Adelle Barker: I Don’t Know How To Be Trans & Finding Authenticity

What happens when you finally stop adapting to the person everyone expects you to be and start living as yourself?Multi-award-winning activist Adelle Barker transitioned at 36, after spending much of her life feeling lost, confused and, in her words, simply adapting to get through.In this episode of Queer Talker, Adelle opens up about the early signs she didn’t yet understand, secretly exploring her femininity, the fear of being discovered and the moment she finally realised she didn’t have to pretend anymore.We talk about what meaningful trans inclusion actually looks like in the workplace, why LGBTQ+ employee networks matter, navigating visibility in the current climate and the idea behind her brilliantly named newsletter, I Don’t Know How to Be Trans.Adelle also explains why there is no handbook for transition, why every trans person’s experience is different, and why her advice to young LGBTQ+ people is simple: trust your instincts and bet on yourself.An open, funny and deeply human conversation about authenticity, visibility and discovering the freedom of waking up as yourself.Chapters00:00 Queer Panic rapid fire questions07:43 First awareness of LGBTQ+ identities11:30 Early signs of queerness and secret dressing14:00 Acceptance and living authentically17:06 Meaningful trans inclusion at work20:58 Messy process of transitioning and embracing mistakes23:31 Realization that you don’t need to have everything figured out34:38 Balancing visibility with self-care38:02 Advice to younger self and young LGBTQ+ people40:06 Closing remarks and message of community supportConnect with Ben Cicchetti:Website - https://www.queertalker.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/bencicchetti/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@queertalkerTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bencicchetti