Seen

It’s likely that we’ve all experienced it: that drop in the pit of our stomachs, desperately wishing we could disappear, and fearing that the people we love may no longer accept us. Shame is a powerful feeling that most often drives us to retreat in self-judgement and isolation. In this episode, Lala and Nic share their perspectives on the causes of shame, how it operates, and its obvious but nece...

SEEN was created out of a desire to connect personal healing with collective liberation work—but what does that even mean? Is it possible to be an advocate of social justice and transformational change in our communities if we aren’t doing our own personal work? In this episode, Lala and Nic explore the heart of the podcast, provide insight on the harms that come when the two pieces do not exist t...

Society shows and tells us that anger is often intertwined with abuse or violence—but is that the truth? How can we tune into our bodies when anger overwhelms us? This episode, we discuss the much-avoided emotion, dispel myths, and explore how anger can help us understand our needs and boundaries. Song of the week: Mad by Solange ft. Lil Wayne

Not all relationships give us the freedom to be who we really are. This can be especially true for people of colour who are in intimate relationships with white folks. How might we navigate these relationships to ensure that we are fully seen and heard? How can we keep sight of the manifestations of white supremacy in our own relationships? Get comfortable with being uncomfortable for this one! So...

What’s the secret to having good politics, and what does having “good politics” even mean? In this episode, Lala and Nic share foundational principles that guide how they take up space and work to minimize harm and maximize benefit. They do away with hard-and-fast rules and take nuanced approaches to explore how we centre relationships and identify when power is at play. Song of the week: Don’t Hu...

Work is one of the biggest sites of capitalism that we brush up against daily, and consumes more time out of our lives than nearly any other activity we do. In this episode, we explore how cultural messages on work and productivity can harm us, and imagine new possibilities for fulfilling work as QTBIPOC. Song of the week: Excellent by Princess Nokia

Religious or spiritual? Agnostic or dont-give-a damn? Believing in things bigger than ourselves can be energizing, grounding and comforting, but what about organized religion? Coming from vastly different backgrounds, in this episode Nic and Lala share their experiences, along with what's helped and what's harmed them by way of spiritual beliefs. Song of the week: Babe Ruthless by Angel Haze

Bodies. We all have them, so it should be easy for us to love them, right? Well, it’s complicated: how we see our physical form is just one part of the equation, and so much more is at play in the way we view our bodies as worthy, acceptable, and desirable. In this episode, Lala and Nic break things down to explore pleasure and the power of the erotic.  Song of the Week: Exactly How I Feel by Lizz...

How does white supremacy work through some of our own supposed allies? Not ones to pull punches, Lala and Nic talk about the insidious ways that white feminism and white women harm womxn of colour. Song of the week: Untitled 03 by Kendrick Lamar

Family can be a source of love and support, but for many of us, it can simultaneously be a source of harm, trauma, and unmet needs. In this episode, we challenge societal ideas of which relationships we should prioritize, and explore how we can discern which ones sustain and support us the best.  Song of the week: FRIENDS by The Carters

Some things have changed, yet so much has not. As survivors of violence in a post #MeToo world, hosts Nic and Lala create space for each other to grieve, rage, call-in and call-out. They share their disappointments and imagine new possibilities that truly centre survivors. This one’s for us. Song of the week: U.N.I.T.Y by Queen Latifah

Nic is Black. Lala is not. And while hip hop is global, it comes from a specific time, place, and people. So what does it mean for non-Black folks to love the genre? What does it mean for Black folks to protect it? In the first of many conversations on the topic, Nic and Lala discuss the gifts hip hop has given us and what we can do to give back. Song of the week: Superstar by Lauryn Hill

What does it mean to accept yourself as you truly are, and what does freedom have to do with it? In this first episode, Nic and Lala pull back the curtain of silence and share the impetus of Seen. Saying the things that they need to hear and centering the perspectives of Black and brown queer women, they invite those on the margins to a place where our voices and experiences matter. Song of the we...