Hey y'all, it's me, Amar Jones. Welcome to the TransLash podcast, a show where we tell

trans stories to save trans lives. Well, May, in addition to being my birthday month, is also

Asian American and Pacific Islander

Heritage Month.

That's why we want to take this entire episode to lift up trans Asian Americans who are

thriving and doing powerful work.

Of course, AAPI leadership has always been important to our broader movement, and today

we're going to hear from two vital trans AAPI leaders with decades of experience who are

advocating for their communities.

First, I'm joined by outgoing executive director of the Transgender Law Center, Chris Hayashi, who shares his reflections

on 30 years of organizing work.

While I believe that trans organizations don't have what we need or deserve, far from it,

that the trans movement overall is definitely stronger than we've ever been.

Next, I'll talk with Hawaiian Cultural Ambassador and Community Organizer,

Hina Le Mauna Wang Kalu, about trans identity outside of a westernized context.

If I were living 250 or 300 years ago, my life would not need to be reconciled

according to any kind of sexual preference or gender identity. I could just be me and I could

just be identified by my genealogy.

This is going to be a rich conversation, but first, as always, let's start out with some trans joy. Murals are a powerful way to bring underrepresented perspectives and identities to the forefront of public life.

Lauren Y.S. is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work can be found everywhere, from the walls of Osaka, Japan, to the stages

of Coachella. With influence from their Asian American heritage and themes of dreams, mythology,

and animation, Lauren's work is unapologetically bold and colorful. Here's Lauren to tell us more.

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