In Full View Focusing on Trans Mascs in Media

Aiden Thomas is the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and the first openly trans author to hit the fiction bestseller list with a trans main character. He built one of the most dedicated readerships in YA fantasy largely without a marketing budget by talking about his characters online for six months straight before the book ever came out. Avi and Yas get into how Aiden writes trans characters without flattening them, why bringing your full intersectional identity to your work is a creative advantage, and how publishers manufacture the myth that queer stories don't sell. This episode goes deep on the business of YA publishing, what it took to get Cemetery Boys out there, and how Aiden is supporting trans, queer, and BIPOC writers trying to make it in an industry built against them.  For listeners into trans books, LGBTQ publishing, queer YA fantasy, or the business side of traditional publishing, this one's worth your time.

We're watching Tomboy (2011), Céline Sciamma's tender French film about a gender non-conforming 10-year-old who introduces himself as Mickäel to kids in his new apartment building. This slice-of-life story captures the specific innocence, freedom, and fear of childhood gender exploration in ways that felt shockingly familiar to both of us. We get personal about the boy names we secretly went by (Tom and Michael, very white of us), the moments of stolen boyhood we both experienced, and why we spent the entire film bracing for trauma that never came. Tomboy refuses to build toward violence, instead trusting the audience to understand what it costs to survive as a trans kid just trying to be seen. We also dig into Sciamma's intentional choice to leave the protagonist's gender open to interpretation, creating space for trans men, non-binary people, lesbians, and questioning viewers to all find themselves in the story.  Plus, we explore why trans masc representation keeps showing up in critically acclaimed indie films but rarely breaks through to mainstream Hollywood, and what that pattern means for our visibility and our paychecks. This episode is for anyone who grew up hiding, anyone who made a Play-Doh packer, and anyone still asking what trans narratives could look like if they trusted us enough to just exist. Tomboy is streaming on Criterion Channel if you want to watch ahead of time.

Two-time Artios Award-winning casting director Charlie Hano joins In Full View to talk about casting as a craft, how trans masculine actors can advocate for themselves in auditions, and what it takes to build a casting career when you can't study it in school. Charlie breaks down what casting directors look for in auditions, why auditions should feel like parties instead of interrogations, and how actors can reach out to casting professionals without crossing boundaries. He also opens up about the gap in trans masculine representation in theater and film, why people don't know what trans men look like, and his vision for a world where all-cisgender casts are intentional dramaturgical choices instead of the default. This episode is for trans actors navigating the entertainment industry, aspiring casting directors finding their path, and anyone who wants to understand how casting rooms actually work behind the scenes.

Avi and Yas dig into what trans masculine representation actually needs to create lasting change in entertainment. They explore the difference between visibility and impact, why quantity matters as much as quality, and how representation teaches audiences how to react to trans people in real life. The hosts revisit early trans masc representation like Max from The L Word and discuss how it shaped perceptions of trans men as abandoning the queer community. They break down the trans tax, the economic barriers trans masc artists face, and the challenges that come when support programs designed for gender minorities often exclude trans men who spent most of their careers hitting the glass ceiling. Looking ahead five years, they imagine a future where trans masc creatives hold leadership positions at studios and can build their own pathways. This episode connects representation to economic justice and asks how we create sustainable foundations for trans masc artists in the industry.

Trying to get your indie film made, but don't know where to start? Producer AJ Mattioli has been funding, producing, and distributing queer films for over a decade, and he's here to walk you through what it actually takes to bring a project to life. AJ is a veteran indie producer who's worked across the full spectrum of queer filmmaking, handling development, financing, and post-production. He also runs a queer distribution company, getting films onto platforms like TLA, Dekkoo, and Here TV. In this episode, he breaks down the realities of indie film production, how to navigate limited budgets, and what distribution options exist once your film is finished.  He also tackles why trans men are still stuck as side characters in mainstream projects, what needs to shift for trans masc characters to take center stage, and handling the negativity that comes with making trans and queer content. Learn what it takes to succeed in queer indie filmmaking. Listen now.

This three-part holiday special brings warmth, tears, and some trans holiday movies! Avi and Yas start with artist and activist Mars from Transanta to talk about mutual aid, community care, and punking the holiday season. Plus, they read some letters trans youth sent in. (Prepare the tissues!) Learn more at www.transsanta.com. Finally, the hosts take on the holiday movie industry. The holiday movie industry makes hundreds of millions of dollars. But the trans masculine representation is seriously lacking, which means the paycheck is, too. Avi and Yas talk about the few trans movies that exist, the tropes that need a rewrite, and the trans masc holiday movies they want to see. Grab a cup of cocoa and get cozy with a holiday special that’s all trans.

The ultimate multi-hyphante, Maze Felix, joins In Full View to talk about trans masculine visibility, creative embodiment, and finding euphoria through movement. A non-binary, transmasculine, Chinese adoptee advocate, Maze gets into how to craft your character without losing your intersectional identities, building your mental health toolkit, and leading your entertainment with joy.  They open up about getting cast as teenage boys in their 30s, being misgendered on set, and how art and advocacy work together.  This episode is for the trans artists, the dancers, the dreamers, and anyone learning to move through the world in full view.

Episode 5 of In Full View explores how the push for trans joy impacts storytelling in entertainment, especially for transmasculine stories that are already underrepresented. With trans masc stories so scarce, joy becomes a loaded expectation. We talk about the pressure to be “positive,” the absence of messy or morally gray roles, and how art risks being flattened for the sake of joy. This episode asks if there’s room for joy that looks different and sometimes contradictory, and how we make space for trans joy without shutting out dramas, horror, and darker experiences.  #transjoy #transmasc #lgbtqpodcast #queercreatives #transrepresentation #nonbinaryvoices

Musician and activist Ryan Cassata joins In Full View to talk about making music as a trans masculine artist in the music industry. Ryan shares what it’s been like to grow up in public as a young trans artist: from turning down American Idol to becoming the first openly trans performer on Warped Tour. He talks openly about not taking testosterone, how that affects his career, and the mental health impact of navigating visibility. This episode speaks to queer creatives, independent musicians, and anyone who’s ever been told their story shouldn’t be told. This episode is all about choosing truth over performance, protecting your peace, and making space for trans masculine voices that don’t fit the mold.

We’re celebrating spoOOoooOoky season with a Wendell & Wild watch party! From Coraline director Henry Selick and producer Jordan Peele, Wendell & Wild features Raúl, the first trans masc character (or any trans character!) in a feature-length stop motion film. We dig into how Raúl holds space on screen, what it means to see fully developed trans masculine characters, and why Selick chose to add a trans boy to his world. This episode explores Raúl’s intersectional Indigenous identity, the power of uniquely trans masc stories, and how the film navigates difficult moments like dead naming with care.  This one’s for the horror fans, the animation nerds, and the trans masc viewers who’ve never seen themselves on screen before, but more specifically, in clay-animated form!

Brian Michael Smith joins In Full View to talk about trans masculine representation, creative resilience, and building the career you want. As the first openly Black trans man in a series regular role on network television, thanks to his role of Paul Strickland on 9-1-1: Lone Star, Brian shares his experiences in entertainment — the challenges, the wins, and the daily work of believing in yourself in an industry that doesn’t make space for trans masc creatives.  This episode speaks to anyone redefining success on their own terms. It’s rooted in queer joy, unapologetic truth, and the power of building a tangible plan for success

Welcome to the very first episode of In Full View! Get to know your hosts, Yas Modares Ghasiri and Avi Roque—two transmasculine creatives with a lot to say about representation, storytelling, and surviving the entertainment industry with joy intact. In this debut, we talk about why we launched a podcast centering trans masc voices, what visibility really means to us, and how we’re building the space we wish we had. Whether you're trans masc, a trans man, a non-binary creative, or a queer media lover looking for stories that actually resonate, you’re in the right place.

Get your first taste of In Full View, the podcast putting transmasculine creatives front and center in entertainment. Hosts Avi Roque and Yas Modares Ghasiri set the stage with a quick hit of what’s coming—unfiltered interviews, sharp takes on queer media, and real talk about visibility in the entertainment industry. This isn't just another queer podcast. It’s a celebration of trans masc joy, hustle, and visibility. We’re not background characters anymore. We’re in full view.