This week on “Behind the Byline,” we have another great show lined up for you as we speak with a young trans person and his mother.
Listen to our show titled “Beyond the Binary: The Power of Trans-Youth Stories” airing Friday, Aug. 4, at 12 p.m. In this episode, Rowan Bilodeau, a young trans person, and his mother, Margaret Bilodeau will talk about what the recent anti-trans legislation means for North Carolina’s young people.
Show host, Lindsey Wilson, will be speaking to them about:
- What is it like to speak publicly as a trans minor?
- How does recent anti-trans legislation impact minors in North Carolina?
- How can telling the stories of trans youth impact legislation and political sentiment?
Tune in to this episode to explore the challenges facing transgender minors in North Carolina and the recent legislation impacting their access to gender affirming health care.
Rowan Bilodeau, 15, sits for a portrait at their home in Willow Springs on July 18. Rowan, who was assigned female at birth and identifies as male, is receiving gender-affirming care that would be prohibited for minors if state legislators override the veto of House Bill 808. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
A dish towel bearing LGBTQ+ pride colors sits in the Bilodeau kitchen in Willow Springs on July 18. Rowan, a trans teenager, is receiving gender-affirming care that would be restricted for minors if state legislators override vetoed House Bill 808. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Rowan Bilodeau, 15, sits with his mother, Margaret, in their home in Willow Springs on July 18. Photo: James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Margaret Bilodeau discusses being the parent of a transgender child in her home in Willow Springs on July 18. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Rowan Bilodeau, 15, sits in their bedroom with their emotional support animal in Willow Springs on July 18. Rowan, a transmasculine teenager, is receiving gender-affirming care that would be prohibited for minors if state legislators override the veto of House Bill 808. Photo: James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
A mailbox decorated with a rainbow, synonymous with LGBTQ+ pride colors, stands outside the Bilodeau household in Willow Springs on July 18. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Margaret Bilodeau sits for a portrait outside her home in Willow Springs on July 18. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Rowan Bilodeau, 15, holds up a battered copy of an album they say comforted them while receiving gender-affirming care at their home in Willow Springs on , July 18. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press 
Boxes and other belongings are stacked in the Bilodeaus’ living rooms just days after moving from Pittsboro to their new home in Willow Springs on July 18. James Kiefer / Carolina Public Press
Resources and Glossary:
Trans/transgender: noting or relating to a person whose gender identity does not correspond to that person’s sex assigned at birth
Cisgender: noting or relating to a person whose gender identity corresponds with that person’s sex assigned at birth.
Non-binary: having a gender identity that is not simply male or female.
Gender identity: is one’s own internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not outwardly visible to others.
Transgender Family Support Handbook
A Guide to Gender Identity Terms from NPR
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