ODS S1:E1 Dee Dee Chamblee
Dee Dee Chamblee
Trans & HIV/AIDS Activist,
Founder of LaGender Inc.
Ms. Dee Dee Chamblee is the executive director and founder of LaGender Inc., a non-profit organization, led by Black trans women, dedicated to the support of transgender women of color in the metro Atlanta area.
Dee Dee founded LaGender in 2001 to address the unique needs of the transgender community surrounding issues such as HIV/AIDS, homelessness, incarceration, mental health wellness, discrimination and hate crime violence. She’s a true survivor, having lived with HIV since 1987, and she is a tireless advocate for the trans community here in Atlanta and beyond.
In 2011, to honor her work, then-President Obama named DeeDee a Champion of Change during a 30th anniversary commemoration of the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis. She was the first Black trans woman to be honored at the White House.
TW: In this episode, there are some themes and discussion of sexual abuse. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse you can reach out to the National Sexual Assault Holtline for 24/7 support online at online.rainn.org or 800.656.4673.
Note: This episode was recorded in the fall of 2022, and when it was released in January 2023, Sam Landis had changed jobs and now works for Delta Air Lines.
Out Down South is brought to you by the Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project and is part of the WUSSY Podcast Network.
Hosted by Rachel Garbus (@goodgraciousrachel) and Sam Landis (@iam_samlandis).
Produced by Jon Dean (@jondeanphoto), Rachel Garbus (@goodgraciousrachel), and Sam Landis (@iam_samlandis).
Episode 1 edited by Kacie Willis
Podcast graphics created by Sam Landis (@iam_samlandis)
Photographed by LaRue Calliet. Dee Dee Chamblee is pictured at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
Project interns - Alyssa Zhang (“Jong”) and Alex Campo.
Podcast Music Information:
Intro Song: “Break the Mould” by Jack Pierce
Supplemental Music from Audio Jungle
The podcast is funded by a Georgia Humanities grant and individual gifts from LGBTQ+ history lovers like you. If you would like to support the project, you can by visiting: atlantalgbtqhistoryproject.org/donate
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About the Project:
The Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project is a multimedia initiative to gather, share, and preserve the history and life stories of LGBTQ+ communities in Georgia and across the Southeast. Through oral history, photography, and archival materials, we bring the voices and stories of LGBTQ+ Atlantans to life.
Explore the project through museum exhibitions, the Out Down South podcast, live and virtual panel series, and online materials. All project materials are archived at Georgia State University Library’s Special Collection & Archives. Find out more at
Learn more by visiting: atlantalgbtqhistoryproject.org
We are grateful for the partners of the podcast and project: WussyMag, The LGBTQ Institute at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the special collections and archives at Georgia State University Library where all of the oral histories from this project will be archived.
Visit and learn more about our Out Down South Exhibit at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Out Down South is a multimedia exhibit celebrating Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community. Through original portrait photography and samples of oral history, Out Down South highlights the stories of 12 LGBTQ+ Atlantans who have made an indelible contribution to our city.
Out Down South is part of the Atlanta LGBTQ+ History Project, which gathers, shares, and preserves the stories of LGBTQ+ communities across Georgia.
Want to record your own oral history, or interview a friend or family member?
StoryCorps is an organization that provides people across the country with the opportunity to record and preserve the stories of their lives. You can record an interview with a friend or family member at their Atlanta recording booth, or remotely through the StoryCorps app. Find out more here: storycorps.org/atlanta/
We are grateful for the partners of the podcast and project: WussyMag, The LGBTQ Institute at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the special collections and archives at Georgia State University Library where all of the oral histories from this project will be archived.
Full episode transcript to be uploaded soon.