Coming Out Pod

Today we welcome comedian/author/musician Lane Moore (Tinder Live; "How To Be Alone;" It Was Romance)! Lane literally wrote the BOOK on being by yourself, so she's the perfect guest for our second wave of quarantine. She takes us from her "mean girls"-esque high school experiences with women all the way up to today, where she is fully out as bi in her personal and public life. Also: the heteronorm...

It's the episode that has literally been 20 years in the making: WE FOUND RICKY!!! Well, *we* didn't find Ricky, but she has been found! Don't worry; we'll explain everything... Nicole nearly combusts as we talk to Erica Hebert (a.k.a. *THE* RICKY!), the woman solely responsible for Nicole's "ring of keys" moment (full story in Ep 1). Ricky dishes about field hockey shenanigans, being out in the '...

We're joined by writer, podcaster, and all around hilarious human, Gaby Dunn (Bad With Money; I Hate Everyone But You)! Gaby started out as a baby goth at a private Jewish day school in Florida, where the idea of having a girlfriend seemed "patently insane." But since then, she's evolved into an out and proud bi/poly icon whose favorite comeback to her critics is "sorry I'm fun." Nicole and Gaby t...

We're closing out Pride Month (July 1st is STILL PRIDE MONTH!) with an amazing guest: Ariela Barer of Runaways, Atypical, and ODAAT! Ariela always had *very* intense female friendships, but could not for the life of her understand why everyone thought she was gay. She shares how she came out to her mom "the wrong way," and details the harrowing close call she had with her high school Tumblr... Als...

Just months before the protests, writer/actor Makeda Declet (Miracle Workers; Veep) wrote a one-act play that dealt with issues of intersectionality within the LGBTQ community. She talks to us about the experiences she's had as a Black queer woman that inspired her to write that piece, including having to exist in queer spaces that are predominantly run and populated by young white women. We also...

We're continuing Pride with YouTuber Miles McKenna! Growing up, Miles knew things probably wouldn't go well if he told his parents he was queer, so he had no plans to do so...until one of them basically tricked him into coming out. What followed was as bad as he had anticipated, and YouTube became his lifeline. Miles tells us how his initial experience nearly kept him from coming out as trans, and...

By age twenty-five, journalist and author Lauren Duca (Teen Vogue; "How to Start a Revolution") had the perfect husband and a highly-successful career (who DOESN'T want to obliterate Tucker Carlson?). Inside, though, she was miserable, and felt "evil" for not being happy with her life. Lauren shares how Trump's election and a frog DMT ceremony helped her realize she was a lesbian; she also talks f...

Follow and revisit IG/Twitter: @marcasart (#4) IG: @sir_lance_a_thawt (#7) IG/Twitter: @alwayscloie (#21) IG/Twitter: @travon (#27) IG: @tori_gaines (#35) IG/Twitter: @tommyhobson (#36) IG/Twitter: @dalilaalirajah (#45) IG: @amberscloset / Twitter: @amberscloset33 (#51) IG: @itsbrooklynjones / Twitter: @ItsBklynJones (#56) IG: @kaihazelwood / Twitter: @kai_hazelwood (#71) IG: @loljkayyy / Twitter:...

It's a couples episode with wonderful cello and vocal duo, Branden & James! Branden (America's Got Talent) grew up in Orange County, James in Australia, but religion is where their stories overlap. Branden attended Promise Keepers and a church for "ex-gays," while James' faith struggle lead him to Bible school in small town Texas. We talk organized religion vs. spirituality, and Branden being an o...

Holy cats! It's our 100TH EPISODE!!!! We take a queer walk down queer memory lane with clips from some of our most memorable moments inside and out of the closet, featuring past guests like Kirsten Vangsness, Erin Foley, Nicole's mom, and many more! We've also packed this ep with never-before-heard outtakes, bloopers, and behind the scenes moments. It's funny! It's moving! It's surprisingly sexy!...

We get into it with author and pop culture aficionado Keah Brown, who created #DisabledAndCute! Keah describes herself as a "bisexual, black, disabled woman," and discusses how she feels pressured to shelve some of her identities in order to advocate for just one at a time. We talk lack of disabled representation (never mind lack of disabled *queer* representation) in media, and Keah tells us why...

We bring on our fellow facilitator Sean Wright (they/them), who does amazing research in the field of public health! Sean, who tells us "I discovered my gender in the thrift store," sees their recent identity-shift as another "tree ring" in their ongoing evolution. We discuss the intricacies of trans vs. trans non-binary vs. non-binary, and Sean gives a fantastic explanation of why "trans non-bina...

In a controversial but fascinating episode, we talk to activist, former adult film star, and "Tranpa" Buck Angel, who transitioned 25 years ago(!!) when many doctors considered top surgery "mutilation." Buck is up front about the fact that he is VERY opinionated re: issues within the trans community, so please listen at your own discretion. These conversations are scary to have, but we hope they w...

Speaker and activist Elena Joy Thurston converted to Mormonism as a teenager, married at twenty, and went on to have four children, but seventeen years into her marriage, she began the harrowing journey of coming to terms with her lesbian identity. She relays the incredible story of how she unexpectedly met the love of her life, survived a mental health crisis and conversion therapy, and went on t...

We have a one-of-a-kind discussion with author, keynoter, and CEO, Jennifer Brown! Jennifer grew up in the conservative O.C., but a Vermont college a capella group helped her find her queer identity. Jennifer details how she was able to merge her LGBTQ activism with her work in the corporate sphere, and how she actively made the choice not to pass for straight in the business world. She gives us a...

We sit down with Nicole's Other Loving co-star, bisexual actor Matt Pascua (Grey's Anatomy; Castle). Matt wasn't confused or in denial about his attraction to men, so he was caught off-guard when his first same-sex encounter didn't really resonate with him. We talk about what it's like when your first time *isn't* all "bunny rabbits and rainbows," and discuss how society only seems to be comfortab...

A doctor on the front lines *and* a former gymnast?? What CAN'T Nicole's roommate, Chris, do?! Dr. Chris comes from a Midwestern, Roman Catholic family that "didn't really talk about controversial things," but when Chris' sexuality was uncovered, so was a decades-long family secret... Chris shares what it's like to be a doctor during the current pandemic, and reads us gay love letters from 1983 th...

Hey, everybody! Things sure are f@cking weird right now, huh?! In our first ever remotely recorded episode, Lauren and Nicole process their feelings about the coronavirus pandemic, and talk about how they've been spending their time in quarantine (#quarantinedqueers). Nicole shares how her polycule is navigating lockdown! Lauren comes out as a former OCD-sufferer and current germaphobe! We let you...

In our last in-person episode before the world went bananas, we sit less than 6 ft. away from Ellie Brigida, musician and co-host of Lez Hang Out! Despite the fact that nearly all her friends in high school were queer, Ellie's own sexuality remained submerged until a pivotal dream she had in college... She tells us the whole story (which LITERALLY involves quarantine!!!), and we also talk queer si...

At just 23 years old, comedian Addie Weyrich (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Crashing) has not only survived more than her fair share of trauma, she's also somehow managed to turn it into stand-up material. She shares how growing up in Philly shaped her, and teaches us all about trauma bonding and "instamacy!" We also dig into the bisexual catch-22 of feeling "too straight for gay spaces; too gay for...

We sit down with the QUEEN of queer community, Holly Winebarger, co-founder of ClexaCon and founder of QFX! Holly grew up in a small town in Virginia and didn't even know the word "lesbian" until she was 17, so it's no wonder she's spent much of her life fostering spaces for LGBTQ+ folks. She talks about how Ellen's "The Puppy Episode" changed her life, and tells us a coming out story that is *so*...

We have a *delightful* time talking to Gretchen Wylder, creator and star of THESE THEMS! Gretchen had a deeply Christian upbringing and was oblivious to her sexuality, despite the fact that she literally got nauseous every time she slept with her boyfriend. Fortunately, she finally saw the light in one of the most HILARIOUS stories we have ever heard! We also discuss hetero toxicity in the queer c...

We finally talk to the woman who started it all! Writer Susan Miller not only co-created Anyone But Me and wrote on Season 1 of the original L Word, she's also THE REASON WHY THIS PODCAST EXISTS (for real)! An award-winning playwright, Susan talks about coming out almost exclusively through her work, and explains why she has described herself as a "bisexual lesbian." We also tackle the hot-button...

Singer/songwriter Lucy LaForge grew up in a very conservative, Christian pocket of California, and didn't even hear the word "bisexual" until college (when someone point-blank asked her if she was one). She discusses the fears she had about being out publicly in the music industry, and how she ultimately let her songs lead the way. We also confront the maddening response of "Well, I mean, *everyon...

This week's guest has never shared her story publicly, but wanted to today because she believes it could help people (and she's right). Youstina (podcaster; QFX Public Relations) was born into a homophobic family in Egypt, where homosexuality is still criminalized. To make matters worse, her first same-sex experience involved her being severely lied to. Thankfully, Youstina emerged with one of the...