Episode 8: We Are the Lilac People
Episode Overview:
The stories we inherit shape the ones we tell.
In this episode, Milo Todd and Jess explore the legacy of queer resistance, the role of fiction in making sense of lived experience, and how trans storytelling has always been a radical act of survival.
Together, we discuss:
✨ Why trans people have always had to be the historians of their own lives
✨ The politics of storytelling—and who gets to be seen as “neutral”
✨ How fiction can hold complexity when language fails
✨ The power of choosing joy, tenderness, and nuance in the face of erasure
✨ What it means to write into the future while reckoning with the past
About the Guest
Milo Todd is a Massachusetts Cultural Council grantee and a Lambda Literary Fellow. His work has appeared in Slice Magazine and elsewhere. He is co–editor in chief of Foglifter and teaches creative writing to queer and trans adults. Find out more at milotodd.com.
About your host:
Jess Romeo is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, clinical social worker, mentor, and educator with a passion for making gender-affirming care more accessible, inclusive, and informed.
With years of experience seeing patients, training healthcare providers, and being queer & trans, Jess brings a nuanced, compassionate, and engaging voice to conversations about gender identity and social justice.
Through this podcast, Jess cultivates a curious and brave space to explore the realities, challenges, and triumphs of our lives—helping providers, allies, and community members reflect, deepen their knowledge, and take meaningful action.