Interview with Mara Betti | Ep #35

Interview with Mara Betti | Ep #35

Author: Rick Koonce August 18, 2023 Duration: 40:52

Mara Betti is a successful, 50-something architect, working for one of the leading architectural firms in Boston.


She's also a transwoman and biological father of two sons, ages 18 and 22.


In this deeply personal interview with PFLAG Cape Cod's Rick Koonce, Mara talks emotionally about coming out and accepting herself as trans; a journey that has taken her decades, and which has put tremendous strain on her heterosexual marriage to her wife – whom she met in college and still describes as "my best friend."


She talks about the dark times she's lived through and the steps she's now taking, with the help of a therapist, to build a new identity, and to navigate a personal and social world she never imagined she'd be encountering at this stage of her life.


And finally, she talks lovingly about her relationships with her two boys, with whom she wants to remain close, though she understands that this will take time, patience, and love on everyone's parts. Especially, as her boys focus on discovering their own identities as young adults.


As this intimate interview reveals, Mara, like other transgender people struggling to be themselves, displays tremendous resolve and resilience; qualities that indeed make her a compelling profile in LGBTQ+ courage.


Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!


For more information, visit the PFLAG Cape Cod website: https://www.pflagcapecod.org/podcasts.html


© 2020 - 2023 PFLAG Cape Cod


Hosted by Rick Koonce, Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance is built around intimate, unscripted conversations that go beyond headlines. This podcast lives in the personal moments-the difficult family dinner, the quiet realization, the supportive friend’s first question. You’ll hear directly from LGBTQ+ individuals, their parents, siblings, and allies, sharing narratives that are less about grand declarations and more about the daily, nuanced journey toward living authentically. The stories encompass coming out, gender transition, and the complex, ongoing search for belonging, offering a raw and moving look at what courage actually sounds like in real time. Produced by Huntington Northstar Productions in partnership with PFLAG Cape Cod, each episode functions as a personal audio journal, focusing on a single portrait where vulnerability and strength are inseparable. Listening feels like being invited into a deeply meaningful, private conversation that highlights our shared humanity. The collective result is a powerful and necessary tapestry of voices that celebrates resilience while honestly examining the challenges within families and communities. Tune in for a series that connects through specificity, where every story adds a vital thread to the broader fabric of human experience.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 56

Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Podcast Episodes
Interview Removed by Request | Ep #5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:18
February 1, 2025 Given the current political environment in the United States and the newly announced anti-trans policies of the U.S. Administration, the individual previously profiled in this interview requested that th…
Robyn Keating | Ep #4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:18
Robyn Keating is a 26-year-old transgender woman. Born into a male body, she knew, from an early age, that she didn't identify with boys, but did identify with being a girl. While her mother (Dina) was always supportive…
Dina Guarino | Ep #3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:37
When you have a child who comes out as transgender, it can be an emotional rollercoaster to deal with. You can also feel like nobody in the world understands what you're dealing with. So says Dina G. of Cape Cod. In 2017…
Paula Degree | Ep #2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:43
Imagine being in your mid-sixties, married (for the second time) and discovering you're transgender! The life of Paula Degree is a compelling story of courage, self-exploration, long sought answers, and fearless personal…
Joey Morisset | Ep #1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:36
Courage is a quality we usually associate with age, wisdom, and years of lived experience. But what if you're just 18 years old, full of vibrant enthusiasm and energy, and a young gay man who's already found his voice wh…