Kendra Little Is Becoming More: Broadening The Gender Identity Conversation

The Rich Roll Podcast - Un pódcast de Rich Roll - Lunes

Escucha 30 días GRATIS

Escucha 30 días GRATIS

miles de podcasts y audiolibros originales y exclusivos, haz clic aquí

“You don’t have to be intersex to be able to relate to my story. Everyone is going through something they don’t feel like they can share. This story is for them as well."
Kendra Little

Growing up in the late 1970's there was no conversation around gender identity. You were either male or female. Period, end of discussion.

Times have changed. The way we currently think about gender has evolved. Each day brings greater mainstream awareness to its non-binary nature -- and the innate fluidity of gender roles and identity.

Take a moment to imagine the experience of being intersex -- a condition in which an individual is born with genetic variations on conventional sex characteristics.

Now imagine trying to navigate the world from this non-binary biological disposition.

This is the story of Kendra Little.

Raised as a girl, at age 12 Kendra learned that she was born with something called androgen insensitivity syndrome, a variation of intersex that affects between 2 to 5 out of 100,000 people. The news prompted Kendra to isolate. Adopting a hormone protocol on the advice of her doctors, she remained a ‘girl’, proceeded to never discuss her condition with anybody and dove headlong into sports -- a place where she excelled and felt at home.

But eventually the emotional dissonance between her true self and that which she held out to the world became too much to bear, prompting her to walk away from a promising career as a professional golfer. But that disconnect ultimately catalyzed an amazing journey of self-discovery -- and eventually wholeness.

Now able to fully embrace her own unique identity (very recently I might add), Kendra is publicly sharing her story -- with both courage and pride. The intention isn't self-serving, but motivated by a genuine desire to change the way we think about non-binary gender constructs. To bring comfort to those ashamed of how they were born. And to openly permit sharing the many forms of loneliness, pain and shame so many of us keep hidden.

This past July, Kendra tweeted me a video entitled Becoming More -- her story in mini-doc form created by Uninterrupted, LeBron James’ production company.

I click play. Instantly, I’m captivated by Kendra’s appearance. Her facial features present as simultaneously male and female. She's both, but also neither. Kendra is truly her own unique form of humanity. But her appearance is quickly eclipsed by her strength and vulnerability -- and the compelling narrative that unfolds.

I knew immediately this was a special person I wanted to know better. A fascinating story I wanted to help tell. And quite honestly, a subject matter of social importance and cultural relevance I wanted to better understand.

So here we are. Kendra, I honor you for your courage in trusting me with this conversation, a privilege I don't take lightly.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube (seeing Kendra helps contextualize the exchange). And as always, the conversation streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This one is special. May it be as enjoyable and enlightening as it was for me.

Peace + Plants,

Listen, Watch & Subscribe

             

Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts

Thanks to this week’s sponsors

Audible: With more than 180,000 audiobooks and spoken-word audio products, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Rich Roll listeners are entitled to a FREE audiobook and 30-day trial today by signing up at audible.com/richroll or text RICHROLL to 500-500

Calm: The #1 App for Meditation and Sleep with 100+ guided meditations covering anxiety, focus, stress, sleep, relationships and more. Plus 7-day and 21-day programs for both beginner and advanced users. For a limited time, my listeners can get 25% off a Calm Premium subscription at Calm.com/richroll. It includes unlimited access to ALL of Calm’s amazing content. Get started today.

Grove Collaborative: The online marketplace that makes it easy to go green by delivering all-natural & non-toxic home, beauty, and personal care products right to your doorstep. This holiday season, visit grove.co/richroll and get a FREE Grove Sustainable Swap Set with your purchase, along with FREE shipping and and FREE 60-day VIP Trial.

Note: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support the sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors".

SHOW NOTES

Thanks to Jason Camiolo for production, audio engineering, interstitial music and show notes; Margo Lubin and Blake Curtis for video, editing and graphics. Theme music by Ana Leimma.

*Disclosure: Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

for 1000s of delicious, customized plant-based recipes & so much more, check out our Plantpower Meal Planner

gift cards now available // give the gift of health this holiday!

 HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?

Tell Your Friends & Share Online!

Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Podcasts

Donate: Check out our Patreon account

Support The Sponsors: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support our sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors".

Visit the podcast's native language site