Ep04 – Twenty happy trans guys (with James Lórien MacDonald)

It took twenty happy trans guys on YouTube for comedian James Lórien MacDonald to feel like transitioning might be worth it. In this episode, I talk with James about the joys and challenges of transitioning, navigating social roles, trans happiness, misery narratives, The Danish Girl & Boys Don't Cry, interacting with cis people, and how to talk when terfs are listening. PS. The book I mention is Walkaway by Cory Doctorow, not Runaway like I claim in the episode. James who? Somewhere between witty raconteur stuck in the last century and full-blown hot modern mess, James is one of the most memorable comedians on the Finnish stage. He’s the founder of Feminist Comedy Night, where he’s made a calling out of creating more diverse spaces for comedy. His weekly podcast with Ali Jahangiri, How Bad Was That, takes on Finnish news and culture in English. His solo show, Gender Euphoria, is still touring in Europe, and he also travels abroad to give lectures and workshops on trans and queer performance. Find out more about Feminist Comedy Academy: https://www.facebook.com/events/407879436496862/ Follow James at: https://www.facebook.com/jamiemacdonaldthecomedian https://twitter.com/happeningfish https://www.instagram.com/happeningfish/ Follow Mira at: https://www.instagram.com/missvinylenvy/ https://twitter.com/miraeskelinen