Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Courtesy of Illinois Public Media
The call came about midway through the show. “I came out to him as transgender and I mean, we didn’t see eye to eye,” the voice said, describing a conversation with their grandfather.
The person said they were a high schooler from the Twin Cities, Minnesota—not your typical caller on a public radio show. They described how the way they identified fractured their relationship with their grandfather, though through time, communication, and their shared love of making hot sauces, it helped them find a middle ground.
“We realized that what we both want for both of us is the best thing that can happen and that kind of extends out,” they said. “If we come into a mindset, we can really find that sort of ground and it’s something that I don’t see a lot because it’s really hard to see that other person and see where they’re coming from because it’s easier to see where you’re coming from.”