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Safe Space Radio

The show about subjects we'd struggle with less if we could talk about them more.

  • Mental Health
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
    • Depression in the Workplace
    • Eating Disorders
    • Facing Fear
    • Feelings of Failure
    • Homophobia
    • LGBTQ Teens
    • Living With Anxiety
    • Living with Dementia in the Family
    • Living with Life Threatening Illness
    • Living with Mental Illness
    • Mental Illness in the Family
    • Medical Trauma
    • Parenting Kids on the Spectrum
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Refugee Women
    • Substance Abuse in Families
    • Suicide
    • Transgender Issues
    • Trauma
    • Writing as a Way to Heal
    • Yoga and Mental Illness
  • Social Justice
    • Child Abuse
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    • LGBTQ Teens
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    • Maine Wabanaki TRC
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
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    • Transgender Issues
    • Violence Against Women
  • Family
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
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  • Emotions
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    • Writing as a Way to Heal
  • Sexuality
    • Female Sexual Difficulties
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    • Recovery from Sexual Trauma
  • Conflict
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    • Life After Incarceration
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    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Refugee Women
    • Somali Refugees in Maine
    • Talking About Difficult Subjects
    • Trauma
    • Violence Against Women
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LGBTQ

Stories from LGBTQ Teens

April 7, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features multiple stories from young people about how they came out to themselves and others.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: allies, coming out, education, gay straight alliance, GSA, LGBTQ, queer, School, teacher, teenagers, Teens

Poetry and Coming Out (Part 2) with Richard Blanco

March 31, 2014 by ssradmin

In Part 2 of his conversation with Safe Space Radio, poet Richard Blanco talks and reads poems about how he navigates the homophobia in his family and in the world.  

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Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: art, gay men, Homophobia, LGBTQ, poet laureate, poetry, queer, self expression, writing

Poetry and Coming Out (Part 1) with Richard Blanco

March 24, 2014 by ssradmin

In Part 1 of his conversation with Safe Space Radio, poet Richard Blanco talks about the challenge of knowing he was gay in an unsupportive family.  

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: art, coming out, Family, gay men, Homophobia, LGBTQ, poetry, queer, Sexuality, writing

Parents and Teachers as Allies with Sue and Abby

March 17, 2014 by ssradmin

Sue, a mother of a transgender teen, and Abby, a teacher who advises her school’s Gay-Straight-Trans Alliance, talk about what they’ve learned about supporting the young LGBTQ people in their lives.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, conversation, education, Gay, gay straight alliance, GSA, High School, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Issues, Parenting, queer, Sexuality, teacher, teenagers, Teens, transgender rights, transitioning

Getting Beyond Bullying with Kyle

March 10, 2014 by ssradmin

16-year-old Kyle talks about how he went from being bullied in middle school to becoming the face of the Gay-Straight-Trans Alliance in his high school.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: Bullying, childhood, education, gay straight alliance, GSA, LGBTQ, mental health, middle school, queer, School, teenagers, Teens

Transitioning with Aiden

March 3, 2014 by ssradmin

Transgender teen Aiden talks about how he entered high school as a girl, gradually came to understand that he had always been a boy, and how he made that transformation real.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: education, gay straight alliance, gay straight trans alliance, Gender, GSA, High School, LGBTQ, queer, School, Teachers, teenagers, Transgender teens, transitioning

Speaking Up with Sianna

February 24, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features a conversation with lesbian high schooler Sianna about how she has taken a stand against homophobia in situations where no one else was on her side, and why she’s glad she had to.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality, Social Justice Tagged With: advocacy, allies, education, gay straight alliance, GSA, High School, Homophobia, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Issues, queer, teenagers, Teens

On Being Outed with Samantha

February 17, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Samantha, who was outed as a lesbian to her parents by a teacher at her school. She remembers the turmoil this has created in her life, being rejected by some important people after they learned she was gay, and how that experience has inspired her to be a …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: advocacy, allies, coming out, High School, LGBTQ, Parenting, Parents, queer, rejection, School, teacher, teenagers, Teens

On Being Gender-Neutral with AJ

February 10, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode features a conversation with high school junior AJ, who identifies as gender-neutral. AJ discusses the challenges of not identifying as either a girl or a boy, and the value of finding allies within a new school.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: Gender, genderqueer, High School, LGBTQ, LGBTQ teens, queer, teenagers, Teens

Being a Gay Father with Frank

January 11, 2012 by ssradmin

Frank is the father of two boys, and he is also a gay man. In this interview, Frank talks about always wanting children and how he and his husband have taken steps to protect their children from homophobia and find welcoming communities. Frank also describes his experience of finding a surrogate to conceive and bear …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Sexuality Tagged With: discrimination, father, Fathers, gay men, gay parents, Homophobia, internal family systems, LGBTQ, Parenting, raising children, surrogacy, surrogate parents

Transition and Sexual Reassignment Surgery with Jean Vermette

April 27, 2011 by ssradmin

Jean Vermette talks about recognizing that she was female, and taking the risk to share it with the people she loved. She ultimately chose to undergo sexual reassignment surgery and wrote a book, Je Me Souviens (“I Will Remember”) about her experience of MTF genital surgery. Jean describes the process as an example of the …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: bottom surgery, coming out, community, female, Gender, identity, LGBTQ, male, male to female, memoir, mtf, sexual reassignment, trans, Transgender, transition, writing

Gender Role Non-Conformity with Frank Brooks

April 20, 2011 by ssradmin

Frank Brooks is a doctor of clinical social work who studies gender role non-conformity, particularly the link between gender role non-conformity in boys and the risk of suicide. Frank describes his experiences of feeling different and facing prejudice as he grew up. He now works with families with gender role non-conforming kids to help them …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: Bullying, children, Gender, gender binary, gender nonconformity, genderqueer, LGBTQ, nonbinary, Parenting, puberty, social work, Suicide, teenagers, Teens, Therapy, youth

TransParenting, or Parenting Trans Kids with Sandy Lovell

April 13, 2011 by ssradmin

Sexuality educator and mother Sandy Lovell talks about parenting her trans son. As a feminist mother she celebrated his early gender non-conformism, but it never occurred to her that he might be trans. Sandy named parental concerns for her child’s safety, his ability to find love, her grief over losing the daughter, and her struggle …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: ambiguous loss, daughter, family dynamics, feminism, FTM, Gender, gender non-conformity, gender variant, identity, LGBTQ, loss, motherhood, mothering, mothers, nonbinary, Parenting, puberty, queer, son, tomboy, Transgender

Genderqueer with Liam Bechen

April 6, 2011 by ssradmin

Social worker Liam Bechen talks with Safe Space Radio about his identity as a genderfluid trans man. Liam describes the daily challenge of coping with people’s responses to his visible inbetween-ness. He describes moments of fear of violence, but also of his determination to live without shame, and to celebrate the many manifestations of gender …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: discrimination, fear, Gender, Gender Fluid, Gender Roles, genderfluid, genderqueer, identity, LGBTQ, nonbinary, pronouns, queer, trans, Transgender

Thinking Through Lesbian and Trans Community with Jem Hodsdon

March 30, 2011 by ssradmin

Social worker, writer, and queer activist Jem Hodsdon talks about the relationship between the lesbian community and the trans community. Jem speaks about how delicate the relationship can be between two oppressed and marginalized groups, and her intention to speak only about her particular experience. A focus on marriage equality can be divisive because it …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Sexuality Tagged With: community, discrimination, division, dyke, feminism, Gender, Homophobia, identity, inclusion, Lesbian, LGBTQ, marriage equality, pride, queer, same sex marriage, trans, trans exclusionary, Transgender, transphobia

Trans Couples with Helen Boyd

March 23, 2011 by ssradmin

Author and gender studies professor Helen Boyd is married to a trans woman. She remembers her early courtship with a man who “occasionally cross-dressed” and how this evolved into loving her partner through her transition. Helen explores what it is like to be perceived now as a lesbian because she is married to a woman, …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Sexuality Tagged With: cross dressing, Gender, gender reassignment, husbands, identity, intimacy, Lesbian, LGBTQ, long term relationships, love, male to female transition, marraige, marriage, mtf, relationships, same sex marriage, sex, sex in marriage, trans, Transgender, transition, transwoman, transwomen, wife, wives, women, writer

Camp for Transgender and Gender-Variant Youth

March 16, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features the founder and president of the first camp for trans youth. Nick describes many challenges that trans youth face as they grow up, particularly as they enter puberty and begin to develop secondary sex characteristics of the sex that feels wrong to them. Camp Aranu’tiq is for ages …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: community, Friendship, Gender Fluid, gender variant, LGBTQ, nonbinary, puberty, summer camp, teenagers, Teens, trans, Transgender, youth

Transgender 101 with Alex Roan

March 9, 2011 by ssradmin

Alex Roan is the director of the Maine Transgender Network. Alex defines the terms transgender, transsexual, and cross-dresser, clarifying the difference between sex, gender, gender expression and sexual orientation. He describes his own story of experiencing the gap between his sex and his gender, and his experience of transitioning from female to male.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: community, cross dressing, difficult conversations, female to male transition, FTM, Gender, Gender Fluid, gender variant, language, LGBTQ, sex, sexual orientation, trans, Transgender, transsexual

Male to Female Transition with Lisa Bunker

March 2, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features radio program director Lisa Bunker talking about her experience of becoming aware that she identified as a woman. Lisa describes feeling like a failure at trying to be a man, and the deep relief of embracing her female identity. She remembers experiences of telling her friends, her workplace …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, family dynamics, femininity, Gender, identity, LGBTQ, male to female transition, masculinity, mtf, trans, Transgender, transition, woman, workplace

Suicide Among Gay Youth with Charles Robbins

May 5, 2010 by ssradmin

Charles Robbins is CEO of the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. Charles describes the vulnerable time in a young person’s life after they realize they are queer, but before they have found accepting others to share it with. Charles describes his own story of …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, death and dying, difficult conversations, family dynamics, gay teens, LGBTQ, LGBTQ teens, queer teens, queer youth, Shame, Suicide, teenagers, Teens, trevor project, vulnerability

Homophobia in Schools with Betsy Parsons

July 1, 2009 by ssradmin

Educator Betsy Parsons talks about her decision to come out as a teacher in the public school system in Portland, Maine. She talks about the impact of verbal and physical harassment on gay and lesbian students and how powerfully it affects their ability to learn and to feel safe in school. She now co-leads GLSEN, …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Sexuality, Social Justice Tagged With: Bullying, education, gay straight alliance, GLSEN, GSA, harrassment, High School, Homophobia, LGBTQ, public school, queer youth, teenagers, Teens, transphobia

Marriage Equality with Darlene Huntress

June 24, 2009 by ssradmin

Darlene Huntress works for Equality Maine on the impact of denying marriage to same sex couples. Darlene talks about the impact on LGBTQ children when they learn that the cultural fantasy of marriage will be denied to them, and how affirming marriage access for all will play a powerful role in reducing homophobia

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Filed Under: Sexuality, Social Justice Tagged With: advocacy, discrimination, gay rights, Homophobia, LGBTQ, LGBTQ rights, marriage equality, queer youth, same sex marriage, teenagers, Teens

Lesbian Parenting with Jen Hodsden

June 17, 2009 by ssradmin

Jen Hodsden and her 11 year old daughter Soleil talk about the impact of homophobia on their lives, especially on their relationships with friends, other kids, and men.

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Sexuality Tagged With: Bullying, conversation, discrimination, Homophobia, lesbian parents, LGBTQ, LGBTQ families, Parenting, Parents, raising children, relationships, same sex parents

Coming Out, Homophobia, and Psychiatry with Marshall Forstein

June 10, 2009 by ssradmin

Psychiatrist Dr. Marshall Forstein talks about his own coming out, the impact of homophobic jokes, and the experience of legal marriage in Massachusetts.

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Filed Under: Sexuality, Social Justice Tagged With: coming out, culture, gay men, Homophobia, LGBTQ, marriage equality, Psychiatry, same sex marriage

Marriage Equality and the Church with Myke Johnson

June 3, 2009 by ssradmin

Reverand Myke Johnson talks from a religious perspective about affirming the sacredness of gay and lesbian people and celebrating their right to marry.

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Filed Under: Sexuality, Social Justice Tagged With: LGBTQ, marriage equality, queer, Religion, same sex marriage, spirituality

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Generously supported by:

  • The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • The Lucy R. Sprague Charisma Fund
  • The Equity Fund
  • The Fleming Family Foundation
  • The Hope and Grace Fund
  • Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
  • The Lerner Foundation
  • The Matthewson Foundation
  • The Pinkerton Foundation
  • The Pink House Foundation
  • The Rines Thompson Fund
  • The Sam L. Cohen Foundation

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