Queering Your Podcast Listening 🏳️🌈
A Pride playlist to celebrate & inspire
Hey Besties!
First of all, THANK YOU for the awesome response to the Podcast Bestie Playlist thread last week. If you haven’t submitted yet, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. You have until EOD Tuesday, June 28th, to comment with your Play It Forward links if you want to be included in the playlist. I’ll be sharing the playlist in future editions of this newsletter AND listening to as many as possible on my road trip in July. I hope to discover some new faves!
Also, THANK YOU to the fabulous Besties who helped get the word out about my new podcast, The Bleeders, about book writing and publishing. I’m looking at you, James Cridland of Podnews, Lauren Passell of Podcast the Newsletter, Keelen Peterson of Mentally? A Magpie, Frank Racioppi of Ear Worthy, Arielle Nissenblatt of Earbuds, and Stephen from Podcast Delivery. Teamwork makes the dream work; I’m so grateful to you all! 😘
And since it’s the freaking summer and we’re coming up on a holiday weekend, I just wanted to share this PSA for all the producers, editors, and clients in the house.
The always-on, startup mentality is prevalent in podcasting. I’ve been on both sides of this equation, and it’s always good to remember that making podcasts should not be an emergency. (Shoutout to editaudio for setting a stellar example with their weeklong, company-wide break!)
🌈 And now for the main event: In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to share some great shows I’ve been loving with an LGBTQIA focus.
Welcome to Provincetown - This gorgeous podcast hosted by award-winning documentarian Mitra Kaboli takes listeners inside a seaside gay mecca that swells from 3,000 to 60,000 for the summer to “unlock the secrets to growing old and gay.” There are three episodes out, and I’m loving it so far! The summer vibes are very strong in this podcast.
Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff: Part One: The Public Universal Friend: A Non-binary Icon in Revolutionary-Era America - Learn how Furries paved the way for non-binary personhood, the origins of the singular “they” (which predated the singular “you”), and more. This is a fascinating episode with host Margaret Killjoy and guest Garrison Davis, plus an appearance by my pal, producer Sophie Lichterman. This mini-series has it all!
Making Gay History: Sylvia Rivera - A never-before-heard conversation with trans icon and self-proclaimed Stonewall veteran Sylvia Rivera. Host Eric Marcus chatted with Sylvia more than a decade before her untimely death in 2002 about the first night of the June 1969 uprising and her struggle for recognition in the LGBTQ rights movement.
Gender Reveal: Torrey Peters - Okay wow, Torrey Peters is brilliant. This interview serves up some interesting backstory on Peters’ novel Detransition, Baby and a philosophical conversation about gender and what we can learn from other identities, including how cisgender people are now looking to the trans community for guidance on how to play with gender roles, hosted by Tuck Woodstock.
Plus, here’s our Private Parts Unknown playlist of LGBTQ+ episodes.
Are You a Professional Podcaster? - If so, Quill wants to hear from you! Fill out their short 2-minute survey for your chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.
How To Generate Podcast Topic Ideas Your Listeners Will Love - Over on the Waave blog, CEO Jeff Dolan wrote a helpful roundup to boost your podcast idea generation if you’re feeling uninspired.
Join a Pro-Abortion Pre-Roll Campaign - In light of the recent Roe v. Wade reversal, Arielle Nissenblatt is organizing a pre-roll campaign to support bodily autonomy and the right to choose. This is an excellent opportunity to use your platform to help amplify this vital message. (Cis men, you too.)
Executive Director (full-time) at AIR | Remote
Host and Reporter, Civic (full-time) at San Francisco Public Press | San Francisco, CA
Senior Audio Producer (full-time) at Rebel Girls | Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York /Hybrid
I had such a fun and informative conversation with Dr. Amir Mirashi about orgasms, misconceptions about the clitoris, lifestyle remedies for endometriosis, sexual health tips for all vagina-havers, his lube recommendation from your kitchen cupboard, and honestly, so much more. This episode is FULL of good stuff.
I was thrilled to interview my writing mentor about her unique journey in the literary scene. Chloe Caldwell gave us the full scoop on how she became an author of four incredible books; we discussed cold queries, agents, small presses, and learning how to trust your vision.
For my first ever “Work In Progress” episode, I invited writer and kinkster Amanda McNeil to talk about her essay collection, potentially turning it into a memoir, AND she reads an excerpt from one of her essays entitled “Butt Stuff.” I have to say, the lube SFX during her reading is worth the listen alone.
I was a guest on Billy Procida’s podcast. We talked about how sex sells — even when it comes to social justice campaigns — plus tales of pandemic-fueled exhibitionism and maybe getting engaged soon (only if my bf asks when I look pretty, lol). You better put a ring on this podcast episode!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
If you’ve listened to or created a podcast episode that taught you something, provided a unique perspective, or changed your mind about reproductive rights or abortion, please reply or comment with the rec!
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.