversation turns to why we sometimes use the term gender violence in lieu of domestic violence, what her recommendation is if you come across an abuse situation in public, and how to find resources in your area. This is a pretty long conversation, and a conversation which was over much too quickly. I hope you enjoy this episode, and while I hope no one listening is in a place where they need any of the resources Jennifer provides, the resources Jennifer and I discuss are in the show notes, they are right here for those that do. Links: Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence: Lewis House: Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE Outfront Minnesota: MN Coalition for battered women: FORGEforward (yes I'm including a religious link): Anti-Violence Project: Northwest Network Seattle: Power Control Wheel for LGBTQIAA relationships: Music Links: Mya Byrne: Mya Byrne Bandcamp site: Thanks as always for downloading, listening, and supporting! Jokes! Ghosts don't have gender They're. . . Non-boo-nary Q. Why are most monsters covered in wrinkles? A. Have you ever tried to iron a monster Q: What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? A: Squash this one is actually ironic because technically a pumpkin is a type of squash, like Libby's Pumpkin that I use for my pumpkin pie is made from squash Also, always remember, jokes are more funny when they come with footnotes! /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5891406

Ep 41 Dara Hoffman-Fox LPC 10/02/2017

Ep 41 Dara Hoffman-Fox LPC Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: This podcast is proud to be a part of the Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative: Main show page is The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links 00:50 Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative 01:55 Con Controversy 07:32 Interview with Dara Hoffman-Fox LPC 89:29 FLOWTUS My guest this episode is Dara Hoffman-Fox, a queer-identified gender therapist, writer, educator, and transgender rights advocate. Frequently serving as a subject-matter expert on transgender and non-binary issues for the media, Dara is a prolific thought leader on the topic of gender identity whose articles and videos have empowered thousands worldwide. Dara provides education resources through a blog, YouTube channel, social media networks, trainings and presentations. This episode runs long, because the conversation that Dara and I were having was so great, that neither one of us were in a hurry to end it. Dara is an amazing person, and I'm extremely happy to finally make this show happen, and that the conversation went so well. Dara Links: Discovering Your Gender Identity: Dara on Facebook: Dara on YouTube: Dara on Twitter: Dara's website: Music: To close this episode out I asked FLOWTUS if I could play one of the tracks they recorded outside of the studio. As I'm typing this I had just heard them last night, they were amazing, and I didn't want to wait for them to hit the studio before I shared their music. Give it a listen, imagine you're sitting 6 feet from the band with a gorgeous fire burning behind you, surrounded by friends. FLOWTUS will forever have a special place in my heart for being a great soundtrack on such an amazing night. You can find FLOWTUS on Facebook at and you can purchase, download, and be alerted when new music is released at Opening and bumper music was provided courtesy of Obsidian Shell you can find them at where you will find links to all of their albums and social media sites. Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative: You can learn more and follow the Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative on Facebook at Con Links: For more information on what happened at MythCon I highly recommend listening to Callie Wright's interview with the organizers: Reading PZ Myers Freethought Blog: Reading Stephanie Svan's Almost Diamonds blog regarding division in the Atheist Movement: Jokes: These were all told last night during the FLOWTUS concert. What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground Beef! What do you call a cow with one leg? Steak! What do you call a cow with 2 legs? Lean Beef! What do you call a masturbating cow? Beef Stroganoff! /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5796759

Ep 40 Terra Snover 09/19/2017

Ep 40 Terra Snover Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: This podcast is proud to be a part of the Trans Podcaster Visibility Initiative: Main show page is The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links: 01:44 Eclipse Essay for Dimland Radio 10:20 Interview with Terra Snover In this episode I am happy to be joined by Terra Snover. The following is from Terra's website: Terra is someone who sees injustice in the world and wants to make it right. Hears the needs of those around her and can’t help but feel the need to improve it. Who stands tall with all her sisters and brothers of all races, religions, and creeds and hopes to support them in their dream of becoming a part of this amazing melting pot we call home. Who will fight for the needs of all the people, not just the select few who already have it all and want to exploit us just so they can have a little more. She hopes for a strong education for all of our children and young adults, no matter their upbringing or where they live. She believes in the armed forces of this union but feels that many of these brave woman and men don’t have the support the need once they return home. And she won’t sit by and watch this country be broken apart by the very people who are sworn to serve the public. Jobs and Wages: There is a significant problem with disproportionate income distribution leading to stagnant wages which have not kept up with the cost of living. The minimum wage MUST be increased. Healthcare: Healthcare in the United States has been broken for far too long. The ACA was a good starting point, but we need to go further and make Medicare-for-all a reality. Immigration: Almost all Americans are immigrants. We came here looking for a better life, hoping this land would care for us, and that dream hasn’t changed. We need to create better, more streamlined legal paths to become citizens. The American dream does not diminish the more who become a part of it: It only grows stronger. Agriculture: Given the recent demand for water in California, and the subsequent effect of groundwater levels, it is imperative that we be proactive to incentivize more efficient use of land and water resources. I propose tax cuts and further subsidies for farms that work to be more ecologically friendly. Infrastructure: One of the most important but least sexy issues facing the USA. We need to find a way to repair and modernize our infrastructure without breaking the bank. We need to invest in better technology, especially for dams and bridges. Science: We find ourselves facing one the largest problems of the past 200 years in the form of widespread science denial. Science has made our country what it is today, from the Wright brothers taking flight and JFK’s challenge to one day go to the moon, we now having robots operating on other worlds. We can not lose this love of the unknown and quest to do and create the next big thing. Criminal Justice: We live in a time when the criminal justice system is broken. We currently incarcerate more people than any other place in the world: 2,000,000 + people. That’s more than the population of New Mexico! We need to shift from punishment to rehabilitation whenever possible and disincentivize prisons from keeping people in the system by making all prisons non-profit. Equality: California’s own anti-discrimination laws should serve as a template for the entire country, at the federal level. Support for the Arts: America has some of the lowest per capita funding for the arts. I propose not only restoring, but expanding the National Endowment for the Arts. Links: Terra Snover: Terra Snover Facebook: Vote Terra Snover page: Obsidian Shell: Dimland Radio: Thanks as always for listening Orion's belt is made up of just 3 stars....don't you think that's a complete waist of space? How bad is that first joke? I bet you're only gonna give it 3 stars. /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5756225

Ep 39 Culhane Brewing Company 07/30/2017

Ep 39 Culhane Brewing Company Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Main show page is The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links: 6:15 Kathleen Culhane of Culhane Brewing Company In this episode I sit down with Kathleen Culhane of The Culhane Brewing Company to discuss how she came to open her first, and now her second taproom right here in Saint Paul. I love beer, I love music, and I love touching, smelling, and experiencing history. Kathleen and I met through a mutual friend and classmate, and as a podcaster who enjoys profiling the local transgender community, I was extremely interested in having her on the show, and just as cool, well for me at least, was she said we could chat in her unfinished taproom-which is a former concert venue…It used to be Ryans, and The Lab, and Station 4…but for the last few years it was just empty. Kathleen had suggested we meet outside, as the renovations on the building meant that she currently didn’t have a front door, and that we would have to “wind through a labyrinth” to get to the tap room. Labyrinth was an apt description, once through the front door we quickly turned to go down a flight of steps, and as we did so, modernity began to quickly leave. My favorite part of the basement was the old unused and unrepaired boiler in the corner, which had for some reason that had long ago vanished from memory, an old dusty typewriter perched on it. The typewriter seemed both out of place, but at the same time, it was somehow exactly where it should be, just like the new owner. The majority of craft brewers in Minnesota are middle age white cisgender heterosexual men with bushy beards or, at the very least, fanciful mustaches. Like finding an old typewriter on top of a boiler, Kathleen is not what you expect to come across when visiting the many St. Paul craft breweries, and as she states in the interview, she is aware of how few women there are in the craft brew industry, but just like that typewriter, she has had years of experience in standing out. Links: The Culhane Brewing Company: Culhane Brewing on Facebook: Culhane Brewing Indiegogo Fundraising: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/culhane-brewing-taproom-revamp-beer-brewery#/ Barley's Angels: http://barleysangels.org/ Obsidian Shell: Trans Reason House podcasts The Ginger Snaps: Inciting Incident: For Trans Men: The Cis Are Getting Out of Hand: Thanks as always for listening :) Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I'm OK, but I feel like I've dyed a little inside. Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink The experienced carpenter really nailed it, but the new guy screwed everything up. /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5592320

Ep 38 Aro / Ace Education with Mikayla 07/17/2017

Ep 38 Aro / Ace Education with Mikayla Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Main show page is No iTunes? Download here: The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links: 01:20 Message for the Queer Community 05:45 Mikayla 40:41 4th Curtis Mikayla is part of one my favorite podcasts, The Web of Queer. I had the pleasure to have the entire cast of The Web of Queer on this very show back in April of 2015. For those unfamiliar, The Web of Queer is a Doctor Who fan podcast that reviews the show, but also looks at current and past radio and television episodes from a queer perspective. While they are huge fans of the show, who are never afraid to tell you how great Doctor Who is, they also never shy away from criticizing when the canonical Who-verse use an old and problematic queer trope or when Whovian fans wrongly try and pin queer labels on The Doctor themself. About a year and a half ago The Web of Queer dedicated about 30 minutes to discussing asexuality and aromanticism, and the misapplication of this label to The Doctor. As someone who identifies as an asexual / aromantic person Mikayla did a wonderful job educating the audience on what those labels mean. She opened my eyes a bit, and showed me how ignorant I was about the feelings and struggles of those who identify with The Forgotten Letter. Music: Opening and bumper music is provided courtesy of Obsidian Shell. Find them at http://www.obsidianshell.com/ where you can download and purchase their fantastic music. The featured closing music for this episode is by 4th Curtis. The bio on their home page describes them as : 4th Curtis is St. Paul’s premier all-trans indie pop band. Originally the solo project of singer/songwriter/guitarist Lex Noens, it has since expanded to include Maddie Morley (drums) and Ty Gale (keys/vocals). Since the full band got together in late 2015, they’ve attracted a tight-knit following with their experimentally glamorous tunes and insatiable need to broadcast their transness to the greater Twin Cities area. Keep an eye out - they’re lying in wait to seduce your ears and grub for your money. Mikayla Links: Mikayla Twitter: Support Mikayla on Ko-fi: Web of Queer Twitter: Web of Queer Asexual episode: A Minnesota Trans-Atheist: 4th Curtis Links: Facebook: Bandcamp: Mainpage: Thanks again everyone for downloading and listening! Quick question though...does anyone think poop jokes are the best? No, are they at least a solid number 2? Did I tell you about the time I tried to catch the fog? As you may have guessed already, I mist. Recently France had a minor explosion in their most popular cheese factory. No one was hurt, but apparently there was burnt De Brie everywhere. /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5545517

Ep 37 Trans and Queer Legal Clinic 05/25/2017

Ep 37 Trans and Queer Legal Clinic Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Main show page is No iTunes? Download here: The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links: 03:27 Interview with CB with the Queer and Trans Legal Clinic My guest today is CB, a volunteer lawyer with a Minneapolis / Saint Paul based Queer and Trans Legal clinic that helps people in the trans and queer communities by providing free legal advice help in navigating legal issues specific and common to the trans and queer communities. The services are provided through a network of volunteer lawyers, who provide free 15-30 minute legal consultations and help those who identify as trans and queer navigate legal issues and help find and identify solutions. The Queer and Trans Legal Clinic meets on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7pm. The Exchange: 3405 Chicago Ave. S, Mpls. MN 2nd & 4th Monday of each month from 2-4pm, and the 3rd Saturday of each month from 11-1pm. @ Family Tree Clinic: 1619 Dayton Ave. #205. St. Paul, MN What we can do to help: Attorneys will be available to give information, forms, and advice about identity document corrections, such as name changes and gender marker changes. We can advise about the process in Minnesota and help you figure out how other states work. We can help fill out forms, make phone calls, get information from third parties, and provide written information about your legal issue. Name and gender marker info specific to Minnesota: Do you have another type of legal issue? We can help with general information about the law and referrals to other free and low cost resources. Make an appointment at: Walk-ins are welcome, too! Before you visit us: Gather all documents that are related to your legal question. Bring these with you when you meet with the lawyer. Things to look for: letters from government agencies, court orders, existing identity documents, lease agreements, court records such as criminal history. Think about what outcome you would like, so the lawyer knows what you are trying to do and what is most important to you to resolve the problem. If you have a friend, advocate, or caseworker who is helping you with your legal issue, consider bringing them with you. You can also contact [email protected] with questions. For a complete list of Volunteer Lawyers Network clinics, see Queer & Trans Legal Clinic Links Homepage: Appointment page: Email: The Exchange Facebook page: Family Tree Clinic website: If you need help, you have a fantastic place to ask. Other Links: Grease Rag's WTF day podcast episode can be found on SoundCloud: http://greaserag.org/user_blogs/lowrah/wtf-grease-rag-podcast/ Opening and bumper music provided courtesy of Obsidian Shell you can find their music at or find them on Facebook at Thanks again for listening and downloading. Do you know what's really odd? Numbers you can't divide by two The inventor of the throat lozenge died There will be no coffin at their funeral Are you even reading these? If you are, this is where the bad jokes I just heard today go, and apparently my son Drake has the same horrible sense of humor I do. Julie and I were making dinner, I put one of our limes on the floor and asked her if she knew what it was. I then picked it up and said it was a good "pick up lime"...she obviously walked out of the kitchen - I'm sure it was because the joke was so funny that she was having difficulty catching her breath. ANYWAY, my son came downstairs and I told him I had just told Julie a hilarious joke, I then promptly set the lime on the floor again, and he promptly picked it up and told me that was the best pick up lime he had ever seen. We fist bumped (because we're cool and hip), and realized we had made the same terrible joke within 5 minutes, without talking to each other. If I didn't love my son already, that moment would've sealed the deal, with zest. /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/5387825

Ep 36 Marissa McCool 05/19/2017

Ep 35 Bi Any Means, Trav Mamone 08/19/2016

Ep 34 Secular Buddhism with Ted Meissner 04/16/2016

Ep 34 Secular Buddhism with Ted Meissner Call the show at 612-643-1108 or email [email protected] Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/transatheistpod Twitter: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transatheistpod/ Main show page is http://www.thequeerlife.org/category/transatheistpod/ The Trans Lifeline is US: and Canada: Quick links: 01:02 Thank you! 07:36 Interview with Ted Meissner 71:58 Nicki Andro "Cylinder Spin" 75:30 Nicki Andro "Distant Hearts (Raise Community Awareness)" My guest today is Ted Meissner, the Executive Director of the Secular Buddhist Association, host of their official podcast The Secular Buddhist, and on the Advisory Board for the Spiritual Naturalist Society. His background is in the Zen and Theravada traditions, he is a regular speaker on interfaith panel discussions, and is interested in examining the evolution of contemplative practice in contemporary culture. Ted works at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society doing community development and teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. In addition to all that formal stuff, Ted is also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Whether or not mindfulness, is your cup of tea or not, Ted’s approach to life is definitely working for him. When I asked Ted if I could sit down with him, it was with the goal of learning more about Secular Buddhism, because it seemed like a contradictory term. Just like when someone identifies as “Christian” there is no way to know whether they take communion with wine or grape juice (and don’t for a minute think that’s not an important question to a lot of Christians) It is important to remember not all Buddhists have the same philosophy, there are many differing ideas and schools of thought. Some Buddhists believe in reincarnation and some don’t. There are around 350 million Buddhists worldwide, and just 6 months ago I was completely ignorant of different and nuanced those different belief systems were. As Ted is a secular Buddhist, this interview will focus on what he believes, and I hope that you find it as interesting and thought provoking as I did. Ted Meissner Links: The Secular Buddhist Associations main page: The Present Moment, Mindfulness, Practice, and Science: Ted mentions as a website you can peruse to see how people have been harmed by pseudoscience they thought was harmless. Ted discusses the book Mindfulness for Depression and Anxiety by Mark Williams. You can find the book online just about anywhere books are sold, here is the link for Google Books Another podcast referenced by Ted: Ted tells a humorous story about Uri Geller and James Randi. Here are a couple clips from YouTube: The first one is a bit longer in the setup, but is well worth the watch. The second is a TED talk given by James Randi on why skepticism is so important....and you should be asking tough questions of those who claim to have supernatural powers. Nicki Andro Links: Here is an interview with TransMusePlanet: Here is Nicki's SoundCloud Page: You can also connect with Nicki on Facebook: Here is her YouTube channel: And links to both of the songs played in the episode: Opening and bumper music provided courtesy of Obsidian Shell you can find their music at or find them on Facebook at Thanks again for listening and downloading. Why don't robots have any brothers? Because they're all trans-sisters! Two molecules are walking down the street and one starts looking around. The other asks, "What's wrong?" "I have lost my electron!" "Are you sure?" "I'm positive!" Q: Why do the Daleks eat apples? A: Because an apple a day keeps the doctor away. mdvuwqhc /episode/index/show/transatheist/id/4299584