More often than not, conversations about transgender people are framed in crisis — around fear, loss, or controversy. This reflects widespread and ongoing issues in public discourse and media representation.
Ben Greene takes a different approach in his conversations about transgender lives, leaning into a “joy-centered” approach to support.
Greene is a public speaker, LGBTQ advocate and author of "My Child Is Trans, Now What?" He is also an openly transgender man.
Greene writes in his book: “There is an all-out war targeting everything that brings our community joy in the hope of making us feel so beaten down, hopeless, and joyless that we just quit fighting back.” He adds, “This means that laughing, dancing, celebrating, and being joyful are direct acts of resistance.”
Greene has traveled the country to share his philosophy of joy-centered storytelling. He has given hundreds of different speeches from college classrooms to packed churches, including a personal mission to reach out to every single PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapter.
Since 2022, he’s spoken at over 130 PFLAG support groups. His goal in meeting with parents and families is to simply educate communities and dismantle disinformation that turns into fear and anger against his community. He also maintains a “Good Queer News” Substack, highlighting stories of resilience, hope, community building and “joy even (and especially) in challenging moments.”
Greene will share his perspective on what joy-centered support means, why he wrote his book and what he’s learned speaking with families across the country.
GUEST:
Ben Greene, speaker, advocate and author of "My Child Is Trans, Now What?"
