Transvox - Meet Joseph Harwood

Gillian and Jenny are Transgender friends talking about the process of transition and living their best lives. Gillian is new into the transition process and Jenny has been transitioned for many years and acts as a type of mentor, sharing experiences and thoughts about the trans community and useful specific subjects.

Their conversations are wide ranging and they hope to help others on the same path.

This week:

Gillian is joined by guest Joseph Harwood, who is the new patron of the charity Beyond Reflections. They discuss his background as a makeup artist and model, as well as his experiences with gender dysphoria. Joseph also talks about how he has worked with major beauty brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their products. The conversation touches on the concept of androgyny and its history in fashion and music culture.

Social media played a significant role in Joseph's career, particularly when he went viral for his Boy to Go makeup tutorials.

Jojo talks about the benefits of social media networking for marginalised communities like trans people. They discuss the evolution of language and how it can be a challenge to keep up with changing terminology in the LGBTQ+ community. Jojo also shares their passion for makeup, where they learned techniques from video games and eventually became a go-to makeup artist for drag queens, celebrities and pop stars. The conversation touches on resilience and talent as important factors in success.

Jojo discusses the challenges he has faced, including a traumatic assault that left him blind in one eye and suffering from PTSD. Despite this setback, he credits his family with helping him regain inspiration and find meaning in other pursuits, such as earning a degree in biochemistry for cosmetic research.

Jojo is also proud of his work advocating for greater trans inclusion in the beauty industry but notes how changes to social media algorithms have made it more difficult for marginalised voices to be heard.

The speaker reflects on the impact of social media and online fame in the trans community, noting that it has incentivised extreme and combative behaviour for the purpose of gaining views and followers. They express concern about young people being exposed to misinformation about gender dysphoria and feeling invalidated by disagreement with their identity.

He encourages listening to differing viewpoints in a civilised manner to avoid alienating potential allies in the fight for transgender rights. They also criticise legislation aimed at limiting access to medical resources, arguing that such measures will harm both transgender individuals and society as a whole.

Joseph also talks about his future plans, including working on perfumery and an accessible fashion line. He has become a patron of Beyond Reflections, a charity focused on supporting mental well-being within the trans community.

You can submit questions or support their work at patreon or at transvox.co.uk