Gay to Z Podcast

This week we're talking about singer songwriter Dodie, joined by very special guest Cliodhna McGee (Caoimhe's sister). We discuss everything from the YouTube days to her solo music to her time in the band Fizz, and the impact Dodie has had on so many young queer people in this part of the world with their music and social media presence. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @GayToZPod

We're back once again! This week we're talking about the 2017 movie Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet, in all its glory and all its controversies. Simon and Keevez are joined in discussion by the wonderful playwright and die-hard CMBYN fan, Connor Wentworth! We also talk about Survivor, Queerbaiting (both Connor's play and the concept), awards season, trips to Italy and...

This week Simon and Keevez are talking about the cult classic, endlessly quotable 1999 comedy But I'm a Cheerleader, with the talented and hilarious Annie McIlwaine! The film follows Megan, played by Natasha Lyonne; a teenage cheerleader being sent to a conversion camp and coming to terms with her identity as a lesbian. We discuss how these themes are dealt with through a comedic lens, give ou...

GAY TO Z IS BACK BABY! The highly anticipated second season of everyone's favourite podcast is finally here. For our first ep we're talking about the MTV reality dating show Are You The One? , specifically their first, and only, queer season Come One, Come All . We're joined by the brilliant journalist and comedian, Eli Cugini to talk all things bi representation, queer dating, polyamo...

It's the season one finale! And this week it's just Simon and Keevez, and we're talking about the 2005 film 'Zerophilia'. We go through the film scene by scene and explain why it's equal parts hilariously bad, outrageously camp and surprisingly profound. We also discuss Mickey 17, reminisce on all our favourite moments doing Gay to Z so far, and deliver a 5 minute cold open...

This week Simon and Keevez have a LOT to say about the band Years & Years and the artist Olly Alexander. We go through each album from Communion to Polari, Alexander's first album under his own name, along with all the controversies, highlights and personal anecdotes along the way. We also discuss new music from Gaga, Chappell Roan, Lil Nas X, Eve Belle, JADE, Haim and Ariana Grande. Follo...

*TRIGGER WARNING - Discussions around sexual assault and themes of a sexual nature involving minors* This week Simon and Keevez are joined by Donegal filmmaker and longtime friend of Caoimhe's, Katie McFadden, to discuss the 2007 Argentine film 'XXY'. The film centres around a 15 year old intersex person questioning their gender identity and sexuality. We discuss some of the problemati...

This week Simon and Keevez are joined by the talented playwright and comedian, Rose Coogan, to discuss the 2024 documentary film, Will & Harper. We talk about Will Ferrell's power and impact as an ally, Harper Steele's bravery and vulnerability, the heartwarming authenticity of their friendship and where we think the film could've been improved. We also talk about Rose's play &...

This week Simon and Keevez were joined once again by the hilarious Matthew Yardley to talk about the British sitcom 'Vicious', which aired on ITV between 2013 and 2016 and starred Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi. As well as giving our honest thoughts on the series, we discuss the representation of older gays, Mark Ravenhill's other works and how this episode compares to the last time Matt jo...

This week we're discussing the iconic 2000's dramedy, Ugly Betty, with the incredibly talented, Alex McMillan, @UndeniablyAlex. We take a look at the primary queer characters in the show (Alexis Meade, Marc St. James and Justin Suarez), what these representations meant at the time and whether they still hold up today. We also discuss Simon and Alex's shared love of reality competitions, games and...

This week we're talking about Tyler the Creator's career, his complicated past with the queer community, how hip hop culture could have impacted this relationship and how his sound has evolved to be more inclusive, expressive and vulnerable. We're joined again on this episode by Tom Morrison aka @LittleTomDoodles We also discuss big life updates, bar brawls with transphobes, Chappell R...

"Well, nobody's perfect" This week we're joined by Martin Murray to talk about the 1959 film 'Some Like It Hot'; how it portrays gender, how it can be read through a queer lens and how it broke the rules of cinema in its day. We also talk about our time in our uni's Drama society, the local drag scene in Belfast, our shared love of Old Hollywood, the rumours surrounding Marilyn Monroe's sexuality,...

WE'RE BACK! With a brand new (ish) episode! Originally recorded between 2022 and 2023, in this episode Simon and Keevez are joined by local pop culture scholar and longtime friend of the pod, Sam Farrell, to take a deep dive into the work of Rina Sawayama and review her debut album, 'Sawayama'. Our first episode back is an extra long one, so grab a snack, stick us on 2x speed and enjoy...

In this essay I will... This week Simon and Keevez give you a lengthy, at times chaotic, comparative essay on Queer Eye 2003 vs 2018. We compare and contrast the first episode of each version; vote on which one we think did each section better; give you our ultimate Fab Five rankings; share some fun facts and tidbits on the popular franchise; and occasionally go off on some unrelated tangents. Wou...

Simon and Keevez join a cult. This week Simon and Keevez are joined by Rachel (AKA amortentiareads) where we discuss the mystery/science fiction comic series 'Paper Girls' by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. We get into the lesbian death trope, young queer romance and why female comic book protagonists are for everyone. Thanks for listening! Enjoy xo Instagram: @gaytozpod Twitter: @gaytozpod Ema...

"I will never stop talking about this movie" This week, Simon and Keevez are joined by esteemed lawyer, local complaint filer and boyfriend to Simon, Matthew Yardley, where we discuss the incomparable 2009 film, 'Oy Vey! My Son is Gay!' We also talk Kristen Stewart, Disney, Lil Nas X and Taylor Swift.  Thanks for listening folks, enjoy! xo Instagram: @gaytozpod Twitter: @gaytozpod Email: gayt...

Surprise bitch! Bet you thought you saw the last of us. We are back after a little hiatus and better than ever, baby. Listen to find out what we've been up to over the last couple months and stay tuned for exciting new episodes coming your way very soon!

This week we're joined by Calum McElwee to chat about the short documentary series, Nightgowns, based on the drag cabaret show of the same name. The show was created by Drag Race winner Sasha Valour and the docuseries originally streamed on Quibi.  We also touch on the Wicked cast announcement, Taylor's 'All Too Well' short film, new queer music, gay superheroes and local nightclub drama. Tha...

"Caught a slime"  This week Simon and Keevez discuss friend of the pod, Lil Nas X's debut album, Montero; the creative marketing, the meme culture, the homophobic backlash, the dodgy trolling past, the ground-breaking music videos and performances, and our thoughts on the album, track by track; we cover it all. Thanks for listening! Enjoy xo  Twitter: @gaytozpod Instagram: @gaytozpod Ema...

We're back with a new episode and this week Simon and Keevez are joined by Lady Gaga superfan, Jake Kyle, to chat about her The Fame Monster era. We discuss everything from Gaga's meteoric rise to fame and the weird rumours and comparisons that came with this, to her bizarre media stints and most iconic moments, as well as going through the track list and the music videos. Thanks for listening, fo...

"Did Harry Potter just bottom?" This week Simon and Keevez are joined by Conor Cupples and we discuss the 2013 film Kill Your Darlings, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Alan Ginsberg, about some of the young pioneers of the Beat Generation during their college days and the true story of their entanglement in a murder case. We also talk about streaming platform Twitch's recent controversy with ongoing...

Curb Your Virgin Sacrifice. This week Simon and Keevez watched the cult classic from 2009, Jennifer's Body, and talk about how this film along with Megan Fox were deeply misunderstood and mistreated at the time and how the #MeToo movement brought them both back into public conversation. We also talked about the Met Gala, Survivor's first non-binary contestant, Drag Race UK season 3, Montero, Elvir...

"Mommy? Sorry, Mommy? Sorry, Mommy? Sorry, Mommy?" Welcome to part two of our episodes talking about Matthew Lopez's 2018 play 'The Inheritance' with Aoife Browne. In this episode we go more in depth into the themes of the play, discussing the socio-political elements, the idea of generational or inherited trauma, and the question of what it means to be gay and what gay culture is.  Thanks fo...

"Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll & vomiting on Meryl Streep" This week we're joined by our pod sister, Aoife Browne from Midnight Memories, and we're chatting about Matthew Lopez's 2018 play The Inheritance. We also talked about spring rolls, Kristen Stewart, Disney gays, Dragula season 4 cast, Lil Nas X's pregnancy announcement, Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud, Jojo Siwa, the MUNA x Phoebe...

AKA Simon's Intervention. This week we're joined by the fabulous Caitlin Magnall-Kearns and we're talking about the cult classic, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. We discuss the 2001 film and the legacy of Hedwig, as well as DaBaby, Matt Damon, Drag Race UK, fatphobia, Lorde, Billie Eilish, Jane McDonald, the gender binary (or lack thereof), Love Island, Four in a Bed and The Sims, and we sit Simon down...