Rachelle Willis is a glad award-winning journalist who has been a fearless leader in the fight for the Black trans-lives movement. It is Trans Awareness Week, and she is now telling her own story in her new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom on Life and Liberation. Rachelle, thank you so much for joining us.

Of course. Thank you for.

Having me. So in the book, you write a great detail about your own struggle with your identity and with gender dysphoria. And you write in particular, you say, Vivid memories of growing up and being perplexed by the between the top and bottom half of my body during bath time returned as I pondered when my parents left the room, I'd spray a washcloth over the area. For those who question gender dysphoria, who even doubt maybe that it may even exist, how do you explain it?

Yeah. Well, first I have to level set. I grew up in the 90s and the 2000s in Augusta, Georgia, in a very Catholic, traditional black family in the south. So there were little tools for my parents to understand who I was becoming. And then I think, of course, I experienced some bullying from peers who also didn't understand my gender nonconformity. But I think from that passage in particular, I do like to make clear that not every trans person has an issue with their body in the same way. I think oftentimes it's more about the expectations we're experiencing from society and how we actually are wanting to show up, which may be different from those expectations.

Back in 2020, you gave an iconic speech in front of 15,000 protesters in Brooklyn. Want to take a look at that.

I want you, especially my black trans folks, to hold every moment that you have been told that you're not enough, that you're not worthy of love and safety and housing and health care. I believe in black trans power.

I believe in black trans power.

You all going to say it with me again?

What got you to that moment of courage to empower others?

Yeah, well, I think it's been evolving with my family, my loving mother, sister and brother, they're all here with me this week to celebrate the launch of the memoir. But, of course, reckoning with my relationship with my father, understanding the nuance of his deep love, and that most of his prescriptions were out of wanting to protect me, maybe from the dangers of the world and scrutiny. But I would also say the beautiful folks that I've been able to meet along the way, which I talk about throughout the book, whether it was at the University of Georgia or it was working at Transgender Law Center or working as an editor at Out Magazine, our community is rich, and LGBTQ people, especially of color, are on the front lines of making our society more habitable for everyone.

You talked about working at Out Magazine. During that time, you started an award-winning trans-obituaries project. Explain what that was.

So the trans-obituaries project was an editorial project that I created to honor the lives of the trans folks of color, mostly women who were murdered in the year of 2019. One of those folks who we did a deep investigative dive on was Laylene Palanko, a 27-year-old Afro Latina who died in Rikers custody. And so I'm so proud that we launched a podcast with iHeartMedia, outspoken network in School of Humans, that focuses on her life, and it's called Afterlives.

Today you launched the first episode of Afterlives on iHeart Radio. Tell us.

About that project. Yes. So Afterlives, of course, is that growth from the trans-obituary project. And this season focuses on Laylene Palanko. But we're not just doing true crime in this sensationalistic way. We're really wanting to be empathetic and get to the heart of the matter, where it's having a rich discussion around Laylene's life, the ballroom culture that she was a part of, the House of Extravaganza, which folks may know in part from tent pole moments like Madonna's Vogue or Beyonce's Renaissanceons. But, of course, there are so many other aspects and leaders who were galvanized by her murder in Ryker's custody.

For people who may never decide to even pick up this book, what would you want them to know?

Yes. Well, one thing I want to clarify that with Laylene, the other piece there, because I was able to write a letter to her, which really adapted some pieces from that project. But I think about someone, Laylene, who should still be there. And it's unfortunate that she died in Rikers custody. And she was also someone at the intersections of survival sex work, of having epilepsy and schizophrenia and so much more. And I think about how we all have these moments where we're called to move beyond tragedy and transform and rise to the occasion and get active. And that's what I hope people take away from the risk it takes to Bloom.

Raquelle Willis, we thank you so much for coming on the show. I want to let our viewers know that you can buy the risk it takes to Bloom on Life and Liberation wherever books are sold.

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