Queertowne

Journey with us back into the Queertowne archives for a recording from our October 2024 event in front of a live audience at First Light Books. Hosts Mase Kerwick and Charlie Blaine sat down with SG Huerta and KB Brookins, two Texas writers doing essential work at the intersection of queerness, transness, and literature. KB Brookins is a Black, queer, and trans writer whose poetry collection Freed...

For our third and final episode of Feartowne this year, we’re sitting down with a Good Judy who’s also queering Austin’s podcast scene: the one and only Ayden Castellanos (he/they). Ayden is the host and creator of Susto , a popular ooky spooky podcast centered on paranormal folklore from Latin American & Hispanic cultures - which you should check out after you finish listening to our decidedl...

What happens when drag meets horror? Find out in this spine-chilling episode of our Feartowne miniseries! Hosts Mase and Javi venture into Coco Coquette, Austin's premier wig store, to chat with the legendary ⁠Louisianna Purchase⁠ (she/they). A fixture in Austin's vibrant drag scene, Dragula Season Three top-four finalist, and hostess of Die Felicia at Elysium, Louisianna Purchase brings a unique...

Boo, witches! Queertowne morphs into our yearly celebration of Halloween - aptly titled Feartowne - as Mase, Javi, and Charlie conjure queer chaos in Easterly's haunted kitchen. Dare to join us for: a lightning round of Halloween Truth or Dare, a deep dive into the most homophobic options in the candy bowl, and a delightfully deranged round of Queertowne Quiz Time. Warning: May cause uncontrollabl...

In this episode of Queertowne, Mase and Charlie sit down with visual artist and trans-activist Xavier Schipani (he/him) for a wide-ranging conversation about how he explores queer identity, the trans masculine body, sexuality, memory, and language in his work. This episode was recorded within the Tudor Cottage in Kingsbury Commons—one of Pease Park’s many gems! Pease Park isn’t just what you see f...

Today's wrestling-centric episode of Queertowne features a return from our good pal, stand up comedian and wrestling super fan Roxy Castillo (she/her). Join us as we explore the humor and heart of wrestling through a very queer lens - and make sure to stick around for one of our goofiest versions of Queertowne Quiz Time to date. Follow the show on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@queertowne⁠⁠⁠⁠ , and if you wan...

In this episode of Queertowne, Mase and Charlie are joined by James Scott, the Austin Chronicle's Calendar and Qmmunity Editor, and our friend Hope Bachman to unpack the endurance race that has become Brat Summer and what we'd personally call Summer 2024. Then we give out some juicy awards for our favorite pop-culture and personal moments of the summer. This is a fun one! Follow the show o...

In this episode of Queertowne, Mase and Javi sit down with mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido (she/her) inside of Neon Grotto. Join us for an in-depth conversation about Carmen's community-driven campaign, her upbringing in Austin, and her vision for the future of Central Texas. Learn more about Carmen by visiting https://www.carmen4mayor.com/ . Follow the show on Instagram ⁠⁠@queertowne⁠⁠...

In this episode of Queertowne, Kristen surprised us mid-recording with not one but two shocking revelations. The first was that this episode would come out on her actual birthday - HBD K WASH - but you'll have to listen to the full episode to see what else was spilled. Follow the show on Instagram ⁠⁠@queertowne⁠⁠ , and if you want to anonymously share something with us to be featured on an upc...

The episode you've been waiting for! Brigitte Bandit, the popular drag queen and inspirational political activist based in Austin, returns to Queertowne five years after performing in our last Halloween show before Covid. During our sit down conversation, Brigitte opens up about her extremely low key and not at all newsworthy journey these past few years. (Spoiler Alert: she's kind of a bi...

We’re back and gayer than ever. Mase, Javi, Charlie and Kristen visit one of our favorite queer spaces in town - The Little Gay Shop - to kick off the fourth season of Queertowne and catch up on the hilarious absurdity of our lives since wrapping season three. Follow the show on Instagram @queertowne , and if you want to anonymously share something with us to be featured on an upcoming episode of...

In this special episode of Queertowne, Charlie sits down with Kristen to revisit some of their favorite moments that were featured on the pod in 2023. Featuring snippets from episodes with Erica Nix, Armin A. Dorri, Aira Juliet, Deb Majumdar & Ananyaa Ravi, Brandi Davis, Charlie Bonner & Adri Perez, The Queer Black Women Alliance, and more.

Just in time for the holigays, the lovely cohosts of Queer Film Theory, Mike Graupmann (he/they) and Lesley Clayton (she/her), visit Queertowne for a very giggly and delightful conversation with Mase and Javi. We discuss the origins of their free monthly show for cinema lovers at Alamo Mueller, our favorite holiday films, and the shockingly queer storytelling history of The Muppets. Make sure to s...

Beth Schindler, the prolific artist and community organizer known for curating important recurring events like Austin's Dyke March, visits Queertowne to chat with Mase and Charlie about the 10th anniversary of Lesbian Wedding, the popular party and Dyke centered event that she's been throwing since 2013. During our sit down conversation, Beth (she/her) also opens up about her creative proc...

Join Mase, Javi, Charlie and Kristen for a very special episode that sees Laura return to Queertowne to celebrate the sixth anniversary of our first live show. After taking a walk down memory lane, we examine the relationship the queer community has with the internet. Spoiler Alert: We talk about porn for a while! We wrap things up with a very silly parody of the dramatic cast reunions that have b...

Join us for the spellbinding finale of our Feartowne miniseries as we uncover the transformative potential of movement and explore the enchanting world of dancer, burlesque performer, and practicing witch, Blaise Ricin. Prepare to be inspired, empowered, and utterly captivated by his unique journey and the magic he brings to the world.

For this second episode of our three-part Halloween-themed miniseries Feartowne, Mase, Javi and Charlie are joined by our production manager Elizabeth for a candlelit gigglefest about the sexiest horror films and the many ways we gays celebrate the season. Recorded shortly after Mase moved into his new place, the group catches up on what’s been going on in their lives and what they’ve been up to t...

Today’s all new episode of Queertowne kicks off a three part Halloween-themed miniseries called Feartowne. Joining Mase and Javi is seasoned film festival programmer, journalist and filmmaker Bears Rebecca Fonte. As the writer/director of several horror movies, Bears Rebecca (she/her) brought a deep knowledge of the genre and opened up about discovering her trans identity while working on a narrat...

On this weeks episode of Queertowne, Mase and Kristen sit down for an intimate and thoughtful conversation with Nekaybaw and Hadassa, board members of Queer Black Women Alliance. Founded in 2021, QBWA is a non-profit organization providing a safe space for building healthy friendships and community, through social gatherings and community outreach. The org encourages overall wellness through menta...

In this episode of Queertowne, the QT crew - Mase, Javi, Charlie, and Kristen - manage to catch up with each other about life lately, even though Kristen isn't sure what day it is. We then discuss the complexities of parenthood in this current era of political and environmental chaos, and why so many of us in the queer community are excited by the childless by choice movement. And make sure to...

No friendships were harmed in the making of today’s boozy brunch episode of Queertowne. In an attempt to evade the ceaseless Texas heat, the QT gang - Mase, Javi, Charlie, and Kristen - gather together for a spicy conversation and some chilled cocktails. This episode’s Hot Topic takes a brief dip into the sometimes icy and often spicy waters of emotions brought on by fast friendships in the queer...

Today’s all new episode of Queertowne features a wide ranging conversation with Erica Nix, a queer and trans-inclusive body positive activist and personal trainer who’s resided in Austin since 1999. Erica (she/they) is a performance artist, photographer and even former mayoral candidate who opened up to us about Austin’s queer community and the significance of preserving the people and places that...

Today’s all new episode of Queertowne features a sharp and surprising conversation about how we’re surviving this extremely hot summer, how we feel about certain queer adjacent labels, and - of course - a very silly round of Queertowne Quiz Time.

For our season two finale of Queertowne, Mase is joined by our producer Kristen Washington (she/her) and guest host Charlie Blaine (they/them) for a captivating conversation with Aira Juliet, the creator and host of Black and Queer AF. Aira (she/her) opens up about her experiences as a Black performer in Austin and why she felt called to create the show, as well as the overwhelmingly positive reac...

In this episode of Queertowne, Mase and Javi sit down with Charlie Bonner and Adri Pérez, two noted political activists who've been organizing against and drawing awareness to the unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ bills currently moving through the 2023 Texas Legislative Session. Charlie (he/him) and Adri (they/them) explain how our state legislature operates, why they continue to advocate for...