And so having those real life examples and not having to solely depend on say media to tell me who I am or what I could be or what the possibilities were for me.

I think that Hawaii really did provide that because I had these these women in these gender nonconforming people around in my every day.

And so it felt a lot more intimate and close.

I feel like you two are saying that imperialism and colonialism aren't always good.

Is that what's happening here?

That's ironic because we're speaking English.

That's what we get.

From Topic and Airwolf, this is politically reactive. I'm W. Kamal Bell.

And I'm V. Harry Kunderbohler.

The show where two comedians, one with an article problem, try to make sense of politics in America.

I don't know how we keep saying that because we're not going to but alright.

On today's show, we're talking to writer, TV host, advocate, change maker, lightning rod, and all around butt kicker Janet Mock.

In fact, it might be better if we let her describe herself.

Here she is earlier this year at the Women's March on Washington.

I stand here today as the daughter of a native Hawaiian woman and a black veteran from Texas.

I stand here as the first person in my family to go to college.

I stand here as someone who has written herself onto this stage.

To unapologetically proclaim that I am a trans woman writer activist revolutionary of color.

And as an advocate for trans women, she founded Hashtag Girls Like Us and Hashtag Trans Book Draw.

She also hosts the podcast Never Before with Lenny Letter.

Her writing has appeared in such publications as The New Yorker, Mary Claire, Alure, and the Advocate.

And her first book from 2014 was A New York Times Best Seller.

...