The best podcasts for queer people who can’t drive

This is the first podcast I ever listened to, back when it was called Throwing Shade. Erin and Bryan pick an issue weekly (usually one women’s issue and one gay issue) and then take nothing too seriously. It can be hard to keep a comedic attitude in a world that is burning and dying but you better believe Erin and Bryan are reading the news AND doing comedy bits and impressions that are… certainly comedic. Like every other show on this list, it has some serious elements that keep the absurd elements grounded.

This show constantly has me asking “do I know anything about film at all if I don’t know the women?” Every episode, April Wolfe interviews a non-man filmmaker or producer and talks to them about their favorite genre film. It unfortunately ended in February 2021 but it has 173 episodes to binge. I loved hearing about Hollywood projects and genre films that don’t always get the praise they deserve. Switchblade Sisters is also excellent at addressing the grey areas where feminism rises from films made by misogynists or where a reduced budget actually made a better movie. I want to be careful what examples I use because there is such a wide range of movies discussed. The best idea to get into it is to scroll the feed until you find a movie you’ve seen and like and listen to April and her guest rip it apart and put it back together.

Ericka and Ebony are great example of two people with chemistry who know how to share information together. Ericka is a sexuality educator, Ebony is a quick witted intellectual and they’re both funny as hell. With episode titles like “Intersex People Be Clapping Cheeks Too” and “#TimesUp on Defending Rich White People and Oprah,” you know before you press play that you are getting Ericka and Ebony’s (and their guest’s!) honest, educated opinion about dismantling white supremacy in America and also some opinions about things like Love Island and house music.

In this show, self proclaimed baddies Gratias and Elaina share their hilarious takes on everything from reality TV to ghosts in the home to (my favorite episode) the Twilight Saga. If the whole point of having a podcast is to air opinions and tell stories you share with a friend, these two are doing it perfectly. They also don’t shy away from giving advice and cracking jokes.

Britney’s Gram is the perfect example of a show that someone could write off as low brow until this show became responsible for spreading the word that Britney Spears was in a dehumanizing, unethical conservatorship. All from looking at her Instagram posts weekly! Comedians Babs and Tess got together every week to talk about the mysterious and fascinating world of Britney Spears’ Instagram, from her TJ Maxx trinkets on the mantle to her iconic bikini dance videos. In the case of Britney’s Gram, fans of the singer ended up with compelling evidence that she was not in control of her own posts by closely following what she shared online. Some conspiracies are true and sometimes two women having fun chatting on a podcast makes history.