Power Beyond Pride

In this wide-ranging conversation, Joanna Whaley explores the intersection of faith, identity, politics, and public service. She discusses her belief in radical inclusive love, the evolution of her faith, and the importance of bringing humanity back into political conversations. Joanna also speaks with Co-Hosts Shane Lukas and Mattie Bynum about issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities, including acces...

Brie Byers reflects with co-host Daniel W.K Lee and Melodie KG  on finding meaningful work through the Queer Coalition at Illinois State University and how that experience sparked an even bigger commitment to community building. From organizing a trans resource fair and resilience programming to creating queer-focused film events, Brie describes ways that advocacy, education, creativity, and...

In this episode of Power Beyond Pride , Mattie Bynum and Shane Lukas welcome Jordan Lee, a two-time Grammy-nominated educator, award-winning producer, and LGBTQ+ equality advocate. Jordan shares how growing up with two blind parents shaped his understanding of perception, intention, and “heart posture,” while his experiences as a music educator taught him the power of cultural respect and inclusiv...

What happens when authenticity becomes its own form of activism? Honey Davenport explores that question through a wide-ranging conversation about drag, leather culture, queer pleasure, visibility, and the power of showing up as your fullest self. They discusses the work they are doing with Co-host Kenyon Farrow and Shane Lukas, challenging discrimination in Palm Springs, the importance of educatio...

What can queer history teach us about the work of building a better future? Tony Valenzuela shares lessons from decades of work in queer arts, culture, education, and advocacy, including how organizations can keep stories alive even when political and cultural pressures shift. He talks with our Co-host Shane Lukas and Melodie KG about creating programs that make room for the full diversity of quee...

Ethan Ide, founder of the Boston Queer Club, shares how feeling isolated despite growing up in an affirming environment inspired him to build a new kind of queer community. He talks with hosts Shane Lukas and Mattie Bynum about discovering friendship through dating apps, conducting research with LGBTQ+ college students, and turning his personal experiences into an entrepreneurial project. The conv...

Spencer Macnaughton joins Daniel W.K. Lee and Kate d'Adamo to talk about his journey from mainstream media to founding Uncloseted Media. He shares how years of reporting on extremism and anti-LGBTQ groups exposed the urgent need for deeper, more rigorous queer storytelling.  The conversation explores media fragmentation, journalistic standards, representation, and the responsibility to tell c...

Description: Noris Chavarría joins Daniel W.K. Lee and Kenyon Farrow to talk about his journey from growing up in Queens as a queer Salvadoran American to building a career centered on leadership, coaching, and community. He reflects on nonprofit burnout, workplace boundaries, and the moment a coach encouraged him to consider working for himself. Noris shares how his experiences shaped Queer Compa...

What happens when history is rewritten, identities become contested, and movements struggle over who belongs? The Power Beyond Pride hosts explore those questions through conversations about the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the political meaning of “queer,” and the responsibilities that come with shared identities and community power. They examine the importance of lear...

Simran Chugani brings a powerful conversation with co-hosts Kenyon Farrow and Shawn Aaron about what it means to live authentically while navigating athletics, art, activism, and political hostility. They explain how running helped them connect with their body and build confidence, while poetry gave them the freedom to explore identity and tell the truth more honestly. Simran pushes back on the na...

Ashley Virginia joins co-hosts Shane Lukas and Daniel W.K. Lee to talk about how songwriting became a way to process emotions, express identity, and connect with others. She shares how queer community, folk music, and creative spaces have shaped her journey as an artist and activist.  Ashley also opens up about the realities of making a living as an independent artist, choosing integrity over...

What happens when a community loses touch with its own history? Hugh Ryan joins Mattie and Kenyon for a thoughtful and often hilarious conversation about queer memory, resistance, and the ways history continues to shape LGBTQ+ life today. From the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History to his upcoming memoir, Hugh shares personal stories and big ideas about archives, identity, activism, and the changes he...

What if the phrase "second chance" is itself the problem? Adam Henderson, VP of Sales at Orijin, opens this conversation with Shane Lukas and Mattie Bynum by challenging a widely-used framing — arguing that for many incarcerated people, it was never a first chance to begin with. The episode maps what's possible: Massachusetts' model of 24/7 in-prison programming, Tennessee's "hidden talent" workfo...

Co-hosts Melody KG and Mattie Bynum dig into the deeper currents of River Coello's work, exploring what gets erased when colonial systems take hold — and what endures anyway. As a PhD candidate in anthropology at UCF, River has traced the quiet persistence of Indigenous wisdom throughout the history of the field, arguing that Indigenous voices have always shaped knowledge, even when uncredited. Dr...

What happens when the internet turns politics into a consumer activity — something you watch, share, and feel, rather than something you do? Cayden Mak, publisher of Convergence magazine and host of Block and Build, joins co-hosts Daniel W.K. Lee and Kenyon Farrow to untangle the structural forces shaping digital organizing, from Shoshana Zuboff's surveillance capitalism to Silicon Valley's role i...

The Lavender Scare — the 60-year federal policy that allowed gay people to be legally fired from government jobs — is the subject of Lisa Cordileone's historical fiction TV series Committed , and in conversation with co-hosts Kenyon Farrow and Mattie Bynum, she makes a compelling case that its echoes are very much present today. Lisa pushes back on the tendency of queer film to market itself as an...

Description: What happens when creativity meets civic engagement? Jordan Robinson explains how his experiences in education, museums, and community programming inspired him to build projects that create both beauty and impact. From transforming neglected spaces into playgrounds to organizing exhibitions that spark meaningful dialogue, he demonstrates how art can help communities connect, heal, and...

A year after launch, Power Beyond Pride takes stock of what real progress looks like when the broader political landscape is hostile. Join hosts Mattie Bynum,  Daniel WK Lee, Hunter, Melodie Garcia, and Shane Lukas surface concrete wins—sex workers organizing mutual aid and a gun club during Minneapolis ICE raids, progressive electoral gains from leaders like Mamdani in New York and Wu in Bos...

Description: Daniel W.K. Lee and Mattie Bynum sit down with filmmaker and documentarian Tony Zosherafatain to unpack the emotional impact of telling trans stories in today’s political climate. Tony reflects on how his own transition inspired his filmmaking journey and discusses the deep connections he formed with the people featured in Trans in Trumpland . The conversation explores visibility, pro...

Description: This episode explores why history matters in the fight for LGBTQ+ visibility and belonging. Sophie Edwards discusses the importance of creating trans-centered educational content that goes beyond explaining trans people to cis audiences and instead helps trans people understand their own historical legacy. The conversation examines healthcare, gender-affirming care, political challeng...

Description: JD Valadares Williams joins the hosts to explore how emotional intelligence shapes the way we connect, lead, and advocate for change. Drawing from their upbringing in Peru and experiences with migration, JD shares how empathy is built through lived experience rather than logic alone. The conversation highlights how emotional storytelling—rather than debate—can shift hearts and minds,...

Description: In this episode, Melodie KG and Kate sit down with poet, author, and activist Daniel WK Lee for a conversation that moves between humor, lived experience, and urgent global realities. Daniel reflects on how his life as a third-generation refugee and his journey through multiple cities have shaped both his worldview and his creative voice. The discussion explores the role of poetry as...

Description : Kenyon Farrow and Mattie Bynum welcome legendary organizer and writer Suzanne Pharr for a moving conversation on movement-building, queer liberation, and the urgent need for community. Suzanne reflects on her decades of activism, from anti-violence organizing to writing landmark books about homophobia, authoritarianism, and democracy. She explains why reconnecting with one another is...

Description : In this episode, Mattie Bynum and Shane Lucas sit down with Dr. Demetre Daskalakis to explore his journey from a curious kid with a doctor’s kit to a national leader in public health. He shares how witnessing the HIV/AIDS crisis firsthand shaped his life’s mission and why community care remains central to his work. The conversation dives into the politicization of public health, the...

Kate d'Adamo joins Melody KG and Danielle W.K. Lee to break down what actionable, community-centered advocacy looks like in practice. From her work with Reframe Health and Justice, Kate shares how organizing grounded in harm reduction and equity can create real impact. She emphasizes the importance of local engagement, building interdependent networks, and moving beyond performative activism. The...