Ep #101 Christynne Wood: A Journey of Resilience and Trans Activism
Today we sit down with Christynne Wood, a national trans and civil rights activist, and 2023 San Diego Champion of Pride winner. Christynne shares her vivid memories of growing up in Springfield, Ohio, dealing with gender dysphoria and the impact a single understanding kindergarten teacher had on her life. Together, we explore the courage and resilience it takes to be true to oneself, amidst the challenges and adversity.
Imagine being in the Navy in 1974, and dealing with your own internal battle of gender identity. That's precisely what Christynne Wood experienced, and she opens up about this journey, from her enlistment to marriage. Her personal testament is a tapestry of dedication, resilience, and love that is sure to inspire many.
But that's not all. Christynne also pulls back the curtain on her world of activism, recounting her encounters with a conservative group called Santee Parents 4 Choice, and a protest outside the YMCA that tested her resolve. She passionately advocates for safe spaces, state law support, and the importance of not facing life's difficult transitions alone.
Join us as Christynne shares her wisdom and experiences, and discover how you can join her fight for transgender rights at the Trans March in Orlando, Florida on October 7, sponsored by lucha.org. It's an episode that promises to leave you inspired to get involved in your local politics, and more understanding of the struggles and triumphs of the transgender community.
*Correction: Around 42 mins Alex said bluechip.org was sponsoring the march in Florida. That was a mistake. Christynne is being sponsored by lucha.org.
Details about the Protect Tans Kids March on Oct 7 in Orlando Florida
Join, share, or donate to the the march here.
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More info and social media links here.
Endorsers include: Women in Struggle - Mujeres en Lucha, Queer Youth Assemble, Teamsters National LGBTQ+ Caucus, Center for Constitutional Rights, PRISM South Florida, Orlando Come Out With Pride, Equality Florida, Pride at Work Eastern Mass., Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, NYC Reclaim Pride Coalition, New Orleans Real Name Campaign, Louisiana Women's Action Committee, Unión del Barrio, United American Indians of New England, MLK Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, Milwaukee (MKE) LGBT Community Center, Baltimore Peoples Power Assembly, Harriet Tubman Center of LA, Umbrella Brigade of Orlando, and many more.
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Coach Alex Ray: 0:25
Hello, my unicorns. Welcome back to another exciting guest episode. Today I have with me Christynne Wood. Christynne is a local and national trans and civil rights activist and she hopes to be involved globally soon. Probably won't be that long in the future before we start seeing her all over, and I'm just really honored to have her on the podcast with me today. We met at the HRC dinner a couple weeks ago and you know, she just stood out as just a bright, shining, sparkly unicorn light and I had to meet her. We had such a great conversation and I'm just so honored that she's joined me on the podcast today. Welcome, Christynne.
Christynne Wood: 1:11
And the honor is mine Now. If the rest of you could actually see this, what you're gonna see and what I'm gonna see is gonna be priceless. My name is actually pronounced Chris Ten T-Y-N-N-E. Oh God, no, oh really. If you saw the look on his face right now. Priceless, this loving loving young creature who means nothing but love in the best, and I just let him walk right into that one. So you see, you see what a piece of work he brought in today, and does that not show courage? Yes, it does, oh my God. So Christynne Wood is honored to be among you, my beloved rainbow family.
Coach Alex Ray: 1:56
That's what now I promise you Christynne, no more gotchas, dear child.
Christynne Wood: 2:01
No more gotchas.
Coach Alex Ray: 2:03
Okay, you know what I love you. Now, that's how we begin Can you imagine what's gonna follow, okay. You just want to swoop in and be like you know why we're gonna catch you off guard here If y'all can see how red I am, oh my God.
Christynne Wood: 2:21
Well, it's a charming shade of reddish pink.
Coach Alex Ray: 2:28
There you go. I'm totally posting that photo in Instagram.
Christynne Wood: 2:31
Oh, yeah, you are. You're sure that was me, yeah, you are Jeez, All right Christynne. Now you see why I come with a warning label.
Coach Alex Ray: 2:44
I don't know, I missed the warning label. I didn't see it. Well, it's not in English.
Christynne Wood: 2:48
you know, Some of the languages aren't even spoken on this planet. Mention my name and see if the men in black don't show up.
Coach Alex Ray: 2:54
Okay, okay.
Christynne Wood: 2:56
All right, it's all yours. You're the pilot. Where's the spaceship going?
Coach Alex Ray: 3:00
All right, Christynne, we want to respect and honor.
Christynne Wood: 3:04
Yes, we do A person who will live in power, a loving and beloved ally of ours, a mother of nine by the name of Laura Carlton Please look her up L-A-U-R-A. He went by the nickname of Lori. L-a-u-r-i Carlton, c-a-r-l-e-t-o-n. Same age as me, 66 years of age. Exactly one week ago today, she was murdered in Lake Arrowhead, california, because she was flying a pride flag in front of her business. She bravely came out and confronted this coward whose name will not be spoken, and for her efforts of being a lifetime supporter of us, it cost her her life. So please, among us those who believe in prayer and those who are non-believers in your own way, please speak her name in your hearts and souls and understand that for that time, the rainbow dimmed while we lost this sister. So understand this that which we do comes with these challenges and its threats, but we hold together and together we stay stronger. So that's it. That's what we needed to know. All right, my brothers and sisters and non-binaries know of this. Speak her name in power and send love to the next dimension. We'll see her again when we're out of this bag of plodoprasm we call a body.
Coach Alex Ray: 4:46
I think it really sheds light on the real risk that our allies are taking with us, and for me, it gives me a lot more gratitude just to remember, hey, our allies are in this with us. We can't do this without them. We all need to be in this together, so yeah, yes, we do, yes, we absolutely positively do. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about you, about your background? You know you mentioned we want to talk about how you grew up and then also your experience in the military.
Christynne Wood: 5:23
Okay. Well, we start with how I grew up, and that really becomes important when you know where I grew up. Tell us Okay, I grew up in Springfield, Ohio. One of the most generic names in all of America is Springfield. There are 25 Springfields in America. I didn't know that. That's a fact. Half of all the 50 states have a Springfield. It's one of the reasons why Matt Granig rolling, I think it is of the Simpsons picked Springfield because you could never figure it out, I mean. Years later he came out and said he meant Springfield, oregon. Okay, but yes, springfield Ohio. And yes, I'm a billionaire. I was born in 1956, just in time to enjoy integrated schools, as I was born a year after Brown versus the Board of Education, wow. So I got to appreciate schools that were receiving proper funding and teachers that wanted to teach there. And the first shot I got at being in a good and well-integrated school was when I was showing the signs of gender dysphoria in kindergarten. My kindergarten teacher and yes, I remember her name to this day. I can't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday but I remember her name. Her name was Mrs Lightner and she was indeed a light in my life and turned me on to education. She understood I'd have nothing to do with those boys, the girls. That was my tribe. And when it came time to lay down for a nap, I wouldn't have it. The boys would abuse me, they'd kick at me, they'd pinch me and punch me when she wasn't looking and I'd have a fit and I'm not having it. You know that's not me, I'm not with them. And then, finally, after the first week and a half, she said Chrissy, go lay down with the other girls and they all moved their mats and said she can come lay down with us.
Coach Alex Ray: 7:20
Okay, pause there for a moment. In a time when 1961, thank you, okay. And now in 2023, parents are up in arms about gender and gender norms for their kids. What was that actually like for a kindergartener To?
Christynne Wood: 7:42
Incredibly validating and empowering. Would you like to know how my great auntie who the school called in about it, what she had to say? I definitely want to know? When they brought her in and told her then, saying that this child really identifies as female, she put her hand up and said wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. We already know. Here's what I'm interested in How's that child's grades? And the teacher said pretty close to the top 1% of the class. And she said and that's what I care about, okay, the social skills and education, that's on you. I just want the education to work out right. Yeah, by the way, same thing happened in the eighth grade when I was hanging out all the time in the library. Walking down the hall, the aisle of the library book damn near hit me in the head and I pulled it out and it was the autobiography of Christine Jorgensen. I kept that book out my entire eighth grade year. The deal is you have to take it out. You can only keep it off for two weeks, then you have to turn it back in and then, if nobody else takes it out, you can sign it out again. Well, by the time we're just a couple of weeks from scratch. We're heading into the ninth grade. The librarian talks to the school counselor who called my auntie again and brought her in and said this child's got this particular book. Now you need to know what the subject matter of this is. Am I on to give them the same answer? How's the child's grades? Clearly top 1% of the class, he said. And once again, that's all I give a rat's ass about. Anything else is irrelevant. Now, while we're tickling the edge of the subject because we breached it, there probably are times when you might need to bring an apparent and issue concerns like. That child of yours sure does seem to be hanging out with a lot of kids that are reading books about how to make a fertilizer bomb or something like. Yeah, really does have an interest in guns and has said some pretty hateful shit online. There are times when, of course, it would be necessary, yeah, but when you do feel it so terribly necessary and the school board just did this now, right here in San Diego, pass the rule saying we'll notify the children of somebody showing up and showing signs that they identify as a gender other than the birth gender, okay, what they ought to be telling them is these are some of your options. There's a group that I belong to and now I'm becoming a facilitator for, called PFLAG.
Coach Alex Ray: 10:23
Yes, I know, pflag Thank you?
Christynne Wood: 10:25
well, of course you do. This is to help the families of those that would have a member of the Rainbow family within them and understand this. That doesn't just deal with children After all, I came out when I was 59 years and six months of age but so I don't want to get us off track.
Coach Alex Ray: 10:42
You're the pilot.
Christynne Wood: 10:43
I don't tell you where to fly the Starship, so what?
Coach Alex Ray: 10:45
are we up?
Christynne Wood: 10:45
to next.
Coach Alex Ray: 10:46
Up to next. We now got to know a bit of your upbringing and what I was like. Tell us a little bit about your experience in the military. Ah, here you go.
Christynne Wood: 10:55
Okay, during one of any number of attempts of trying to bury Christynne, which has been there since I was four years old and aware of gender identity, I said we got to give this you are a guy thing a bit more of a try. So by my senior year of high school, I had met she who was to become the first Mrs Wood. Okay, and, in typical teenager fashion, during that summer that I graduated, we had gotten together, I got my first adult job, which was cutting grass in a cemetery, and I discovered, jesus Christ, there's a lot of grass in a cemetery. You know, I shit this. This guy sucks. And, of course, in typical teenager fashion, she'd gotten pregnant. So, being raised with certain mores do I say, yeah, you're gonna do right by this girl, which was intended. So I said well, what can I do? I got good grades in high school, but no college has beaten down my door trying to recruit me. But I know that a college education is probably necessary or some degree of it, something beyond a high school diploma. So I thought, well, what the hell? The military? The first thought was the Air. Force because there was a huge Air Force base I'd worked at during the summers as a youth and then I kind of decided why would I join the Air Force? Just to stay at home? I'd actually really kind of wanna see something else. I sat down with an Army recruiter and in less than three minutes realized and I'm sorry to those of you in the Army, this doesn't apply to all of you Just that recruiter I was talking to in the summer of 74. And I'm saying I need an exit strategy. This guy's a psychopath. I said I'm sorry, honey, what's a bathroom? You know what? I'm going to go right now and you come back and tell you about the M16 rifle. I said, okay, you hold that thought. And so I went out and, as I'm sneaking down, the door to the Navy recruiter is open and he's kind of leaning against the door jam going. Well, that only took you about four minutes. You wanna come in and talk about something else? So I sat down. Hey look, samira, what are you got for me? This planet is 80% ocean. So I figured you got everything going on everywhere, don't you? And so he had me take a tester doing. Samira's scores are good. And I said well, I didn't learn to read and write. And, like Jethro Baudine said, I know a little bit of ciphering, and I so forth. He looks at my name and goes would Wait a minute. Are you related to Master Chief Petty Officer Charles Wood? I said, yeah, Uncle Chuck, he's my dad's older brother. Okay, and he goes Bullshit, you can always ask him. So he puts it on speakerphone, calls him and sure as hell, recently retired Master Chief Petty Officer Charles Wood goes wait, wait, wait, wait. You got my nephew there with you. And he goes yeah, you put that fat punk in the Navy. And to show you how real this is, at the time I had to lose 10 pounds just to sign a contract saying I'd lose 10 more pounds during boot camp just to get in and I'm going how the hell is that gonna work? This girl I'm marrying is a master cook, so you know what? happened, don't you? The fate stepped in. I got the worst damn case of the flu and managed to lose 15 pounds in less than a week. So I'm standing there in the recruiting office barely able to hold my head up, sweating like a say just get me to great legs before I drop dead. And you know, in the nine and a half week I managed to lose another 40 pounds. So nobody recognized me as I marched in review, even though my mom and younger brother were there and wife, okay. So that was the beginning. Wow. And I was there to see the first woman qualified to fly Navy technical and attack jets. Amazing, her name was Rosemary Canitzer. So there is a bridge that was crossed in my enlistment from 74 to 78. Okay, stellar Aviator, because, after all, some of the other organizations have pilots and I'm sure they're good, but in the Navy we have aviators, because it takes an aviator to land on a moving runway. Yeah, your grandma, I'd be here. To land a Cessna on a static runway, yeah, but when it's moving, yeah. So, anyway, that was enlistment one. Okay, got out after that, made the disastrous desire and moved up to LA. Big mistake, because the VA screwed me right and never got the VA loans I needed. Then da, da, da, da da da had to end up going back to Ohio. Okay, had to move back into great auntie's home. My mama Bobby, you know so ended up meeting she who was to become wife number two. Okay, when I was an assistant manager at Domino's and the girl kept coming in wanting to get a job working the phone, and so I made a proposal to her. I said why don't we go out and see what's going on and see if we can click? Okay, all right. And then and this wasn't the nicest thing I could have done but I said, after that first couple of dates, I got a proposal for you. Uh-huh, you named two miracles for me to perform, and if I do them both, we get married. All right, I said you choose them, I don't care, whatever you want. And she said the first one was tell the Rams to win the Super Bowl. I said, no problem, like Q on Star Trek. I just snapped my fingers. Rams won by three points that year, oh my God. So I said now pick another one. Pick a biggie. Yeah, a real big one. So she went to a very religious mother who said oh, here's something they can't do. Tell them to walk on water. Okay, not a problem. You sure you don't want to pick something harder than that for me? She said no, smart ass, walk on water, you do it. We get married. We ain't gonna do it up in the bathtub. I said no, too small, put on your coat, so we went ahead, got in the car, drove down to Snyder Park in Springfield, ohio, went to the first big lagoon I saw, walked right across the surface of the water. Honey, it's February, it's 12 degrees, the water's frozen. So you didn't say it had to be in a liquid state. You know, there's still water. I've satisfied the contract.
Coach Alex Ray: 17:47
Where the?
Christynne Wood: 17:48
hell. We got married. I joined the Navy later to that day, flew out to San Diego knowing that it would never be Career for me.
Coach Alex Ray: 17:58
Was this your second time in the US? Second enlistment Okay.
Christynne Wood: 18:01
Second enlistment I did have. This time you have to go to sea, Okay. So I got to see Japan. The Republic of the Philippines, got to ride through a hurricane to get to Hawaii All right, Hurricane Iwa IWA and got the bizarre pleasure of standing on the flight deck in the eye of the hurricane oh, that's wild and saw colors that I didn't realize were even in Mother Nature's crayon box Wow, and you can just hear the voice of Helen Mary going is your mommy good or is she good? You're good, mommy, You're good. And the next thing I know, I go back to sleep and we're at the, we're in Pearl Harbor and I'm staring at the Arizona Memorial. Wow. I'm also staring at palm trees that have been in the ground since inception and they're laying like twigs now because of the hurricane. They even had t-shirts that some people were lucky enough to get. They said show the hurricane symbol and a bunch of palm trees and it said hold on to your nuts. This is no ordinary blow job, you know. So yeah yeah, I did serve with if you're a political junkie like me, with, at that time, commander Randy Cunningham, the Duke, before he became Congressman Cunningham and then became federal prisoner Cunningham for selling bribes over the internet oh, look at that. Oh yeah, well, he was way ahead of Clarence Thomas in his time. He just wasn't smart enough to not write it down on the internet. So we got at it, cause, after all, I just wanted to get back to San Diego because in my heart of hearts I knew transition could only happen here, not back in Ohio.
Coach Alex Ray: 19:47
Yeah, I feel like we got to get know a lot about you and your background here. This is fantastic. I love it. Let's transition to what. What sent you into the media spotlight locally Very recently? Tell us a little bit about that.
Christynne Wood: 20:05
Okay. Okay another sip of root beer. Mm-hmm, so mm-hmm. I spent the new years up in Palm Springs With a young woman I was pursuing a relationship with. As I came back, I got a text from a woman I've been doing water aerobics with forever since like 2006, no 2007 and the text was oh, my dear sister, I'm so sorry. And my answer was I'm sorry, honey, sorry about what? And she said oh my god, you don't know. She posted a Video of a young woman that was posted by a group called Santy parents with a number four choice. It was a young woman and I won't speak her name because at the time she was a minor and I don't like the thought of putting a minor's name there. But just go ahead and look up the video because it's part of public records. She was testifying before the Santy City Council, yeah, about how terrified she was to have experienced a naked man in the locker room. Her father took the matter to the sheriff's substation in Santies and they told that person. No we ran the records, that person is not a registered sex offender. Therefore there is nothing we can do about it. If you own your daughter and company, you can shower at home there you go playing.
Coach Alex Ray: 21:39
I love this response. So far fantastic, but that's what happened.
Christynne Wood: 21:44
So here's how it went from there. Yeah, cuz this is where this is where it's first to hit the fan real good. Yeah To and I'm sorry if people can't see this, but to air quotes in place people Churches well, the claim to be churches and they get tax-free status, for as I'm concerned, they're just hate groups with pews Went ahead and had a massive protest outside the Y which shut the Y down, explaining that the Y was simply enabling perverts and a perverse philosophy by letting Men in the women's locker room and not providing safe spaces for women. They probably had a minimum of, I'm gonna say, 400 people there.
Coach Alex Ray: 22:38
That's a lot of people I am.
Christynne Wood: 22:40
I'm impressed and slightly Sotted by the quantity now, here's what I observed because I was hanging around Channel 10 news Okay, I was up there hugging Kimberly Hunt, yeah, and talking to their security guy. But my point is this the signs the protesters had and watching a child, maybe six or seven years old, tugging on the sleeve of their mother. Well, a guy holds up a sign saying no pricks in the ladies room and asking mommy, what PR I see KS means. Well, really, the only prick is one holding that sign right there. Explain it to your child. Oh, those good Christian values are coming through, right. And somebody came up to me. You said oh, honey, you're at the long line that the counter protest is down there, about 50 yards to the west. So, me and the people with me, by the way, lauren new Brie, okay, aqua, sister number one, was there with me with her husband we marched right down there. I had my trans pride flag, the full service, oh, so, size one. We walked right down there. We could hear the sound of music over the sound of hatred, right, and I listened to Jose and a few of the others speak and when they saw me, I said could I see? See a moment, just for a moment. I'm the handling the microphone and said, first of all God bless you all. Now let's keep in mind while we're really here we're here to support the Cameron YMCA and the fact that they lovingly and properly Support state law. Now, remember what I just said support state law Right by allowing people access to safe spaces, which by no means Compromises the safety of anybody else.
Coach Alex Ray: 24:31
No, I said no, that made. Forcing you to use the men's locker room would absolutely compromise your safety and it did when I was a member of crunch.
Christynne Wood: 24:42
Okay, and that's why I took him to court and I Lightened their wallets by a bitch.
Coach Alex Ray: 24:49
Okay, wonderful.
Christynne Wood: 24:50
Oh, yeah, yeah, and I then left there and came to the Y. I'm not a woman, which means no, you don't have to see me through transition. Oh, that's done at that other place. Right, and had been there a year before. This Manufactured shit at the pan. Yeah. But after I said we're here to support Cameron YMCA and let me introduce myself. I am Christynne Lily Renee Wood, a mother, a grandmother and Navy veteran, mm-hmm, and I'm that scary transgender woman that they're down there telling you you're supposed to hate and not Trust. In the locker room with your wives, your mother, your daughters or granddaughters, say now look at me and listen to the sound of my voice. Do I sound like a frightening threat to you? Am I an ogre? Am I something to be feared? Or just listen. Just listen to what's coming from down there, where they have the Klee glides and the stage and when people are screaming things about. Just they call something's legal. Does it mean it's moral? Well, I guess there's some point to that. The death penalty is legal, but a state sanctioned act of murder isn't by any means moral. Now, is it Denying proper health care to children that every pediatrician on the planet has said is necessary Shouldn't be legal? And sure shit is moral? Yeah, is it not happening? Okay, so at that I explained, if you bring your love and your voices, I'll be standing in the crucible at the Santi City Council meeting in Two weeks at the very same place where these lies were broadcast. We're gonna meet them with love and we're gonna meet them with the truth and. I'd love it if you'd please join us. So, Lauren Newberry and her husband, two retired teachers. She hand-painted 26 signs with a big red heart and the husband, cap Nandy, printed out signs we and Chrissy and together they said we love Chrissy. Wow, we filled those city council chambers and an overflow room. Amazing, mayor John Minto himself sat there and was just like looking at it going. Well, holy shit.
Coach Alex Ray: 27:08
I bet they're not packed like that, oh yeah you crickets in that place, usually right.
Christynne Wood: 27:14
Anyway, as we were there to broadcast the truth, to read my statement, which received a roster salvation we had NBC, cbs, telemundo, abc, kpbs I said see over, know what you see over there. That's called journalistic integrity.
Coach Alex Ray: 27:35
Mm-hmm.
Christynne Wood: 27:36
That's called the people who broadcast the truth. Mm-hmm, this is what you're seeing. This is the second movement of civil rights and you're here to be a part of it. Please come down on the right side of civil rights. By the way, john Minto, the mayor out there, has come down totally on the side of that. He truly has. Now is a good time to switch into Segue wing about the whole school board thing. If Monique Silver is a wonderful young woman and mother of three, her youngest child just graduated from the Santis school system and is now a freshman starting at San Diego State, her youngest daughter is still in the Santis school system and the Monique is Running for a position on the Santis school board. Mm-hmm, we and I'm saying we because it was the efforts of myself and At least a few hundred others Actually went before that school board just two months ago and we petitioned and advocated for them to add a particular book to the library. Okay, a book. There's been peer reviewed and, and the book is I am jazz. And they agreed.
Coach Alex Ray: 28:59
All right, so tell us a little bit more about the book. I am jazz.
Christynne Wood: 29:02
Yes, like I said, it is meant to be read Children that are basically just developing Literacy skills. Now that doesn't mean that a parent can't come in and see the Liberian saying we don't want this book going into the hands of our children. That's just fine. You do that. If you want your child to remain ignorant to certain bits of subject matter, well that's on you, denying your child that didn't cost you anything extra in your tax dollars. Thank you very much. But you can't say no child can see it. Right, that's just on you, mm-hmm. So that got done.
Coach Alex Ray: 29:40
I love it. Yeah, thank you very much, and that was by just you getting involved in local politics here with our girl.
Christynne Wood: 29:48
Monique.
Coach Alex Ray: 29:49
Mm-hmm.
Christynne Wood: 29:49
Yes, well, she's running. And just so you folks know if you're hearing the sound of me and this delicious young person I'm with. This is why we need you to go to meetings of your local school board. You see, they're not used to having people show up for these events, right? The only reason they're even being held and they have to buy law by law, let you know a couple weeks in advance what's on the agenda, mm-hmm, what will be discussed where they're located at. After all, these people are serving there and being paid from the tax base. Therefore, you get a say in what swing said. And at the last meeting I asked a question, I said no, please, and school board members, please join in on this question, just for my own edification. Everybody in this room, please, if you are an educator or teacher, either pastor present, please raise your hand. And of the five members of the board, three people raise their hands, meaning that two of them aren't even teachers or educators. They're just people in the community. He ran for the board, right? So when you've got non Educators, I get it. I get it. You're saying you have flesh in the game too. You have a child or a grandchild is in there, and one of the men mentioned there. Well, some of the things my child grandchild talks about are just inappropriate for a 10 year old to even be discussing.
Coach Alex Ray: 31:16
Oh, yeah, in your opinion.
Christynne Wood: 31:19
But I do remember hearing certain grandparents say cuz remember now? I started in school just after integration became the law of the land. Oh, I've heard this argument before yes except then it had a lot to deal with. Why are all these colored kids? You've simply changed it. Now it's not just colors, it's the rainbow colors now, right, yeah, and you're not embarrassed to say these parts out loud, are you?
Coach Alex Ray: 31:51
You know, one of the things that I'm hearing consistently with you and our conversation today, particularly around political involvement, is it's really easy to have an opinion and to feel under attack and, oh, I wish things would change. And oftentimes a lot of us are not really doing the things that we can do to get involved and make a difference in our community. And it's not that hard to. I'll speak from my perspective. I often look at things like, oh, going to a school board, meaning it's like, oh God, this is going to be such a big commitment. I don't have to run for the school board, but I could at least show up to the meeting and have an impact, and that could be a couple hours once a month. It's not a daily thing that I have to be involved in, and so I think there are a lot of ways that each of us can kind of look to our life, our local politics, to have the impact that we can, instead of just kind of complaining about oh, I hope someone else will make a difference.
Christynne Wood: 32:55
Yeah, thank you. God bless you. That's what I'm saying. Politicians count numbers with their eyes. They're used to, like I said it being crickets inside these chambers, empty seats. As we had to ask them at the 70 school board meeting with the books we were turning in to keep bringing out extra chairs and they actually said damn, we've never had to do that before. We've learned like in Star Trek. Can you tell them a fan?
Coach Alex Ray: 33:24
I see, yeah, my Starfleet Delta ring yeah.
Christynne Wood: 33:29
My second faith behind my Catholicism.
Coach Alex Ray: 33:32
I know, yeah, Star Trek.
Christynne Wood: 33:33
Because in that world the thought of transphobia and hobophobia is like unheard of. Yeah, you know what I mean, because we've gone beyond that and we're going to go beyond this too.
Coach Alex Ray: 33:45
I absolutely agree and see that's just what you said.
Christynne Wood: 33:48
See, when you go to that school board meeting and even if you don't know where it is, ask me, I'll tell you. You know what I mean. I'm accepting Facebook friend requests. Tell them you heard about me on this beautiful young person's podcast. Just look it up on Facebook. It's Christynne T-Y-N-N-E Wood W-O-O-D. Tell them you heard about me through this and I am honored to have you join us, Because this isn't just a quest for the rights and the safety of our rainbow family, but we're all the same family, but we're the family that's under such a vicious attack right now.
Coach Alex Ray: 34:28
All right, I want to ask you one more personal question before we wrap up. You socially transitioned in your late 50s 59 years, six months of age. Ok, all right, you've always been a woman, but you started sharing who you are with people at that age right, sharing the truth. What way do you tell someone else who is in a similar position, like what advice would you have for them how they can navigate that?
Christynne Wood: 35:01
Oh honey, the resources are there. They're there. They're there through PFLAG, they're there through the LGBTQ centers, especially here locally. Oh my god. They can get you hooked up with resources in regard to things like a legal change of name and gender. They can get you hooked up with counseling Through PFLAG. We can tell you how to possibly breach the gap of coming out to your family. We can give you resources in regard to how to bridge that gap. Sure, not alone. Please reach out to us. We're eager to help you. And one last quick thing about the march coming up.
Coach Alex Ray: 35:50
Yeah. Well, before we do that, I want to just remind the main message I'm hearing and what you're saying is you don't have to do it alone. No, not alone and I think that's probably a big barrier for a lot of people is feeling like, oh shit, I have to go through this really difficult, uncomfortable, scary process in life. I'm doing it alone, and not only am I kind of alone, but I also I don't know how my friends, my family, all the relationships that matter to me, are going to change because of this, and I'm hearing from you just this inviting and of like you are going to have some instant community right away. Reach out, there are others who are further on their journey that want to be there for you, so don't negate that. You really don't have to navigate this alone.
Christynne Wood: 36:39
You will not be navigating this alone and you need to understand something. It's like I lost half of my social group as a consequence of transition, but the other half got ten times stronger. Yeah, so the others. I said I'm sorry that what I'm going through causes you feelings of betrayal. I'm sorry that what I'm going through has frightened you, but I can't go on living a lie for your comfort.
Coach Alex Ray: 37:15
Absolutely.
Christynne Wood: 37:17
There you go.
Coach Alex Ray: 37:18
Yeah, and we've talked about this on the podcast a little bit before that how everyone has a version of you, a mental version, built up in their head. So there you know thousands of different versions of you that exist in the world and what people are so hurt by or confused by or frustrated with when you come out to them in any way, tell them more about who you are authentically. It's just challenging the kind of filters that they've put you through, the labels that they've put this mental version of you through, and it's challenging to their brain to be like, oh wait, now I have to, like, change that. And that's some. For some people it's not worth it to them, or the fear outweighs the love that they have for you. They're unwilling to reconsider.
Christynne Wood: 38:09
So, yeah, Well, take this message with you. When you're able to see how loving your life has become, maybe they can realize it. You know, I still got that love for you. Exactly Maybe once you develop it again, you'll have that love for me again, and when you do, I'm still here.
Coach Alex Ray: 38:26
Yeah.
Christynne Wood: 38:26
Just a way happier and more truthful version of me is here.
Coach Alex Ray: 38:31
Yes, I also think that there's so much more love out there than we hear about. I truly think that for most people and most situations, they will find the support they receive after coming out, whether in quantity or quality, far outweighs any of the hatred or bigotry that they receive in the process. So there we go. Let's share with them what's happening on October 7th because people local can get involved. People could fly over there, get involved or just share it on your social media.
Christynne Wood: 39:16
Thank you, please do, and please, honey, for those of you who do believe, say your prayers for us. Please, I beg of you, because this is every bit as dangerous as the freedom riders of the 1964-63 era that used to go down to Mississippi and sit at lunch counters at Woolworths and do voter registration there too. Just as dangerous. A group called luchaorg is sponsoring myself and another woman from here in San Diego, and indeed people from LA and from all over the country, to go to Orlando, florida. There'll be a major press conference that'll be held on the 5th of October. There will be people there from the ACLU. There'll be people there from the Human Rights Campaign. There may even be a few local brave politicians who show up. We're there in support of transgender youth and transgender rights. We will then have a major parade and speeches on the 6th. Now understand this. This is Florida, florida where I is. A transgender woman of color simply needs to look at somebody and they can pull out a gun and shoot me and say they felt threatened because I'm in an open carry and stand your ground state. But the fact is, I'm not worth the awards I received if I don't have the courage to do this and go out and stand up for the downtrodden who really just don't have the ability to pack up and leave whenever they want to, because now they realize adults fight back. So what are they doing? They're attacking children. So please tell your people in Florida whether you are a member directly of the rainbow family or an ally Join us. There'll be members of the Pulse nightclub survivors that'll be joining us too, okay, so keep an eye on us, yeah, and we send all the love in the world to you and you thank this young person I'm with, because that smiling, beautiful young person has just gotten this word out to all of us. So you give our Alex your thanks and, by the way, he's a coach that will help you with the confidence skills and let you know that you're far more than you're aware of. Thank you so much.
Coach Alex Ray: 41:51
How about that? I so appreciate you.
Christynne Wood: 41:54
Yeah, here we go.
Coach Alex Ray: 41:55
All right. Well, we I will link that down in the show notes for you all blue chiporg and then sponsoring a Trans March in Orlando, florida, on October 7. So if you can't be there in person, share it online, share it on your social media, send it to friends that are local, or get a fucking plane ticket and join. We'd love to see you there. All right, awesome, well, Christynne. Thank you for joining me on the podcast today. It was an honor. Thank you for being here. Thanks for sharing your joy and your experience with us. I'm so thankful to have you here. Until I get to share this space with you, damn right. All right? Well, let's say goodbye to everyone and I'll see y'all on the next episode.
Christynne Wood: 42:54
Yep.
Coach Alex Ray: 42:54
Here from.
Christynne Wood: 42:54
Rainbow's End in San Diego, to all our family, love, to all Smooches and bye, bye.
Coach Alex Ray: 43:02
Bye.