THE INTERVIEW K+L originally spoke to Alok Vaid Menon about two years ago — or, in 2020 terms, a lifetime ago — and it continues to be a relevant and important conversation for us to share. There are few people who have had such a lasting impact, not just from the show but from life. K+L left this conversation feeling more human, more connected, more aware of how they affect others: exactly what our world desperately needs more of right now. Alok also recently released a book, “Beyond the Gender Binary,” which shows that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression only limited by your creativity. So, to celebrate the book and this beautiful, powerful, kind, and heart-centered soul, we wanted to share the conversation again. We also talk about: The ins and outs of your passion being your business Growing up (emotionally repressed) in a small Texas town Southern “politeness” Balancing being a strong example for others + being a complex, flawed human Why it hurts when we turn someone into a metaphor and a symbol Visibility does not mean safety for women and trans people Where Alok developed their emotional vocabulary Gender + shame Learning not to fear their own gender nonconformity The psychology of fascism Why Alok is frustrated by the individualism of self-care The people who bully us want to be us Aesthetics as political resistance Violence against gender non-conforming individuals has escalated over the past few years What we can all do, every day, to challenge the current paradigm Find more to love at almost30.com! Resources: Get yourself a copy of “Beyond the Gender Binary” Or donate a copy of the book to an LGBTQ youth Learn more | alokvmenon.com Instagram | @alokvmenon Twitter | @alokvmenon YouTube | youtube.com/channel/UCG_G2mCoGdNUIOPaPrgorHg   Almost 30 is edited by Crate Media This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices