Digital Transgender Archive

Episode 1 - Frequency of Aliveness: On the heels of Pride, Kindred Transmissions by the Digital Transgender Archive revisits the history of the Stonewall Uprising and its enduring legacy in New York City, where trans communities continue to resist state repression. In Episode 1 “Frequency of Aliveness,” host and historian Jules Gill-Peterson is joined by artist and filmmaker Tourmaline to honor the life and work of Marsha P. Johnson. 

Tourmaline, author of the new biography MARSHA, reflects on Johnson’s revolutionary spirit, from co-founding with Sylvia Rivera STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries), to her decades of mutual aid, protest, and performance with the theater company Hot Peaches. 

Through archival recordings and personal insight, Tourmaline tunes into the transformative power of Marsha’s aliveness and the frequency of her spirit.

Episode 2 - I Like to Hear My Voice: This week on Kindred Transmissions, we tune into the fierce, unapologetic voice of Red Jordan Arobateau—author, poet, playwright, and visual artist. A self-published force of nature, Red created a vast body of work centering Black, brown, and queer lives, including over 80 literary works and 60 paintings. 

In Episode 2, “I Like to Hear My Voice,” host and historian Jules Gill-Peterson is joined by historian Daniela Valdes to explore Red’s life and legacy through rare archival recordings. We hear Red reading his own poetry and erotica, as well as delivering a striking city hall testimony on housing justice and survival. 

It’s powerful to hear Red’s voice at different stages of his life—not only does his writing evolve, but his vocal presence transforms too. These recordings document transition as both a personal journey and a political reality, reminding us that gender, labor, and art are deeply intertwined. This episode contains mentions of self-harm, sex, and sexuality. 

Episode 3 - It’s Like Electricity: In our third episode of Kindred Transmissions, “It’s Like Electricity,” host Jules Gill-Peterson shares a deeply intimate conversation with Rupert Raj—a Eurasian-Canadian trans activist, therapist, poet, and lifelong advocate whose work has inspired and supported many.

Since beginning his transition in 1971, Rupert has spent over five decades organizing across Canada, the U.S., and beyond, advocating for the trans, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and queer communities. 
Listen to Rupert read his own poetry and letters to fellow activist Lou Sullivan as he reflects on connection, memory, and legacy—and the profound importance of having a single lifeline of support. Rupert’s work embodies a steadfast commitment to building a better world and maintaining faith in that vision.

Episode 4 - Our Gender Is Infinite: Closing out our season, we turn to the story of Aiyyana Maracle, a multidisciplinary artist, scholar, educator, and storyteller from Canada. A self-described “transformed woman who loves women,” Aiyyana invited audiences to rethink gender and sexuality through a decolonial lens. For more than fifty years, she served as both a maker and keeper of culture, working to bring Ogwehoweh art and knowledge into dialogue with a Eurocentric world. Her work offered an alternative to Western concepts of gender—one rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being. 

In this episode, artist, activist, and scholar Syrus Marcus Ware reflects on his years of friendship and collaboration with Aiyyana Maracle, from working alongside her as a mentee to helping her organize her archival collection of recordings, costumes, and ephemera. Through performance clips and stories passed down from her grandmother, this episode offers an intimate portrait of Aiyyana Maracle’s vision, artistry, and enduring legacy.

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