Transvox

Gillian Russell
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  • Personal Journals

Join Jenny and Gillian - both at different places in their transition process to hear advice guidance, interviews and opinion on all things trans+. Not forgetting other gender diverse people, and those that are questioning, allies, friends and family. They have different expertise and thoughts to share because of their transition paths as well as other differences. However, they find a way to discuss topics and show ways to disagree in a productive way, whilst giving you the tools to navigate the world. They are also joined by guests to share perspectives, advice and support as and when needed. You can submit questions and we would be delighted if you could add a 5-star review as it helps with visibility and our positive mood..!

  1. 14h ago

    Transvox - CJ Webb on Being Non-Binary, Neurodivergent, and a Therapist: Identity, Pronouns, and Belonging

    On Transvox, Gillian interviews CJ Webb, a neurodivergent, disabled, non-binary person (sometimes describing their gender as gender fluid) and an NHS talking-therapy therapist who is also building a private practice called Quiet Reflections. CJ explains that their drive to become a therapist came from wanting to understand people and their own place in the world, a perspective shaped by later receiving an autism diagnosis and recognising past masking. They discuss early experiences of not fitting into “boys” or “girls” lines at school, the distress of early puberty and being perceived, and family expectations such as wearing dresses as a bridesmaid. CJ describes the importance of language and discovering terms like gender fluid and non-binary, clarifies umbrella relationships including agender, and shares how using they/them pronouns can mean constant coming out and varies by context. They note UK debates and a Supreme Court ruling leaving non-binary people effectively unrecognised, and they outline their person-centered, emotion-focused therapy approach offering counselling, EMDR, and psychosexual therapy via quietreflections.co.uk. 00:00 Welcome to CJ 00:58 Who CJ Is 01:42 Therapist Journey 03:48 Autism And Masking 06:00 Not Belonging 08:28 Puberty And Dysphoria 10:21 Family Expectations 14:16 Finding The Words 17:06 Nonbinary Explained 19:15 Names And Pronouns 23:52 Sexuality And Pressure 28:16 Therapy Style 30:49 Rights And Farewell You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  2. 3d ago

    Transvox - It’s August 5th - thoughts and support re the EHRC Code of Practice for Trans People, Employers, and Service Providers

    In an ‘emergency’ solo Transvox episode, Gillian explains the uncertainty created by the UK Supreme Court ruling that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex and by the EHRC statutory Code of Practice laid in Parliament on 21 May 2026 and effective 5 August 2026, noting it is guidance (not primary legislation or criminal law) and may be reshaped through case law and future revisions. The code affects services, public functions, and associations, especially single-sex spaces and services, while employer guidance has not yet been updated; the host also cites a February 2026 High Court decision requiring workplace facilities to operate on a biological sex basis under health and safety regulations, with lockable rooms as an option. They stress gender reassignment remains a protected characteristic and outline practical steps for trans people (knowing rights, documenting incidents, challenging blanket exclusions, using complaints routes) and for employers/service providers (avoiding haste, seeking legal advice, conducting impact assessments, applying proportionality, avoiding appearance-policing, communicating transparently, and using case-by-case decisions). This is not legal advice - but we can support all parties with advice, templates and training to help manage practical solutions to the challenges this poor guidance will raise. 00:00 Emergency Episode Intro 00:38 What Changed Legally 04:34 What It Means for Trans People 10:44 Practical Steps and Self Advocacy 14:15 Collective Action and Wellbeing 16:18 Guidance for Employers 21:13 Advice for Service Providers 26:08 Final Thoughts You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  3. 6d ago

    Dyvr on Rebuild: Trans+ Dance Floors, Mixed-Race Identity, and Making Space to Heal

    In this episode, Gillian interviews London-based electronic musician and recording artist Dyvr, who uses dance floors as spaces for processing grief, shame, and abandonment, with a focus on making trans+ people feel seen and accepted. Dyvr discusses growing up in a multicultural part of London as mixed race (Pakistani mother, Scottish-Irish/Midlands father), the complexities of belonging, racism as erasure, and how queer and trans+ identity intersects with diaspora experience, including not learning their mother’s language. They describe music as a lifelong emotional conduit, beginning to make music in their early 20s after living independently from 16, and explain their album “Rebuild,” made over three and a half years while learning production and documenting liberation, grief, anger, and family abandonment; it was released July 25 to align with Trans Pride, alongside a Tottenham after-party. Dyvr mentions performances at Glastonbury, Boomtown, multiple Pride events, upcoming Galway shows (Aug 6 and 8), Boomtown’s Naflika space, and developing co-production work; they can be followed on Instagram as deepseaDyver (deepsea D-Y-V-R). 00:00 Curtains and Studio Vibes 00:39 Meet Dyvr 01:15 Music as Activism 03:00 London Roots and Heritage 04:04 Mixed Race Identity 07:02 Racism and Erasure 08:59 Language and Diaspora 11:34 Migration and Culture Shift 13:41 Transness and Intersectionality 15:46 Turning to Music 15:57 Music as Emotional Language 17:15 Finding Songwriting Later 17:40 Survival and Mental Health 20:05 Authenticity on Stage 24:27 Rebuild Album Journey 28:23 Release and Trans Pride 29:26 Festivals and Pride Shows 31:48 Producing for Community 33:38 Where to Follow Next 34:17 Wrap Up and Goodbyes You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  4. Jul 26

    Transvox - Pride’s Shift Back to Protest, Funding Pressures, and Rising Backlash

    Gillian and Jenny discuss how Pride began after Stonewall as political protest, later became a celebratory, commercialised community event during periods of progress (e.g., repeal of Section 28, equal marriage), and is now facing funding pressures and backlash that may push it back toward protest, especially amid anti-trans legislation. They compare big-city Prides with smaller-town events, noting Newcastle’s two-day Pride and Gateshead Pride’s success after community support replaced withdrawn council funding. They describe reduced police and emergency services visibility at Pride, arguing that pulling back is itself political. The conversation covers councils restricting LGBTQ+ library publicity and book access, culture-war reactions to casting choices, a reported vehicle attack on Berlin Pride with at least 16 injured, concerns about wider LGBT rights rollbacks, and upcoming EHRC guidance (5 August) and legal/campaign responses. 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up 00:39 Why Pride Matters Now 01:14 Origins of Pride Protests 03:35 Funding and Local Pride Scenes 04:23 Police Presence and Backlash 07:32 Commercialisation and Community Focus 08:37 Culture Wars and Book Bans 10:54 Berlin Attack and Media Framing 14:14 Rolling Back LGBT Rights 16:53 Wealth and Legal Threats 19:23 EHRC Guidance Coming Up 23:05 World Cup Final and Wrap Up You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  5. Jul 5

    Transvox - Chloe Kelly on Discovering She’s Trans at 45, Transitioning Quickly, and Solo Travel Adventures

    Gillian interviews Chloe Kelly (not that one!) a trans woman who realised she was transgender at 45 after using FaceApp in October 2023, began hormones in January 2024, and went full-time in August 2024 after encouragement from her boss. Chloe describes early signs like cross-dressing, wishing to wake up as a girl, and lifelong fascination with trans topics, plus the shock of NHS waitlists (Wales) and using private providers (GenderGP, then Harley Street). She discusses changes in social treatment and loss of male privilege, supportive reactions overall but losing some friends, and finding community at Leeds First Friday. After leaving a senior national account manager role, she wrote a romance novel with a trans lead, traveled extensively solo across Europe and Asia, recounting a distressing spa incident in Almaty, and now plans to write more, publish articles, create a transitioning-later guide, continue her “Girlavanting” YouTube series, and spend three months in Buenos Aires. 00:00 Meet Chloe Kelly 00:22 Late Realization 02:21 FaceApp Awakening 03:55 NHS And Private Care 05:23 Coming Out At Work 08:49 Relief And Choosing Joy 10:28 Friends Community And Tribe 12:31 Life As A Woman Now 14:58 Breaking Life’s Boxes 15:40 Quitting Work to Live 16:02 Writing and World Travel 18:35 Solo Travel and Confidence 18:58 Turning Trips into a Book 20:17 Marriage and New Attraction 21:23 Dating Men and Desire 23:56 Future Plans and Where to Follow 26:37 Farewell and Reflections You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  6. Jun 28

    Transvox - Discussing Andy Burnham and What New Leadership Could Mean for Trans Rights

    Gillian and Jenny discuss politics and what a likely Andy Burnham premiership could mean for trans people. They review Burnham’s history in Labour, note his “normal guy” public persona, and describe his LGBT+ record: marching against Section 28, voting for repeal, civil partnerships, same-sex marriage, IVF rights, opposing discrimination and conversion therapy, and previously backing Gender Recognition Act reform. They also raise concerns about a past meeting with the LGB Alliance and his cautious response to Supreme Court-related EHRC guidance, questioning whether he would fight publicly for trans rights. The conversation shifts to how leadership, the NHS, and the choice of Health Secretary could shape implementation of guidance across trusts, and ends with guarded optimism that a new leader might reduce hostility even if change is limited. 00:00 Welcome 00:38 Why Politics Matters Now 01:42 Who Is Andy Burnham? 05:08 LGBT+ Voting Record 07:44 Trans Rights Concerns 10:47 Mamdani Comparison 14:16 Manchester And Hope 15:43 EHRC Guidance Fallout 17:47 NHS Trusts And Risks 25:45 Closing Thoughts x -n AnBur Burnham You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk #transgenderhealth, #trans, #transgender,

  7. Jun 21

    Transvox - Ash Sekhon on Gothic Historical Fiction, Rumour Culture, and Trans History

    This week, Gillian interviews Ash Sekhon, a historian and gender-fluid trans author living in the Netherlands after time in the US, Scotland, and Canada. They explain leaving adjunct university teaching in the US after Trump-era DEI cuts and now writing full time while supported by savings and investments, and choosing the Netherlands for its tolerant laws and culture. They discuss Ash’s Victorian-tinged Gothic novella Assumptions, which opens with a man waking in a London morgue and centres on how rumours and respectability culture can destroy lives, paralleling past panic about gay people with modern misinformation about trans people. Ash describes research into 1830s–50s Edinburgh and late-1800s pre–Great War Europe, references Britain’s 1885 law used against Oscar Wilde, outlines the rivalry between Henry and manipulative Dr. Dick Falstaff, and notes ongoing work on a prequel and sequel. The paperback is available via Waterstones and Amazon; contact is via assumptionsbook.wordpress.com. 00:00 Meet Ash 00:39 Historian and Identity 01:14 Research and Writing Life 02:22 Why the Netherlands 03:00 Why Write Assumptions 04:38 Plot and Themes 05:35 Rumor as Weapon 07:38 History Echoes Today 11:09 Victorian Evidence Hunt 12:46 Characters and Rivalry 16:06 Sequel and Prequel Plans 17:46 Where to Buy and Connect 18:45 ADHD and the Writing Process 20:02 Wrap Up and Thanks You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

  8. Jun 14

    Transvox - World Cup Lessons for Trans Resilience

    Gillian and Jenny discuss what trans people can learn from World Cup footballers about surviving scrutiny, online abuse, and long-term pressure, using sport as a metaphor. They explore “microclimates” and how adapting to different social contexts can support safety and wellbeing while still valuing authenticity, including how transition often involves constant social and presentation adjustments. They emphasise building a “team” or “posse” through friends, volunteering, charities, arts, and online spaces, while noting the harms of being bullied off social media and the loss of inclusive groups. They compare the responsibility felt by visible trans people to athletes carrying national expectations, and debate balancing personal truth with political impact. They also argue for focusing more on physical health, exercise, and community activities alongside mental health support. They end with World Cup predictions, with Jenny backing France. 00:00 Bin Bag Banter 00:35 Sport as Resilience Metaphor 02:51 Microclimates and Authenticity 04:04 Transition and Social Adaptation 11:12 Finding Your Team 12:22 Social Media and Safe Spaces 19:08 Resilience Veterans Quiz 21:30 Visible Trans Pressure 23:29 More Than Being Trans 25:34 Microclimates and Authenticity 26:13 Fake Authentic Politics 29:48 Purpose and Resilience 30:35 Physical Health Matters 36:29 Bullied Back Shadows 38:34 World Cup Predictions 40:58 Final Sign Off You can contact us at gillian@transvox.co.uk and find out more at transvox.co.uk

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Ratings & Reviews

About

Join Jenny and Gillian - both at different places in their transition process to hear advice guidance, interviews and opinion on all things trans+. Not forgetting other gender diverse people, and those that are questioning, allies, friends and family. They have different expertise and thoughts to share because of their transition paths as well as other differences. However, they find a way to discuss topics and show ways to disagree in a productive way, whilst giving you the tools to navigate the world. They are also joined by guests to share perspectives, advice and support as and when needed. You can submit questions and we would be delighted if you could add a 5-star review as it helps with visibility and our positive mood..!

Information

  • Creator
    Gillian Russell
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    163
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Gillian Russell
  • Show Website
    Transvox

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