LGBTQ&A

Kim Coco Iwamoto talks about running for Lieutenant Governor in Hawaii and what inspired her to run for the Hawaii State Board of Education in 2006 (she was the first openly trans person to win a statewide election). She also talks about her mother's experience in a Japanese Internment Camp in America during WWII, taking activism to the streets with the group, The Transexual Menace, and being a fo...

Aaron Carter talks about embracing his bisexuality, coming out in the public eye, and returning to music with his first album in 15 years. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters. @jeffmasters1   For more, check out: lgbtqpodcast.com

Solomon Georgio talks about getting to a place in his career where people he respects seek out his opinion and what it's like to have to adjust to that. He also describes what it was like to grow up in an African immigrant family, having to learn English, having to learn that he was black, and being first exposed to American culture through American sitcoms. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters. @...

Isis King talks about meeting Octavia St. Laurent from Paris Is Burning, how the movie opened her eyes to her own gender, and why she newly embraces the word "transexual". She says we have to persevere and fight for acceptance for trans people to make it easier for future generations. Isis also talks about being discovered by America's Next Top Model while living in a shelter, the media's learning...

Will Kostakis talks about how losing his best friend as a teenager shaped his life, and served as part of the inspiration for his new book, The Sidekicks. Will's Australian and talks about how conservative it is there and why the recent postal survey on same-sex marriage is so complicated. He also says that Australian politicians are watching U.S. politicians very closely and that they've started...

Ross Mathews talks about the hatemail he receieved when he appeared as "Ross the Intern" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was accused of setting back the movement. Ross also talks about coping with the cancellation of his own talkshow (Hello Ross) after dreaming about having one for so long, meeting his mentor, Rosie O'Donnell, why the definition of "success" has shifted for him, and his his...

FBI agent turned surf-rocker, Susan SurfTone talks about how unstable the rights of LGBTQ people are under this current administration. She says it has the potential to get really bad. Susan also discusses her time in the FBI, just how much power the FBI director has, and what she learned from studying mutilated bodies at crime scenes. Susan's always felt that she's experienced a blend of gender a...

Zeke Smith talks about working with CBS and GLAAD to shape the media response after he was outed on the TV show, Survivor, the importance of the cast's onscreen outrage, and why he's not interested in having a relationship with the man who outed him. He also talks about figuring out how to navigate his newfound fame, what it's like to suddenly be a publicly out trans person, the lack of transmascu...

Eric Marcus (from Making Gay History) joins the podcast to talk about and share an interview he did with Sylvia Rivera in 1989. In the interview, Sylvia talks about Stonewall, growing up an effeminate child, and leaving home at the age of 10. Check out more information about Making Gay History at www. MakingGayHistory.com. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters. @jeffmasters1 You can recommend a gue...

Katya Zamolodchikova says it sucks to be doing a Russian character right now, though it was never about being Russian. It was about being confident. She also talks about her new Viceland show with Trixie Mattel, safety concerns while touring the world, stealing $20,000 to pay for drugs, and getting paid to sleep with men while in drag. Katya also talks about relationships: moving fast with guys, s...

Zeke Thomas talks about how prevalent sexual assault is in the gay community. He's also clear when it comes to consensual sex: he wants you to be having a lot of it. We talk about how there's not a manual for being queer, so you have to figure it out as you go, and he shares about how growing up with a famous father (Isiah Thomas) affected his perception of fame, the secret text message chain of f...

Abdi Nazemian talks about what it was like to come out in a Middle Eastern family and how it differs from the typical Western LGBTQ experience that people know. He talks about the Iranian president’s comments that they “don’t have any gays in Iran” and describes why he didn’t feel at home in either the gay or Iranian communities that he was a part of. Abdi Nazemian also discusses what it was like...

Cameron Esposito talks about making comedy in the Trump era, saying that to be apolitical and an artist right now is a waste of time. She also describes life without her iconic asymmetrical haircut, the ways we police different people's gender, and the stress of having to decide whether or not to come out to strangers in a heteronormative society. Cameron also talks about the great impact Edith Wi...

Tommy Pico talks about growing up on a Native American reservation, trying to tame the English language with his poetry, and why labeling himself as an “NDN” is a powerful act of reclamation. He also talks about how people often don’t know enough about indigenous people to be able to stereotype them, and then he […]

Shadi Petosky talks about wanting to create a diverse and inclusive world in her animated series, Danger and Eggs. She also talks about still being confused and challenged by gender, switching up pronouns amongst friends, and why we have a great responsibility to love and honor the people in our chosen families. Shadi also talks about how she didn’t think she could have a career in television as a...

Michael Varrati talks about the queer undertones (both hidden and overt) in horror movies and why the recurring theme of the underdog who has to persevere in the face of adversity is so relatable. He talks about how there are many horror stories, like The Laramie Project, that we don’t consider to be horror movies because they’re based on true events. Michael also shares stories from touring the c...

Cheryl Dunye is a pioneering queer filmmaker. She talks about the enduring legacy of her film, The Watermelon Woman (celebrating its 20th anniversary), and directing sex scenes with brown bodies, why she’s no longer interested in making the compromises necessary to be a commercial filmmaker. She also talks about supporting more films by and about queer people of color and the significance of undoc...

Our Lady J talks about being a writer for Transparent, the power and responsibility that storytellers have, and shares the “beautiful and excruciating” moments from growing up in a predominantly Amish community. She talks about playing piano for people like Sia, as well as the discrimination she faced in the music industry after she transitioned. Our Lady J also describes the ongoing process of le...

Kristin Russo (author of This is Book for Parents of Gay Kids) talks about Autostraddle’s A-Camp (where she is the co-director), the special importance of sex ed in LGBTQ communities, and social pressures she faced to identify as a lesbian instead of bisexual. She also talks about her efforts to make LGBTQ youth feel seen with her website, Everyone Is Gay, why “queer” is such a special word, and e...

Laith Ashley talks about why transgender men are less visible than transgender women in society, says people police his gender as much now as they did before his transition, and why living openly as a transgender person is a privilege that not everyone has. He also talks about people’s obsession with his (and his girlfriend’s) genitalia, the stigma around dating transgender people, and why modelin...

Shane Ortega is the first transgender person to serve openly in the military. He talks about how to interpret President Trump’s tweets banning trans people from serving in the military, explains why it’s so detrimental that Trump didn’t seek guidance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and says that as of now, there hasn’t been any changes to official military policy concerning trans people. Shane als...

Erin Judge (comedian and author of Vow of Celibacy) talks about how overweight people are able to have active, healthy sex lives, despite how the media often represents them. She also talks about why it’s healthy to experiment sexually when you’re younger and why it should be more OK for women to talk about sex. Both Erin and her mom are bisexual, and she discusses what it’s like to grow up in an...

Eliel Cruz talks about why, despite the violence it’s caused, religion has remained such a large part of so many LGBTQ people’s lives. He talks about what his prayers look like, coming out in a Christian school, and what his personal beliefs are based on (hint: they’re not based on hurting other people). Eliel Cruz also talks about bi-erasure, pressures to present and act more masculinely as a bis...

Mariana Marroquin works as an Anti-Violence Project Manager at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. We talk about her work and the discrimination that her clients face, as well as the fear that’s been stemming from the Trump administration. Like many of the people she works with, Mariana is an immigrant, originally moving her to seek asylum from Guatemala. She discusses the challenges that immigrants face...

Nico Tortorella talks about why people are freaked out and fascinated by his bisexuality, saying people equate it with promiscuity. He also talks about why love is the driving force for everything in his life, how a lack of masculine energy helped shape him since he was raised by women, how his life changed after he did ayahuasca, and why he wrote a love letter to the rapper, Logic. LGBTQ&A is hos...