Experiencing "Bless Your Heart" Homophobia in the South feat. Destiny Clarke

This episode is sponsored by Rebecca Minor, LICSW. For more information about her course, How To Talk To Kids About Gender, please visit: https://www.genderspecialist.com/learn Listeners of this podcast get 10% off with code ALLYSHIP

In this week’s episode, Destiny Clarke (who now uses she/they pronouns) talks about why they left teaching in the classroom to pursue a career in providing teachers with LGBTQ+ inclusive education. We discuss how living in North Carolina as a pansexual person isn't exactly easy and some surprising spaces and communities where she's found support. Learn what they call "bless your heart homophobia" and what that can look like in the South. Destiny explains how her gender expression has evolved over the years and how good it's felt to get support from her current partner. Learn about the 3 times she's started a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club in her schools and how each time was different, including how she handled an instance of a parent pushing back.

🎙️ Connect with Destiny:

• Closeted History Podcast - Instagram (the podcast launched June 1st, 2022!)
• Closeted History - Website

💻 Sources and resources from this episode:

• Schitt's Creek - The Wine Not the Label - Scene on YouTube
• Movement Advancement Project - North Carolina
• LGBTQ Youth in The South - The Trevor Project
• Report: South Has Most LGBTQ Residents In the U.S.
• Let Me Google That for You - Encourage someone to do their own Google search
• LGBTQ Center of Durham
• GSA Network
• GLSEN
• Insider: As a gender specialist, I've seen kids as young as 3 recognize they are trans by Rebecca Minor
• Gender Specialist’s Cisgender Identity Challenge Instagram post
• QMUNITY.org’s Gender-neutral Language Sheet resource (scroll down)

Host Charlie Ocean, MSW (they/them), has a background in LGBTQ+ training, community organizing, and technology. Guest episodes feature at least one allyship tip, including tailored questions based on the guests' unique intersecting identities. You can follow Charlie on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack. *You will hear Charlie's former name in this episode and previous ones.*