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This week we talk with THE Lily Be! Lily Be is the longtime host and producer of The Stoop, a live off-book storytelling show on Chicago's West Side. She strives to bring storytelling to those who may not have access to help them discover their voice and standing in their truths. Anna and Dawn talk with her about the importance of representation and inclusivity in storytelling spaces and how Lily Be discovered her asexual identity when practicing for a rap battle. Check out her website at https://www.lilybe.com/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/ Finally, tune in to https://www.e3radio.org/  the only station playing queer & independent music in high rotation. E3 Radio is Queer Radio Done Right!

This week Dawn and Anna talk with Jana, a Moth StorySLAM winner who is figuring out the meaning of life over and over again. She talks about her journey from small town Evangelical to big city bisexual, honoring our queer ancestors, and what it's like to continuously prove her bisexuality.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/ Finally, tune in to https://www.e3radio.org/  the only station playing queer & independent music in high rotation. E3 Radio is Queer Radio Done Right!

This week Anna and Dawn talk with Dr. S Simmons, a Black, trans, queer, educator, and advocate. S is the co-founder/owner of Simmons Counseling and Consulting Services where he provides workshops, trainings, and presentations for organizations across the world on issues related to diversity, inclusion, and equity. We get together and talk about his experience of coming out as queer and trans to his family, navigating psychological and physical safety as a trans person, and how he and his wife grew together through his transgender journey. Check out his website at http://www.sccs-therapy.com/ and his YouTube channel. Episode shout outs to: https://chicagotherapycollective.org/  https://www.bravespacealliance.org/  & http://www.sobonfu.com/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/ Finally, tune in to https://www.e3radio.org/  the only station playing queer & independent music in high rotation. E3 Radio is Queer Radio Done Right!

We have a very special episode this week featuring Shawn Coleman of https://www.ourtouchpoints.com/  Anna and Dawn talk with Shawn about how to cope with physical distancing and still maintain strong connection with others. We also discuss how one's love languages are impacted as we navigate new ways to connect. Check out https://www.5lovelanguages.com/  to learn more. Additionally, we reflect on how this pandemic may positively change the way we interact with others and increase the ways we consent to touch. Finally THANK YOU to all of those working in public spaces during this time: nurses, doctors, restaurant staff, grocery staff, administrative staff, EMTs, and everyone else putting themselves on the front lines to keep us safe! We appreciate you all!Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/    Finally, tune in to https://www.e3radio.org/  the only station playing queer & independent music in high rotation. E3 Radio is Queer Radio Done Right!

This week we talk with Nchedo, a Nigerian-born creative healer and visionary leader with a deep focus on health and well-being, community, and art. Nchedo talks about their nonbinary and queer identity and how family dynamics and their Nigerian roots impacted their understanding of them self and their queerness.Shoutout to the Youth Empowerment Performance Project. Check them out and support their work to "create a safe environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer youth experiencing homelessness to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and to celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece."Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

Introducing our new guest co-host Anna DeShawn! Check out her previous episode this week and stay tuned for all new episodes next week with Dawn and Anna!Anna DeShawn is the founder of  E3 radio, an online radio station playing queer & independent music in high rotation. On this episode, we talk about Anna's upcoming app, the Qube, which will provide a platform for podcasts that are queer and POC. Also listen as we discuss Anna's journey through breast reduction surgery and how this decision has impacted her life. Check out Anna at https://annadeshawn.com/ where you can also listen to her podcast Anna's Got a Word and tune in to E3 radio at https://www.e3radio.org/ for the latest queer and independent music! Also keep updated on her podcast app at theqube.appFollow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week Dawn talks with  Roland Wise, a writer, artist, and storyteller. Roland grew up in the south in a tumultuous household and often describes his childhood as being raised in a bag full of rattlesnakes. He shares his story of  chasing down a gunman who set out to kill gay people in Denver and how this led him to  find connection and community. Check out Roland’s children's book, Farmer Dreams, here: http://farmerdreams.blogspot.com/   It is about the safety of a seed who opens to water then faces drought. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we talk with Patti, a queer trans woman endurance athlete, parent, and late transitioner. She discusses her passion for endurance athletics and what it was like being on the cover of Crain's Chicago Business shortly after transitioning. We also hear about her work at the Chicago Reader and the importance of preserving queer history. Check out the organizations she love at https://legacyprojectchicago.org/ , http://frontrunnerschicago.com/proud-to-run-chicago/, and https://edgeathletelounge.com/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we hear from Jay. He talks with Dawn about his asexual identity and his recent venture into speaking around the South Suburbs advocating for greater dialogue for LGBTQ behavioral health needs. We also discuss how he navigates telling others that he's ace and where and how he finds community as a queer ace Muslim.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week Dawn takes time to thank our first guest cohost, Johndalyn, and lets you know who the next guest cohost will be. She also shares a story about what home was like growing up for her and how the concept of home changes as we age.  She reflects on what it is like to realize that home isn't always where you sleep, but home can be felt in a moment of connection.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we talk with lore, a counseling psychologist and trans man with a lesbian history. lore was tired of hearing the horror stories of how trans patients were treated by their mental health providers and decided that the best way to make change is to do it from within the profession. lore is an avid writer and speaker who has over 55 publications and presented 170 times throughout the world. We talk with him about the feminist values he learned while in the Girl Scouts, his privilege in passing as a trans man, and the importance of talking about depression and suicidal thoughts in the queer community. Check out his website https://mybandanaproject.org/ which serves as a way to provide hope for transgender and gender diverse people who are considering ending their life. This simple project endeavors to provide any trans* person who has been thinking about ending their life with means of hope for tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/ 

This week we talk with Devin West, a genderfluid, queer, settler artist-scholar from north-central Canada. Take a listen as we talk about the ability of art to hold space for us and its role in Devin's gender journey. We also discuss their appreciation of our queer ancestor, Audre Lorde, and the underground queer community in Canada during the 90s. Check out Devin's art at devinwest.com.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Also check out the links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories, or also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we talk with Cait DiCicco and dive into conversation about her previous life in Australia and how she got banned from the continent! We also discuss her experience of discrimination months after she came out and the environment of toxic masculinity that permeated the girls' camp where she worked at the time.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we have the pleasure of talking with Ada Cheng. Ada is a professor-turned-storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling show producer.  She is the producer and the host of four storytelling shows in Chicago, including Pour One Out, Am I Man Enough?, Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show, and Speaking Truths Series. Listen in as we talk with Ada about the challenges in finding queer space where others share the same intersecting identities. We also discuss the challenges in creating institutional change and the differences between diversity and equity and inclusion.  Check out Ada's work and upcoming shows at her website http://www.renegadeadacheng.com/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week Dawn and Johndalyn sit down with Pekky Divya, a Latina Social Worker, music junkie, activist and aspiring writer on the autistic spectrum.  Listen in as we discuss the different ways people use the term bisexual and bisexual invisibility. We also hear about Pekky's journey navigating her Venezuelan and bisexual identities and how this has impacted her relationship with her mother.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com . Beyond Queer Stories is produced and edited by Dawn Brown and is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity podcast studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we talk with the co-hosts of the Forbidden Apple Podcast, Pelayo and Melissa. Pelayo is originally from Spain and was raised Catholic. During the past 4 years he has been working training developing countries in the field of international relations and global affairs. Melissa is a native New Yorker; however, she grew up Hasidic. Melissa is an actor, producer, and writer and is passionate about fighting for human rights and equality while looking for projects that give a voice to marginalized people and communities.  Listen in as we talk with them about what it has been like navigating religion and sexuality. Get more info at their website, https://www.theforbiddenapplepodcast.com/Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com Beyond Queer Stories is recorded in the Cards Against Humanity studio in Chicago, IL. Check out their products at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

This week we welcome Be Steadwell, queer singer and songwriter from DC who blends soul, acapella, and folk to produce what she calls queer pop. Dawn and Johndalyn talk with her about the vulnerability of her lyrics and the ways in which they create community and healing. She also shares her journey to sobriety and how living a sober life has impacted her creativity and self love. Check out Be's short film,  Vow of Silence , which was featured on Issa Rae's Short Film Sunday and visit her website at www.besteadwell.com to get info about her music including her newest album "Queer Love Songs" as well as her musical "A Letter to My Ex," narrating one character’s journey through the year following a breakup.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. and look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music created by Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com   Beyond Queer Stories is recorded at the Cards Against Humanities Studio. Visit them at https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

Welcome to season 3 and welcome to our first guest co-host Johndalyn! You met her as Jae on season 2 and we're excited to have her on board! This week Dawn and Johndalyn talk about the importance of being your authentic self and being intentional in relationships with others. These things are not always easy but they're so important! Also, Johndalyn tells us her story of beginning an inter-racial relationship and how they support and learn from one another.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com

Happy New Year and welcome to 2020! We're kicking off season 3. Listen in to hear the creator of Beyond Queer Stories, Dawn, about what's new this year and the vision for the podcast. The first full episode of season 3 is coming to you on  Monday the 6th. Stay tuned!Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories and on Twitter @beyondqueerpod. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com

This week we take it back to episode 1 where it all began. In this episode we met Noam and talked about what it's like to work as a mitigation specialist working to humanize people on death row. Noam also shared their story about their journey through religion as a queer trans person and where it's brought them today. Noam is also a trans yoga instructor and you can check them out on instagram @wholesome_yoga_chicagoFollow us on Facebook and Instagram @beyondqueerstories. Look for links on our profiles to submit to be featured on Beyond Queer Stories. You can also email us at beyondqueerstories@gmail.com. Podcast music by DC queer artist Be Steadwell. Check out her music at www.besteadwell.com