Outward: Slate's LGBTQ podcast

This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder explore two parts of the queer world heavily associated with the 1970s: PFLAG and “The Lesbian.” First, they mark the 50th anniversary of PFLAG with a discussion of how the relationship between parents, parenthood, and queer people has changed over the last five decades, how it hasn’t, and what all that means in this dangerous era of “parental rights.” Then, they’re joined by Mairead Sullivan, a scholar and author of the newish book Lesbian Death, a fascinating analysis of the cultural association between the figure of The Lesbian and, well, death. Why is The Lesbian and her bed, her spaces, her very identity, always dying? Who’s killing her? Sullivan helps the hosts sort it out.Items discussed in the show:Lesbian Death by Mairead SullivanGallup’s latest count of LGBT people in the U.S.Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s 1977 photo in drag.Gay AgendaChristina: The novel Confidence by Rafael FrumkinJGP: Pedro Pascal’s InstagramBL: Nico Lang’s @QueerNewsDaily; Julia Serano on “transgenderism”; and Christina on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ love of high heels.This podcast was produced by Morgan Givens.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love is in the air this month, so hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder turn their attention to some very queer questions of love. First, they discuss a new Spanish film, Petit Mal, which explores the intimate drama and everyday feelings of three women in a throuple. Then they consider what is arguably the hardest kind of love: loving yourself in the wake of great loss or pain. Recent years have seen a huge growth in the applications of psychedelic drugs as a treatment strategy for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and more. Although psychedelics are becoming more popular with everyone, a lot of queer and trans people have pre-existing relationships with some of these substances, both in recreational and therapeutic contexts. The hosts are joined by Dr. Alex Belser, the leading researcher into queer people’s relationship with psychedelics, to discuss what these drugs might offer—and get back from—queers.Items discussed in the show:“Gay Bars and Hookup Apps”: The February 2021 episode of Outward that focused on Lex and other dating apps for womenThe official trailer for Petit MalQueering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine, edited by Alex Belser, Clancy Cavnar, and Beatriz C. Labate“Does the Queer Scene Have a Ketamine Problem?” by Delilah Friedler in Rolling Stone“10 Calls to Action: Toward an LGBTQ-Affirmative Psychedelic Therapy,” by Alex BelserGay AgendaChristina: Aftersun, written and directed by Charlotte WellsBryan: The legacy of Charles Silverstein, who died on Jan. 30, 2023Jules: Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals, by Saidiya V. HartmanThis podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder take an in-depth look at the latest fixation of the far right: drag, an art form as old as gender itself, which has brought generations of queer people together. In the first segment, the hosts consider why conservatives are now trying to regulate drag shows out of existence and armed hate groups are showing up at drag events to threaten and intimidate performers and audiences. Then they are joined by Lil Miss Hot Mess, who in addition to performing with Drag Story Hour, has taken an academic interest in what children take away from drag events.Items discussed in the show:The beautiful lullaby version of “Titanium” in M3GAN.M.J. Rodriguez’s gorgeous 2023 Golden Globes dressDrag Story HourDiane di Prima’s poem “Rant”Lil Miss Hot Mess’ clap-back video to Marco Rubio’s attack adGay AgendaJules: Any DJ set by Honey Dijon. (Here’s one to start with.)Bryan: Cleanse your social media feeds, and introduce some cozy vibes with Isaac Mizrahi’s Instagram feed.Christina: “The ‘Golden Gays’ Return to the Stage in the Philippines,” by Hannah Reyes Morales in the New York TimesThis podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder reflect on the painful impact of anti-LGBTQ violence and dig into the new possibilities for trans storytelling and filmmaking. First, they talk through their complicated feelings about one of the responses to the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs last month: Should queer people be organizing in self-defense, or even arming ourselves for protection? Then they are joined by actress Jen Richards who portrays Barbara in Framing Agnes, a new documentary, directed by Chase Joynt, which is centered on six trans people who were interviewed and treated at a UCLA gender clinic in the 1950s. The film combines reenactments of those interviews with contemporary conversations with trans actors reflecting on how the lives of the people they portray resonate with their own lives. Our own Jules Gill-Peterson has a central role in the movie as a historian and narrator.Items discussed in the show:Season 2 of The White LotusChristina’s Slate piece, “I Think I Found Kyrsten Sinema’s Side Hustle”Framing AgnesGay AgendaChristina: shopping gay, including at The Little Gay Shop and Adam’s NestJules: “Not a Transition: On Andrea Pallaoro’s Monica,” by Eva Pensis in the Los Angeles Review of BooksBryan has created a bespoke cocktail for Outward listeners: the Cuddle PuddleThe Cuddle Puddle2 oz rye1 oz ginger liqueur½ oz Fernet Branca or similarDash of orange bittersStir the ingredients for a long time over ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.This podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded before the Nov. 19 attack on Club Q. Outward stands with our queer family in Colorado Springs.This month, Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder discuss two major trans news stories from recent weeks. First, the New York Times’ latest article about trans kids and gender-affirming care, this time about puberty blockers and bone density, and how it plays into the ongoing, manufactured, and weaponized conservative panic about trans existence. Then they are joined by James Roesener of Concord, New Hampshire, who earlier this month became the first out trans man to be elected to a U.S. state legislature. They talk about why he ran and what he hopes to achieve. Finally, the hosts add some new items to the gay agenda.Items discussed in the show:The American Library Association Rainbow Round TableThe Lilly Pharmaceutical Twitter impersonationAMC’s new version of Interview With the VampireWorld Pride 2025 in D.C. “They Paused Puberty, but Is There a Cost?” by Megan Twohey and Christina Jewett in the New York TimesMichael Hobbes’ Twitter thread responding to the NYT story“The NYT’s Big Piece on Puberty Blockers Mucked Up the Most Important Point About Them,” by Evan Urquhart, in SlateGay AgendaBrian: Queer for Fear on ShudderChristina: The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison BechdelJules: Gossip Girl Fanfic Novella, by Charlie MarkbreiterThis podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Lowder is still out on book leave, but hosts Christina Cauterucci and Jules Gill-Peterson summon him back to discuss Bros, the gay rom-com of the moment. The film lingers on questions of queer history, shows what happens when a nerdy podcast guy dates a beefy gay bro, and is a fascinating meditation on what it means to be a cis gay man in a time of both progress and prosecution. (This segment lasts around 31 minutes if you want to skip ahead to avoid Bros spoilers.) Then they are joined by Meg Metcalf, an LGBTQ collections specialist at the Library of Congress, to discuss how the world’s biggest library is surfacing the plentiful LGBTQ resources that can be found in its building and in cyberspace. Finally, they add some new items to the gay agenda.Items discussed in the show:The Problem With Jon Stewart, “The Problem With Gender” “Why Jon Stewart’s Humiliation of an Anti-Trans Official Is So Important,” by Evan Urquhart in SlateA new report from the Human Rights Campaign and Bowling Green State University“Billy Eichner’s Curious Claims About Bros,” by J. Bryan Lowder in Slate“Was Eleanor Roosevelt a Lesbian?” by Heather Schwedel, in SlateThe Library of Congress’ Collections Policy Statement for LGBTQIA+ studiesIf you have a question for Meg, or other Library of Congress librarians, go to ask.loc.govChronicling America, the Library of Congress’ database of historic newspapers Gay AgendaChristina: The episode of NPR’s Code Switch in which Kumari Devarajan profiled comedian and playwright D’Lo, who has a role in BrosJules: Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist, by Cecilia Gentili This podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, Bryan Lowder is away, so hosts Christina Cauterucci and Jules Gill-Peterson are joined by the podcast’s founding co-host Brandon Tensley to talk about some new representations of LGBTQ people involved in the wide world of sports. First, they debate whether the new Amazon Prime take on A League of Their Own, starring and co-created by Abbi Jacobson, might possibly be too queer. Then they discuss the making of Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story, the new Netflix documentary about a transgender pro skateboarder, with Nicola Marsh, who directed the movie, along with Giovanni Reda, and executive producer Alex Schmider. Finally, they add some new items to the gay agenda.Items discussed in the show:Race Deconstructed, Brandon’s newsletter at CNNA League of Their Own, on Amazon PrimeStay on Board: The Leo Baker Story, on NetflixSlate’s coverage of the Yummers debacleThe 2022 NLGJA Convention in ChicagoThe Transgender Issue, by Shon FayeGay AgendaBrandon: Listen to Rina Sawayama’s new album Hold the GirlJules: Follow actor, writer, model Hari Nef on InstagramChristina: Listen to Lauren Ober’s new podcast The Loudest Girl in the WorldThis podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, host Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder start the show with a Thots & Queries segment in which a listener asks about orgy etiquette. In a completely different party setting, they try to figure out what on earth is going on in the U.S. Congress, where legislators are debating marriage equality in the form of the Respect for Marriage Act. Then Northwestern University professor and journalist Steven Thrasher joins them to discuss his new book The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide. Finally, they add some new items to the gay agenda.Items discussed in the show:Taylor Blake and her emu friend EmmanuelBeyoncé’s RenaissanceA shocking tweet from the official Log Cabin Republicans accountThe June 29 episode of Outward in which Mark Joseph Stern considered how the Dobbs decision might affect LGBTQ rights“Why Is There More Republican Support for Gay Marriage Than for Abortion Rights?” by Moira Donegan, in the NationThe Viral Underclass,, by Steven ThrasherLet the Record Show, by Sarah Schulman“An Uprising Comes From the Viral Underclass,” by Steven Thrasher in Slate, June 12, 2020 Gay AgendaJules: X, by Davey DavisBryan: The Sandman, on NetflixChristina: “We Failed,” by Eric Neugeboren, in the Texas Tribune This podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder talk about two very different health stories. First, in the Thots & Queries segment, they respond to a listener who has questions about the ethics of moving to another country in an age of Supreme uncertainty. Then they talk with Harun Tulunay, a London-based sexual-health advocate, about his experience with monkeypox. He has been sharing his experiences with the disease, including the challenges of receiving a correct diagnosis. In New York City, the rollout of the monkeypox vaccine program was a disaster. Then they are joined by journalist Io Dodds to discuss her recent piece for the Independent: “ ‘Never Ask Permission’: How Two Trans Women Ran a Legendary Underground Surgical Clinic in a Rural Tractor Barn.” (Note, Jules was interviewed for the piece.)Items discussed in the show:Conjuring Kesha, on Discovery +“ ‘Never Ask Permission’: How Two Trans Women Ran a Legendary Underground Surgical Clinic in a Rural Tractor Barn,” by Io Dodds, in the IndependentGay AgendaBryan: “What Should a Queer Children’s Book Do?” by Jessica Winter in the New YorkerChristina: The Other Two, on HBO MaxJules: P-Valley, on StarzThis podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final Pride month special episode, Bryan and Christina talk with Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern. They assess what the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the case that swept away Roe v. Wade, might mean for LGBTQ rights. Should we be worried about marriage equality? Given Americans’ purported love of privacy, is there any way that the right to same-sex intimacy, protected in Lawrence v. Texas, might now come under attack? Mark helps the hosts find hope, slim though it might be, amid the cruelty of the Dobbs decision.Items discussed in the show:The episode of Amicus in which Dahlia Lithwick and guests discussed Dobbs (and Bruen).Season 7 of Slow Burn, about Roe v. Wade and the history of abortion rights in America.A special post-Dobbs episode of The Waves, with Christina and Cheyna Roth.“The Supreme Court’s Next Target Is Marriage Equality. It Won’t Be the Last,” by Mark Joseph Stern“The Lawlessness of the Dobbs Decision,” by Dahlia Lithwick and Neil S. Siegel.This podcast was produced by June Thomas.Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.