Earlier this year, Ariana and I collaborated with the team at Pineapple Street Media to bring you an episode of a Netflix podcast called Prism: Tales of your City. The show features queer stories from across American cities and we have the Atlanta Episode. The story you’re about to hear is a is the continuation of our last episode, The Atlanta Letters. The story starts over again but is told a different way, and follows Diane back to Atlanta, the place where the story first started. 

This story was produced and narrated by Erin McGregor. Editing and sound design by Ariana Martinez. Editorial Oversight from Josh Gwynn and Anne Hepperman at Pineapple Street. Scripting help from Josh Gwynn. You heard music from The Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Phoebe Petrovic and Melissa Rucci for their support in the making of this story. 

And listeners if you want us to make more episodes, consider becoming a Patron on Patreon. You can donate as little or as much as you want. We think $5 a month is fair for the work that we do for free and out of our own pockets, but in all honesty, we can’t do it without you. Invest in us the way we invest in bringing you stories from real life queer life. Become a patron today. 

Until next year, follow us on Twitter, and Instagram. Follow me at on twitter at erinmcgregorPHL for updates on stuff I am working on outside of Queer Public. Lots of other gay stuff! 

I am your host, Erin McGregor. Thanks for being here.

Diane Giles wrote letters to a volunteer on the Atlanta Gay Helpline, a woman she had never met, from May to December 1984. This episode is a reading of those letters.

Queer Public is produced by Erin McGregor, and edited and sound designed by Ariana Martinez. A transcript of this episode is available at www.queerpublic.org/transcripts 

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This week on the show I am pulling a story from the queer public archives. I recorded and released this content in 2015 and a ton of people downloaded it. It’s actually how I knew that people wanted more real-life queer life in their earbuds. Dani and Scott’s story was one of the first I reported on - but it’s remained entirely relevant. 

You see, I’ve always been curious about what makes two people candidates for friendship after a breakup. My politics about staying friends with exes formed while I was a tiny liberal arts school in Quebec, barely out and with a very small friend circle of queer friends and lovers. I thought it was a no brainer, we stay friends with our exes because there weren’t that many of us queers around. But now that I live in a large city and not a tiny liberal arts school, I’m more critical of that concept because sometimes it’s not a good idea, sometimes people aren’t good for each other. Sometimes not enough time passes and it gets messy. But more often than not, a relationship without romance and intimacy is just a really solid friendship. That’s what we miss in a breakup. The companionship. The mutual support and respect. Someone to confide in. We miss having a teammate. I think Dani and Scott are the perfect example of that. This is Friends with Exes.

All the music you heard this episode is by them under their bandname Team Mate. You heard “Hi” “All heart” “Don’t let me let you go” and this song - called “Sequel” which chronicles their journey together.

Follow Teammate on Instagram and stream them now on Spotify and Apple Music. 

This story was produced by me, Erin McGregor and the interview was edited by the multi-talented multimedia producer Andy Alseri. 

I want to hear from you, dear listeners. Slide into our IG DM’s or holler at us on Twitter. I want to know who is listening!  I want to know if you know a story we should report on. I want to know what you want more of, which episodes resonate with you the most.  Help us know you! 

Hit us up on on instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

You Can’t Kill a Poet is a poetry series that features the work of queer and trans poets here in Philadelphia. I want to share with you event tape from the You Can’t Kill a Poet Five year anniversary show. And because it’s event tape it’s pretty long but totally worth it if you stick around until the end. Maybe put it on while you’re having a quiet night at home and need some literary inspiration. There are 8 amazing poets to hear from, a few of which I talked to get more insight into their poetry practices and how their poems come to life. 

Social Media Links: 

YCKAP Creator and Host: Boston Gordon @towheegordon

Performer: Kat Bugg @wheelyshoes

Performer: Lii Shu

Performer: Berry Grass @berry.grass

Performer: Cashmere Harper @authorcashmere

Performer: Quinnrodriguiz @quinnxrodriguez

Performer: Genese Deal @gen_x_cell

Performer: Laura Kochman @laurakochman

Event Hosted at Tattooed Mom’s @tmoms

Just a quick word about helping us out. We always want you to do the usual things - review us on Itunes to help people find the show, donate to our Patreon. We are independent and we are scrappy and we wanted to make it a little easier to spread the word about Queer Public so if you have a local coffee shop or community board, I can send you fliers in the mail lto leave in those spaces with information about the show. It’s a super easy way to help us out. Get fliers in the mail, drop them off at your favorite queer or feminist bookstore, coffee shop or DIY space. 

Today we’re talking about all the places we go looking for ourselves. And right at our fingertips is the world of television—the good, the bad, the guilty pleasures and the transformative works of art. And in this technicolor world, sometimes we see ourselves, and sometimes—even in 2019–we don’t. Today we’re asking, what do we do as queer people, to transform the media we consume into truer, fuller representations of ourselves?

In this episode, we’re talking to a bunch of rad queers. And None of us are pop-culture critics, and we’re not here to tell you what to watch or what not to watch. We’re here, as friends, to talk about some things we’ve loved and bonded over as queer people.

Resources

Here is a nifty spreadsheet of articles, youtube videos and reading that inspired this episode. Thank you to Ariana for putting it together! 

Music from the episode

Mise Darling: “Alive doing it right” on Freemusic Archive

SuperKnova: “Splendor Dysphoria” on Spotify and  Instagram

Friends of QP

Gender Reveal is a podcast where they try to figure out what the heck gender is. Gender Reveal is hosted by Tuck Woodstock. Season 4 is out now! 

QP Team 

Editor and Sound Designer: Ariana Martinez. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter.  

Produced and Narrated by: Erin McGregor. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Help us make more episodes!

Help us tell queer stories by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. You can gain access to never heard before content and our secret behind the scenes Instagram account. We also have adorable stickers and pins! 

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

Sign up for our mailing list and find transcripts of our episodes at queerpublic.org 

Prism: Tales of Your City 

Listen to the Atlanta episode on the Netflix series Prism: Tales of Your City. 

The music you heard was by “This City is for Losers” by Modern Huge 

Make Queer Public a thing: Visit our Patreon page and become a sustaining member today. You can gain access to our secret behind the scenes Instagram account, prizes and so much more. Become part of the QP family. Become a patron today. 

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

Sign up for our mailing list and find transcripts of our episodes at queerpublic.org

In today’s episode, we’re talking about something that we all have to deal with, learn to manage, and that shapes queer identity. We’re talking about Hair. Good Gay Hair.

In queer circles, hair is political. It defines how we want to be seen, where we sit in our queer identity and the ease of which we can navigate the world. I’ve been obsessed with what makes a good gay haircut for the better part of a decade. So what is good gay hair?

In my search, I found a place where hair dreams come true. Where amazing stylists will talk hair politics with you. They’ll talk hair health. And about gender expression. And about real-life queer life.

Follow the Folklore Salon family on Social

Folklore Salon

Pony Lee

Joyce Personal, Joyce Queer Hair and Hair by Joyce

Madin Lopez

Project Q

Coral

Sparrow, Sparrow Hair

Waiting Room Reading + Resources

Folklore Salon

Racked LA “True Story: Folklore Opens it’s doors in Echo Park”

Voyage LA: “Meet Pony Lee of Folklore Salon”

Project Q

Queer Music from the Episode

Shi Da Buzzard: “Keep Pushing” on Spotify and Instagram

Mise Darling: “Plastic Love” on Freemusic Archive

Foxgluvv: “Crush” and “Nothing” on Soundcloud, Spotify and Instagram

Support Us!

Help us make Queer Public by becoming a patron. Visit our Patreon page and you can gain access to never heard before content and our secret behind the scenes Instagram account. We also have adorable stickers and pins up for grabs. 

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Sign up for our mailing list and find transcripts of our episodes at www.queerpublic.org