My Dad Stole My Limelight

I feel super lucky to have spent time chatting with this week's guest, Tin Lorica. I have admired them as a stand-up comedian for a long time, and as you will learn in this episode, they're also an incredibly talented poet, too. In fact, I got to hear from Tin about how their first stint in poetry and being on stage led them to comedy too. Now they explore their creative art through both and we ar...

It is SUCH a treat for me to have the one and only Em Cooper on the podcast this week. They are honestly the first comedian I saw live that stopped me in my tracks and made me reevaluate everything and decide "Oh shit, this is the comedy I want to listen to!" and everything they do makes me feel the same.   Em and I have a delightfully cute chat that delves into the different parts of Em that show...

This episode was recorded on National Coming Out Day and released on Nessa's birthday. So like everything else Nessa does, it is perfect. I am obsessed with this human. As a fellow iconic demisexual — among other amazing identities she will discuss in this episode — Nessa is an incredibly talented stand-up comedian, a super gifted and accomplished screenwriter and one of my favourite travel compan...

Producer alert! This week's ep is with someone who makes it all possible and I am so excited I got to put her in a different chair, it's Alexi! In this episode, Alexi opens my eyes to so many possibilities — it really is a beautiful conversation with constant reminders to listen to your inner voice and be true to yourself.   Alexi talks in depth about how they have always made a point to be authen...

Hey, listener! Please note: Rae Lynn uses they/them pronouns. In this conversation, Rae Lynn did say things may change for them, and they sure did! They strictly use they/them pronouns now. They let me know that they believed they had a lot of internalized fear about making others uncomfortable and dealing with explanations — a fear of people not getting it and disregarding their feelings — but no...

WELCOME TO SEASON 4! CAN YOU BELIEVE? I AM SO GRATEFUL! I mentioned in Season 3, that we were going to get my Dad, Al — the limelight stealer himself — here to open each season with me and we are here to deliver on that promise. Al first made an appearance last season to talk about his coming out and his journey to be the "happy gay man" that he is today. To open this season, I rebel against all m...

Nathan Hare is one of the kindest, warmest, most delightful people—both IRL and on the internet. The sole reason anyone should remain on social media is to keep up with his twitter and instagram which are the funniest in my opinion.   It was an absolute pleasure to bring Nathan in for the season finale and chat being bicons. We discussed finding people at a certain time in your life when you feel...

I saw Andrea perform recently, for the first time since the pandemimoore, and she spoke about her bisexuality for my first time hearing it and it filled me with joy to be able to congratulate her after the show on her coming out. While we emphasise that you don't owe coming out to anyone, it was still awesome to be able to share this experience, of not really coming out but rather saying it on sta...

The day this is released is the day you can catch Julya (and past guest Steev Letts) at Hecklers in Victoria for the PRIDE SHOW! *air horn* —please forgive my silliness in getting the date wrong and acting like it wasn't the same day during recording. Listening to this after the release day? Check out another show Julya is doing via their IG. In this episode, I get to meet comedian Julya Van Der S...

What a bloody treat it was to sit with  Soo Jeong this week. Adding to the shortlist of one-on-one interviews I have done, Soo and I got to connect and share her experiences coming out later in life, the importance of cutting ties with some people from chapters before she came out in order to start fresh, and the ways in which she found to be herself before she maybe really realized she was doing...

It was a pleasure to sit with Erin and her emotional support bisexual, Jess, to chat about Erin's coming into her asexuality. Erin chatted about how the isolation of the pandemic and the "youths of the internet" made it more accessible for her to come to a better understanding and pride in being ace. This chat was full of pure joy and power from Erin (and I, Lauren, use those exact words many time...

This week's guest joined the recording by announcing "I wore this for you" and stood up to reveal a sweater with the triple goddess moon symbol with "not a phase" written underneath and the whole damn thing was the colours of the bisexual flag. So yes, I am kind of obsessed with her. Mallory Gallant is a writer, producer, comedian, and Project Manager with Comedy Here Often? (helllllllllo am I int...

Once upon a recent time, LD was a guest on Genderful, a talk show about gender hosted by GenderMeowster (they/them), a nonbinary Twitch streamer, YouTuber, Podcaster, and more! It was such a pleasure to sit and talk with Meowster and a special privilege to be welcomed into such a wonderful space on the internet. In this week's episode, I got to flip it and host GenderMeowster and their wife TransC...

This week's episode is something I have been looking forward to ever since I met Maud. Maud Mostly is an artist, educator & writer, a member of the music-based collective @theotherteam (dedicated to uplifting, amplifying, and supporting underrepresented/historically excluded artists) and host of Queer Trivia Night which raises funds for various amazing causes, not to mention has built a community...

After meeting Amanda G through the powers of the internet, getting to guest on her amazing podcast Near and Queer To My Heart — a podcast for more than just the piece you get of a performer on stage, a place for queer people to tell their stories, a space for really getting to know them — I got to have her on this podcast! Amanda is an extremely talented comedian based in New Orleans and is joined...

The first interview of the season is just a delight, joined by Sasha Mark and Danielle Kayahara . Buckle up for a belly laugh and warm hug all in one as Sasha returns after being a guest of a guest with Skye , to tell their own story of coming out, not exactly as planned at first. Sasha shares how that is an ongoing, wonderful journey of being gay and queer while continuing to explore being gender...

When the podcast began, I (Lauren) was still healing, still questioning, still finding my way. I was bitter and resentful. A lot of that still remains true, but now I live without the bitterness and resentment and instead with all of the love in my heart. I have an abundance of gratitude for my Dad for paving the way, and opening doors for me. I have gratitude to him for not stealing my limelight,...

Season Two and our journeys come full circle with a virtual reunion this week. You can feel all of the love in the zoom room while we gush over the captivation that is this week's guest, Al Val . Al came out initially on stage in front of 200 people in the comedy club Lauren used to manage and this episode reunites Al, Lauren and Al's friend Josh Elijah who was also a comedian on the show that nig...

Madden is a writer , general radical lover and Lauren's conscience -- educating and inspiring her since the day they met. Lauren and Madden have been in each others' lives for 10+ years now and have seen each other through many phases of life including career changes, overseas moves, being roommates and more. It was such an (emotional) pleasure to share this chat with y'all and welcome someone I c...

Lauren lives out her Sliding Doors moment with this week's guest, her childhood boyfriend and loved family friend, Sam Merryfull . Sam and Lauren reflect on growing up in their small town, and the significance of leaving to find their true selves. Sam and Lauren dated when they were in Primary School and have remained friends ever since. Listen for the juicy details of why they broke up...   Sam i...

All hail the Burger Queen! In this instalment of MDSML, Lauren is reunited with her dear friend Steev Letts , who you might recognise from Lauren's several other interview segments. Steev has supported every single creative endeavour Lauren has done, having been a guest on every one of them. The most noteworthy might be when they ate burgers to the point of physical illness on Comedy Here Often's...

Lauren is reunited with two of her fav fellow 'Aussies Abroad' for this conversation zoomed in from beautiful BC. Tahlia and Xanthea are creators and podcasters who chatted with Lauren about their coming out and gender journeys with each other in their relationship. They are both very honest and frank about the thoughts that went through their minds both in their own journeys and being on the rece...

This week's guest is none other than Lauren's favourite (favourite human, favourite handbag designer, favourite badass comedian...) Eman El-Husseini . Eman speaks openly and hilariously and is real with us about the not-so-easy parts of coming out. Eman is a proud Palestinian, Muslim woman and speaks on her experiences coming out to her family, friends and fellow comedians. Eman is a comedian, pod...

Move over Stanley Tucci and Cher in the movie Burlesque, Stove and Lauren are coming in HOT to claim their place on that throne! Steve Sidi (or as he is affectionally known as -- Stove) is one of Lauren's best friends and dearest souls. They have worked together over many years at various places creating comedy magic but the thing they are most proud of is their relationship to the movie Burlesque...

As you might know (and maybe that's how you made your way here - hi! welcome! nice to meet you!) Gaby Dunn has been entertaining and educating us for years through their podcasts Just Between Us  and Bad with Money  (season 8 out now!), as well as through their social media and writing. side note: read Bad With Money, Gaby's book - it talks about money in the most helpful and easy to understand wa...