# Ep. 309: Karen Kendra Holmes: 40 Years Wandering, Then Finding Home as a Transgender Military Veteran

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/everything-anything-and-a-bit-gay-podcast-6752108/ep-309-karen-kendra-holmes-40-years-wandering-then-finding-home-as-a-transgender-military-veteran
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/everything-anything-and-a-bit-gay-podcast-6752108/ep-309-karen-kendra-holmes-40-years-wandering-then-finding-home-as-a-transgender-military-veteran.md
Podcast: [Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/everything-anything-and-a-bit-gay-podcast-6752108)
Published: 2026-09-10T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.everythingandanythingpodcast.com/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/afp-939909-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/cfe1ea8e-7d0f-47dc-a4ba-305ba19ff04f/episodes/027d1e97-9d5d-4670-8b34-458953b14fba/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=cfe1ea8e-7d0f-47dc-a4ba-305ba19ff04f&awEpisodeId=027d1e97-9d5d-4670-8b34-458953b14fba&feed=prFhjice
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Duration seconds: 3299

## Resource

Zach sits down with Karen Kendra Holmes — U.S. military veteran, TEDx speaker, author, and longtime transgender advocate — for a wide-ranging conversation about her decades-long path to living authentically. Karen shares that she began privately exploring her gender identity at age 13 but didn't transition until 53, describing the internal and religious struggles that shaped those "40 years of wandering." She discusses her 24-year military career (including roles with the Maryland Defense Force and U.S. Veterans Reserve Corps), the carefully planned rollout of her transition across a 47-office federal agency, and her work bridging the transgender community and law enforcement through the Department of Justice. The conversation also covers current political attacks on transgender rights, the science behind hormone levels and trans athletes in sports, the challenges of dating later in life, and the writing of her memoir, 40 Years and Wandering No More: Loving My Life Being Transgender. Karen closes with a message to anyone struggling: build a platform, believe in yourself, and know that dreams are made to be lived. Links & Resources: Book: 40 Years and Wandering No More: Loving My Life Being Transgender — available on Amazon Website: kkholmes.com Email: kkholmes1956@gmail.com If this episode touches on suicide for anyone listening personally, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) is worth including in your notes or an on-screen resource, given Karen mentions it directly toward the end.

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## Transcript

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