Between Support and Struggle +++ Transgender People +++ Gender Identity +++ Misunderstandings +++ Absolutely Intercultural 311

Our topic today is about “gender”, the way in which persons recognize and identify themselves. Traditionally you could only identify  as a man or as a woman.  Today, however, we will focus on transgender people. A transgender person is a “transitioning person”, someone who does not feel comfortable with the gender they have been assigned at birth.  As always, here on our Absolutely Intercultural podcast everyone is absolutely free to think and say absolutely everything they feel, but we understand that today’s topic might be a little unsettling for some listeners. 

Disclaimer: Be warned, this topic may cause brain heat 😉 and may trigger strong emotions in sensitive individuals. Try to keep calm and keep, above all, your sense of humour 😉 If any allergic symptoms arise during listening, we recommend a short break, perhaps a walk around the block and if symptoms persist to rinse off excess arguments with a shower  ;-)

In our first story,absolutely myself”, we will listen to Levi, a transgender man. A transgender man is someone born as a female, who realizes he does not identify himself as a woman, but rather as a man. He has a lot of first-hand experience to share with us, talking about challenges that transgender people face, tips on how to handle the topic and stories related to his transitioning experience.

In our second story, “absolutely struggling”, we will listen to Tea, a lecturer from Albania, who will share stories regarding her encounters with transgender students in the academic setting. She admits it’s still challenging, especially since she doesn’t have enough exposure to this topic. She shares how these moments feel in the classroom, how she handled making “mistakes”, and why she believes it’s important to keep on learning, even when the topic feels uncomfortable.

In our last story, “absolutely concerned”, we will listen to Alex, who shares a different perspective on the topic and raises an important concern about exposing people to this subject. Alex is a little concerned and asks himself: What if the transitioning person regrets their choice later in life?

What about you? What do you think about transgender people? Do you think society should adjust to their needs and change laws to make their transition easier and faster? We’d love to hear your stories! Feel free to share your opinion with us here on the podcast. You can leave a comment, send us an email, or even reach out for a follow-up interview in one of our next shows.

Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up interview with you in one of our next shows. On our web page, absolutely-intercultural.com, you can get more information about this show and previous episodes, and you can leave comments. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment. 

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on November 7

Until then –

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell! 

The host of this show is: Michele Varvara (Italian)

Chief Editor: Michele Varvara (Italian)
Assistant Editor: Era Meço (Albanian), Oleksii Tsapenko (Ukrainian)

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LGBTQ+ Community +++ Queer Culture +++ Cultural Diversity +++ Absolutely Intercultural 265 +++

Hello and welcome to show 265 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today we talk about the LGBTQ+  or the “queer” culture – the culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning individuals. Unlike the French or the Australian cultures the queer culture is a non-geographically determined culture. We spoke to enthusiastic supporters but also to passionate critics of the movement.

Why is being diverse seen so differently across the globe today? Are the new, more liberal ideas about gender identity a step forward, or are they just another factor which will soon divide our societies?

absolutely unorthodox

In our first category, absolutely unorthodox”, Giorgi, a student from Tbilisi, reminds us that his Christian religion cannot and should not accept homosexuality. He criticizes the emerging LGBTQ+ movements, because they openly support behaviour which the church for the last 2000 years has called a “Great Sin”.

absolutely un-lady-like

In our second category, „absolutely un-lady-like”, Irina, also from Georgia, tells us how a man in the street openly challenged her appearance. She explains how much easier it is for her to show her same-sex affection for her girlfriend in Germany than in countries like Georgia or Portugal.

absolutely equal

Finally, in our last category, “absolutely equal”, Luka, also from Georgia, but studying in Germany right now, demands that queer people should be treated like everybody else. He shows his supportand understanding towards gay people and believes in equal human rights for everybody.

What about you? Are you also struggling with this topic? Do you have any views on what we heard today? Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up with you in one of our next shows.

Our next show will be coming to you on the 3rd of September.

Until then – stay as diverse as you are – and

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell! 

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Esjona Musta 

Assistant Editors: Giorgi Sulaberidze, Alina Vor, Natalia ObikhodNatia Nikvashvili.

 

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