QueerAF | Inspiring LGBTQIA+ stories told by emerging queer creatives

This is just episode one, of QueerAF's new podcast about Monkeypox. it has stories and resources without shame or stigma - "It's what I wish I'd had." Listen to the whole series by searching 'What The Pox?'...

Monkeypox. That’s what What The Pox? is all about - a ‘poxcast’ if you will. Quite a lot of people have got it or had it at this point. I’m one of them. And it was not fun.

When I was home alone with Monkeypox in all kinds of pain, feeling scared and alone I had very little information. So I went online to find help.

And guess what? There wasn’t much official advice.

But I did start talking to all kinds of people: experts, people who’ve had the virus, and to those who see this outbreak as part of a much bigger picture.

We’ve spoken to those on the frontline of the response, and trying to understand this virus, including at 56 Dean Street, NAM Aidsmap, Prepster, Love Tank, London School of Hygine and Tropical Medicine and many more. It features contributors from the UK and US.

What The Pox is the information and support I wish I had at my disposal when I was going through Monkeypox.

Monkeypox is spreading worldwide - and for many of us queer people, the response feels a bit too familiar. You see history rarely repeats - but it often rhymes.

Tune in to steal our insight on this virus, what it means for our community and how we should handle it. Together, let's work out just What The Pox? is going on?

Listen to understand:

What we know about the virus, and how it spreads

Why we feel shame and stigma about catching it

What the parallels are with the HIV outbreak in the 80s

Why this sits in a bigger picture with conversations about queer sex and health inequalities

And crucially: What can we do next?

Because before you start listening: I’ll let you in on a secret - we have the tools to manage this outbreak; we’ve just got to use them.

It comes out every Wednesday, or you can sign up to support our show - and unlock all the episodes as soon as they are ready in the archive coming soon below.

The first episode is out 7 Sep, 2022.

Let's keep the conversation frank, honest, open and alive. Because, to borrow a phrase, silence = pox.

Hosted by me, Martin Joseph, an award-winning podcaster and comedian. What The Pox? is a QueerAF production.

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June 1969. New York City. It’s illegal to serve gays alcohol. It’s illegal for gays to dance with one another. Bars and clubs are routinely raided. Including the now infamous, Stonewall Inn. The riots that ensued over a week on Christopher Street ignited and catapulted forward the modern LGBT+ rights movement today.

But how much do you know about what happened that night? What does it mean for your queer people and their own activism today?

This week Sebastian Hendra from @HistoricalHomos joins us to tell the story of everything that happened not only on the night of the first riots, but the first year after the Stonewall Inn riots.Plus we are joined by host campus of #StudentPride – th University of Westminster's LGBTI society rep Nikki Hayden and Pride in London's Rhammel O'Dwyer Afflick to discuss what the events that fateful week mean to young LGBT+ people today.

https://www.historicalhomos.com/

If you are listening in real time, we are just days away from national student pride 2019, not only is LGBT+ legend Ian McKellen appearing on stage as a guest on this podcast – he will be on the panel celebrating 50 years since stonewall with activists Paula Akpan and Peter Tatchell, Educate and Celebrate’s Elly Barnes and trans hero and student pride ambassador Paris Lees. Our pride of conversation’s daytime festival is free to attend, or weekend wristbands for queue jumps and drinks deals at our after parties are five pound. All the details on www.studentpride.co.uk. We’ll see you at the event 22nd to 24th of Feb 2019, bring your best hashtag Queer AF self. We certainly will.

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National Student Pride's ambassador Evan Davis guest hosts the show and interviews LGBT+ Icon Ian McKellen on the #StudentPride podcast at National Student Pride 2019.

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🎧 Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3wiN3JZBJ2uqcg3R0OQDqP

Evan Davis interviewed Ian McKellen on the #QueerAF podcast at National Student Pride 2019 at the University of Westminster, discussing his lifetime achievements and relationship with the LGBT community.

They spoke about #MeToo, chemsex, drugs, his coming out, the #MeToo movement and empowered the young LGBT+ audience.

The event took place on February 23rd at the non-profit organizations, now five-year-long residency, Westminster Marylebone campus.

Davis and McKellen hosted a live-stream of #QueerAF the National Student Pride podcast.

In conversation, McKellen proposed to Evan Davis they speak about chemsex. Otherwise known as getting high and horny or party and play – those who take part in chemsex do so to change the sex they are having with a so-called ‘holy trinity’ of drugs.

McKellen spoke about when he first tried a joint at the age of 30, with Evan Davis adding that ‘drugs were much weaker back then’.

The audience at National Student Pride were enthralled by Ian with his re-tellings of his pursuits to join the theatre as “one of the reasons I became a professional actor is because I learned that I could meet queers in the British theatre” and admitting “I just wish when I was younger I could have been myself”.

McKellen got many a laugh with his unrelenting wit, gesticulating at one point about “drawings of genitalia in public bathrooms”.

The conversation also looked at various aspects of McKellen's life:

His coming out story

How Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 Law made him the activist he is today and how the queer scene in the theatre was what first attracted him to the profession

His advice to young LGBT+ students

Holding Elijah Wood’s hand while he got a tattoo during the filming of Lord of the Rings

The #MeToo movement

On Me Too he says:

'Well frankly, I’m waiting for someone to accuse me of something, and me wondering whether they’re not telling the truth and me having forgotten (pointing to his head) you know.

But with the couple of names you’ve mention, people I’ve worked with, both of them were in the closet. And hence all their problems as people and their relationships with other people, if they had been able to be open about themselves and their desires, they wouldn’t have started abusing people in the way they’ve been accused.

Whether they should be forced to stop working. That’s debatable. I rather think that’s up to the public. Do you want to see someone who has been accused of something that you don’t approve of again? If the answer’s no, then you won’t buy a ticket, you won’t turn on the television. But there may be others for who that’s not a consideration.

And it’s difficult to be exactly black and white.'

He has since released this statement about the comments: https://twitter.com/IanMcKellen/status/1101741037083455488

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Barely a week to go to National Student Pride, and Pippa's story explains how she went from identifying as a lesbian – to realizing she was a queer, non-binary demi girl. She now wants to be the role model, she always wished she had. Her coming out is inspiring, and you have to hear how it ends.

Big thanks this week to Gendered Intelligence, the trans youth charity for speaking to us too. Find help and support from them here:

http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/

Today's show is unashamedly inspired by My Genderation's #ThisIsWhatNonBinaryLooksLike campaign. We're teamed up with them for our #BeyondTheBinary panel at National Student Pride this year.

https://www.youtube.com/user/MyGenderation

With thanks to this week's production from Radio graduate Cassie Galpin. You can contact her here: https://twitter.com/CassieGalpin

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Don't mess with a boy in a dress, he was born to impress.

Lead singer of the feeling and writer of the musical that’s taken the UK’s west end by storm Dan Gillespie Sells, joinst us for our season three finale, to tell the story behind the soundtrack to your #QueerAF life: Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

In an ever changing world, the way we identify is constantly being challenged. Not just by people around us, but by ourselves too. And that’s why Jamie New, the 16 year old from Sheffield in the north of the UK, who’s career test says he’ll only amount to being a forklift truck driver – is such a refreshing story to watch, enjoy, and for queers everywhere – to see themselves in. And even better? It was inspired by a true story.

We interview Dan Gillespie Sells, lead singer in the Feeling and writer of the show, and star Layton Williams who is playing Jamie in the UK's West End.

With thanks to all to contributors this season. if you haven’t yet go back and listen to Martin Joseph, Jacob Edwards, Sebastian Hendra, Max Taylor, Cassie Galpin, Alice Taplin, and Patrick Reardon Morgan’s episodes.

For today’s episode thanks to Dan Gillespie Sells, Layton Williams and the team at Everybody’s talking about Jamie – and if you’re desperate to see the story but geography is getting in the way. Dan told us the movie is very much, in production.

Just like Season 4 of the show, so stay subscribed on your podcast feeds, and bring us back faster with ratings and reviews in Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts or what ever app you listen in. Share us on social media tag in @studentpride, the whole reason we make this show to keep the pride of conversation alive all year round.

Today’s show was produced by @jamie_wareham.

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