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🎙️ Drag, Disruption & Dangerous Laws: Trans Joy in a Bathroom Ban State 🏳️‍⚧️🔥

Guest: Tacoma / Rachel Lee Motivated

What happens when your drag becomes your protest? When joy is defiance—and survival? And what does it feel like to live, perform, and pee in a state like Idaho under escalating anti-trans laws?

This week on Trans Joy Boise, hosts Bonnie Violet (trans femme, genderqueer, spiritual drag artist & digital chaplain) and Pacey (transmasc, non-binary, mental health & recovery advocate) are joined by the radiant and rebellious Tacoma (aka drag star Rachel Lee Motivated) for a conversation about:

💄 Drag as a tool for protest and community building
📣 The power—and risk—of pushing the envelope on stage
🚻 Living through Idaho’s newest bathroom ban law
🧠 Coping with fear, safety, and survival in hostile states
🏳️‍🌈 Turning performance into purpose—and joy into resistance

This episode is a raw and heartfelt look at how queer artists are navigating joy, fear, and visibility in dangerous times—and how every stage can become a soapbox.

🧼 Because in Idaho, simply being seen can be revolutionary.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YOUR-LINK
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/YOUR-LINK

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In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Skrmetti decision—upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth—we’re coming together to process, reflect, and rise. 🏳️‍⚧️ Learn more at https://www.acluidaho.org/en/skrmetti-decision

Join Bonnie Violet (trans femme, genderqueer digital chaplain) and Pacey (trans masc, non-binary mental health advocate) as we unpack:

• What the ruling means—and what it doesn’t mean
• How trans folks in Idaho and beyond are organizing, adapting, and thriving
• The national movement for trans youth still gaining momentum
• Why our community continues to show up, speak out, and shine ✨

We believe this moment is not the end—but a call to rise. Our resilience is rooted in truth, in joy, in love—and in each other. We’ve faced worse. We’ve built beauty from ashes. And we’re still here.

🎧 Tune in for clarity, community, and care.
💖 Trans joy is not a trend—it’s a lifeline.
🌱 Let’s grow stronger together.

#TransJoyBoise #ProtectTransYouth #TransRightsAreHumanRights #TransLiberation #TransIsBeautiful #LGBTQ2SIA #QueerPodcast #TransJoy #WeKeepUsSafe #SkrmettiRuling #TransYouthDeserveBetter

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#transjoyboise #transjoy #boise

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We are pretty cute though 👅😉

From sneaking into national conferences to fighting for trans liberation in rural Idaho, Bonnie Violet and Pacey break down what it means to resist, speak truth, and survive when your existence is political. This episode isn’t cute—it’s critical.

What happens when national LGBTQ2SIA+ leaders underestimate rural resistance? When World Pride gets shut down by police but queers keep dancing in the streets? When you're told your life isn’t under threat, even as laws strip your rights away?

In this raw and urgent episode of Trans Joy Boise, hosts Bonnie Violet and Pacey share personal reflections from Washington, D.C., where Idaho’s trans activists were both underestimated and spotlighted at the Human Rights Conference. From affirming moments with icons like Raquel Willis to the deep vulnerability of being dismissed by those in power, we explore what it’s like to be trans in the trenches—especially in so-called "flyover" states.

You’ll hear:

• How Bonnie snuck into national conversations to make trans Idaho visible
• Why people calling Idaho “cute” is dangerous, not flattering
• The nervous system toll of constant vigilance in anti-trans America
• How World Pride DC’s protest roots re-emerged under pressure
• The spiritual and emotional impact of showing up, even when you're not invited
• Bi-erasure in media, pop culture’s shifting queerness, and burnout
• Why Pride must be both a celebration and a protest at Canyon County Pride

This is a love letter to those doing the work without credit or comfort—and a call-out to those still stuck in rainbow-washed apathy.

✨ Whether you’re on the streets, in the pews, or behind the mic—this episode is for you. Because we’re not here for cute anymore. We’re here for power.

🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. Help amplify queer and trans voices from Idaho and beyond.

#TransJoyBoise #TransLiberationNow #IdahoIsNotCute #TransVoices #PrideIsAProtest #QueerPodcast #HIVIsNotACrime #BiErasure #RaquelWillis #RuralResistance #QueerJoy #TransFemmeVoices #TransMascVoices #PridePolitics #QueerSpirituality #FromIdahoWithLove #CanyonCountyPride

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Today on Trans Joy Boise, we welcome Asher, a trans local in Idaho whose viral TikTok post about wanting to flee the state with his pregnant wife caught our attention. From growing up in Washington to finding himself stuck in a small, conservative Idaho town, Asher shares the real-life struggles of trying to survive — and eventually escape — a place that feels increasingly unsafe for trans folks.

We dive into:
🏳️‍⚧️ Trans life in small-town Idaho
🔴 The rising boldness of anti-trans hostility
💼 The near impossibility of finding employment as a trans person
🏡 What it feels like to plan your escape from your home
🏳️‍🌈 Experiencing joy, safety, and community elsewhere — and dreaming of more

This isn’t just Asher’s story — it’s the story of thousands of trans people who are isolated, unseen, and unsupported in red states across the U.S.

📣 Let's get loud about trans joy, trans safety, and the right to thrive.

👉 If you're trans and trying to hold it together in a hostile environment, this episode is for you.

💬 Drop a comment to show Asher some love or share your own story.

🔔 Subscribe for more real, raw, and joyful conversations about trans life in Idaho and beyond.

🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple | YouTube | Amazon | Buzzsprout
💖 Support Asher & his Family: TikTok | Go Fund Me

#TransJoyBoise #TransVoices #TransLivesMatter #AsherStory #TransInIdaho #QueerPodcast #TransPodcast #TransTikTok #LGBTQ2SIA+ #EscapeRedStates #TransSafety #TransCommunity #TransRights #TransVisibility #TransIsBeautiful #TransJoy #IdahoTransLives #TikTokTrans #FreedomToBe #TransMigration #QueerResilience #PodcastWithPurpose 🎧🏳️‍⚧️

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Let’s celebrate trans joy and resilience together!

#transjoyboise #transjoy #boise

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Support the show

💌 Join the conversation!

• Subscribe on YouTube for more episodes on trans joy, resilience, and advocacy:
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• Support our work and help us keep creating affirming spaces.

Let’s celebrate trans joy and resilience together!

#transjoyboise #transjoy #boise

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When the City of Boise ordered the Pride flag to be taken down during Pride week, our community rose in sacred resistance. In this episode, we explore the spiritual fire that fueled the fight to have it fly again — and win. 🌈✊🏳️‍⚧️

Join Bonnie Violet and Pacey as they reflect on the divine strength in protest, the sacredness of queer visibility, and how spiritual care and activism are deeply intertwined. From prayer to public outcry, Boise’s flag battle became a spiritual awakening and a call to action. 🙏💥

Whether you're moved by faith, fed up with injustice, or both, this episode will fill your soul with trans joy, holy rage, and communal love. 💖

Check out Queerly Arts Festival - The Cutest Performance Art Festival 🦄
6/19 Where the Wild Things Slay
6/20 Come as You Are 🏳️‍⚧️
6/21 Embrace The Rainbow
6/22 I’ll have The Gay Pls

https://www.instagram.com/queerlyartsfestival

#TransJoyPodcast #TransJoyBoise #QueerSpirituality #FaithInAction #BoisePride #PrideFlagVictory #SpiritualActivism #LGBTQ2SIA #TransRightsAreHumanRights #SacredResistance #FlyTheFlag #QueerFaith #TransVisibility #HolyRage

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#transjoyboise #transjoy #boise

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Idaho’s controversial HB270 law—framed as an “indecent exposure” bill—has v. raised alarm across the LGBTQ2SIA+ community for its potential to criminalize trans people in public spaces. In this episode, trans state senate candidate Nikson Mathews breaks down the bill’s dangers, shares personal experiences at the Capitol, and offers insight into what this legislation really means for trans lives in Idaho.

In this powerful episode, we are joined by Idaho’s first "openly transgender appointed lawmaker fills in for Idaho Senator, Nikson Mathews, unpacks the chilling reality of HB270—a vague and dangerous new law that could criminalize trans and queer existence in public spaces. Nikson shares firsthand insights from the Statehouse, the events leading up to the bill’s passage, and how false narratives from Canyon County Pride were weaponized to push anti-trans legislation.

We explore the fear this law creates—how it invites surveillance, emboldens harassment, and forces our community to navigate public life under threat. From deciding what to wear at Pride events to the legal grey areas around simply existing while trans, Nikson speaks to the deep harm of ambiguity and the need for collective resistance.

As Pride season approaches, we reflect on the tension between staying safe and staying visible—and why we must keep mindfully showing up, now more than ever.

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In this raw and real episode of the Trans Joy Podcast, hosts Bonnie Violet (trans femme, genderqueer spiritual drag artist & digital chaplain) and Pacey (trans masc, non-binary mental health and recovery advocate) return after a much-needed break to unpack the emotional toll of showing up, speaking out, and staying visible in hostile environments.

From navigating Capitol Hill as a trans advocate during AIDS Watch to re-grounding in Boise’s local trans community, Bonnie and Pacey reflect on the realities of burnout, safety, joy, and activism under attack in red states like Idaho.

They also give updates on the 2nd Annual Trans March in Boise during Pride 2025, the impact of new legislation targeting queer and trans expression, and how they’re planning to prioritize safety, visibility, and joy this year. 🏳️‍⚧️🌈

This episode is a heartfelt conversation about how rest, vulnerability, and community care are vital parts of resistance—and why trans joy is unstoppable.

🛑 Topics Include:

• Being trans at Capitol Hill and legislative hearings
• Safety fears & public expression under anti-trans laws
• Organizing Boise’s Trans March with intention
• Community care, joy, and rest as acts of defiance

📌 Get Involved:
👉 Volunteer or support the Trans March
📣 Follow us on Instagram @transjoyboise
💬 Comment, Like & Share to spread the joy

🎧 Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more!

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💌 Join the conversation!

• Subscribe on YouTube for more episodes on trans joy, resilience, and advocacy:
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Let’s celebrate trans joy and resilience together!

#transjoyboise #transjoy #boise