Category: LGBT

  • A Long and Painful Journey of Growth and Discovery

    I’ve always had to battle challenges and adversity far larger than being transgender. In this blog post, let’s focus on the transgender part of my story… I was born in 1971 and grew up in a time, a conservative geographic region, and surrounded by people who never asked me why I was so unhappy and hid away…

  • The Hazards of Traveling

    Traveling. That magical word. Those moments, surreal almost in their beauty and intensity once we return home and try to hold on to them in our thoughts. And then, of course, while on the road, there is this feeling of being intensely alive. I had missed especially this vividness when finally, after 2 years of…

  • On Stage with Kurt Aeschbacher at Haebse in Basel

    For a second time, I had the pleasure to be invited as a guest to Kurt Aeschbacher’s talk show. This time not on television but life on stage at the Kulturhaus Haebse in Basel. It’s been – once again – a special honor and precious life experience, whilst at the same time also an opportunity…

  • Come see me on stage in Basel on April 16th

    On Sunday, April 16, 2023, come see me on stage in Basel, Switzerland. I will be one of four guests of Swiss talk show legend Kurt Aeschbacher. And he will surely have an amazing conversation with each of us. For 30 years, Kurt Aeschbacher had his own talk show on Swiss TV. Now he is…

  • The Amazing Zurich PRIDE Parade

    Yesterday, on June 18th, 2022, the annual Zurich PRIDE parade took place in the center of town. It was the first parade after the pandemic. And it was fabulous in so many ways… let me tell you more… Arriving at the meeting point, I already thought, “Oh, there are way more people here than in the…

  • Paralian at Paranoia City

    Since yesterday, my book is available for sale in Paranoia City, a wonderful, little, independent book shop in Zurich. Paralian is officially out of print, so these are the last 6 copies available for now. What better place to sell them at than in my old home which inspired a large part of this book…

  • My Book Paralian is Still Available as eBook – Only Few Print Copies Left

    It’s been a long long time since I have posted about Paralian. With Covid, and things that happened in the year before Covid, I have been so absorbed, and left to fend for my survival, I could not really (and still can’t) keep up-to-date with all social media channels. I also realize, I want to…

  • Little Challenges

    Only 6 more days until I’ll be on my way! I’m getting quite excited and a bit frazzled. As always, the closer the date comes the more it seems like time is racing way too fast, and there is still quite a bit to prepare and test. One of the toughest things in organizing this…

  • I Am Liam

    Ever since writing this blog, I’ve noticed how I lose followers when, for a while, I don’t specifically write about being transgender. I guess some people are hoping for specific insights into a trans existence. But what is a trans existence? The truth is – and I can’t stress this often enough – we are…

  • First Presentation in Hong Kong

    A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by UBS Hong Kong to give a presentation about my life journey. It was my first ever speaking engagement in Hong Kong. The audience was wonderful. Curious, openminded, and not shy to bombard me with questions after the talk. Standing in the conference room on the 56th…

  • Into The Unknown

    Change is life. And, for me, the thought of heading into the unknown is invigorating. I am ready to dive in once more, leave this safe harbor, to simply trust and see where life will lead me. While selling and giving away our belongings, I am amazed yet again by how little I truly need…

  • The Perfect Moment

    The perfect moment. Sunshine. A group of delighted scuba divers whom I had guided throughout the morning. Jackfish. Chilli Sauce. Sand as soft a velvet. Palm Trees. A blazing azure sky and turquoise sea all around us. I enjoyed myself. Enjoyed to guide, coach, and drink in our surroundings with all my senses. It didn’t…

  • Whatever

    I continue to be amused as well as annoyed (and sometimes a bit alarmed) by the endless gender bathroom debates. I am female-to-male transgender. When I was four years old, I knew I was a boy. Being born in a girl’s body, my parents kept sending me to bathrooms assigned to female gender even though…

  • I Hope, Deep Down You Knew

    Uniting my body with my soul meant breaking the heart of the one person who had always been there for me – my oma (grandma). As the hormones took an ever-firmer hold, I tried explaining to her who I was. Unfortunately, she was becoming progressively more senile. Oma sadly asked for me. Countless times, she…

  • The Sparkling Rainbow of Creation

    LGBT, trans, and whatever shade in between, we’ve always been around. Be it amongst humans or within the plant and animal kingdom. Just another bunch of colors in the sparkling rainbow of creation. ”Oddly, humans are not the only animals that engage in cross-dressing or have transgender identity issues; a lot of animals also have…

  • Presentation at Zurich Insurance Group

    Yesterday, I was invited by the Zurich Insurance Group to give a presentation on diversity, inclusion, and transgender, combined with reading from my book Paralian. There are no quick fixes, no recipes, no instruction manuals. But I do believe there is nothing more valuable than personal experience. So that’s what I gave, as always striving…

  • Yet Another Presentation

    Last Friday, I gave a presentation and read from my book ‘Paralian’ at the offices of The Boston Consulting Group in Zurich. Thanks so much to BCG for the opportunity! Special thanks to the amazing, open-minded, and engaged audience!       

  • You Always Can – A Story of Coming Home to Myself

    Just put this story on Bored Panda. Have a look at the actual Bored Panda page here and please upvote, like and share as much as you can all over social media. Thanks! I have always been drawn to water. Any body of water. Oceans mostly. Wanted to immerse myself. Dive in. Explore and discover. But,…

  • International author backs Kent transgender student

    Thank you Sean McPolin. I’m glad Lily won this battle. There’ll be many more to come. Some to do with her being trans, others just because challenging us is what life does… Makes me think of a quote I read the other day, “You’re gonna be happy’” said life, “but first I’ll make you strong.”…

  • Paralian Won “Best Debut Book”!

    Paralian won its first literary award today. “Best Debut Book” in the 2016 Rainbow Awards! More info on the awards and all winning categories here: https://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4932973.html Big heartfelt thanks to the organisers and judges! I’m stuck at home with a painful case of pink eye right now. Then snuck a peek at the glaringly bright screen…

  • Lending a Voice

    Annually, on the 20ieth of November we remember those who have been taken from us way too early, but, until we have reached a state of mutual respect and acceptance, every day is Transgender Day of Remembrance… I was born in Germany in 1971, a little boy in a girl’s body… then transitioned almost twenty…

  • A Story of Hope

    Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance #TODR. https://tdor.info Everyone on this list has lost their lives simply for being themselves, for longing to live their lives as who they truly were. In honor of those who have been taken from us so violently, let me share a positive story with you of how it could…

  • Allow us to come home to Ourselves

    An article I wrote for one person in particular (this is for you Lily!) … but ultimately for all of us. Read the full featured story here. (Thank you Vada magazine!)       

  • Honorable Mention for Paralian

    Yay, Paralian has just received an honorable mention at this year’s Rainbow Awards. Read more here. I’m immensely happy. Big thanks to the Rainbow Awards judges!       

  • Imagine …

    “Some men are born in their bodies, others have to fight for it.” This is not just another quote. Gender dysphoria unfortunately is a reality for many. I myself was struggling with it for many years until I finally transitioned from Stefanie to Liam when I was twenty-three years old. A weight, as unbearably heavy…

  • A Chat With Hungry Monsters

    Great interview was just published online! Take a moment and have a look here. Thanks to the Hungry Monsters for devouring my book and for taking the time to chat with me after!       

  • Looking for Adam!

    Hello, I’m looking for Adam. He wrote me a beautiful message to my private Liam Klenk FB page about 2 weeks ago. He mentioned he’s from Denmark, currently living in London, and that he received my book Paralian as a gift. Adam: if and when you see this, please get in touch once more!! Or…

  • Salt on my Skin

    One week since I got back from the Red Sea… I still feel the gentle swaying of the boat under my feet, salt on my lips and skin. Need to get back to the ocean soon!       

  • Heading into Cerulean Blue

    A long-awaited vacation is coming up… this exhausted author urgently needs two weeks of sunshine and ocean! But before I head out, I wanted to extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of you. These past 10 days, you’ve all helped so much to push my Bored Panda story. Because of your support, your multiple…

  • Help Me Reach The Front Page!

    Look at what Bored Panda just sent me, dear friends and supporters!!! Can we try together and create one more large wave of shares of this link please? Please take a minute to go there, SHARE on your social media pages, and click the “UP-VOTE” arrow! We’re only a couple thousand k views and a…

  • You’re Not Alone!

    At the moment I am sharing this story on Bored Panda to reach as many people as possible – with your help. Can you please share this link, and also go on the page and give it an “up” vote? We got about 3’000k views so far and many good responses. I’ve received emails from people…

  • Reading bits from Paralian

    Reading bits from Paralian during yet another successful book presentation in Dusseldorf last Friday. A big thank you to BCG for giving me the opportunity! I love presenting and treasure direct contact to my readers. First London, then San Francisco, now Dusseldorf… next up is a keynote speech at a book meet in Southampton on…

  • Liam Klenk on life and being transgender…

    Sharing a bit about the transgender part of my life journey on YouTube and Vimeo… What it felt like growing up in the wrong body and how a book helped me realize I was trans… How I risked it all to give myself a chance at life; the reactions of family, friends, and employers…  About…

  • Paralian Interview in Gay Times Magazine

    An interview with me about my book ‪Paralian‬ and my life journey has just been published in the August issue of Gay Times magazine, page 124-127 🙂 ‪Big thanks to fabulous interviewer Nick Hoare!       

  • Thank you!

    Just want to share this great review with you that fellow author Daisy White wrote about ‪Paralian‬ the other day. Slowly but surely reviews are trickling in. I am humbled by some of them and immensely grateful for all of them. If you’ve finished reading the book already, it’ll be absolutely fantastic if you can leave a…

  • Extraordinary Summer Reading!

    We are nearing 3‘000 followers on this page which is truly amazing. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your dedicated interest and support!! It means A LOT 🙂 I’ll keep sharing anecdotes, memories, and thoughts with you and I’ll keep updating you on what’s happening in Paralian’s world. As a sunny summer “thank…

  • The Boy Who Knew

    As a child I knew instinctively… trapped within this little girl’s body was a little boy… and that’s who he’d always be… “Each summer, I couldn’t wait to get back to the ocean. The sand dunes seemed to traverse the island like mountainous, slow-gliding golems. More than anything, I longed to reclaim my freedom. As…

  • Unconditional Love

    This lovely, good-humoured correction to a child’s birth announcement years after the fact just made my day! In a perfect world I’d wish all human beings were capable of such unconditional love and acceptance… thanks so much to the wonderful parents for their open and genuine gesture!       

  • Can I Do Something?

    Caught a flu in the middle of summer. I am now in a near-zombie state on my couch and – dare I admit it – googling myself 😉 To my astonishment I found 2 (!) newspapers in Nigeria who picked up last week’s Mirror article about the transgender part of my life story. It makes me…

  • Top 100 and featured in Nigeria Today!

    It’s only noon here and it’s already been a great day! Early this morning, I was quite stunned to find myself featured in yet another online newspaper: Nigeria Today picked up yesterday’s Mirror article. I’m honored and still a bit speechless! Hello Africa!!! Only a few hours later I was delighted to discover that ‘Paralian:…

  • An article about the transgender part of my life journey…

    Rosie Hopegood, journalist with the Sunday Mirror, and I had a 2-hour chat a few weeks ago under the twinkling London Eye. Today the result of our spirited, genuine conversation has been published: an article about the transgender part of my life journey. As a good friend of mine pointed out “Rosie’s article portrays someone…

  • If you want to give yourself a chance…

    … at happiness, there is really only one option… We’ve come so far. At least we like to think so on most days. But then, members of the LGBT community are questioned on how they feel about society and about living openly as who they are. The answers are nothing short of stunning (and terrifying).…

  • Home Within

    This was 1995, roughly a year before my gender reassignment surgeries. My clothes couldn’t be baggy enough and my coats couldn’t be long enough so as to hide my traitorous body. Alien female curves and boobs as big as gene-manipulated water melons disappeared behind these thick layers of tent-like clothing. By covering what shouldn’t be…

  • No one should have to fear…

    … for being who they are. So much hate still out there. My heart is heavy thinking of the Orlando shooting victims. But you know what? Killing won’t help those who hate because they are too afraid to open their minds and understand. Because human diversity is as old as the world. Being straight, gay,…

  • Presenting in San Francisco

    Arriving in San Francisco today after 11 years of absence was surprisingly like stepping into a pair of well worn, comfortable shoes. All senses were flooded with familiar yet deliciously foreign sensations. I inhaled the city scents, basked in the Californian evening sun and headed straight into a strong Pacific evening breeze during a brief…

  • Paralian: Not Just Transgender – Book Release Week – Author Interview Opportunities

    BOOK LAUNCH RELEASE WEEK Paralian: Not just transgender By Liam Klenk Author interview opportunities: Liam Klenk is currently flying into London from Zurich and will be in the UK as part of his book launch press tour and available for face-to-face, telephone and in-studio interviews this week (30th May to 3rd June).… Read full press…

  • Syndicated Interview With Liam Klenk

    Author of Paralian: Not Just Transgender (Memoir, Paperback, 28th May 2016) When did you first sit down to write your memoir? In my head I’ve been writing for more than 10 years. Resting in bed, on public transportation, whenever I had a minute to reflect I’d catch myself writing paragraphs for my book. I actually sat…

  • Ch-Ch-Changes

    I’ve always been a big fan of CSI Las Vegas (well mostly the “Gil Grissom era”). I love the humanity, the thoughtfulness, and careful development of characters. The gentle fallibility, the dry yet always respectful and kind humor and, more than anything, I adore the always non-judgmental approach no matter which little corner of human…

  • 3 more days to launch!!!

    Only 3 more days to launch!!! And yes, I do feel as pumped and ready for adventure as I did all those years ago when I created castles and sand cakes in my little sandbox. As if the book odyssey isn’t exciting enough yet, something fantastic happened two days ago: A Book Awards Committee from…

  • Never Just Transgender

    Liam Klenk, author of Paralian: Not just transgender, examines the public’s view of transgender people in the wake of the toilet debate in America… (Thanks to Vada Magazine!)  ‘I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been all my life. More than ever, I was confident to…

  • Immersed

    “I finally reached the shore, out of breath and delighted, longing for more and feeling intensely alive. I had glimpsed boundless strength and passion within myself. For just an instant out there, in the arms of the Atlantic Ocean, I had felt beautiful.” (Excerpt from Paralian, Chapter 7) I remember seeing the ocean for the…

  • A Maldivian Evening

    Here another little taste of Paralian, just for you… only 20 more days until official launch! “It was a glorious evening. Everyone was touched. Captain Ismail had whittled a beautiful scale-model dhoni for me, so I would never forget my life on the remodeled Maldivian fishing boats. Anecdotes were exchanged, most rather unfavorable of me…

  • Paralian is Book of the Month

    Paralian has been chosen by Bookbag.co.uk as one of their books of the month! Amazing! I’m so honoured and, of course, immensely happy to see people are experiencing my book the way I hoped with all my heart they would. You can click on the link below, or here is what the Bookbag team wrote:…

  • Paralian is just a click away…

    Thanks so much for all the beautiful messages I am receiving lately! More and more people are getting in touch, asking, “Where can I order Paralian?” Let me answer this question here for all of you who can’t wait to get your own copy and dive into the story. Paralian is available for pre-order in…

  • I am Liam

    “As for the lingering psychological femininity, the successful surgeries had strengthened my resolve even further to embrace the person I had started out being. I would integrate my female side into the male adult I was becoming. I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been…

  • Great 1st Reading

    Last week in London… I had the best audience I could wish for. Thanks so much to the Boston Consulting Group team for the warm welcome and genuine support! If this is how every book presentation will be then I want to give a whole flood of them 🙂       

  • London and Hogwarts

    When my wife and I arrived in London one week ago, we hit the ground running. As soon as we touched down, we sprinted to the studios of Talk Radio London for my first radio interview ever. I was all nerves but adapted quickly. We then spent a lovely weekend with old friends, exploring corners…

  • A Brief Visit

    I did briefly stop by at this year’s London Book Fair. Just as last year though, it was rather disheartening. How paradoxical to feel more unwanted as an author here in this haven of books than anywhere else on the planet… Nevertheless, as a passionate book lover it felt great to be there for just…

  • My Interview on The Arts Show, Radio BBC Ulster

    Yesterday I had the honour to become an active part of the respected BBC Radio Ulster Arts Show. Marie-Louise Muir and I had an inspiring, in-depth chat. Her questions were informed, smart, compassionate, and to the point. It was a real pleasure and I’m delighted to be able to share the link to the interview…

  • Interview with Yasmeen Khan, Talk Radio London

    A friend of mine – in Berlin no less – alerted me to the link through which you can re-visit the radio interview I gave on Friday for Talk Radio London. Just click on 18:00-18:30, then fast-forward a little. A few minutes in you’ll find me talking to Yasmeen Khan. Turn up the volume. I…

  • A Lesson From Mr. Bojangles

    A little taste from Chapter 7, ‘Atlantic Ocean’: As I turned with Cinnebar to walk her out of the paddock, Mr. Bojangles closed the distance between us in a few powerful strides. Shocked, I turned towards him. He reared up and kicked me in the stomach with the full force of both his hind legs.…

  • Postal Marathon

    This last week was a high-speed marathon involving serious family team work (and a pinch of drama): The first 100 copies of Paralian arrived at my dad’s place in Germany beginning of the week. Dad managed to organize stamps and boxes after battling rigid German postal authorities. I spent hours (days really) soothing my slightly…

  • Paralian Finished Printing!

    *** EXCITING NEWS *** Just heard from my publisher TODAY that Paralian has finished printing and a few copies are on their way to me!!! In about 2 weeks I’ll hold the real-life copy of my very first book in my hands. What a fabulous adventure!       

  • Get ready for a very special journey!

    Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the full cover of ‘Paralian: not just transgender’. We have finished completing the design and I’ve just passed it for press which means after many months of hard work and preparations, Paralian will go to the printer next week. I must admit I’m quite fond of the whole cover…

  • The Rainbow Colours of Childhood

    Look at this rainbow of first grade kids from 1978. Can you find me? Who was Liam (then still Stefanie) at 7 years old? I’m curious. Give me your best guess! I’ll wait a little while to see if someone guesses right, and then I’ll reveal in a few days which one of these colour…

  • The Danish Girl And Me

    Have you seen “The Danish Girl”? Go see it! I loved the sensitivity, the subtleness, the clarity, the not-so-in-your-face way of it. Never have I seen a transgender person portrayed with more love, sensitivity, and acceptance. “The Danish Girl” makes you really FEEL what it is like to be trapped in the wrong body. There…

  • LGBT History Month: Not Just Transgender

    And here right away another press release from LiterallyPR (thanks so much Helen, Sam and Diana) this time focussing more on the transgender/LGBT side of things…       

  • Needle Work

    Every twenty days or so I need to help my body along with a little testosterone. The needle is a good 4 cm long and also not the thinnest kind. Rather a McDonalds straw as opposed to a thin reed if you know what I mean. It needs to be that big because the large…

  • Transgender Today – Liam’s Thoughts

    [wpvideo w4SQzHUq] Here a short video I submitted to the New York Times today… they are doing a series of portraits on transgender people… intriguing stories and beautiful thoughts from around the world on gender identity and what it means to be human: https://www.nytimes.com/…/the-quest-for-transgender-equality… ‪#‎Paralian‬‪#‎LiamKlenk‬ ‪#‎notjusttrans‬ ‪#‎LGBT‬ ‪#‎lovinglife‬ ‪#‎nevergiveup‬ ‪#‎beinghuman‬‪#‎wearethesumofourexperiences‬ ‪#‎lifejourney‬ ‪#‎goforward‬       

  • Paralian Teaser

    [wpvideo VlINKbTs] Many special thanks to my friend Axel for putting together this teaser for ‘Paralian’ as early as spring 2014 (Back then my book still had the working title ‘The Fortunate Nomad’ and we thought it would be published a lot sooner as you can see from the projected launch date at the end…

  • Liam

    Last week, one of you asked how I came to choose the name ‘Liam’ for myself… For a long time, even before beginning hormone therapy, I wondered about the right name. My first thoughts were along the lines of carrying on family traditions and maybe pick ‘Karl’ in honour of my late grandfather and my…

  • Author Liam Klenk Responds to Seven Sisters Festival Trans Exclusion

    https://pridelife.com/author-liam-klenk-responds-to-seven-sisters-festival-trans-exclusion/#prettyPhoto       

  • Not just transgender

    After many weeks of pondering the right subtitle for my book, we decided on “Not just transgender”. Being trans has in many ways impacted my life and also shaped me as an individual. I came into this world as a little boy, trapped in the body of a girl. Until the age of 23 people…

  • Traveling in Time

    I spent four days in Budapest last week. It’s a beautiful old town with breath-taking historical buildings and a romantic river, meandering through the heart of the city. As I soaked in the sights and smells all around me, I found myself traveling to places I had never expected. The steaming hot lentil stew and…

  • Be Yourself!

    Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance… https://www.facebook.com/thefortunatenomad/ ‪#‎Paralian‬ ‪#‎TDOR‬ ‪#‎LGBT‬ ‪#‎humanist‬ ‪#‎lovinglife‬ ‪#‎diversity‬‪#‎respectforeachother‬ ‪#‎notjusttrans‬ ‪#‎nevergiveup‬       

  • Transgender Day of Remembrance

    https://tdor.info If you have a moment, take a look at this list of transgender individuals who have been murdered so far in 2015. How can this gruesome list still be so long in our day and age? I am not much of a politician, and never will be, but I hope with all my heart…