LGBTQ&A
Episodes
What to Expect When You're Expecting New Episodes
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're back, baby. This year, you're going to hear from Tracey "Africa" Norman, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Mark Segal, Brian Michael Smith, and Melissa ...
Jose Antonio Vargas: Coming Out As Undocumented
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jose Antonio Vargas has been called "the most famous undocumented immigrant in America." The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the book,...
Jennifer Finney Boylan: Has Had a Front Seat to Trans History
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
She's back! Jennifer Finney Boylan makes her triumphant return to LGBTQ&A to talk about how much the trans experience has changed since her groundbrea...
Adam Eli: How Social Media Is Changing Queer Activism
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
...for the better. Activist and community organizer, Adam Eli talks about how social media has changed activism, why it's such a powerful tool, and gr...
Karine Jean-Pierre: The History-Making Lesbian on Biden's Staff
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Karine Jean-Pierre before she heads to the White House. After working on the Biden campaign, Jean-Pierre has been named Principal Deputy Press Se...
Lucia Lucas: Cracking Opera’s Trans Glass Ceiling
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lucia Lucas talks about her history-making opera career. Her performance in the title role of Don Giovanni made her the first known trans person in th...
Ilona Verley: Drag Race's Two-Spirit Queen
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ilona Verley talks about being Two-Spirit, competing on Canada's Drag Race, the "crazy fluidity" she's experiencing right now around her gender, an...
Tuck Woodstock: Gender, A Definitive Guide
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
OK, but seriously, what exactly is gender?! The Gender Detective, Tuck Woodstock (host of the Gender Reveal podcast) joins us to talk about why gender...
Carson Kressley: The Queer Eye OG
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carson Kressley has been busy. Since debuting as the original "Fashion Savant" on Queer Eye in 2003, Carson's been a part of RuPaul's Drag Race, Drag ...
Cleve Jones: Queer Spaces After COVID-19
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How will COVD-19 transform our community's physical spaces? The legendary activist, Cleve Jones joins us to talk about what will happen to the gayborh...
Susan SurfTone: It's LGBTQ+ History Month, Baby
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After serving in the FBI in the 80s, Susan SurfTone (aka Susan Yasinski) became a lesbian surf-rocker. Her new EP, "The EP" comes out on November 3rd....
Darnell L. Moore: Queer Spirituality + Being Seen
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Darnell L. Moore is the author of the book, No Ashes in the Fire, and hosts the new podcast, Being Seen, which focusses on the gay and queer Black mal...
Ritchie Torres: From The Bronx to Congress
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ritchie Torres is running to represent New York's 15th Congressional District and would be one of the first LGBTQ+ people of color to serve in congres...
Peppermint: The Drag Race Star Has Literally Done It All
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race in 2017, Peppermint has done, well, everything: toured the world doing drag, acted on multiple TV shows, origina...
Lili Reinhart: Bisexuality, Crystals, Reiki, and Riverdale
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lili Reinhart talks about coming out as bisexual, her love of crystals, the advice Luke Perry gave her while filming the pilot of Riverdale, and her n...
Angela Chen: Asexuality Is Pretty Complex—And That's OK
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Angela Chen talks about the broad spectrum of experiences that make up asexuality, the myth of sexual liberation, and her new book, Ace: What Asexuali...
Tayla Parx: Has Written All of Your Favorite Pop Songs
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tayal Parx has written songs for some of the most famous singers in the world: Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Janell...
Chasten Buttigieg: Shares His Side of the Story
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Allow us to reintroduce Chasten Buttigieg. He joins us to talk about what he learned traveling the country with his husband, Pete Buttigieg, during th...
Tyler Glenn: Celebrating 15 Years of Neon Trees
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neon Trees frontman, Tyler Glenn talks about coming out, why the Mormon Church isn't a safe space for queer people, his solo alum, Excommunication...
Holland Taylor: Is 77 and Busier Than Ever
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I just don't have any impulse to define myself at all by anything other than a person." Holland Taylor talks about her Emmy-nominated role in Netflix...
Brandon Taylor: Would Rather Be Alone, Thank You Very Much
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brandon Taylor talks about craving solitude, his ambivalence around sex, the high stakes Black authors face, and his debut novel, Real Life. LGBTQ&A...
Ianne Fields Stewart: The Okra Project (ft. Scott Shigeoka)
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The activist and actress, Ianne Fields Stewart talks with guest host, Scott Shigeoka, about addressing food insecurity in the Black trans community wi...
Akwaeke Emezi: I Like to Talk About Death
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Akwaeke Emezi talks about their new book, The Death of Vivek Oji (available August 4th). "I like to talk about death a lot...for a lot of queer people...
Shea Couleé: Your RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5 Winner
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shea Couleé talks about how much research goes into her drag, new music, and what she wants her post-Drag Race legacy to look like. LGBTQ&A is hosted...
Shea Diamond: Why Music is a Tool for Trans Liberation
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shea Diamond talks about running away from home at 14, writing music in prison, and why "nothing has changed since the days of Sylvia and Marsha." ...
Maria Town: Disability Rights Are LGBTQ+ Rights
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, Maria Town joins us to talk ableism in the LGBTQ+ community, how her body i...
Rufus Wainwright: Unfollow the Rules
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Over the course of his career, Rufus Wainwright has never been in the closet. He talks about how the music industry originally reacted to his sexualit...
Laverne Cox: Fighting for Trans Lives
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Laverne Cox talks about "The Transgender Tipping Point" headline on her historic Time magazine cover, Aimee Stephens, and why she's done debating whet...
Sam Feder: Transgender Lives On Screen (ft. Alex Schmider)
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Disclosure looks back on the history of transgender representation (and misrepresentation) in Hollywood. The film's director, Sam Feder is here to tal...
Alok Vaid-Menon: Beyond The Gender Binary
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alok Vaid-Menon talks about their art, the paradox of transfeminine life, and the beauty and joy of transition. Alok's new book, Beyond The Gender Bin...
James Baldwin: The 1967 Detroit Riots
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Baldwin speaks in an excerpt from Horace Ové's 1969 short film, Baldwin's N*gger, about growing up Black in America. "When you try to stand up ...
Kimberly Drew: Art and Activism
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly Drew talks about the intimate relationship between art as activism, why you shouldn't be afraid of not understanding a piece of art, and her ...
François Clemmons: Hi from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Best known as Officer Clemmons in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, François Clemmons talks about making the choice to stay in the closet for Fred Rogers,...
Alice Wu: The New Queer Rom-Com
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alice Wu gives the high school rom-com a queer twist in her new film, The Half of It (Netflix). Alice talks about stepping away from Hollywood after, ...
Don't Be The Last To Know
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're back. New episodes drop May 28th and you can listen on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you prefer. Wanna recommend a guest or complain about an episod...
Mila Jam: Dating, New Music, & Why Being Trans Is a Gift
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It's vital that we hear about supportive black parents." Mila Jam talks about how growing up with a supportive family changed her life, what it's lik...
Jake Borelli and Peter Paige: The Thing About Harry
15 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After making a name for himself starring as Emmett in the groundbreaking television series, Queer As Folk, Peter Paige moved his talents behind the ca...
Richie Jackson: Writes A Love Letter (and a Warning) to His Gay Son
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Everything good that has happened to me is because I am gay," Richie Jackson writes in his new book, Gay Like Me. "Everything I think, believe, crave...
Justin Tranter: Is The Actual Queen of Pop
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Originally making a name for themself as the lead singer of the glam rock band, Semi Precious Weapons, Justin Tranter has transitioned to a behind-the...
Chani Nicholas: Why Do Queer People Love Astrology?
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The LGBTQ community's favorite astrologer, Chani Nicholas talks about how our modern, digital world is changing astrology, how it can be used as a too...
Our Big Gay Holiday Spectacular (w/ Zach Stafford!)
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Zach Stafford joins us for our big gay holiday spectacular. You'll also hear from Margaret Cho, Roxane Gay, Don Bachardy, Cyrus Grace Dunham, and Ivy ...
H. Alan Scott: Give It Up For All The Queer Jews
25 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Just like the queer experience, what it means to be Jewish is dramatically changing. TV writer and comedian H. Alan Scott has a new documentary, Latte...
Isa Mazzei: The Ins and Outs of Being a Camgirl
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In her new memoir, Camgirl, Isa Mazzei writes about just how much work goes into being a camgirl, calling it the hardest job she's ever had. On top of...
Robyn Crawford: My Life With Whitney Houston
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, Whitney Houston's best friend, assistant, and long-rumored girlfriend, Robyn Crawford, is talking publicly about their relationshi...
Mary Lambert: Self-Described Grief Creature
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After more than five years, Mary Lambert's second full-length album, Grief Creature, is here. She talks about the highs and lows of "Same Love" with M...
Davey Wavey: What Is The Future of Porn?
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
LGBTQ+ people — all people, really — often turn to porn to make up for the failures in sex education. "We copy what we see," says Davey Wavey, the...
Cyrus Grace Dunham: Gender Can Get Pretty Complicated
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cyrus Grace Dunham has written a complicated, necessary addition to the trans literary canon. A Year Without A Name, Dunham's debut book, recontextual...
Hayley Kiyoko: Your Lesbian Jesus
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hayley Kiyoko grew up watching the other girls around her as they'd fawn over pop stars; singers who were always male. Kiyoko resolved to be just like...
Renée Zellweger: The Judy Garland Ep (ft. Rufus Wainwright)
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rufus Wainwright steps into the hosting chair to take a trip down the yellow brick road. He talks with Renée Zellweger, the star of the new Judy Garl...
Trace Lysette: Is Changing The Game for Trans Actresses
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It wasn't until she found out her character would be returning for the second season of Transparent that Trace Lysette was able to quit her job at Sco...
Travis Coles: Black, Queer, And Super Gendery
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For Travis Coles, coming to terms with their gender has been a lifelong process, one that's been accelerated with their new role on David Makes Man, t...
Shakina Nayfack: Manifest Pussy 😻
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Live from the Big Queer Pod Fest in NYC, Shakina Nayfack talks about how subversive it can feel to be a trans woman learning to embrace herself as a s...
Rodney Evans: How Losing His Vision Made Him a Better Director
27 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rodney Evans, best known as the writer-director of the 2004 film Brother to Brother, has a career that's spanned over 20 years. In his new documentary...
Gamal Palmer: Talks About Being Black, Gay, And Jewish in America
20 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a young boy, Gamal Palmer — Senior Vice President of Leadership Development at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles — would sit in his ...
Chen Arieli: Tel Aviv's New Lesbian Deputy Mayor
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"If you want to write history, you need to be brave with what you think." Before becoming the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, Israel — the first openly ga...
Uzi Even: Meet Israel's Gay History-Maker
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1993, almost a decade before Uzi Even would make history as the first openly gay person to serve in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, he took part ...
Denise Edger: The Lesbian Rabbi Cared for AIDS Patients When No One Would
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It was the late '80s, the height of the AIDS crisis. Rabbi Denise Eger was 28 years old—"a newly minted rabbi"—who would don mask, gown, and rubbe...
Alana Mayo: Is Hollywood Starting To Get It Right?
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"On the one hand, you want to celebrate what feels like progress," Alana Mayo begins. She's describing the range of identities we've begun to see on a...
Karen Tongson: Why Queer People Love Karen Carpenter
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Are you a boy or a girl?" It's the question Karen Tongson's been asked more than any other throughout her life. When she was in gra...
John Cameron Mitchell: 20 Years of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John Cameron Mitchell talks about the evolving legacy of Hedwig And The Angry Inch, why Hedwig is not a trans character, and how growing up queer teac...
Samantha Allen: Queer People are Thriving in Red States
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Not only do cities like Norfolk, Louisville, and Indianapolis have thriving LGBTQ+ communities, they're now seeing larger increases in their LGBTQ pop...
Adam Rippon: Life After Ice Skating
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Now that he's retired, Adam Rippon talks about the process of figuring out what the rest of his life is going to look like after skating. LGBTQ&A ...
Michael D. Cohen: Hollywood's Blossoming Trans Community
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Trans men exist; sometimes that feels like an important thing to remind people. While most people know who Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and even Caitlyn J...
Tanya Saracho: Vida's Steamy Queer Sex Scenes
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Vida shows how complicated the sex lives of queer people — of all people, really — can be. Tanya Saracho, the TV show's creator, wants audiences t...
Ryan O'Connell: A Big Yes to Sex Work
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan O'Connell says he didn't come out of "the disability closet" until he was 28. He talks about life as a queer person with Cerebral Palsy, why peop...
Amiyah Scott: Hollywood's New Leading Lady
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Amiyah Scott talks about discovering the ballroom scene in Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina forced her to leave New Orleans. "Balls were created to not...
Roxane Gay: How to Write About Love
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Roxane Gay talks about why it's so difficult to write about love and says that when it comes to writing about her own relationships, she doesn't do it...
Pete Buttigieg: The Big Gay Interview
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Buttigieg takes a break from the campaign trail to talk with Jeffrey Masters about his history-making candidacy, serving in the Navy under Don't ...
Don Bachardy: To Christopher Isherwood, With Love
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Don Bachardy talks about his relationship with Christopher Isherwood, his brother who dated Christopher before him, meeting Rock Hudson, and living in...
Jasika Nicole: Queer + Biracial in Hollywood
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jasika Nicole (Scandal, Fringe, The Good Doctor) talks about her experience as a queer, biracial actress working in Hollywood. Never miss an update! ...
Gigi Gorgeous: The Queen of YouTube Is Here
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Gigi Gorgeous talks about how much YouTube has changed since 2008, how her fiancee feels about being in such a public relationship, and her new book, ...
Ian Alexander: Is Coming For Your Gender Norms
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Alexander talks about finding trans community online, embracing both his masculine and feminine sides, and why his experience of gender is still e...
Jennifer Finney Boylan: Oprah's Place in Trans History
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"In some ways, there is nothing more radical than raising a family." Jennifer Finney Boylan talks about coming out as trans over 20 years ago, being o...
Joel Kim Booster: See You at the Circuit Party
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Gay men are complicated. Joel Kim Booster talks about growing up in a religious household, being a sexual kid, looking up semen in the Encyclopedia Br...
Karina Samala: We Need Chosen Families
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Empress Karina Samala talks about her over 25 years of activism in Los Angeles. Karina helped the LA Police and Sheriff's department create guidelines...
Jacob Tobia: Will Change How You Think About Gender
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"The reality is we're not happy and fine all the time." Jacob Tobia talks about anti-femme sentiments in the queer community, how masculinity operates...
Zach Stafford: What Is The Future Of LGBTQ Media?
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Advocate's Editor-in-Chief, Zach Stafford talks about what the future of LGBTQ media is going to look like. He also talks about his plans to trans...
Buck Angel: Let's Talk About Masturbation
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Buck Angel started doing porn because he didn't see any other trans men represented on screen. From there, he's gone on to win an AVN award, as well a...
Mary Lambert: All I Know of Love Is Hunger
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Lambert talks about coming out in the church, growing up with a bisexual mom, the highs and lows of Same Love (with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis), a...
Tre'vell Anderson: Here to Critique
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do we critique art made by queer people, especially when it's so beloved by the community? Writer, Tre'vell Anderson, joins the pod to talk about ...
Grace Bonney: After Design*Sponge
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Grace Bonney (Design Sponge) talks about coming out at 30, why figuring out a delicate part of your identity in a public space isn't ideal, and why pe...
Alexei Romanoff: The 1967 Black Cat Protest
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alexei Romanoff and David Farah talk about the 1967 Black Cat protest. Alexei helped to organize the protest and is the last known living person who w...
DeRay Mckesson: Out of the Quiet
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
DeRay Mckesson (On The Other Side of Freedom) talks about myths we tell about black people, being stripped of every marker of strength as a public gay...
Wrabel: Hello, My Name Is Needy.
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Wrabel describes growing more comfortable including same-sex pronouns in his music, how writing "The Village" changed his life, and why he cried when...
Jake Shears & Ira Madison: LIVE From the Big Queer Pod Fest
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This edition of the Big Queer Pod Fest featured Ira Madison (Keep It!), Fran Tirado and Dennis Norris II (Food 4 Thot), and special guest, Jake Shears...
Chani Nicholas: Doesn't Care If You Hate Astrology
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chani Nicholas talks about why astrology is a tool for healing, and says that if astrology doesn't resonate with you...that's totally OK. Chani descri...
Sonya Passi: We Need to Talk About Domestic Violence
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, but as Sonya Passi says, this is not a gendered issue. It affects people of all...
River Gallo: Intersex Bodies Are Healthy Bodies
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
River Gallo didn't learn what intersex meant, let alone that he was intersex, until just last year. On this episode, he talks about how the medical co...
Arisce Wanzer: Gets Candid About Sex and Dating
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Arisce Wanzer talks about how men have become more open to dating trans women over the last few years. She talks about how non-trans people don't cons...
Alaska Thunderfuck: Squishy Human Drag Thing
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alaska discusses her new album, Amethyst Journey, and why the visual presentation has been so challenging. She also talks about what her early drag lo...
Fran Tirado: A Wink of Faggotry
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"Wait. Does God exist?" Fran Tirado talks about attending church three times a week growing up and how when he came out, it forced him to reckon with ...
Scott Turner Schofield: I Look Trans Because I Am Trans
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Turner Schofield talks about why he's so angry about the treatment of trans people in Hollywood and how he hopes the conversation that resulted ...
Guy Branum: Emotions Are Scary
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Guy Branum talks about the stories pop culture tells about fat people—they're lazy, they're dumb, they're cowards—and how despite everything, he l...
Mara Wilson: Bisexual Imposture Syndrome
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mara Wilson talks about why Matilda still resonates with people, especially the LGBTQ community. It's all about feeling different and finding your cho...
Steven Canals: The Restorative Power of Art
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Canals talks about how Pose began: from inspiration to the first draft to the first day on set. Pose was originally much darker and Steven desc...
Gaby Dunn: Dating Men? In This Political Climate?
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Gaby Dunn says there isn't a lot of support in Hollywood for content that centers stories about queer women. She's trying to change that, and talks ab...
Shakina Nayfack: The Radical Act of Being a Trans Woman in Love
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Live from the Big Queer Pod Fest in NYC, Shakina Nayfack talks about how subversive it can feel to be a trans woman learning to embrace herself as a s...
Kate Bornstein: The Future of Gender
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The third dimension of gender is imagination. Legendary writer, actor, and gender theorist, Kate Bornstein talks about the future of gender: where we'...
Wilson Cruz: We're In Revolutionary Times
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Wilson Cruz talks about not knowing if he'd be able to work again after he came out in the 90s doing My So-Called Life, and describes how lonely it wa...
Laura Jane Grace: Self-Loathing is a Cherished Queer Tradition
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Jane Grace talks about internalized transphobia and how grating it's been to have named her memoir, Tranny. She's the founder and front-woman of...