Curi-Yaas Convo: Claire Jones

Episode 208 | Curi-Yaas Convo: Claire Jones

Okay, this episode is almost a year late — life happened, executive dysfunction is real, and here we are... I'm sorry Claire

Billie is joined by Claire — a mid-50s cross-dresser from the middle of the UK who describes herself as "retired." But what does retired even mean? Claire breaks it all down: a decade-long run of living as herself during work trips, a closet she's never fully left, and the job loss in 2022 that took away the only windows she had.

Claire's story spans from pantyhose in a sock drawer at age 8 or 9, to nearly 50,000 Twitter followers, to being part of a national campaign against hate in the UK — all while keeping Claire completely hidden from her wife and family. She talks about the guilt and shame that came with puberty, the internet being the first place she ever realized she wasn't alone, and the small communities that have kept her sane even when she can't physically express who she is.

Billie and Claire also get into the messy middle ground a lot of people live in: the fear of coming out, the calculation of what you stand to lose, and what it means to find ways to be yourself without anyone knowing. It's honest, it's tender, and it goes to some real places.

Plus: empathy, chocolate bars, and a perfect world.