Peppermint on Survival of the Thickest, Trans Rights, and Celebrity Traitors

Peppermint joins The Cutting Up, and the gloves are OFF.

The icon, activist, and 2026 NYC Pride Grand Marshal comes through for what starts as a springtime kiki, and ends up being one of our most honest, most necessary conversations yet. From shouting out Sinners to going all the way in on Caitlyn Jenner's cheerleading for Trump, travel bans hitting the community, celebrity non-apologies, the TLC/Chilli tour mess, and the very specific double standards Black queer people have to navigate. Peppermint says what she says. ☕🔥

We talk about her return to Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, and she introduces us to something we didn't know we needed: Transcendence Tea, her caffeine-free vanilla-mint blend made in collaboration with Chicago’s queer Black-owned Moody Teas. And it’s blue! A portion of proceeds goes to Advocates for Trans Equality, the organization that helps Peppermint through her own name and document changes.

She celebrates:
 ✨ Being named NYC Pride Grand Marshal
 🎬 Her return to Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest
 🌈 Why representation in Harlem still matters

Messy. Meaningful. Unfiltered.
No mercy for hypocrisy. Full love for the community.
Press play. 💅🏽🔥

For more about Peppermint you can follow here at @Peppermint247

Click HERE to order Pep’s tea Transcendence. And remember a portion of each purchase goes to support Advocate For Trans Equality.

Click HERE for more information on Advocates For Trans Equality. 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 

Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com

And follow us on instagram:

@TheCuttingUp

@TheRealConnieGirl

@TheLinaBradford

@PrideHouseMedia

“The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production.

Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen.

Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond.

Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit. 

 Production Design by Darryl Dickens. 

Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

You're gonna get it, honey. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_02 0:03

It's time for the cutting up. A Kiki with Connie and Lena.

SPEAKER_01 0:08

This is your backstage pass to all the dish crish. And that's the truth, Ruth. Come on now. Get into it. Oh my god, Con Con. Welcome, Black. Hi, Lena. How are you? Good, baby girl.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

How you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:24

I'm good.

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Is it my sciatic issue? We just giving you rainbow bright, like Skittle Taste of Rainbow situation.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

It's spring. It is spring. And we are giving bright, not florals.

SPEAKER_05 0:37

Groundbreaking. That groundbreaking darling.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Hey, honey, look at we match the infinity within delight. Oh my gosh. Oh, this album can get it. Oh. So good. So speaking of nostalgia, I'm feeling like we're conjuring a situation this afternoon. Let's go black, B-L-A-Q-U-E, to one of our sistrix from the cloth. Miss Pepperman!

SPEAKER_05 1:10

Hey!

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Ladies! I'm so good. I'm happy to be here. My God. This is Black Girl Magic. Honey, this is honey. This is what else? What else do they need? Nothing.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

They don't need nothing.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

And they're not gonna get it.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

They don't deserve anything. Like Jeff Beauty, honey. Like Marlene.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

This is uh September. This is October. And I'm a mama, it's so good to see you.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

It's so good to be here. It's so good to be here in the presence of you two lovely women. God damn it, bitch. Ah, hi. The glow. Look at you.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

What do you mean? What do you mean what do I mean? I washed my face. Did I ever tell you? Wash face cut. Wash face cut. Did I ever tell you? I don't know if I ever told you, but you have always reminded me of my Aunt Karen. Did I ever tell you that? No. My Aunt Karen was and is, she's she's gone. Has always been my everything. She's so I'm literally, you guys could be sisters. And I don't know if I I can't believe I've never told you that. You always looked and gave me my Aunt Karen.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

Well, hello. I mean, maybe, but girl, I also have a terrible memory, girl, back in the day. I'm Lena. This is Connie.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Do I owe you money? No, no. Oh, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Two dollars, make a no. The early 2000s and the 90s are a blur.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

They are, girl. I don't remember, and I don't like nothing happened that I'm like, I didn't fall and bang my head or anything.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

So many people. And I hate when a queen's like, don't you remember my name? I'm like, bitch, do you know how many people on?

SPEAKER_01 2:50

I don't remember my name. Hello. But we own yours.

SPEAKER_03 2:53

And you know what? I'm thinking about this because I remember back in the day at the clubs. We, at least for me, I would go up there. I mean, we obviously did not have cell phones the way that we do. We didn't have all this stuff the way that we do. And I didn't know the I only knew what I needed to know about every single person. Right. So like they would show up at the club and you I knew their face. Yes. I knew what I remember what we said. Yeah. I remember what they told me and what we did. Yep. And that's it. And but I would see a new person and I wouldn't, honey, if you told me I needed to find that person or like where they are, I don't know where they are. I know I'll be right by the DJ booth or whatever every Friday, and that's it. Or whatever. You know what I mean? Meet me there, and then I'll see you in church. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

Or not. Or not. She's a sinner. That one's not coming. Because she came.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

And that was a sin.

SPEAKER_03 3:48

Hey. Did y'all watch Sinners? Bitch. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Such a good movie.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

I keep talking about it. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

It's um, you can like tell people who don't get the sort of underlying symbol.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

By the ones who are complaining online.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

That the underlying symbolism of that and how it collates with the world we live in now.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Right now. The out of touch people who don't get it. Speaking of, that's interesting you say that. I saw something, I think it was the other day, and I haven't followed this child ever, but uh, it was brought to my attention when I happened to literally go on it. It just came into my algorithm. A friend of mine had posted, reposted The Mascara with Miss Jenner. Missing the Dululu of a call.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Let me shut this line. I honestly I can't I was talking about it.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

But there's not a violin big enough for this story. Girl, it is Are you kidding me? And then to try to flex, like, well, I love him and I've got his number. Shut up. Just shut up.

SPEAKER_03 4:54

Like, wait, who she oh, I didn't hear wait, she's talking about who on. I'm talking about Caitlin talking about uh the orange Cheeto. About her job. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Girl, wait, did she say she loved him?

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yes. Yes, she did. She said, I love him. Yes, she did. I love him. I sent him a little bit. I don't love you. Obviously, with your marker uh M and you can't travel to Europe. Oh, woe is me, darling. Well, darling, you all knew this mascara beforehand. But until it happens to you, it's an issue.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

It really is. I mean, I I've felt some I wasn't sure. I mean, I knew how I felt about it, but I wasn't sure, like, I was like, am I gonna say anything about this? I don't even know if I want to talk, like, give it air. And then I was like, well, obviously it deserves it. Because on one hand, I am happy, I'm trying to picture what world, because Tommy Lauren, the person that she was being interviewed by, yeah, is notorious for bringing the girls on and being so shady to them, right? Very right wing. And so I was trying to figure out what in what world would anybody been have been able to get the message through that the policies of the camp of the Trump administration have been harmful in writ in a real life way. I think there's a lot of people that are like, oh, like, you know, trans in sports or whatever, and all those things have impact, but like they think about it as like a 10, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, 10. They just think like, oh, I don't know. But in this, we're seeing someone actually saying, This is how it hurt my life.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

And she says also mentions about uh voting too.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Sorry, the and traveling. Voting and traveling and all the different things. And then it's a harm, it's a harm to have the travel. Safety issue, too. Like a couple of months back. She couldn't, she couldn't get out when it was. But that was before probably, was that before her before um before Iran. Yeah. Caitlin was trapped in Israel.

SPEAKER_03 6:42

Probably because of just the the war not being able to fly, not because of her gender marker.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

No, no, this this was before. So that was probably her last trip.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

No doubt. With an F marker. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

And now you can't.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

You can't. And you definitely not going there with no M marker. Uh so I was grateful that like that subject was able to be talked about in that way with the show. But I mean, it is so rich to be here and until it happens to me. I mean, it was like two months ago that she was up there. Basically, every single time she's talking in public, dancing. She's tap dancing and talking about how essentially trans women are harmful to cis women and whatever she's talking about.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

And then in sports, where girl, you were uh notorious for being a sports figure. Hello. Getting women of the year. But it's just the slap in the face of it all to your community.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

About that now. And and and thinks, is she gonna give it back? No. No.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Girl, she ain't giving that back.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

No.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

She needs it for the talking engagement, honey, for the coin.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Girl, she has no working career.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

Hello. And you can't travel to Europe, so now the bank is being a little tighter.

SPEAKER_03 7:47

Darling. Please. And so it is, it is, but I mean, I I barely could get myself off the floor from that when I saw Dave Chappelle's ass. Oh! Come, honey, all these damn ass people coming through, apologize, uh, not even apologizing, skipping over the apology, trying to act like they have like we have amnesia. Thank you. T Boss.

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Bitch, uh, uh, chili.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

Everybody's not a big thing. Honey, I can't go to that tour. I know I know.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

They canceled it, but she was a cr but but she was a Christian. And and you know how to do it.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

But she it also came out too, honey. Uh, uh, uh a assault. They brought her up in the mix too. She they just canceled the tour.

SPEAKER_03 8:35

It seemed it seemed halfway with salt. Like, yeah, no excuse, but like it's but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

She wasn't she was trying to defend she was trying to defend the whole situation.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

All the resistance. anybody, don't you know that's a good one?

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Where you been? Where you been?

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Where have you been? There's a scandal every week on the internet, and we see how it goes. What else is on your internet feed? You ain't seen nobody. Girl, you have never opened up the internet.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

You've never seen people getting trapped every single day.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

And you need this coin. Girl, you know you're messing it up for the rest of the girls. You deserve this coin. Yes, absolutely. But you need this coin. You need this coin. You need this coin. And you're messing it up for the rest of the girls. You know they're gagging.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

And I'm sorry, it's a new and a and it's a brand new world. It's a brand new world. Not their fault. Yeah. But if they've been supporters of this administration, then it's definitely a brand new world when it comes to prices. We're gonna spend our dollar more. We ain't just going to concerts every week, honey.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

With the way this is. Yeah. So we're gonna be deliberate about it. And this was as perfect of a lineup as you could get. Yeah, I think. I agree.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Come on.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

Come on, girl.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

It's like the Mia Culpa. Yeah. I have no forgiveness in my pussy.

SPEAKER_02 9:47

At this point now, if you've signed up for this, honey, you are clicked ass.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

I have no forgiveness.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

I can't find it either. No, no, no. I'm leaving.

SPEAKER_03 9:56

Now listen, I will. You should have brought SWV in. Okay. Girls, bring them in. Switch it out, girl. Or brownstone. Or brownstone. Bring them girls back, honey.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Escape.

SPEAKER_03 10:05

Honey, but they've been fighting Lasha. They run on the one last year, girl. Because um Jeanne, honey. Honey, you know those girls are the names. That was on their show.

unknown 10:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:19

The two sisters, right?

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Latagna? Please write in.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Girl. Please help us. Help us. Okay, yeah. Dementih.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Yeah, girl. I mean, I was so excited about that. Bring somebody out. I was so excited about that. But I mean, apparently they're all staying on the tour. It's not closed.

SPEAKER_02 10:41

Somebody said it was canceled.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

Somebody was say it was canceled. It's not canceled.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

It's not canceled.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

Well, I some girl, I don't really know. I mean, listen, if you sometimes these days we find out day of if a show is gonna be canceled.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

After they've already got the coins.

SPEAKER_03 10:53

Yeah, after they've already got it so like I don't really know. Yeah. But somebody came on online and was like, no, the tour's not canceled. Look, you can still buy the tickets and all that.

SPEAKER_02 11:01

So but I think that but TLC is off.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

I don't know. That's outside.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

I feel like they're I think they're just trying to pull a uh because everybody's in the comments are like, we are not coming to support if uh Chile is. That's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:14

But I think that they're trying to pull a uh 2024 Democratic convention and ignoring the the the the the crowd. Well, listen, I how no?

SPEAKER_02 11:24

They're gonna ignore it. People are different now than they were then, honey.

SPEAKER_03 11:27

In the 90s, you could have just been like, I don't care what I did, let's just ignore it and then present like everything's okay. Right. And that's the that's been the way of, you know, uh certainly parts of the music industry, just uh whatever. And then I think even parts of our community have been like that. But the the black community, yeah, the black community will just be like, just ignore it and not really deal with it.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Yeah, but because you know, like some gay organizations will have like uh an offender, right? Right, right, but because they're single is hot and I can shake my ass to it.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

But but you can shake your ass in hell.

SPEAKER_03 12:05

Right. I mean, listen, for the coin all I'm trying to say is I am not going to this tour and I am heartbroken. Yeah. But I will not be surprised. You cannot. Actually, I will be surprised if the same Okay, girl, don't have me up in here. If the same women who were going to bat. Oh, bitch, that for R. Kelly and Chris Brown. I was just about ready to say it. And what's his name who got shot in the foot, and P. Diddy going to bat. If those same women, I will be surprised because I can see that we treat they there's a lot of showing up for them. Thank you. But they're they're gonna drag.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Because it's so different with the women and the men.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

And we're talking about somebody who who voted or maybe voted or potentially I don't know, voted for versus somebody who caused great harm to black folks, queer folks, trans folks, disabled folks, even white folks are causing harm to chili versus someone who's shooting women, shooting black women in the foot. Uh, what's his name? Tori Lane.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Beating up black people.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Beating up black women, sex trafficking, sex trafficking black women, hotels. You know, a black people. And buying all the big camera.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

That's the one on camera. Hello.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

You know. That we know of. And buying all the baby oil. All the baby oil. Jordan Word might be you, man. Switching ash. Switching cocoa butter.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

It's going to be an ashy summer. Can you get it?

SPEAKER_03 13:36

Oh Lord, it's getting hot up in here.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Because maybe it's a tea. Like, what side of your what side of your neck are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03 13:43

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know?

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Over here, oh, defend black women and and the trans are hurting black women and we're and we're their enemies. But give him another chance. Right. Well, that's the piece. He's the black man.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

That's obviously the impact of of the patriarchy. And also white supremacy. Racism and white supremacy that we all carry. We all carry the impact.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

But they're different.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

They're very different.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

And they can be put in separate and separate like little categories for you to have a cognitive fucking thought. It's true.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

And now we see, I mean, we've always seen, but so in this situation, we can see where the standard, it's obviously a double standard for a for a black woman. And I'm not, I mean, like, I'm not defending somebody, I'm not attacking. If somebody voted for Trump, you know, like I'm not here for it. And I would love the opportunity to explain why that's harmful so that people can learn. Because I do think that people are sucked into stuff sometimes, and you know, they're obviously, I just think it's an ill-informed decision, and I think it's a selfish decision.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

I I have very little room for price of eggs. And I and and I don't want trans in the bathroom with my daughter or my child. I have very little room for that.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

Me too. Me neither. And no, it because it's a it's a bullshit ex excuse. But I do think at the end of the day, I and I I ha I I keep coming back to maybe foolishly, because I know that there are people out here who are described as just just evil, yeah, and that's it all it is. But I do think that every human being is born with a heart and the ability to love and also the needs. I think we all need the same thing, regardless of where you came from. Everybody needs, well, compassion, but everybody needs a house, food, water, medical care, and medical care. That's what everybody needs. And I think it doesn't sound like it, and it's probably feeling too generous, but I really do think only based on what we've seen this campaign, this administration tell these people that the reason why you don't have food is because of the immigrants. The reason why you don't have this is because of the trans people. And they're scapegoating, right? And so we we we see them doing that. So I do think that even though these people are saying I can't with the trans in the bathroom, and I can't with whatever they're having a problem with, I really do think I'm hearing them saying, I can't afford my rent, and I don't understand why. And why are you bringing up trans? Like seriously. That's the things that matter.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, yeah, and and the trans thing is is a good getcha gotcha. Exactly. It's a sketo. Because deflection, exactly, got you in.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

They know that they're not gonna be able to alone handle this situation with everybody's rent.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

It's so they're like deflection one-on-one. Everything is start these fires everywhere else to take away from what is really happening and how people are actually starving, not able to do anything.

SPEAKER_03 16:44

And as a voter, it probably is easier to be like, well, shit, I can't solve no world crisis. Yeah, but I I hate you trans person. Exactly. For no reason. Because they can't they can't wrap their mind around it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I think it is.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

Let's have a sip of this tea, huh? Oh my gosh. Um, what's the one? Let's taste it and talk, shall we? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Oh, wait, some more. Refreshing. Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

This is the best tea I've had ever. Lipstick is lovely, girl. That lipstick is lovely. Ooh.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

This is Peppermint's new tea. It's my new tea. Where's the lady? It literally is the new tea. The kayak lady. Honey, cheat.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Break the tea down, honey. That tea is in the gag, honey.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Connie's spitting, darling. She spits, darling.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

My daughter can't take it.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

She's like, I gotta go, I gotta go. I tasted it and inhaled it.

SPEAKER_03 17:51

Uh it is called Peppermint's Transcendence. It's amazing, and it smells delicious, sister. Thank you. It is a uh mint vanilla mint tea. Uh, it's herbal, no caffeine. It's uh meant to be refreshing and sort of relaxing all at the same time. It's soothing. And soothing.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Girl, you put this on the ice with some tequila and darling, honey.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

And you can mix it with drinks, darling. Yes, darling. It works well with you can put milk in it, you can, or citrus in it, like lemon or something if you want. You can have it hot, cold. Oh, this is done. And if you put it, if you put it with lemon, it changes color to purple. Stop it. Because it's blue. Yeah. Uh-huh. Oh, but that is blue. Cheese blue. My tea's got blue bowls. Uh, people can get it. You can get it. Honey, they better get it, honey. You can get it. But aside from the flavor, it also is a tea that gives back, darling. It's the least transphobic tea on the market. Thank you. Uh, it is genius. Hello. Genius. In partnership with Moody Teas, which is a queer black-owned tea company, small tea company out of Chicago. Uh, the portions of every sale go to Advocates for Transequality, which is a national organization, and they help people with like quality of life issues. They helped me with changing my name, getting my documents. What? You know, my ID and my passport. Caitlyn Jenner should go there. Okay, don't call Trump. Call Advocates for Transequality and make a donation while you at it.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

It's too ethnic.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. She don't want to be with the people.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

That is fucking ethnic. But the people are the ones that built her fucking life. And made and made it possible for her to live.

SPEAKER_03 19:42

Listen.

unknown 19:43

Oh, God.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

You're teasing.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

No, no, no, no, no. Give up being a white male of privilege. She won't.

SPEAKER_03 19:50

It can't. I mean, that's there, there's that there's a lot of people. Her children wanted to be a little bit more than a child there, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Well, thinking, listen, you wanted to be a rich white woman so bad. Well, look at how quickly it changed as soon as you became a woman. How your white male privilege card was kind of revoked. You're less on the totem pole, honey, when you're a woman.

SPEAKER_03 20:12

And I don't know if she I I wonder how she's sort of reckoning with that or not. Like, I don't know. She's not. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 20:19

She's not. But anyway, back to your tea girl.

SPEAKER_03 20:21

Yeah, the tea darling. The tea help it. The trans community in ways that Caitlin Jenner never will. Never will.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

And never will. Thank you. That is amazing. We will have to have the link up for this, sweetheart. Thank that is fabulous. And I love that they help you with your um your uh uh uh transitioning and name changing and all that stuff. It's fabulous.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Great, you know, because I mean who knows? Listen, when you go in, that's the other thing. There's no blueprint about hello. That's why it's nice to have people who can help you out. It's the it's a hundred percent true. And you know, when when people are going through their transition, their their social transition, and in the modern era, now we have the ability to change our documents and get things together and all that stuff and make it official. Back in the day, it was a different story, right? And this is great that these tools are here. It's fucked up that now these tools are starting to be taken away, which we're watching happen. That's what she was talking about on the show. But the, you know, what's worse is that like I didn't know where to go. I mean, A, when I was starting my medical transition, I was like, okay, I know I want to do this. Who do I call? I was calling, I was literally going through the phone book and calling doctors saying, Well, who what can I do? And they I was get they were like, Oh, honey, we don't do that. Click, click, click.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

So then that was a reality. That's a reality. And this was obviously many, many years ago.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Before Colin Lord, were you?

SPEAKER_03 21:39

Yeah, it was it was at this right around the start of that. And so then, uh, but then the same thing, then I was like, okay, well, now that I got that going, now I want to have all the other things official. And people don't realize that.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

They think it just happens like that when you do it.

SPEAKER_03 21:53

Yeah, you just go to the doctor and then they give you your license. It's not line, honey.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

What's her face on TikTok?

SPEAKER_03 21:59

Dylan Mulvaney.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Oh, yeah, Dylan. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

Yeah. I mean, and you know, I don't know what her experience was. Obviously, as a white girl, it's probably different. It's always gonna be different.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

But but but she did it in public and on and on a media platform. So there were people like going, oh, you can do this.

SPEAKER_03 22:17

Yeah, and they were he and it was obviously a lot easier for people to access the information. Yes. I was just calling around. So I found advocates for trance quality and they took me step by step because I mean the if anything, anybody can understand. Nobody wants to go to the DMV to do anything. Well, imagine having to do that again, and and then having to deal with the Social Security Administration and the birth certificate, the uh vital records for your birth certificate, and then having to go back to the federal government for your passport, but you have to do them in a certain order. Yes, you know, because you can't, you know, like you need one for the other, and sometimes you need one for this or that. And so, like all of that, and then getting your name changed that involves court documents, that involves involves in many, in most states, like actually speaking to a judge and having to get process this and this and that, that's expensive and it's time consuming. And, you know, that's why, you know, the which is another reason why beyond the distraction or the diversion, I I don't want to say distraction, the diversion of uh attacking trans people um legislatively and legally, uh, we are unf we're the perfect sitting duck, unfortunately, and when it comes to the bureaucracy. Because I just said five or six government offices that I've had to deal with in order to get my one identity. That's just for me to show up as female on a on a paper.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

Most people, most women don't have to go through five or six government agencies in order to get that done, paying money to these five or six government agencies, doing all these things. And unfortunately, that is the perfect sort of bullseye because that that little cocktail of the DMV, the uh Social Security Administration, the um Department of State, which is your of um uh passport. Passport. And passport, yeah. And then your birth certificate, Department of Vital Records, which is depending on what state you were born in, obviously that's the department no matter what state you're in. Um all that is a bullseye to targeting citizenship. Yes. And if they can revoke that for trans people, which a lot of voters agree with, yes, they're they don't realize citizenship used to have a locked door on it. It used to be like if you're a citizen, you're a citizen. There's no way, there's not even a place to discuss it. Once you get it, you have it. Backdoors and loopholes are coming out of the room. None of that. Now they're coming all out. And one of the test groups that they're testing on are trans people because it's like, oh, we can get these people that we've villainized and demonized, and then the public be like, yeah, get them, get them, get them. And then suddenly, now the government is going like this and revoking your citizenship. Yeah. And that is what people are not wrapping their heads around.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

I love to see though, also the the the pushback that's happening this time around. I've said this a million times. People are not having it like they were the first time, and also they're not getting snow jobbed like they were the first time. Because, like you said, when it starts to hurt them, yeah, then they start to look and they start to see that guess what? If you come for this one, guess what? It's just like this down the toem pole. You know what I mean? So, and also the way that people are gathering together, this unity is so beautiful. Like I love seeing everything that's happening right now. It's a lot of things. And also the things that we're winning and getting back. Yes, this is going to hurt for a second, sweetheart, but we're also going to grow and become so much fiercer from it. We are we're seeing it little by little right now.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

We are. It can hurt, it is harmful, and it hurts, and it's it's definitely not fair, but we're strong, honey. We're strong. And as a community, you'll never be able to. We come from a long line of people. We we didn't fought. We're we're alive, and we we didn't have half the things we have now, and we're sitting here.

SPEAKER_02 26:10

We're here from the back of the women who have bled for us. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 26:12

And they didn't have no license, they weren't going to no damn ass uh Social Security DMV. Exactly, yeah. Honey, no.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

Guess what, darling? You think you got the right crew? Guess what? You got the wrong one, honey.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Darling, you got the wrong one. And guess what? The DMV did not invent women.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

Women been around before DMV. You don't need to go to no DMV to become a little bit. Hello, darling.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Okay. And of course, you creeping up on us on the DL, like you just have so many seats on so many levels. You want to hurt us, but you want to be with us.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Well, I think that's also the thing. The rollback is to so. But she's got rolls in her back?

unknown 26:49

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Back roll back roll. Back rolls, honey.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Yes, bitch. But but they wanted they they want it to be like back in the day. When it was when we were only relegated to the stage. Yes, you know exactly which corner. And they were they knew we knew exactly which corner to get to go and get away.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

And bitch, what were we doing? You we were we had to wait. They were like, I'm gonna drive up whenever I want. I ain't gonna tell you nothing. I'm I don't be I don't even gonna have to tell. They waited pull up. Yes, and the girls are just waiting, yeah, like on a shelf at a store. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Yeah, hello.

SPEAKER_03 27:37

That's the way they want it.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 27:39

Because now, honey, it's a different story. You honey, you gotta call me. Peppa, but you bet you better tell me I will let you know where my schedule is. That's right. And be respectful. Yep. And you might have to bring a little something over here. A little?

SPEAKER_00 27:54

A gift? You have a little gift or something, darling.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

Well, that's what I was.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

And I remember this change happening because I was talking to my good girlfriends and and having this conversation about like the trade and the hookups and all that stuff and the stuff that we would have to settle for. Right. Yeah. Comparing it to back in the day. And I remember years ago saying to each other, we should, we want to make sure that we are, listen, if if we can't control when we're getting married or who's gonna propose to us or whatever that's gonna be. But we can demand more respectful interactions and things like that. Yes. Where they're you know, communicating, where they're honest about what's going on. So we have control where we talk about like our sexual health, and then they respect our time. Because honey, I can't remember. I've I've had so many where I've said five o'clock, and now it's 11 o'clock, and they're like, I'm here. No, darling.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Oh no, shite on, darling!

SPEAKER_03 28:56

And I'm like, honey, you have no idea what it takes to prepare, you know, for those of us that you know.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Okay, because I I remember my first um so sort of like, you know, what when I first started and I was going to like Sally's or those things. Oh Sally's hideaway. You're going to go hideaway up in Sally's. Oh God. For for that whole period of time, like late 80s, mid to late 90s, um, the first thing you would hear, how much? Always. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

Oh, how is like automatically?

SPEAKER_03 29:39

That was the only that was like a conversation starter. Right. I even think that was probably some folks that maybe they were like okay with not, but that was the only question they knew to ask.

SPEAKER_02 29:49

Just to human, and again, not taking away from sex work, but just automatically putting you in that place. Because they're putting you in your place that I can own you if you give me the price. You know what I mean? Stop whatever you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 30:03

No matter who you're on the phone with, no matter where you're going, no matter what time of day or night, no matter how you're dressed, yeah, you could be sitting on the corner, you could be at the hospital, you could be at a desk working at a job. That's how much. And suddenly I'm supposed to drop what I'm doing to service you and give you my menu. Yep, that's you can order. That's what they want. That's all about it. Okay, that's fair. Of course it is.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Fucking no. No more. It's seeing this is why they can't take strong women like us. Now they're just like, wait, hold on a second. I gotta go through all this to have that. Yes, honey, you do.

SPEAKER_03 30:33

It's because they're weak.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

They are weak, too. And we know, we see you, we see you. And baby, when you have that power, you know who you are, honey, it drives them fucking crazy. They can't take it.

SPEAKER_03 30:44

But they want it, they want it in so many ways. Yeah, you know what I mean? No, no, yeah. Good grief, good.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Okay, so we got the fever for the flavor of the plangles.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

Crunch, crunch. I heard that you're part of the alumni. You're next, girl.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Yeah, it doesn't make sense that we're before you at all.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

No, but obviously it's not the chronological order. Okay, okay, true, true. But you two are more visible. But no, Mama, sorry, in the larger sense.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

But still. Well, we know what we're gonna lobby for next year. Exactly. Because I know I was pushing people because they ask you, we will ask you, not once you've done it, I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

Yeah. Uh uh.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

I think it's rained for the whole year, honey.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

Darling! And I remember watching your announcement video when you got uh uh when the announcement came out, yes, darling. And so uh I it's an honor, and I'm excited and so beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

I didn't know how it worked. How did you enjoy the experience? I did. It was it was so being a New Yorker, like it was it was surreal. Because I remember, you know, being introduced to the Pride Parade. We spoke about this from my grandmother, who had, you know, you know, been a part of it, you know, part of the SM contingency of the gay pride parade since the 70s.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

That is so legendary! Oh my god, I did not know that.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

I know, and and then, you know, later on, you know, with other performers, you know, uh being on the HX float and blah blah blah and dancing the whole way.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

I mean, and heels as high, honey, you get on you get on that truck and you're like, and you're like just keep going.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

So then two-stepping until the billets then been later on, like asked to be a grand marshal was just on. I was like, wait, what? It was surreal. And I enjoyed every and also the the lineup who I was in was in such great company. Like Pierre, um uh Jean-Pierre, um um oh my god, our sister.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

Marty, Marty Cummings.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Marty Cummings, Jean Pierre, uh oh our press secretary for um Oh Karine John here. Sorry girl, we're having you awesome. Uh uh, and um uh uh I I can't remember the others. I'm sorry, it's not coming to me because I want to get back to Peppermint. But what a great um uh uh sisterhood that they put you together with.

SPEAKER_03 33:09

Yeah, I'm excited. It's a great group. It's myself, it is uh Dominique Jackson. Hello, yes, there are two black trans girls.

SPEAKER_04 33:19

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 33:20

Um Bernie, oh, I can't remember what Bernie Sanders, darling. She's like, Forgive me, Larry David. I'm sorry, he gives you Larry Girl. He can get it. Bernie can get it.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

But come on, Bernie, go ahead. Bernie can get it.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Um Bernie, oh forgive me. Um, she is the voice of the subway, the MTA. Yeah, yeah. So genius. She's fantastic. Bernie W, I'll be like, okay, yeah. Uh uh her, she, she uh also um uh uh oh my baby Bo and Yang. Oh and Yang, such a sweetheart. And then also Gays Against Guns. Oh, bitch. Yeah. And so um, and it's there, it's Gays Against Guns, I think, 10-year anniversary. Yeah, 10-year anniversary. What a great course. So it's a great group. Yes, yes, and yeah, I'm excited. So I'm I was really honored. I actually Marty uh passed the baton to me at her show. I was a guest at her show, and then we did the announcement too. Oh my god, I love that. It was a congratulation. Congratulations, sister. It's great, you know, it's beautiful to have been, you know, same same thing. Yeah, done the parade many, many times and always enjoyed it. And I always make time for New York Pride. Yeah, like, you know, obviously, now that I've like come around and done a bunch of things, have had the chance to travel and go to like other prides and other places. Um, and so now so getting to be one of the grand marshals, I just feel it feels like the perfect way to do it. It's where it began.

unknown 34:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:51

That's so bad.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

And also, um, I believe that I mean, first of all, this year's starting off great for all of us. Well, first of all, we're all together. Hello. But also, too, I think there's a re um a new season of a show that I love. What is that? Oh survival of the thicket! First of all, I I live for you on that show, Miss A. And I'll tell you, when I first saw and I saw you on it, I sent a message to what's her name? Um To Michelle. To Michelle. Yeah, yeah. I sent her a DM or whatever, and I was like, girl, first of all, living for this show, and also my sister, and she was so sweet, and we had a nice engagement. Oh my god. She's wonderful. I love her.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

She's so sweet. Yeah, well, that was that was last season. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Yeah. And so wonderful. He's a he's a cutie. Yeah. He is. Girl, he's gay. Cute, cutie pie, but he's married. Oh, cool. You know, I mean, you know, that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it does with him. He's respectful there, very happily married and love his kids. Uh damn. But uh he's uh he's such a wonder his name's Dan Amboyer. Uh huh. He's a wonderful scene partner and a wonderful um just partner to work with. I love your storyline. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 36:01

It was just so like um galvanizing and and it it did something for my heart. Yeah, and the way it built up too. To see you, yeah, um, no, no, I like like you know, you suspend reality and and and you get into your character and to see a black trans girl. And this type of visibility, yeah. Being be being, you know, um love.

SPEAKER_03 36:28

Yeah. And that's one of the things we're I agree. Thank you. That was one of the things that we want to talk about specifically in season two with the marriage, uh, the wedding and all that. Um between season one and season two, Michelle had mentioned to me, because we became close, and she mentioned to me, you know, so I was telling her all my tea, you know, with love and romance. And she, I guess, remembered that or like absorbed woman. And obviously, I've never been married, but she was like, I I want to make sure because she she's also watching, and she's also was watching how Dave Chappelle would be talking about the trans community, and uh she definitely wants to use her platform in a way that helps the community, and it's very like just naturally incredible.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

You could see the way that she built from your from the beginning of your character to how she's built her up. That was very thoughtful, yeah. You know what I mean? And the beautiful progression of how you've grown on that show from the beginning because you don't know in the if you're watching it from the very beginning, you don't know if it's just a uh a friend that pops in and oh, like a little cameo or something. You know what I mean? They eased it in so beautifully and gave you a great storyline.

SPEAKER_03 37:42

Oh, wait until this season.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

I can around it character. Yes, yes, yes, yes that is flesh and blood and has feelings, yes, and and and can and can be.

SPEAKER_02 37:52

You can relate to her too. So many different people can relate to her. It's not a trans thing, it's a fucking humanitarian thing. Yes, it's a girl thing, it's a black thing, it's all the things.

SPEAKER_03 38:00

And I'm I'm I'm grateful. It's the best TV job that I've ever had. That's a big thing. Uh this summer. Oh, this summer. Sometime this summer, probably right after, probably right around pride. Hopefully, right around pride, fingers crossed.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:12

Um, and so so yeah, I'm that's I'm excited. It's on Netflix, everybody. It's on Netflix.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Come on now.

SPEAKER_03 38:19

So I suggest people should go and watch seasons one and two so they can get ready for a great show. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

It's a great show. And also, too, I loved you on um our show with the when you and Bevi were on um. Harlem. Harlem. Yeah. Harlem was I wish Harlem was still on. Did you watch Harlem? I know I didn't get a chance to watch. I loved Harlem.

SPEAKER_03 38:38

I loved it. It was a great experience. My first, my first day filming was wild. But it was a great time. Oh um uh my the first episode of Harlem that I that I did was uh, and it might have been the first episode of this series, uh, was directed by Amy Polar. And I was on there and they wanted me to have my titty out. It was wild. I was like, are you sure? I think they wrote it one way, but then like when I showed up, showed up, they realized maybe this is a different kind of girl. Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 39:12

So then it took a completely different sort of trajectory.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

Yeah. Um, and one of the things in season two, I they I think they had three seasons. Yeah, they had three seasons, and I wasn't I wasn't in my character wasn't in season three. But in season two, uh my character, I played the uh the cousin of Jerry. Yeah, uh who Terry Terry is the character on the show. Uh um, and uh we who's the only, well, not the only, because all many of the girls have had some lesbian experiences on the show. Uh, but she's the out gay character on the show. Yeah, okay. And so we had a scene that they wrote that was just so beautiful. There's me and her in her kitchen. Two black queer women talking about our our grandmother. And so talking about like, was grandma like, did she know about us? Was she, was she, was she also a little something, maybe? Just having that conversation and exploring, but then talking about like generational sort of lineage and saying, like, oh, are you know, do you think you want to have kids? Are you gonna have kids and what are the options to do that? And yes, and then she asked me as a trans woman, what about you know, these days you can have kids too? What do you and so to see two black women who are queer talking about passing on the family, having the agency to make their own decisions about their own body and deciding and not and it doesn't necessarily involve a man in either of those two situations where we're like I'm a black trans woman, you're a black queer woman, you can have a child, and you figure whatever that means, there's options.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

Whatever, what what whatever whatever sphere of uh of the experience it falls on for you, that's right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:06

And so that was a beautiful thing when the fact that you wrote that was like a lot of things. It's a very powerful moment.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

That's why I'm I I I just loved that show so much. It's such a great show. I loved it too. It was such a great show. And seeing you, my girl Bevian, I was living. You ready for a little fishbowl situation? Oh my gosh, are we going to the fishbowl? Yes. Okay, make her shake the dice and steal the rice.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

Shake the dice. Shake the dice. Okay, I'm going to the bottom.

SPEAKER_00 41:31

I'm going to rise to the I rarely go to the bottom, though.

SPEAKER_03 41:36

It's a whale or a shark. Oh, it's a shark. It's a shark. What's it say? Oh, gonna get my glasses. Are you an am I an early bird or a night owl? Oh. Oh, I'm definitely a night owl. I ain't no early. I mean, I'm I'm so night owl that I'm an early bird because I'm up until 5-6 in the morning.

SPEAKER_02 41:58

You're going to sleep when I'm waking up. Yeah. The dial goes over.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

You two are similar the next day. Yeah, oh, always. Always. Always the next day. It's it can't not. I can't with you two. I don't think I've ever gone to bed in the night that I woke up. In the same day that I woke up. Okay. In the same calendar day.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Well, you already know the answer to this, but I'll tell you because you probably don't know. But honey, I'm up at 2:30 a.m. every morning. Girl, why? And what time do you go to bed? Seven.

unknown 42:26

What?

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Girl. I go to bed at seven. I guess I ask you to go to the house. What's happening? I take the babies out for a walk, um, and then I do two hours of meditation, and then I start my day, and then I go and train.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

Work. I mean.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Oh, stop, Casey Duke.

SPEAKER_03 42:42

It's working. It's working.

SPEAKER_02 42:44

I love being up, and also to up this in whatever location I live in. It's so it's so tranquil and serene in my neighborhood. Yeah. And you could go out at any time, and I've seen the elder people like, hi Lena. I'm like, hey, how you doing, or whatever? It's just, and also the moon is out too, so I do a little meditation outside and then I come back in.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

By the time you wake up, it's still out. Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_02 43:08

You fear that it's like a vampire.

SPEAKER_00 43:11

I'm dead. I'm dead.

SPEAKER_02 43:12

Maybe a little bit of the potion.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

Now it is Wait a minute. Do you make moon water?

SPEAKER_03 43:22

What the hell is moon water?

SPEAKER_01 43:24

Look at my skin, darling. Of course I do. You have water and you put it in a glass bowl and you and you let it shine in the moon. Yes. Yep. Uh under a drink it? Or on your skincare for I I made some. I made some.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

I got the moonshine over here. And how did it taste?

SPEAKER_03 43:47

Or how you put it on your face. What did you do?

unknown 43:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 43:50

I mean, look, I'm twelve. And I believe it. No, you you can put it in your atomizer. Yeah. Yeah. You can You know what?

SPEAKER_03 43:59

Yeah. Because right now this water is sitting in a tank somewhere, you know, in the city pipes. Yeah, exactly. You know?

SPEAKER_01 44:08

Yeah, bless it. Bless it.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

Running through chemicals. It's not infused with light.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

No, it's not, exactly. There's more fluoride. All right, y'all. We gotta wrap this up. You are welcome anytime. And first of all, we love your show as well, sweetheart. Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_05 44:24

Oh my gosh!

SPEAKER_03 44:25

Queer history. Queer history. Queer 101 is part of it. And um, I hope co-host it with my fabulous, fabulous, fabulous uh historian, friend, person that I admire, Hugh Ryan. He's an author. And you guys are great to be here. Such a brilliant person. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

And I love it is a pleasure to have you here, sister. It's great to be here.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

We love you, Pets. Ben, we're so proud. Yeah, ops. And also to see our beautiful sister of the cloth growing and doing so many beautiful things. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

We love you, darling. We love you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 44:59

This is what we do here on the cutting up, the Kiki with Connie and Lena. We're here every Thursday. Like, subscribe, and uh sending you blessings, love, and light. No, with some brown sugar kisses. What you got, girl?

SPEAKER_01 45:09

I got some loving for you, sugar dumpling bitch ass motherfuckers.

SPEAKER_05 45:13

Oh!

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Deuces! Bye y'all!

SPEAKER_05 45:16

Thank you, bad!

SPEAKER_03 45:19

That's gorgeous.

SPEAKER_02 45:23

Our show is produced by Josh Rosenspank and Matthew Green. Our gorgeous graphics are by Daryl Raymond. Our theme music is You Need It. Produced and written and performed by 808 Beach, John J.C. Carr, and Bill Coleman. Courtesy of Peace Biscuit. Our perfect production designer is Daryl Dickens. This season's hair has been done by the heavenly hair goddess herself, Mariah. Our very special thanks to Jason Canner for all your wonderful support. The Cutting Up is a Pride House Media production.