The life and legacy of Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco is at the heart of Afterlives, a podcast about trans lives we’ve lost and the ways their stories have reshaped our world. Known to light up a room, Layleen was an Afro-Latina trans woman in New York City who was sentenced to the city’s notorious jail complex on Rikers Island. She died there in 2019, at the young age of 27.



Hosted by Raquel Willis and inspired by her award-winning work on Out magazine’s Trans Obituaries Project, this 7-episode series celebrates Layleen’s vibrant life through memories from her family of origin and the community she discovered in New York’s famed ballroom scene. The series unpacks the systems that failed Layleen leading up to her death at Rikers through in-depth interviews with activists fighting against the criminalization of sex work, solitary confinement, and the epidemic of anti-trans violence.



Afterlives is the story of Layleen’s life, and the fight that continues in her name today.

The life and legacy of Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco is at the heart of Afterlives, a podcast about trans lives we’ve lost and the ways their stories have reshaped our world. Known to light up a room, Layleen was an Afro-Latina trans woman in New York City who was sentenced to the city’s notorious jail complex on Rikers Island. She died there in 2019, at the young age of 27.
 
Hosted by Raquel Willis and inspired by her award-winning work on Out magazine’s Trans Obituaries Project, this 7-episode series celebrates Layleen’s vibrant life through memories from her family of origin and the community she discovered in New York’s famed ballroom scene. The series unpacks the systems that failed Layleen leading up to her death at Rikers through in-depth interviews with activists fighting against the criminalization of sex work, solitary confinement, and the epidemic of anti-trans violence.
 
Afterlives is the story of Layleen’s life, and the fight that continues in her name today.

Afterlives: The Layleen Polanco Story

Introducing: Afterlives: The Layleen Polanco Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/17a8ce94-0cc8-4525-87a3-b08f00e53f8c/transcript

Two incredible trans storytellers, ​​Kristen Lovell and Cecilia Gentili, share how they found their power in interview segments you haven’t heard before. Kristen Lovell, the documentary filmmaker behind The Stroll, talks about how Martin Scorsese inspired her to tell a New York story that she knew intimately. The conversation explores the history of New York’s Meatpacking District and the community space that was lost due to police crackdowns. Then we hear from Cecilia Gentilli, the founder of Trans Equity Consulting and the author of Faltas. Starting with her childhood she talks about her life story, including the harsh realities of her transition, the moment she opened her eyes to all that trans people can be, and the importance of passing the torch to trans youth.

Two incredible trans storytellers, ​​Kristen Lovell and Cecilia Gentili, share how they found their power in interview segments you haven’t heard before. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kplgrams/?hl=en">Kristen Lovell</a>, the documentary filmmaker behind <a href="https://www.hbo.com/movies/the-stroll">The Stroll</a>, talks about how Martin Scorsese inspired her to tell a New York story that she knew intimately. The conversation explores the history of New York’s Meatpacking District and the community space that was lost due to police crackdowns. Then we hear from Cecilia Gentilli, the founder of <a href="https://www.transequityconsulting.com/">Trans Equity Consulting</a> and the author of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61629767">Faltas</a>. Starting with her childhood she talks about her life story, including the harsh realities of her transition, the moment she opened her eyes to all that trans people can be, and the importance of passing the torch to trans youth.

Bonus: The History of the Stroll & Stories from a Trans Elder

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9eecce80-09d9-4aec-8ed6-b0f90179b479/transcript

Enjoy unaired excerpts of interviews with two brilliant authors: Sydney Baloue and Tre’vell Anderson. Sydney Baloue, who is currently writing Undeniable: A History of Voguing, Ballroom, and How it Changed my Life and the World, dives deeper into the House of Xtravaganza’s legacy. He also opens up about his own foray into ballroom (which started in Europe) and reflects on his history-making performance at the Latex Ball in New York City. In the second half of the episode we hear from Tre’vell Anderson, the author of We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film. Tre’vell discusses their own relationship with representation, talks about an early trans celebrity (and what her fame meant for future trans stars), and considers whether visibility can lead to true progress.

Enjoy unaired excerpts of interviews with two brilliant authors: Sydney Baloue and Tre’vell Anderson. <a href="https://www.sydneybaloue.com/">Sydney Baloue</a>, who is currently writing Undeniable: A History of Voguing, Ballroom, and How it Changed my Life and the World, dives deeper into the House of Xtravaganza’s legacy. He also opens up about his own foray into ballroom (which started in Europe) and reflects on his history-making performance at the Latex Ball in New York City. In the second half of the episode we hear from <a href="https://www.trevellanderson.com/">Tre’vell Anderson</a>, the author of <a href="https://www.trevellanderson.com/books">We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film</a>. Tre’vell discusses their own relationship with representation, talks about an early trans celebrity (and what her fame meant for future trans stars), and considers whether visibility can lead to true progress.

Bonus: The Legacy of Xtravaganza & Trans Lives on Screen

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f3871b15-9cbc-4f54-b5ed-b0f2016dfb0e/transcript

Layleen’s spirit is very much alive in her sister Melania’s home: photos dot the walls, a recording of Layleen’s voice lives inside her daughter’s teddy bear, and Melania surrounds herself with animals and pets as her sister once did. In the final episode, Melania reflects on how her own life has changed in the past four years and what she wishes for Layleen’s legacy. We’ll hear from activists fighting for the future she dreams of– where trans people can live safely and Rikers Island is closed forever. 

Layleen’s spirit is very much alive in her sister Melania’s home: photos dot the walls, a recording of Layleen’s voice lives inside her daughter’s teddy bear, and Melania surrounds herself with animals and pets as her sister once did. In the final episode, Melania reflects on how her own life has changed in the past four years and what she wishes for Layleen’s legacy. We’ll hear from activists fighting for the future she dreams of– where trans people can live safely and Rikers Island is closed forever.

Episode 7: Trans Futures

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e28fb31-1e8e-43aa-8281-b0e4013b5633/transcript

Introducing: Afterlives: The Layleen Polanco Story

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