In this episode, Ben talks about their experiences with abuse, gender identity, recovery, and how he has been finding ways to love their body.

Content Warnings for mentions of sexual abuse and physical abuse, talk about Covid, AIDs, addiction, homophobia, accentism, spiritual abuse, and suicidality,

Definitions:

Cis-het: cisgender and heterosexual, meaning non-trans and straight

References:

"Poem 5" from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

"Chinar Es," Armenian traditional folk song noted down by Komitas, a composer and folk song collector who was arrested and exiled during the Armenian genocide

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Master who spoke out against the Vietnam War

Patrick Carnes, writer and researcher of sexual recovery

Myth of Normal, book by Gabor Mate

"Don't live up to your stereotypes." Quote from "The Toughest Indian in the World," a CBS interview of Sherman Alexie

The idea that American car businesses plotted to get rid of public transportation - from 1996 documentary Take for a Ride.

Poem 6 in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest who writes on spirituality

Tender Heart of Sadness, book by Roger Guest

"On Joy and Sorry," poem by Kahlil Gibran

"I'm Gonna Live Forever," song by Irene Cara

Mention of mutual friend who was on this podcast and has since died - "Diana: Telling My Story"

"A Wounded Deer--leaps highest," poem by Emily Dickinson