TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones
Sep 17, 2026 · 31 min · 8 segments
Historian Susan Stryker joins Imara to discuss her new book, “Changing Gender,” which is a history of the concept of gender itself. What does gender have to do with language? When did “gender…
Susan StrykerGuest
Imara JonesHost
But before we go into a deep dive with Dr. Stryker, let's start out as always with some trans joy.
Victor's dissertation, The Love Ball, draws on 35 oral histories with ballroom pioneers.
My name is Victor Omni.
I am a member of the worldwide pioneering House of Ultra Omni that was established in 1979.
In June of 2017, I went out to his home in Jersey and in the middle of our oral history interview, at that time I'd only done four, you know, he looked at me and he's like, you know, I think I'm going to welcome you into the house of Ultra Omni because you look like us and you're intelligent and you're kind.
And from that moment, I've never looked back.
Not only did I change my first name, but I also changed my last name.
My legal name is Victor Omni.
I think there's a long history of really dope Black folks doing that in all sorts of different types of ways, from Malcolm X to many, many others.
It's very important when telling the history of ballroom to be clear that femme queens, what some people could translate to trans women, started ballroom, and that's 100% true.
but they were also dating and in deep relationship with butchers and trans men.
So ballroom for me is not only family, but it's a lineage that I walk in and a way that I learned to be savvy and to maneuver and to put style on every challenge I face.
Do you know someone who embodies trans joy like Victor? Well, send us an email at translash underscore podcast at translash.org and make sure to include their name, contact information, and why you think they should get a shout out in a future trans joy segment.
But before we go into a deep dive with Dr. Stryker, let's start out as always with some trans joy.
Victor's dissertation, The Love Ball, draws on 35 oral histories with ballroom pioneers.
My name is Victor Omni.
I am a member of the worldwide pioneering House of Ultra Omni that was established in 1979.
In June of 2017, I went out to his home in Jersey and in the middle of our oral history interview, at that time I'd only done four, you know, he looked at me and he's like, you know, I think I'm going to welcome you into the house of Ultra Omni because you look like us and you're intelligent and you're kind.
And from that moment, I've never looked back.
Not only did I change my first name, but I also changed my last name.
My legal name is Victor Omni.
I think there's a long history of really dope Black folks doing that in all sorts of different types of ways, from Malcolm X to many, many others.
It's very important when telling the history of ballroom to be clear that femme queens, what some people could translate to trans women, started ballroom, and that's 100% true.
but they were also dating and in deep relationship with butchers and trans men.
So ballroom for me is not only family, but it's a lineage that I walk in and a way that I learned to be savvy and to maneuver and to put style on every challenge I face.
Do you know someone who embodies trans joy like Victor? Well, send us an email at translash underscore podcast at translash.org and make sure to include their name, contact information, and why you think they should get a shout out in a future trans joy segment.
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