Important Context

In this roundtable discussion, Ryan invites 3 Black, queer therapists to get to the bottom of why dating is so difficult for Black, queer men and what can be done about it. They cover kink and sex positivity, judgment and self acceptance, communication skills, monogamy and non-monogamy, and a number of other topics that are constantly trending in dating conversations. Get to know each of the guest...

I sat with Episcopal Priest Father Paul Anthony Daniels II to learn about his journey in becoming an out gay priest and the adversity I assumed he had to overcome in achieving that. What it turned into was a much different conversation than I'd planned about what queerness can grow into when it's supported and affirmed early, and without the inherited, internalized judgment and homophobia that man...

In this episode of Important Context , Ryan Sides sits down with Pastor Mike Walrond, Senior Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, to ask a foundational question: Is there biblical justification for queer people belonging fully in the church — without framing queerness as sin? Pastor Mike traces how his theology evolved from an anti-queer upbringing and the culture he encountered ea...

Shortly after his year at Harvard Divinity School and just before taking sabbatical in London, jarrett hill discusses his time at HDS, how it's shaped his artistry and re-shaped his relationship with the Black church. jarrett hill An Artist Lives Here: jarrett hill on Queerness, the Black Church, and Coming Alive at Harvard Divinity School When Gospel Music Slaps (And Leaves A Mark) Follow Importa...

In part two of this conversation on polyamory, host Ryan Sides reconnects with his former therapist, Dr. Karissa Doster-Hoffman, to explore what it looks like to navigate nontraditional relationships from both lived and clinical perspectives. Together they dig into the challenges of jealousy, new relationship energy, uneven enthusiasm, and the difference between boundaries and rules. Drawing on he...

We're talking about polyamory! For Black and brown queer people, and queer people in general, polyamory, open relationships and dating in nontraditional relationship structures has been a really sticky topic. In part 1 of this 2-part episode, Ryan Sides speaks with his former therapist, Dr. Karissa Doster-Hoffman, about what what his experience in poly relationships have been like, things he's lea...

In the inaugural episode of Important Context , host Ryan Sides sits down with two friends in the Dead Dad Club to explore life after loss and how grief shapes us. Writer and strategist Robert (Rob) Herring III, and journalist and educator Niki McGloster navigate the messy, tender terrain of loving, grieving, and learning from the memory of their beautifully complex fathers. Follow Important Conte...