Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast
Why the podcast exists. According to a survey by the Trevor Project, 60% of young Black transmasculine folks considered suicide; and according to the Williams Institute, 45% of Black transmen also considered suicide.
Podcast is part of Transman In Search of Media. For more info go to,
www.transmaninsearchof.substack.com.
Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast
Hidden Roots Of Trans Support
Forgotten history sits just beneath the surface of our community, and today we dig it up with care. We walk through the Tenderloin after the Compton Cafeteria Riot to find trans organizers meeting at Glide Memorial, building Conversion Our Goal (COG) in 1967, and setting a standard for peer-led support that moved beyond survival. From there, we follow the thread to the National Transsexual Counseling Unit (NTCU) in 1968, a first-of-its-kind hub that offered counseling, referrals, job training resources, and legal guidance when official channels refused to see us.
We also spotlight the Labyrinth Foundation Counseling Service, founded in New York by trans man Dr. Angelo Torbene, also known as Mario Martino. Labyrinth shows what full-stack care looked like before the term existed: licensed mental health support tied directly to gender-affirming pathways, discreet coordination with outside institutions, help with name changes and IDs, and even weekend room, board, and transportation for clients traveling from out of town. Each piece speaks to a single goal—protect privacy, reduce harm, and get people to care faster. These organizations didn’t just resist stigma; they engineered solutions that worked on the ground.
By tracing these lineages, we connect the dots between yesterday’s mutual aid and today’s networks of telehealth, legal clinics, and community funds. We honor the Black and Brown trans leadership that set these efforts in motion, and we pull forward the practical lessons: centralize knowledge, build buffers against hostile systems, and keep services integrated so people aren’t left to navigate alone. If this history shifts how, you see our present, share the episode with someone who needs the receipts. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which piece of this story you want us to explore next.
Further Info:
The Labyrinth Counseling Center, Dr. Angelo Torbene: 7d278t12c
History of Conversion Our Goal: Compton’s Cafeteria, 1966 – Guernica
Subject: National Transsexual Counseling Unit - Digital Transgender Archive Search Results
The Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Transman In Search of Media Atl, GA. Sound design and music production also created by Trans Man In Search of Media.
Support trans media, by becoming a paid subscriber or listener, info is on the website.
Hey, welcome to the Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast, focused on the mental health and well-being of black trans masculine folks and black trans men. I'm Solomon, your host. But before I start, I want to give a shout out to new listeners in Babylon, New York, Glen Burney, Maryland, Nutley, New Jersey, East Point, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, and Riverdale, Georgia. Welcome to the community. I would also like to shout out current community, our current community of loyal listeners. Listen, follow, and subscribe to the podcast. Share the podcast with other black trans masculine folks and black trans men. The first episode of the new year is a history lesson. Did you know trans folks organized support groups in the 1960s? They assisted others in finding support and access to gender forming care. The first known transsexual support group in the U.S., Conversion Argo, COG, formed in San Francisco 1967. First social service providing support for trans folks. The National Transsexual Counseling Unit formed in San Francisco in 1968. First support group created by and for trans men. The Labyrinth Counseling Service formed in New York 1968. Created by trans man Dr. Angelo Torabine, aka Mario Martino. Now I'm going to give the background of each organization. Conversion Argo, COG, 1967. Created as a result of the Compton Cafeteria Riot in the Tindeloid District of San Francisco. After the riots, they started meetings at Glide Memorial Methodist Church, two blocks from Compton Cafeteria. I'm going to give background on the Captain, Compton, excuse me, Compton Cafeteria Riot. Compton Cafeteria was a place where black and brown LGBTQ folks gathered. They rioted due to constant police harassment. And the Copner Cafeteria Riot happened before the Stonewall Riot in New York. National Transsexual Counseling Unit 1968. Created after conversion, our goal disbanded. Counseling and referral services. Provided counseling and referral services, aided trans and gender diverse folks, provided info for gender-affirming health care, job training, social and legal assistance. Our final organization, the Labyrinth Foundation Counseling Service. Created in Yonkers, New York by trans man Dr. Angelo Torbeen, aka Mario Martino. This organization provided complete care for trans men. Dr. Angelo was a licensed psychologist, provided mental health care to trans men so they could receive gender-affirming care. The foundation was a buffer between trans men and other organizations. This allowed trans men to remain anonymous. Helped with name changes on important documents such as IDs, and provided a weekend of room and board and transportation for a fee. This was for those traveling from out of town. We have a history of helping our own. We created our own community organizations. These organizations provided social support, legal, and social services. I encourage you to read about these organizations. The links are in the show notes. In conclusion, if you enjoyed the podcast, become a paid subscriber or supporter. The information is also in the show notes. The Banner Brothers Mental Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Trans Men and Search of Media in Atlanta, Georgia. Music production is also by Trans Men and Search of Media. Thank you for listening. Happy New Year. And may this year be better and brighter for trans folks.