"It Took Almost 30 Years Before I Actually Transitioned" - with Amethysta Herrick from Gender Identity Weekly Podcast

Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties

There's one question that gets asked in this week's episode that’s really stuck with me and that I continued to ponder even after we'd said our goodbyes and turned our microphones off...

And that question is: how do you know when you have become the person that you’re supposed to be?

By that I mean - at what point do you say 'yes this is the person I was supposed to be' rather than continue to strive and figure that out? Or, do you just kind of like make do with who you presently are and accept that that might change one day?

And it's one of those annoying questions where there probably isn't an answer, so it's not worth expending any energy trying to figure it out, but if you have any suggestions do let me know!

But for now, let’s focus on our guest for this week’s episode, Amethysta Herrick, writer and host of the Gender Identity Weekly podcast.

Amethysta came out as a trans woman in 2022, but if you've ever come out then you know that it takes a lot of mental computation and processing to get to that point and it's usually something that you know about a long time before you're willing to share it with the wider world.

But luckily for us we have queer spaces where it's safe to explore these things.

And, one of the places that helped Amethysta explore and understand her identity was the Athens, Georgia bar Boneshakers, where, way back in the 90s, she got to try out an alternate identity - she named herself Selina after Catwoman's civilian name - and just got to flirt, hang out, and exist as herself.

Do you have any memories of Boneshakers, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos!

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Find out more about Amethysta by listening to her podcast, Gender Identity Weekly, or by visiting her website (https://www.amethysta.io/)

Takeaways

• Identity is a continuous process of becoming and evolving, and there is no fixed destination.
• The 90s were a time of both darkness and hope for Amethysta, as she navigated her gender transition and struggled with mental health.
• Living in Athens as a student was a formative experience for Amethysta, shaping her understanding of herself and her place in the world.