It's Not a Choice - Liam Paschall

Our Voices Matter Podcast

Apr 7 2022 • 32 mins

Being Liam isn't always easy.   But it's not a choice.  It's his truth.

Just like all of us, Liam Paschall wants to be accepted for who he is.

A loving husband and father, DEIB advocate, keynote speaker, passionate volunteer -- and transgender man.

Only One Regret

Assigned female at birth, Liam can't remember feeling comfortable in his body as a young child.  Long hair and pink dresses felt foreign to him.

He didn't have the words to describe it, but he knew it to be true.

As an adult, he found the courage to stand in that truth, beginning his transition journey in 2020.

Liam says he has only one regret:  that he didn't transition sooner, because he would have been able to help even more transgender youth as his own journey unfolds.

Rise in Anti-Trans Violence

His passionate work in the transgender community is driven not only by his personal story, but the alarming rise in anti-trans violence.

2021 was the deadliest year on record for transgender and gender non-conforming people in the U.S.

At least 50 were killed last year, but the full number of fatalities is likely higher.  That's because the deaths of trans and gender non-conforming people are often underreported.

In order to address this wave of hate and violence, and change people's perceptions, conversations like this must happen.

Listen with an Open Mind

Not that long ago many of us didn't know or understand what it means to be transgender.  Many still don't.  And for far too many, a transgender person is "the other".

If that is you, or someone you know, I invite you both to listen to this conversation with an open mind.

My guess and my hope is that you will see a loving human being who wants and deserves the same thing out of life that we all do -- to be loved and accepted simply for who we are.

www.ourvoicesmatterpodcast.com
www.lorellemedia.com


This podcast is devoted to empowering us all to better understand each other's differences...one story at a time.  Emmy Award-winning journalist, Linda Lorelle, guides guests through insightful, unexpected conversations that reveal our common humanity.  This show is not about politics per se; it is about finding a way to reclaim civility in the context of the contentious times in which we live, by sharing our personal and professional stories, in hopes that others might find a glimpse of themselves.

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