It’s the journey, not the facts

Out of a desire to see more stories about LGBTQ people that she related to and that had queer people as the intended audience, Callie Wright started to dig deeper into the things that queer and trans people experience in everyday lives. For her podcast, Queersplaining, she gives trans and queer people a platform to tell and share their stories as a way to further humanize themselves and relate to other people. She noticed that people connected much more strongly over stories about her life as opposed to lists of facts about being trans, and wanted to uplift other LGBTQ people in similar ways.

In order to get folks to care, you have to make it make sense to them. I can spend hours and hours explaining to someone what it’s like to be trans, but if that’s not their experience, there’s a level at which they’re not going to understand it.

Callie Wright

Sharing personal stories lets people find bits of themselves in the narrative, which triggers empathy and understanding. Focusing on how the information is delivered is much more rewarding and relatable than dry statistics, and tying those experiences in with someone else’s, even if they’re not trans or queer, goes a long way to help them understand the things LGBTQ people experience.

Listen to the full episode for some of Callie’s anecdotes and discussion about how to be understanding of others who may not understand or respect LGBTQ identities while still making sure you’re taking care of your own health.