Queers & Co.

My final guest this series is the wonderful Aisha Shaibu (she/her). The founder of 'Moonlight Experiences', Aisha is a proud queer activist who champions integration, diversity & equality. Aisha believes in using the economical power of LGBTQ+ tourism and nightlife to help amplify marginalized voices and transform communities. She is also a prominent event producer who works for organisations such as UK Black Pride & London Queer Fashion Show. Aisha has been featured in the Mayor Of London's hidden credit for her contribution to nightlife.  We chat about the many hats that Aisha wears, founding Moonlight Experiences and bringing queer folks together from around the world, opening a sober queer venue in East London, her passion for building community, holidays and exercise as self-care, her ability to organise seamlessly, tourism as a tool for social change, educating on queer culture and lots more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com/ (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D'Souza.) Resources  Moonlight Experiences https://www.moonlightexperiences.com/ourteam (https://www.moonlightexperiences.com) Follow Aisha on https://www.instagram.com/aisha_shaibu_/ (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/ukblackpride/ (https://www.instagram.com/ukblackpride/) https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/ (https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/) https://www.instagram.com/londonqueerfashionshow/ (https://www.instagram.com/londonqueerfashionshow/) Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by experienced BDSM educator and kinky stand-up comedian John Pendal (he/ him). In 2003, John became the 25th (and only British) winner of the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. Since then he has travelled extensively leading workshops, giving speeches, as a master of ceremonies or doing stand-up comedy. He now works online with English-speaking clients anywhere in the world and loves helping people who identify as outsiders. Join us as we chat about accidentally qualifying for and winning International Mr. Leather, being so late to the podium he was almost killed by fireworks, immersing himself in kink culture, the oppression experienced by the gay community in the 1990s, supporting others to undo a lifetime of being squashed, learning he was autistic and unpacking internalised ableism, punching up in comedy and so much more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com/ (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza.) Resources Find out more about John’s https://www.johnpendal.com/ (coaching practice) John’s Leather http://www.leatherlondonguide.com/ (website) Find out more about John’s work with https://www.thrivingautistic.org/john/ (Thriving Autistic) Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by the glorious Artemis D. Bear!! Artemis (they/them) is a non-binary queer iconoclast, who always has too many projects on the go. They are the founder and director of The Garden, a self directed learning community for young people in Bristol, and work for the Phoenix Education Trust on the Freedom to Learn programme. They are also a drag king, stage manager and queer cabaret producer. Last year they founded UBI Lab Bristol, campaigning for a basic income trial, which they believe could lift everyone out of absolute poverty and liberate many more. They live in Bristol with their partner and children and finally feel like a real grown up now they have a piano and a dog. Join us as we chat about a terrible Tinder date, the joy of producing drag shows, seeing our bodies through the eyes of a queer person, co-parenting and self-direction, why UBI is a complete no-brainer, how schooling fuels inequality and grades people according to privilege and lots more juicy stuff! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com/ (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza.) Resources https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/a-universal-basic-income-pilot-for-bristol (Sign the petition) for a UBI pilot in Bristol UBI Lab Network’s https://www.ubilabnetwork.org (website) The Garden Bristol’s https://www.thegardenbristol.org (website) Freedom to Learn’s https://www.freedomtolearn.uk (website) Check out https://www.instagram.com/brizzleboyz/ (Brizzle Boyz) and https://www.instagram.com/scritchcabaret/ (Scritch Cabaret) Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Jay-Griffiths/Kith--The-Riddle-of-the-Childscape/12782970 (book) The book I mentioned in the episode but couldn’t remember the name of is https://www.versobooks.com/books/3625-crippled (Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People) Resisting Illegitimate Authority: A Thinking Person’s Guide to Being an Anti-Authoritarian https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Resisting-Illegitimate-Authority-by-Bruce-E-Levine-author/9781849353243 (book) Akilah S. Richards’ https://raisingfreepeople.com/ (website), Fare of the Free Child https://raisingfreepeople.com/podcast/ (podcast) and Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1145 (book) Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by the unstoppable Heidi Mavir (she/they), a public speaker, qualified mental health first aider, autistic adult, performer and podcaster. Her advocacy work includes educating people on neurodiversity and speaking on mental health, to reduce stigma and enable people to "embrace their inner weirdo." Heidi’s motto is “no guilt, no shame, no self-inflicted emotional pain”. Join us as we chat about how Heidi discovered her own neurodivergence, severe burnout and the road to recovery, the importance of self-care particularly for neurodivergent people, becoming a burlesque performer, her new podcast Autistic Actually, working sustainably and so much more!  If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com/ (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza.) Resources Check out Heidi’s podcast, https://www.facebook.com/AutisticActually (Autistic Actually). Launching in May 2021 Follow Heidi on https://www.facebook.com/HeidiUnstoppableWoman/ (Facebook) andhttps://www.instagram.com/heidibangtidy/?hl=en ( Instagram) Head to the https://www.facebook.com/groups/866861860722163 (seND) Facebook group for free SEND and EHCP advice Heidi recommends https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/period-power-9781472963611/ (Period Power) by Maisie Hill Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by Lydia Bernsmeier-Rullow (she/her). Lydia is a journalist at the BBC, a writer, a poet and a drag king. Join us as we chat about her journey to understanding her neurodivergence, being a mixed race Black woman with ADHD, her drag king persona Dick Slick, how wearing a beard makes her want to rip her own face off, working towards body neutrality, normalising talking about mental health and building your own social media world when the wider world isn’t built for you and lots more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Read Lydia’s poetry https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/lydspoetry/ (here) or search #lydspoetry on Facebook Full Transcription to follow

My guest this week is Bear Hebert (they/them), an anti-capitalist business consultant, radical life coach, and social justice educator. In work and in life, Bear actively looks at the intersections of power and privilege and will ask you to do the same, lovingly pushing you and your business in the direction of more liberated moments. Their current offerings include anti-capitalist business consulting and Undoing Patriarchy, an online course for feminist men+. Join us as we chat about what it means to run an anti-capitalist business, undoing patriarchy, navigating burnout, breaking up with the fire-breathing dragon that is the social media algorithm, accidentally coming out in the news, the pressure to perform being genderqueer correctly and so much more juicy stuff! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com/ (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza.) Resources Check out Bear’s http://bearcoaches.com/biz (website) Follow Bear on https://www.instagram.com/bearhebert_/ (Instagram) Find out more about Bear’s http://undoingpatriarchy.com/ (Undoing Patriarchy) course More info on https://www.instagram.com/socialdisdancing/ (Social Disdancing) Bear’s highly recommended video series: https://www.bearcoaches.com/freely (Freely - An Anti-Capitalist Guide to Pricing Your Work) Hadassah Damien’s https://www.ridefreefearlessmoney.com/ (website) Full Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by Chuck SJ (pronouns: Chuck or they/them), who is a multidisciplinary artist, often exploring trans and autistic matters through various forms. Chuck has completed five European tours, twelve UK tours, 15 albums and 2 EPs. Chuck is well known for their gripping stage performance, unique guitar skills and brutal honesty. Join us as we chat about Chuck spending the past year in a cabin in the woods, the constant accommodations autistic folx make for neurotypicals and the burnout that often ensues, whether transness even exists when we are alone, our changing relationships with our bodies, life after lockdown and so much more! Plus Chuck shares their poem Am I Even Queer Anymore? If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza.) Resources Chuck SJ’s https://www.chucksj.com/ (website) Follow Chuck on https://www.instagram.com/chuckintransit (Instagram) Support Chuck on https://www.patreon.com/chuckintransit (Patreon) Chuck has a piece published in the upcoming Creating in Crisis anthology from Polari Press. https://polari.press/shop/books/anthology-1-creating-in-crisis/ (Pre-order now!) Chuck recommends https://www.instagram.com/brightoncello/ (Brighton Cello) Check out https://www.spectrumgaming.net/ (Spectrum Gaming), a community for autistic gamers of all ages Full Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by integrative psychotherapist, writer, speaker and activist, Erene Hadjiioannou. As well as running an LGBTQ+ affirmative private practice, Erene's work focuses on the topic of trauma as a result of sexual violence, as outlined in an upcoming textbook, Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence: Inside and Outside the Room. Join us as we chat about creating safe spaces for queer folks in therapy, psychotherapy as activism, the stereotypes surrounding domestic abuse and sexual violence, the discrimination survivors face in the judicial system, queering psychotherapy and lots more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Follow Erene on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/therapyleeds (@therapyleeds) Visit Erene’s https://www.therapy-leeds.co.uk (website) Check out the resources we discussed during the episode: https://www.radicaltherapistnetwork.com/ (Radical Therapist Network) and https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/resources (Inclusive Therapists) Full Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by queer witch, illustrator and author, Cedar McCloud (they/them). Cedar started reading tarot in 2003, going on to found Numinous Spirit Press and create beautiful, radical decks with a social justice lens, such as The Numinous Tarot and The Threadbound Oracle. They believe storytelling is a beautiful tool for healing from trauma and enjoy archaic crafts, nature walks and fashion. Join us as we chat about exploring ourselves through art, the importance of acknowledging our pain for healing, thinking about gender as a colour wheel, their work as a tool for activists to affect change, how tarot tells us what we already know deeply, getting engaged and so much more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Follow Cedar on https://www.instagram.com/numinousspirit/ (Instagram) Support Cedar’s https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/numinousspiritpress/the-numinous-tarot-third-printing/ (Kickstarter) Visit Cedar’s https://numinousspiritpress.com/ (website and shop) Become a supporter of Cedar’s work on their https://www.patreon.com/numinousspirit (Patreon) Full Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by Lindsay McGlone aka The Fierce Fat Feminist; an activist, public speaker, producer, stage manager, Instagram coach and teacher. Lindsay is a force to be reckoned with, running numerous successful campaigns highlighting fatphobia, most recently targeting Airbnb. She was also named Young Changemaker of the Year in the IWC Igniting Inspiration Awards 2020. Joining me whilst recovering from surgery, hear us talk about how wearing slogan t-shirts changed Lindsay’s life, fatphobia in healthcare and the media, the incredible support she receives from her family, experiencing a skin condition called HS, becoming the subject of a fake news story in The Sun, balancing activism with influencing and so much more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Follow Lindsay on https://www.instagram.com/rollinwithlindsay_/ (Instagram) https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/online/online/big-fat-burlesque-online/e-mpmzla (Grab a ticket) to Lindsay’s Big Fat Burlesque Online Show on Saturday 13th March 2021 at 8.30pm UK time Find about more about Lindsay on her https://lindsaymcglone.com/ (website) Full Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by artist, photographer and documenter Holly Revell, who has a keen eye for preserving and collaborating with other queer artists, making images and portraits which explore performance and transforming identities. Holly’s work is archived at Bishopsgate Institute. Join us as we chat about being a groupie in the 90’s, becoming a professional photographer working in the queer underground, her beautiful new zine from her People Like Us project, not fitting into the art world, hanging out with queer icons and a whole lot more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Holly’s work on her https://www.hollyrevell.co.uk/ (website) Holly's new zine People Like Us (a work in progress), which features a series of 12 images and participants quotes from the wider project, is available to http://www.hollyrevell.co.uk/shop/people-like-us-a-work-in-progress-zine (buy here) Follow Holly on https://www.instagram.com/hollyrevellphotography/ (Instagram), https://www.facebook.com/hollyrev1 (Facebook) and Twitter Travis Alabanza’s new play, https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/overflow-online/ (Overflow) Zanele Muholi’s https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/zanele-muholi (exhibition) at the Tate Modern, which runs until 31st May 2021 Harry Clayton-Wright’s new zine, http://youotterknow.camp/ (You Otter Know) Transcription to follow

This week, I’m joined by Adele Jarrett-Kerr; a mother, writer, home educator and breastfeeding counsellor, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, now living in Cornwall. Adele also works with her family’s small, regenerative farm near Falmouth and hosts a podcast about human connection called Revillaging. Join us as we talk about the importance of developing critical thinking, what our children teach us, experiencing colonial dismissal, deprogramming from the dominant culture, different ways of accessing knowledge and the problematic nature of academia, partnering with nature in farming and so much more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Adele’s work on her https://www.adelejarrettkerr.com/ (website) Listen to the https://www.adelejarrettkerr.com/category/podcast/ (Revillaging podcast) Check out https://www.soulfarm.co.uk/ (Soul Farm) Follow Adele on https://www.instagram.com/adelejk/ (Instagram), https://www.facebook.com/adelejarrettkerrwriter (Facebook) and https://twitter.com/adelejk?lang=en (Twitter) Listen to Adele’s podcast for the Freedom to Learn Forum, https://anchor.fm/freedom-to-learn/episodes/Address-the-Harm-Self-Directed-Learning-for-Decolonisation-enc4n4 (Address the Harm: Self-Directed Learning for Decolonisation) Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co., the podcast on self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy. I'm a transformational coach, as well as creator of the Queers & Co. community. Gem: Hey folx, welcome to another episode of Queers & Co. I don't know about you, but lockdown fatigue has really set in in the last week or so. It gave me a lot of hope, actually imagining people listening to this in like six months or a year, and hopefully lockdown being a thing of the past, or at least things being easier. So yeah, if you're listening in the future, well done you. For everyone who's listening now, in February 2021, I hope you're all keeping safe and managing to look after yourself. I wonder if there's anything that you could do today that would help your day feel a little bit easier, maybe help you feel a little bit more supported. I'm really conscious of that at the moment, because as I said, locked down in our household is really becoming tiresome. The children just want to see their friends, and we just want to be outside seeing all the people we love. So it's feeling really frustrating. Gem: Luckily, I have a really great guest for you today. And it's someone that I spoke to back in December and oh it was so good. When I listened back just now when I was editing and transcribing the episode, I just had so many thoughts, there are so many things that we touch on. And I'm really hoping that she's going to come back and talk to us about some other things that will become clear as we go through the episode. I think you're gonna really enjoy it. And I'm sure that you'll get lots from what my guest has to share. Gem: One of the things I'm conscious of with the podcast is that I know lots of people who listen don't have children. And I feel like there might be a tendency to switch off when there are sort of children's rights or unschooling specific podcasts or guests who are working in those fields. But I really would encourage anyone to listen because not only do we talk about the ways we are with our children, there's so much learning that comes from how we think about education ourselves and how we allow ourselves to discover knowledge. And I think what my guest had to share around that was just really fascinating, and I learned a...

This week, I’m joined by Katy Lees (they/them), a queer writer and psychotherapist from the North East of England. They can be found writing therapy tips, poetry, anti-oppression rants, short stories, and more. They are currently writing a good mental health guide for trans and non-binary people, to be published soon by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Join us as we talk about the oppression different sized fat folx experience, trans and non-binary mental health and self-care, Katy’s experience navigating and recovering from burnout, stepping away from the constant pressure to ‘level up’ in life, the challenges of dressing as a fat, trans, non-binary person and lots more. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Katy’s work on their https://www.iamkatylees.com/ (website). Support Katy’s work on their https://www.patreon.com/iamkatylees (Patreon) Follow Katy on https://www.instagram.com/iamkatylees/ (Instagram) Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co., the podcast on self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx and allies. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy. My pronouns are they/them and I'm a transformational practitioner and coach living in the UK. Gem:  Hey folx! Welcome to Episode 4. I hope you were able to get some relaxing time during integration week. I know that it was really helpful for me to practice some of what I talk to my clients about around working sustainably and actually give myself some space to not be furiously editing and producing all the time. So with that in mind, I'm very excited and energised to be back for Episode 4. And this one is a short and sweet episode. They're an incredible guest and they also happen to be an incredible client of mine. And I'm just really happy that they agreed to record an episode with me. We had quite a few technical difficulties unfortunately during the recording, which meant that we tried two different platforms and then by the time we'd had that all sorted, then time was up. So we have just over half an hour together. And I hope that you'll find it as interesting as I did. And just to introduce my guest... They are a queer writer and psychotherapist from the northeast of England. They can be found writing therapy tips, poetry, anti-oppression rants, short stories, and more on their website iamkatylees.com, and that will be in the show notes. They're currently writing a good mental health guide for trans and non-binary people, which is going to be published hopefully this year (I'm keeping my fingers crossed) by Jessica Kingsley publishers, and I'll share all of the relevant links so you can go and follow their work after the episode today. I've already asked them about recording another episode together so look out for that, hopefully around the same time as the book launches. And so without further ado, allow me to introduce my wonderful guest, Katy Lees. Gem: Hi Katy! Thanks so much for joining me. Katy: Hi Gem. It's really nice to be here. Thank you for inviting me. Gem: I'm so excitred. No worries. So I always start often start with asking people just to introduce themselves and their various intersections. Would you be happy to do that? Katy: Absolutely, I would. So my name is Katy Lees. I use they/them pronouns. I am a white mid-fat, trans and non-binary queer person from the northeast of England. And I am a writer and a psychotherapist. Gem: Great, thank you. So there's lots to unpack there. And I think the first thing that comes to mind is that you used mid-fat, which for some people listening if they're not kind of familiar with the

I’m joined by researcher and former professor Dr. Lindo Bacon (they/them) for a special two part episode. For nearly two decades they have taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition. They are also the author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight. Their newly released book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better) , takes their inspiring message beyond size, to shaping a culture of empathy, equity, and true belonging. We talk about radical belonging, how hearing Audre Lorde speak changed their life, identifying as trans and taking up space, how coping methods serve us and lots more. Be sure to listen to Part 2 after this! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Lindo’s work and books on their https://lindobacon.com/ (website) Lindo’s new book https://lindobacon.com/radical-belonging-book/ (Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming It For the Better)) Follow Lindo on https://www.instagram.com/lindobacon (Instagram) or https://twitter.com/LindoBaconX (Twitter) or https://www.facebook.com/LindoBaconX (Facebook) adrienne maree brown’s new book, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55608932-we-will-not-cancel-us (We Will Not Cancel Us)   Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co. - the podcast on self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx and allies. I'm your host, Gem: Kennedy. My pronouns are they/them and I'm a transformational practitioner and coach living in the UK. Gem: Hey folx! Welcome to Episode 3. There are two parts to this week's episode. So we're doing things a little bit differently and it will all become clear why. First of all, let me introduce who my guest is. It's someone who I was incredibly excited to talk to and someone whose books I've really enjoyed over the years. They're a researcher and former professor and for nearly two decades have taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition. If you're involved in fat activism or body liberation of any kind, then you will have heard of their books Health at Every Size and also Body Respect and their newly released book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World, While Transforming It for the Better takes their inspiring message beyond size to shaping a culture of empathy, equity and true belonging. Gem: If you haven't already read Radical Belonging, I'd highly recommend that you do. It's a brilliant book and it brings together so many important ideas and lots of different research. So my guest is, if you haven't guessed already, Dr. Lindo Bacon. Not only was it great to have a conversation with them, but also I learned so much from it. So just to quickly explain why the episodes are in two parts, we had our first podcast recording on 22nd December and during the interview, it just felt like the energy was not quite there, or the connection wasn't there in the way that it might be. I know that I was pretty burnt out at the end of December and I know Lindo mentioned that they were finding it hard to connect, and they'd had a lot of podcast recordings, I think 15 in the last couple of weeks. So we both kind of finished the recording, feeling like maybe something wasn't quite right. And Lindo asked if they could have listened to the episode, and we could kind of sit with it before we thought about what to do next. And so I...

I’m joined again by researcher and former professor Dr. Lindo Bacon (they/them). In this very special follow up recording, Lindo and I reflect on our experience of recording part one. We talk about the power of letting go of perfectionism, connecting with each other from a place of vulnerability and the gift of feeling into our bodies during conversation. About Lindo: For nearly two decades Lindo has taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition. They are also the author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand About Weight. Their newly released book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better) , takes their inspiring message beyond size, to shaping a culture of empathy, equity, and true belonging. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Lindo’s work and books on their https://lindobacon.com/ (website) Lindo’s new book https://lindobacon.com/radical-belonging-book/ (Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming It For the Better)) Follow Lindo on https://www.instagram.com/lindobacon (Instagram) or https://twitter.com/LindoBaconX (Twitter) or https://www.facebook.com/LindoBaconX (Facebook) adrienne maree brown’s new book, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55608932-we-will-not-cancel-us (We Will Not Cancel Us) Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co., the podcast and self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx and allies. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy, my pronouns are they/them and I'm a transformational practitioner and coach living in the UK. Gem: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Part 2 of the episode with Dr. Linda Bacon. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, I'd highly recommend that you head there first and hear that. Otherwise, this may not make much sense. If you've already listened to Part 1, then I won't keep you any longer and I'll let you get straight to listening to Part 2. Gem: Hi Lindo! Thanks so much for joining me again. Lindo: Oh, it's great to see you again, Gem. Gem: Yeah, and it's really nice to actually see you as well, rather than just to hear you because before we both said that was a bit disconnecting. Lindo: Right, right. Definitely, I think it's gonna be... it's so much easier to feel present when you can actually see somebody. Gem: Yeah, absolutely. And what we were talking about in between when we recorded the first episode, which was towards the end of December - I think was the 22nd of December actually - and this is kind of like a reflection part, I guess, where we had this experience and it's about what has come out of that. I found it a really interesting experience. I don't know how it's been for you. Lindo: Yeah, it has been quite a learning experience. I know right after we talked, I had felt a bit of disconnection in our conversation, and I felt awkward with you running the podcast for other people, because it just didn't feel like I was fully present in it. It just didn't feel like it was as powerful as it could be. And I felt a lot of shame for that. And so I contacted you and asked you not to run it and let me just be thoughtful a little bit about what was going on. And what was your experience when I contacted you and said that? Gem: Yeah, cos it was at the end of the recording wasn't it that we talked and you'd said that you were feeling a bit disconnected? And I think my immediate thought was, "Oh gosh, I've...

In this episode, I’m joined by Spiritual Healer, Body Positivity Advocate, poet and artist, Jade Elouise (Bodiposipoet). Her activism, creative outlets and spiritual work all centre around advocating for social justice, equality and equity for marginalised bodies on a systemic level, while also promoting self-healing and self-acceptance on a personal one. We chat about Jade’s work to reclaim the co-opted body positivity movement, how spirituality and activism can work so well together, speaking out about spiritual bypassing, queering psychology, the power of creativity for self-expression and lots more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources You can find out more about Jade’s work by following these accounts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodiposipoet/ (@bodiposipoet), https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingbopo/ (@reclaimingbopo) and https://www.instagram.com/asafespacetogrow/ (@asafespacetogrow)  Head to Jade’s https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ArtbyBodiposipoet?ref=search_shop_redirect (Etsy shop) to buy some beautiful art! Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co., the podcast on self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx and allies. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy, my pronouns are they/them and I'm a transformational practitioner and coach living in the UK. Gem: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Episode 2. I hope you've all had a good week despite lockdown. I'm currently snuggled in my dressing gown, because it's absolutely freezing here and I don't want to go outside and get wood so I can light a fire so I thought I'd record the intro instead. And something keeping me nice and warm at the moment, this sounds like such a segue, are the feelings that I got from having this interview with my guest today. I'm sure that you're going to get a lot out of our conversation. I know I definitely did. And yeah, without further ado, I'll introduce her to you. So her name is Jade: Elouise, also known as bodiposipoet. She is a spiritual healer, body positivity advocate, poet and artist. Her activism, creative outlets and spiritual work all centre around advocating for social justice, equality and equity for marginalised bodies on a systemic level, while also promoting self-healing and self-acceptance on a personal one. I hope you enjoy the episode. And I'd love to hear your thoughts afterwards so do head over to the Facebook group to join in the conversation. So now over to the wonderful Jade Elouise. Gem: Hi Jade. How are you? Jade: Good thank you. How are you? Gem: I'm good, thank you. Thanks so much for joining me, I'm really excited to talk to you. Jade: Oh, thank you for having me. Gem: Not at all. It would be great if you're happy to just introduce yourself for anyone who hasn't come across your work before. Jade: Yeah, sure. So my name is Jade Elouise, but I go by Bodiposipoet. I am a spiritual healer and life coach. I'm an artist and I am a body positivity and self-love advocate and activist. So most of my work online focuses around learning to love your body, but also advocating for all bodies and equality for all bodies. Gem: Thank you. And there's so much to unpack there. I know we talked before about kind of digging into all the different aspects of your work so maybe if you're happy to let's start off with how you kind of got into body positivity because I know that's a huge part of what you do. Jade: Yeah. So I think like most people, I struggled with body image growing up. My weight, and the way I looked was always made quite a big deal. And so I didn't really have a great relationship with myself and my...

In this episode, I’m joined by Rubyyy Jones (they/them), an artist, performer and space maker who specialises in the body, the bawdyyy and deep feels. As an artist they work in live art, photography and film, creating a spectrum of experiences from silly to sublime. They are an icon in the world's of Drag, Burlesque and Cabaret and a Mxther and mentor to many in the industry.   Two years after our first interview together, we chat about rediscovering moving for joy in lockdown, neurodivergence and accessibility, moving back to their childhood neighbourhood in Canada, re-parenting ourselves and the queer community, Tony Clifton as a gateway to drag king-ing and lots more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.)  Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Rubyyy and their partner Prinx Lydia created and run The YYY School which includes many different kinds of performance, craft and personal development workshops, both online and in the flesh. Together they share a passion for accessible, atypical and amazing art, The YYY School encompasses all of that. You can find out more about Rubyyy’s work on the following Instagram accounts: https://www.instagram.com/rubyyyjones (@rubyyyjones), https://www.instagram.com/lifedrawingrubyyy (@lifedrawingrubyyy), https://www.instagram.com/theyyyschool (@theyyyschool), https://www.instagram.com/prinxlydia (@prinxlydia) And consider becoming a patron on https://www.patreon.com/SaveRubyyyJones (www.patreon.com/SaveRubyyyJones)   Full Transcription Gem: Welcome to Queers & Co. - the podcast on self-empowerment, body liberation and activism for queer folx and allies. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy. My pronouns are they/them and I'm a transformational practitioner and coach living in the UK. Hi everyone! Welcome to Series 2 of Queers & Co. I'm so excited to be back and to be able to share all of my brilliant guests with you. I've got 13 guests for this coming series and I've recorded about half of the episodes so far. And honestly, I can't wait to put them all out. I hope you're going to get lots from them and find them interesting, insightful, and maybe share them with anyone that you think might be interested in hearing what my guests have to say as well. The world is in a pretty different place now from when I recorded the first series in 2020. So I think the last couple of episodes, we'd just gone into lockdown in March 2020 and now here we are in January 2021. The UK has just entered another lockdown. I hope you're all keeping safe and well, no matter where in the world you are. It felt really meaningful to me to have this guest as my first guest for the second series. I first spoke to them two years ago when I was just starting out with the Queers & Co. project and I interviewed them to find out about their relationship with their body. And since then we have crossed paths multiple times and I just think they are brilliant so I'm really excited to be able to share the interview with you. They are an awesome artist, a performer, a space maker and if you are in need of any kind of cheering up or cool activities to do online, then I'd highly recommend that you check out their work. We talk a bit about that during the episode, but you'll also be able to find out more in the shownotes and I'll point you in the right direction at the end of the episode. As always, if you enjoy hearing from my guests, please do let them know. It's really nice for them to just know that people out there are listening and that they appreciate what they have to say. And if you'd like to continue the conversation about any of the episodes, please do join...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Lola Phoenix, a queer, non-binary disabled American living in the UK. Lola writes and produces a weekly advice column and podcast called Non-Monogamy Help as well as writing on social justice topics from gender to disability to poverty. We chat about so much juicy stuff, including how labels and identifiers can help us to feel less alone, whether polyamory is a marginalised identity, the importance of taking the time to educate people without jumping down their throats, non-monogamy and creating a podcast and column on it, learning when to step away from an argument, death positivity and so much more! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Find out more about Lola and their work here: https://medium.com/@thelolaphoenix (Medium) and https://about.me/lolaphoenix (About.Me) https://medium.com/non-monogamy-help (Non-Monogamy Help) podcast and column Follow on Lola on https://twitter.com/TheirNameIsLola (Twitter) Read https://medium.com/@thelolaphoenix/thirteen-mistakes-people-make-when-trying-polyamory-8eaedad4f641?fbclid=IwAR3NML3myjxdrAAc6DqreymXIwBTXP27i97C3uFnNGh7Gkv6gQ3fcPvIwD8 (Thirteen Mistakes People Make When Trying Polyamory) https://www.swarmcollective.org/ (Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM)) Email nonmonogamyhelp@gmail.com to submit a question to Lola on non-monogamy Full Transcription Gem: Hi Lola! How are you? Lola: I'm pretty good. How are you? Gem: Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. I'm really excited to have you here. Thanks for doing it. Lola: Yeah, thank you for having me on. Gem: So, it will be really great to start with—I think I always start with this actually. I make it sound like it's a new invention. It'll be great to start with just finding out a bit more about you and your various intersections. Lola: Cool!  So yeah, my name is Lola. I am an American immigrant that relocated to the UK. And I'm going to be here for the foreseeable future (unless things change, and it gets a lot easier to immigrate somewhere else). I identify as queer, autistic, and disabled in lots of other ways. I have a very rare and difficult disorder to deal with. I am also queer. And I grew up in a kind of—I would say it was mostly working class. But there were kind of weird things that made it a little bit middle class. I had middle class grandparents. But my parents were definitely working class/poor. So, there was a lot of mix-up with that. I think that definitely kind of informs my experience. I'm also a bit on the ace spectrum. And that has had a lot of impact in terms of how I look at things. And yeah, I think that kind of covers most of my intersections. I am white, so I'm privileged in that way. And I think, unlike the vast majority of my family, I have been to university. So I have also that aspect which has given me a lot of privilege in a lot of ways. So yeah, that's kind of my background. Gem: Amazing! Thank you. And there's lots to explore there. And I just wanted to, first of all, for anyone listening who isn't familiar with ace or being asexual, I wonder whether you'd be happy just to maybe explain a bit about what that looks like to you. Lola: Sure! So for me, I roughly identify as demisexual. Demisexual means—and this is really hard for people to wrap their heads around. It means that I don't tend to be attracted to somebody without some type of emotional bond to them. And most people would say, “Well, that's how everyone is.” But there's a difference between being willing to have sex with someone and actually being attracted to them. A lot of people will...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Cynthia Rodriguez, a Mexican-British writer and performer who is constantly experimenting with the possibilities of spoken word. They are international, intersectional and interdisciplinary. We chat about being an Anglophile, the reality of life in the UK compared to the image of Cool Britannia, racism in the queer punk scene and being a person of colour in the UK. We also talk about the importance of speaking the truth, how to look after yourself in times of burnout, queer storytelling and how Cynthia is bringing more of their roots into their work to counter stereotypes of Mexican culture. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. To book your ‘by donation’ coaching session, https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?appointmentType=13630712&owner=16971628 (visit here). To donate to the London Bi Pandas COVID-19 fund, https://www.londonbipandas.com/covid19-fund (click here). Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Check out Cynthia’s https://cynthiarodriguez.org/ (website) to find out about their upcoming performances and events. Their debut poetry collection, Meanwhile, is out on 7th September 2020, via Burning Eye Books. Follow on https://www.facebook.com/cynthiarodriguezdotorg (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/cynstagrammy/?hl=en (Instagram) and https://twitter.com/cynthiadotorg (Twitter) Heather Love, https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674032392 (Feeling Backward: Loss and the Politics of Queer History) Some articles on #dignidadliteraria can be found here: https://www.laweekly.com/op-ed-dignidadliteraria-a-movement-fighting-for-latino-stories-and-voices/ (LA Weekly), https://tropicsofmeta.com/2019/12/12/pendeja-you-aint-steinbeck-my-bronca-with-fake-ass-social-justice-literature/ (Tropics of Meta) and https://hiplatina.com/myriam-gurba-lbusd-teacher-abuse/ (Hip Latina) Cynthia recommends the incredible band, https://bigjoanie.bandcamp.com/ (Big Joanie) Photo of Cynthia by David Wilson Clarke of https://dwc-imagery.com/ (DWC Imagery) Full Transcription Gem: Hi Cynthia! How are you? Cynthia: All right! Just at home, looking at the rain, working with my cats. Gem: Oh nice! Cynthia: Well, the cat is not working, but I am… Gem: You’re working with your cat. It sounds like a nice Friday. Cynthia: Yes, excellent! Gem: It would be really great if you can just tell everyone a bit more about yourself and what it is that you do. Cynthia: Well, my name is Cynthia. I’m a poet and a spoken word performer. And I also do a bit of music here and there. I’m British and Mexican, double nationality. I’ve been living in Britain for almost 10 years. I’m based in Leicester, but I do loads of stuff in the Midlands and London and stuff. I’m currently studying a masters on cultural events management to just make more things happen in the community. I do a lot of work about different topics that are intersecting like queerness, feminism, self-preservation, the migrant experience. My first book coming out soon in September through Burning Eye Books is called Meanwhile. And it's exactly about living in the in between, like in between rites of passage, just not being easily pinpointed within one identity, one gender, one nation, nationality, one body, one state of mind, and so on. Gem: Yeah. And what was the inspiration behind writing the book? Cynthia: I've always written since I was tiny. But I've been doing the poetry/spoken word stuff for almost five years now, publishing fan zines here and there a couple of anthologies. Brigette, from Burning Eye Books, they've been telling me for years. A couple of years...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Cameryn Moore, an award-winning playwright/performer with seven solo shows under her belt but perhaps best known as the founder of Smut Slam, a global network of community dirty-storytelling events. We chat about becoming an activist in the mid-80s, the power of learning to dance later in life, sex positivity versus being sex aware, how people who have a problem with sex work really have a problem with capitalism, growing up Mormon and undoing our issues around sex. Plus, the joys of creating personalised smut on the street for passers by! If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. To book your ‘by donation’ coaching session, https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?appointmentType=13630712&owner=16971628 (visit here). Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Check out http://www.camerynmoore.com/ (Cameryn’s website) to find out about upcoming performances and events. Follow Cameryn on https://www.facebook.com/camerynmoore (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/camerynmoore/ (Instagram) and https://twitter.com/camerynmoore (Twitter) Follow Smut Slam London on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/smutslamlondon (here) and Smut Slam International https://www.facebook.com/SmutSlamInternational (here) Watch Juno Mac’s TED Talk - The Laws that Sex Workers Really Want https://www.ted.com/talks/juno_mac_the_laws_that_sex_workers_really_want?language=en (here) Cameryn’s recommendation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/ (Little Women (2019) ) More info on performer and fat activist Heather McAllister can be found https://pridesource.com/article/23614/ (here) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_MacAllister_(activist) (here) Full Transcription Gem: Hi Cameryn, thank you so much for joining me. Cameryn: Oh, it’s good to be here. Thank you! Gem: So, it’ll be really great if you just tell us a bit more about you and how you identify. Cameryn: I am a playwright and a performer and a facilitator of smut. That’s kind of my professional designation I guess. I identify as an activist in a lot of ways around sex and fat and sex work. And phew, I’m just a middle-aged lady that didn’t really get the memo on how to be middle-aged sometimes is how I’m feeling like, yeah. Gem: And so, there’s lots to explore there. I’m just wondering how you first got into activism. Cameryn: I first got into activism when I was 16 actually. This was back in the mid-80s, so 1986. Nuclear war was kind of the constant looming thing. I don’t know how it was for other places, but certainly in the US, there was this constant sort of—it just hung over everything right? I started a peace activist group at my high school in a very conservative town. And that was probably also the time when I started shedding my introvert tendencies and found myself becoming an extrovert in support of causes that I felt strongly about. Before that, I was very shy and definitely still the same geek that you see before you today. But I was really shy and not wanting to put myself forward. And nuclear disarmament was something I felt so strongly about that I just made myself go out and do things. And I think that I definitely had become that extrovert in real life. But most of the causes that I’m loud and brassy about are… they’re causes. They’re not just me. It’s things that I feel strongly about. So, that all started when I was 16. It’s gone from nuclear disarmament to queer rights. I came of age as a little baby queer in the late ‘90s when Queer Nation was big on the scene in North America. And so, I moved through that into fat activism as well in the mid-90s in the San...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Imogen Fox, a queer Disabled femme who serves up radical body politics, anti-diet talk and non-judgemental compassion. We chat about Imogen’s first foray into disability rights activism as a teen, the trauma of eating rice cakes and cottage cheese and being indoctrinated into diet culture by those closest to us. We also talk about radical Disability politics, the co-opting and white-washing of movements and whether it’s really possible to use your privilege for good. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Follow Imogen on https://www.instagram.com/the_feeding_of_the_fox/ (Instagram) Read Imogen’s self-proclaimed ‘dusty’ https://thefeedingofthefox.wordpress.com/ (blog here) Watch You on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80211991 (here) Full Transcription Gem: Hi Imogen. Imogen: Hello my lovely! Yeah, I’m not too bad, thank you. I was just saying to you I’ve got a really bad tummy ache, so I’m like in a massive jumper with a big hot water bottle… and a kitten actually, just curled up on the sofa, nursing myself. Gem: I’m sorry that you’re not well. But that sounds like a really lovely place to be in to recover. Imogen: It’s not not wellness. The annoying bit about it is that it can be quite a regular occurrence. It’s just that my tummy is part of my impairment. So, things like this are kind of, sort of normal. And my go-to coping strategy is to—especially when it’s cold. Just to huddle up and nest myself a little bit… Gem: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I think I came across your work maybe a couple of years ago. I’ve definitely been following you for quite a while… Imogen: We’ve been in touch for a while. Gem: Yeah! And we met at Body Kind last year. Imogen: Yeah, yeah… Gem: So, I’m really excited to get the chance to ask you all my questions. And I guess what I generally start off with when I’m chatting to people is just asking them to introduce how they identify, and I guess what different intersections play a role in them as a person. Imogen: Yeah, okay. I would say I’m a queer disabled femme. I haven’t really kind of started using the term non-binary, but I don’t really identify as being part of a gender binary particularly. I still use the pronouns she/her although they’re not particularly comfortable. But then I don’t find they/them any more comfortable. So, I tend to use a mixture of both of those things. I live in Bristol in the UK. And I have been a disability rights activist for most of my life actually. But I found an online community through Instagram a few years ago. So, I’ve just been writing and sharing stuff there for a while. Gem: Yeah. And I’m really interested in how that came about. You talk about radical body politics which is really powerful and obviously has so many different sides to it. I know you say that you’re anti-diet as well. And sort of your relationship with the medical industry and all those kinds of different aspects… So, it will be amazing to start maybe at the beginning. You say you’ve been involved with disability rights activism for a really long time. How did that come about? Imogen: Okay! Well, I went to into an integrated school. So, I went to school with other disabled children. And whilst my impairment hadn’t been diagnosed, I was already having symptoms. So, I had some learning support needs. It was integrated to a point because we still had this designated building. Maybe now, it might be different. There might be accessible toilets in the toilets. But back then, we had to go back to the pavilion, it was called, in the middle of...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by autism and neurodiversity support specialist, speaker, writer and creator of inTune Families, Kristy Forbes. We chat about embracing autism as an identity and culture rather than a disorder, moving away from pathologising behaviour, the importance of being able to self-identify as neurodivergent, the deeply problematic nature of compliance therapies and radical honesty as a form of self-care. CW: This episode contains talk of ABA and compliance therapy If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Follow Kristy on https://www.facebook.com/intunepathways/ (Facebook) and https://www.instagram.com/_kristyforbes/ (Instagram) Find out more about Kristy and her work through her website https://www.intunepathways.com/ (inTune Pathways) Find out more about Amy Sequenzia via herhttp://nonspeakingautisticspeaking.blogspot.com/ ( blog) and at https://ollibean.com/author/amy-sequenzia/ (Ollibean) Kieran Rose aka The Autistic Advocate’s https://theautisticadvocate.com/ (blog) Tickets for Kristy’s upcoming PDA Perspectives tour are available https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/the-hoop-dee-do-company-28595042883 (here) Full Transcription Gem: Hi Kristy, how are you?  Kristy: I'm great. Thank you so much for having me.  Gem: Thank you for being here. I'm really excited. So we've known each other for about 18 months because my family did some work with you. And, and I guess it would be really cool if you could introduce yourself and what kind of work it is that you do? Kristy: Yeah, sure. So I'm Kristy Forbes. I am an autistic person. I support neurodivergent people and their family. I work in private consultation online, with families because some of them are at crisis point and can't leave their homes. I offer education around the lived experience of autism to allied health professionals, educators, parents. And I also write and I speak about autism. Gem: Great and what has your journey been to get to doing all these things? I know you say in your work that you were diagnosed at 33 as being autistic but obviously it's been quite a journey to get to the point of actually being a full-time advocate and doing that as your main focus.  Kristy: Yeah. Oh gosh, what a huge question. It's been one hell of a ride really. When I came into this work, I already had a background as working as an educator in early childhood and primary and secondary schools. And having no clue I was autistic, knowing I was different but thinking there was something wrong with me. So I knew something was going on. I worked in the field because I worked with families, with children who had social emotional and behavioural challenges. So when I came into business for myself because I have four autistic children, and it became difficult for me to work for other people and raise my children and care for them. I kind of hid behind the whole childhood behavioural specialist title. And I didn't tell people I was autistic, and I had been diagnosed by that stage. I still didn't really know what that meant for me so it was something I was still unravelling. But then after some time, I would just see so many things online about autism and just cringe inside and go, "Oh, my God! No, no, no, we have to start talking about autism differently. This is not okay for non-autistic people to continuously observe behaviour, focus on physical expression and then translate it in comparison to theirs, and think that that's enough." I couldn't cope with it anymore. I'm autistic, I couldn't stay quiet for long. So I wrote this post one night, outing myself,...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Lady Blue Phoenix, burlesque performer and member of the Rock with the Foxes troupe. When on stage, she's been described as a force of nature! We chat about Columbia - the long-forgotten personification of the USA, our power to make social change, creating safer spaces in burlesque, learning to live with mental ill-health and what happens when we can no longer vault our pain away, embracing our shadow side and her experience of coming out as bisexual. CW: This episode contains a description of a racist incident. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Image by https://www.vastudio.co.uk/ (V’s Anchor Studio) Resources Follow Lady Blue Phoenix on https://www.facebook.com/LadyBlueBurlesque/ (Facebook) and https://www.instagram.com/lady.blue.phoenix/ (Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/rockwiththefoxes (Rock with the Foxes Troupe) Lady Blue Phoenix will be performing at the following events: 29th Feb 2020: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/lift-every-voice-black-history/2532515397075638/ (Lift Every Voice - Black History Month), Gothenburg, Sweden 25th March 2020: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/the-yes-yes-yes-showcase/505994193392546/ (The Yes Yes Yes Showcase), Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London, UK 11th July 2020: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/woodstock-freedom-festival-hip/540392913450944/ (Woodstock Freedom Festival), Hipley, near Portsmouth, UK Full Transcription Gem: Hi Lady Blue. Lady Blue Phoenix: Hello. Gem: How are you today? Lady Blue Phoenix: I'm good. I'm just relaxing after a busy week at work. Gem: So, we've just been chatting about quite a lot of interesting stuff already actually, so we haven't recorded it. But I've got a few things that I am keen to ask you, but it'd be really cool first if you could introduce yourself so we can learn a bit more about you. Lady Blue Phoenix: Okay. Well firstly, my name is Lady Blue Phoenix. I originate from Seattle, Washington in America. I've lived abroad now since 2008 - five years in Japan and Oh God…  eight years here. I did a lot of dance in the States, so fire belly dance, things like that. I've always loved the dance industry. I'm never actually majored in it, but I just loved that freedom. So when I came to England, after living in Japan for five years, I got into burlesque. Me and my partner went to a show. I saw these amazing people on stage bearing their souls, baring their bodies to the world. And I was literally floored. I was like, I want to do that, but then in the back of my head I had the whole, but I'm not a size zero. None of the girls on this stage were like size zero. Even in my head it was that whole, I have to be small to do it. And my partner, he just kind of looked at me and said, can you please just go ask about it? Gem: Amazing. Lady Blue Phoenix: And I asked about it and got involved and have been doing burlesque now since, well 2016, when I decided to start doing solos. Beforehand, the first year and a half I was doing lots of lessons and little bit of troop work and things. But then 2016 I decided to branch out and do solos. And that's how Lady Blue Phoenix was born. Gem: Amazing. And does your work have any kind of themes or are there specific stories that you tell when you're on stage? Lady Blue Phoenix: It's a variety. Some of my acts have a story. Some of acts are just me kind of expressing that freedom of movement that you don't get to see in daily life. Some of my acts are just me being free on stage and just showing the world that freedom, but some of my acts or really just showing the confidence that anyone

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Hannah Rose, a non-binary trans woman of colour and London-based activist and event organiser. We chat about activism, marrying three men and a dog, the lack of trans POC representation, procrastinating as a form of self-care, how to create safe and supportive community events, how to be a better ally to trans folks and some of the hottest events on the London queer scene. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Hannah Rose’s https://www.instagram.com/foxdyke_/ (Instagram) Book recommendation: http://rickriordan.com/series/magnus-chase-and-the-gods-of-asgard/ (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard), Rick Riordan London Bi Panda’s https://www.indy100.com/article/gay-wedding-three-men-dog-boris-johnson-tory-hq-9238136 (Three men and a dog wedding) action https://www.facebook.com/lgsmigrants/ (LGSM) - Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants London Bi Pandas https://www.londonbipandas.com/ (website) London Bi Pandas Instagram and recent campaign, https://www.instagram.com/londonbipandas/ (50 Ways to Leave your TERFer ) https://lgbtiqoutside.org/ (The Outside Project) Aisha Mirza’s https://www.instagram.com/uglyinahotway/ (Instagram) Mental health collective and sober club night, https://www.instagram.com/miseryparty/ (Misery) https://www.instagram.com/queermasala/ (Queer Masala) food popups https://www.instagram.com/healthy_filth/ (Healthy Filth )plant-based catering YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL7SgbxvTR7N5-jYeT2Coj99qnRQTIArKP&v=VRH0pwENbx8 (Trans 101) https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/10/why-does-every-achievement-have-to-be-a-first-to-matter-12205461/ (Travis Alabanza’s article), “Why does every achievement have to be a ‘first’ to matter?” Other nights in London: https://www.instagram.com/themfatalelondon/ (Them Fatale),https://www.instagram.com/inferno_london/ ( Inferno), https://www.residentadvisor.net/promoter.aspx?id=91170 (Crossbreed), https://www.facebook.com/PSSYPALACE/posts/pussy-palace-in-peckham-tonight-10-1115pm-come-dance-with-us-xxxhttpswwwfacebook/1041667639212541/ (Pxssy Palace), https://www.vauxhalltavern.com/events/event/bar-wotever/ (Bar Wotever) Full Transcription Gem: Hi Hannah. How are you? Hannah: Good, thank you. Gem: Thanks so much for taking part. So if anyone who hasn't come across your work before, it'd be really great if you could introduce yourself and a bit about what you do. Hannah: Yeah, sure. So I'm Hannah Rose, I'm German-born, London-based, Iraqi, trans non-binary, woman of colour, neurodivergent. I think that's all the intersectionalities so it's a long list and it's quite a struggle. I do a lot of work in organising activism and queer spaces here in London, and in some other places like occasionally Berlin and yeah, my goal in London right now is just to help the queer community as much as possible and bring as much positive political change about as I can. Gem: Yeah. And how did you get into and be involved in activism? Hannah: So, it all started with Bi Pandas actually. Bi Pandas is this London based group. They started off last year. They were at pride when Monroe, who's quite a prominent drag performer and use to be a DJ. I was like, Hey, there's no proper bisexual representation, actual queer, bisexual representation at pride. Let's change that. And them and their partner Max, they did so, so, so much work. And spent so much money on getting a float for Pride. And it was just amazing. It was the most queer thing. The pictures from there are so amazing. We're going to do the same thing this year. So you'll see us around pride. And,...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Chiron Stamp, trans artist, writer, facilitator and femmboy alien. We chat about non-binary thinking beyond gender, intersectional collective care in practice, navigating the brutal legal system, neurodiversity as being like biodiversity, how capitalism tells us to move really fast, the difference between boundaries and limits and whether all queers are from another planet. Plus, an incredible and rare performance of Chiron’s work, “A Love Poem to my Transness”. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Chiron Stamp's https://www.chironstamp.com/ (website) Chiron's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stampchiron/?hl=en (@stampchiron) Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy is available https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Edge-Womens-Press-Classic/dp/0704346567 (here) https://www.instagram.com/rhysspieces_ (Rhys’ Pieces / Queefy) Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds, Adrienne Maree Brown, is https://www.akpress.org/emergentstrategy.html (available here) Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Adrienne Maree Brown is https://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html (available here) Photo of Chiron by https://paulsamuelwhite.com/ (Paul Samuel White) Full Transcription Gem: Hey Chiron. So we've been chatting a bit before, but we decided to switch the recording on because we're getting really into it and it would be great to share this rather than have to repeat it again. So first of all, thank you so much for joining me. I'm really excited. Chiron: Thanks for having me. I'm excited and nervous, but in an excited way. They're quite similar feelings. Maybe they're the same. Gem: As we talked about before, we've kind of agreed some of the things we wanted to talk about, but I wondered if we should jump straight in with what we were talking about just before we started to record. Chiron: Yeah. Oh, I was talking about how I'd seen this thing on Instagram, which was andI can't cite it. I'm really bad at that anyway, remembering the names of people, but on Instagram, someone had done some medical research into the link between people who identify as non-binary or trans in some way and being on the autistic spectrum and I haven't read it all, but it did that thing in my tummy where I felt strange about it. And I guess I'm really excited that somebody did some research, but then my automatic questions are like, who did the research? Is it a cis person asking a lot of non-binary people questions? Was it a trans person themselves? Or who is the research for and who makes money out of it? The usual questions about most things. And also it's a thing about the medical model isn't it? And if that is in relationship to the medical model, which is kind of like my artistic area of research, or like my biggest frustration with the world, I guess that we're in relationship to this idea that some people's ways of being are wrong or disordered or need to be fixed in some way. Sometimes ways of being can be really difficult but the world is not... I just think that people can actually do quite a lot if they're supported in the right way, but that means that we have to be much more flexible. I get that like fear of, "Oh, if people understand that research or engage with that research without being critical of the medical model because maybe they're a person where that medical model actually works for them quite fine, what does that mean about how people view trans people in society?" But those are all of my instinctual fears. I also try to challenge that quite a lot as well. I don't want to be cynical...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Sophie Christophy, feminist, children’s rights activist and co-founder of a self-directed, consent and rights based education setting called the Cabin. We chat about children’s rights and how the dominant parent culture is a representation of patriarchy, how schooling is not designed to allow for individuality, queering education and the importance of ed positivity. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D’Souza) Resources Sophie’s website: https://sophiechristophy.wordpress.com/ (https://sophiechristophy.wordpress.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/schristophy (@schristophy) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schristophy (https://www.facebook.com/schristophy)  The Cabin: https://www.downatthecabin.com/ (https://www.downatthecabin.com/) The Phoenix Education Trust: https://www.phoenixeducation.co.uk/ (https://www.phoenixeducation.co.uk/) The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/ (https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/) Ban the Booths campaign: https://banthebooths.co.uk/ (https://banthebooths.co.uk/) bell hooks: http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com/ (http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com/) bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Transgress-Education-Practice-Translation/dp/0415908086/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=53999208955&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI56Som4S45wIVTLDtCh0Ylg6YEAAYAiAAEgISDvD_BwE&hvadid=259061695134&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006984&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5078044356646694407&hvtargid=kwd-299674323339&hydadcr=10364_1752646&keywords=teaching+to+transgress&qid=1580823978&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Transgress-Education-Practice-Translation/dp/0415908086/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=53999208955&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI56Som4S45wIVTLDtCh0Ylg6YEAAYAiAAEgISDvD_BwE&hvadid=259061695134&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006984&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5078044356646694407&hvtargid=kwd-299674323339&hydadcr=10364_1752646&keywords=teaching+to+transgress&qid=1580823978&sr=8-1) Full Transcription: Gem: Hi Sophie. Sophie: Hi Gem. How are you? Gem: I'm good, thank you. How are you? Sophie: I'm fine, thank you. I'm fine. Gem: Good and so I'm really excited to talk to you and it feels a bit weird because we're friends in real life. It would be really great for other people than me if you could introduce yourself. Sophie: Yeah, sure. Okay. So I'm Sophie. I have a few hats. I'm a children's rights activist fundamentally but I am also the Co-Director of a consent-based self-directed education setting called The Cabin. And I'm a trustee for an education charity called the Phoenix Education Trust as well as being a parent to two children who are unschooled and yeah, living life basically. I'd say that's probably a summary for the moment. Gem: There's lots to explore there. I guess lots of new terms that people might not have come across if they're not familiar with unschooling or home ed for example. So I guess my first question will probably be the fundamentals of what are children's rights. Sophie: Okay. Sothere's a legal document, which is helpful, called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. And it was created over a couple of decades actually and finally ratified in 1990 by the UK but every country in the world has, symbolically at least ratified the treaty apart from the United States. Gem: Interesting! Sophie: I know it's a long story. The UNCRC lays out a whole bunch of rights

In this episode of Queers & Co., I'm joined by dancer, choreographer, dynamic relationship facilitator and heart centred dance & embodiment educator, Rachel Sparks. We chat about gender-neutral partner dancing, the importance of consent, the experience of making the short film, Swivel, as well as the lack of representation of LGBTQ+ folks in mainstream shows like Strictly Come Dancing. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com (Gem Kennedy) and https://my.captivate.fm/www.gemkennedy.com/queersandco (Queers & Co.) Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D'Souza) Resources In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: Rachel and Henri's dance duo, https://ironandsparks.co.uk/ (Iron&Sparks) You can follow Rachel's work on https://www.instagram.com/rachelsparksdance (Instagram) and https://www.facebook.com/rachelsparksdance (Facebook) and https://twitter.com/dancewithsparks (Twitter) Rachel holds Sunday Afternoon Tea Dances throughout the year. The https://facebook.com/events/s/sunday-tea-dance-in-aid-of-sto/2545161739029149/?ti=cl (next one) is on 2nd Feb 2020 Rachel recommends the dance duo, https://www.thickandtight.com/ (Thick and Tight) Find out more about Swivel, the short film starring Iron&Sparks http://loisnorman.org/swivel/ (here) Catch an upcoming screening of Swivel at the Love Story Film Festival on 20th Feb 2020 Photo of Rachel at the Royal Opera House by http://www.babypicturethis.co.uk/commercial.html (Laura Aziz) Full Transcription Full Transcriptions of every episode are available https://www..gemkennedy.com/podcast/002 (here). Gem: Hi Rachel. Thanks so much for joining me. How are you? Rachel: Yeah, no problem. I'm great. I'm feeling good today. Having had a nice workout this morning, I'm feeling really kind of full of energy. Gem: Awesome. so there were quite a few things that I'd love to chat to you about particularly around your work with gender neutral dancing. But for anyone who doesn't know your work, I wonder if you could just tell us a bit more about what it is that you do before we start? Rachel: Yeah, sure. So most of my business is teaching people to dance. And my focus has always been on how to make dance a safe place for more people. And in particular, I, as part of the queer community, I saw that there was a need for a safer space, particularly for partner dancing. As I was a Latin and ballroom dancer, I decided to start teaching and to find a way to teach it so that the gender roles were just not an issue and a problem. So that's, that's how gender neutral partner dancing and came about. There are other people doing it. I just wanted to put my spin on it. Another important thing for me in that is creating good spaces that help people to be autonomous in their bodies and feel that they're making choices rather than just being told what to do. So consent is really big in my classes and I try to work mindfulness and self-awareness into my teaching as well. That's the bulk of my work but I also teach couples to prepare for their weddings - queer couples, but also straight couples and always given the option to swap roles or mess it up a bit. I like to mess with the traditions. And I also coach as well now. I've trained in Embodiment principles. I now coach people on basically learning how to listen to themselves, to their bodies and their intuition better. For me it's about freedom, finding freedom in themselves and freedom in their choices. Gem: Yeah and you can see how all of those things link together really well. I know on your website, you mentioned that other people are doing it as well, but this is your spin, but you said that there are records going back to the 1980s of gender neutral dancing. Rachel: Yeah. So it's been...

In this episode of Queers & Co., I’m joined by Dr. Charlotte Cooper, psychotherapist, cultural worker and the author of Fat Activism: A Radical Social Movement and the newly updated Fat Activist Vernacular. We chat about what it means to be a good ally, how climate activism is yet to get its act together around fat, what it means to be queer, punks who hate “normals”, the role of dance in exploring your body as a fat person and Charlotte’s encounter with a fat femme tomato lady doing a high-kick. If you haven't already, be sure to join our https://www.facebook.com/groups/301006967271836/ (Facebook community) to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies. Find out more about Gem Kennedy and Queers & Co. Podcast Artwork by https://www.gemmadsouza.co.uk/ (Gemma D'Souza) Resources In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: Dr. Charlotte Cooper’s website http://www.hammeronpress.net/shop/paperback/fat-activism-a-radical-social-movement/ (Fat Activism: A Radical Social Movement) by Dr. Charlotte Cooper http://charlottecooper.net/fat/fat-writing/ (Fat Activist Vernacular) by Dr. Charlotte Cooper. Also available https://www.thisisunbound.co.uk/products/fat-activist-vernacular (here) (some of the proceeds go towards supporting live art in the UK) or other main ebook retailers Fat and Proud: The Politics of Size. Available https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/fat-and-proud-politics-of-size/charlotte-cooper/paperback/9780704344730.html (here) The ebook launch of the Fat Activist Vernacular on 29th January 2020 at the Live Art Development Agency. https://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/events/fat-activist-vernacular-ebook-launch/ (Get your free ticket here) https://nolose.org/ (No Lose) Dr. Charlotte Cooper’s Twitter account Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda is available https://open.spotify.com/album/6zV55F6W8kh1qe8LHhqRbz (here) Fat Cabaret's https://www.facebook.com/fatcabaret/ (Facebook page) Photo of Charlotte on a motorcycle by Substantia Jones. Check out the https://theadipositivityproject.zenfolio.com/about.html (Adipositivity Project) Full Transcription Full Transcriptions of every episode are available here. Gem: Welcome to the Queers & Co. Podcast. I'm your host, Gem Kennedy, and I'm very excited to be recording the first ever episode. My guest today is someone whose work I've followed and loved since first hearing about her in 2016. She's a psychotherapist and cultural worker based in East London, as well as the author of books like Fat Activism and the Fat Activist Vernacular, which we're going to talk about today. I'm very excited to welcome Dr. Charlotte Cooper. Hi Charlotte. Charlotte: Hi Gem. What a pleasure is to be here. Gem: It's so nice to have you. Thanks for agreeing to do it. Charlotte: My absolute pleasure. Gem: So, I've got lists of questions. I don't want to bombard you, but it would be really cool if we can start off with hearing a bit more about your work and then we'll chat about the Fat Activist Vernacular that's coming out soon. Charlotte: Yeah, sure. How to describe my work? I have fingers in a few pies. My main work is as a psychotherapist and I specialise in working with people who are on the edges in some way. I work with lots of queers and trans people, neurodivergent people, sex workers and also the occasional Normal comes along and I don't turn them away. I guess that's my day job, but it is a vocation as well. It's really important to me and I really love the work. I've also been making stuff for a long time so I call myself a cultural worker cause I think of making stuff as a political act. I started off making performances when I was in my teens and twenties and I have been making zines for a long time as well, probably for about 30 years cause I'm getting on a bit now. Charlotte: Lately, I've been returning more to performance and I'm sort of exploring, making different kinds of things as well. A lot of my work is about fat and...