Authenticity Unveiled

Lee Gilbert joins Joanne Lockwood to talk through what it took to move from decades of masking to living openly and authentically.

Lee reflects on knowing she was transgender from childhood, the absence of information and role models in the 1980s and 1990s, and how that isolation contributed to shame and a severe mental health crisis in her teens. She describes building a life that looked successful from the outside while feeling deeply misaligned internally, and how music, relationships, and time helped her survive and make sense of who she was.

The conversation explores the practical and emotional “cliff edges” of coming out to a spouse, family, and then professionally, including how visibility can affect loved ones as well as the person transitioning. Joanne and Lee discuss vulnerability as a strength, the search for belonging, and the experience of “rebooting” life once authenticity becomes possible.

They also touch on the current media and political climate for trans and nonbinary people, and why Lee chooses to focus on mentoring, role-modelling, and one-to-one impact rather than being drawn into public debate. The episode closes with a clear message: authenticity and vulnerability can be transformative, and being visible in everyday life can challenge damaging stereotypes and make space for others.