And Here You Are Podcast

Episode 14 is a conversation between host Effie Dusoleil and Dr. Kelsey L. Smoot.

During this conversation you’ll hear Effie and Kelz discuss how childhood knowings became adulthood truths, how love itself is something to be proud of giving and receiving and how we can rebuke society’s messages around how we should be or look. You’ll hear Kelz share more about his research, their practices of centering joy & community, and their experience of growing up as a black queer person moving through different identities. 

Kelz is a writer and poet based in Atlanta, Georgia. His autoethnographic style has become the lens through which he understands and reflects on his experience navigating the U.S. sociopolitical landscape. They are brilliant, kind, and, as someone shared in their affirmations “a literal embodiment of love.” 

Their three poetry books and website can be found in the links below:  

https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9781635902822

https://www.anothernewcalligraphy.com/catalog/p/anc076

 https://www.mouthfeelbooks.com/product/we-was-bois-together-by-kelsey-l-smoot-preorder-/64

https://queerinsomniac.me/

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In part two of episode 13 you hear the continuation of the conversation between host Effie Dusoleil and Drea Bustamante. 

The second part of their conversation covers the beautiful variety of ways the LGBTQI+ community exist in the world, how vital and important it is to have queer role models that exemplify being honest about who they are and can share their identities openly, the experience of being an immigrant and how they both agree that community is often a lifesaver. They also talk about the nature of becoming as unbecoming and how often learning is full of unlearning. 

Drea Bustamante is not only a Naturopathic Doctor and Doctor of East Asian Medicine (DOM), but a teacher, healer and mother to two little cutie patooties.  You can find more information about her and her practice here: https://www.inmnm.org/

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: You will make community! You can relearn and rewrite narratives that have been given to you! You can be gentle with yourself!  

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In part one of episode 13 you hear the beginning of the, very personal, conversation between host Effie Dusoleil and Drea Bustamante. 

You'll hear them talk about their past as a married couple, the choices that they made and continue to make to stay close throughout it all, the idea that unconditional love has the potential to literally change communities and the world- starting with each of us. They discuss the plot twist of being happy things didn’t work out as expected, how life is full of so much richness and the ever poignant reminder that a little celebration goes a long way.  

Drea is not only a Naturopathic Doctor and Doctor of East Asian Medicine (DOM), but a teacher, healer and mother to two little sweet hearts. You can find Drea at her practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico- New Mexico Naturopathic. 

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: You can be cool and pretty!  Unconditional love has the power to change the entire world! This is your chance to be happy it didn’t work out the way you wanted it to.

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In this episode you’ll hear host Effie Dusoleil talk with Jo Vee. In this conversation they discuss how it has felt to be a part of the community as a masc lesbian and how it feels to be in spaces that celebrate the spectrum of lesbianism, the vital realization that we don’t have to fit into a box that doesn’t work for us, how we find inspiration all around us and how curiosity can open doors that we never knew existed. 

Jo Vee is a Washington, DC based content creator who shares about gender, sexuality, and finding community. Navigating the world in their 20s, Jo Vee aims to empower people to find their truth and live it fully. You can find them on TikTok @bon_jo.vee and Instagram @jo.yourfavles.

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: You can be proud of yourself for simply being! You can make your future whatever you want it to be! You can greet newness with curiosity! 

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To celebrate Pride month we’re releasing two episodes in June! Happy Pride my friends!!!

In this beautiful conversation, Effie Dusoleil talks with Salimah Kassim-Lakha. They discuss their experiences as people existing outside of the gender binary, how their inner knowings were very present from a young age and the idea of queerness opening doors to possibility rather than being a limitation. Salimah Kassim-Lakha is a queer South Asian Kundalini Yoga Therapist and spiritual elder with over twenty years in the healing arts. Salimah holds space for women and queer people ready to stop surviving and start leading from the inside out. Find more at yogavision.com and on YouTube @yogavision. 

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: It works out better than okay!  The gender binary hurts us all! Queerness is a power, a force, a reclamation! 

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And Here You Are has made it to 10 episodes! In a special pride month celebration, the tables are turned. Your host, Effie Dusoleil, is interviewed by past guest and close friend Kiana London. They celebrate the show and its mission by answering questions received from previous show guests and dive in deeper to Effie's story. 

Special thanks to Kiana for supporting this episode and every guest so far for sharing your story with us. 

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: You have everything you need inside of you. You are the light! You are free to be whatever it is that you are! You get to do you!  

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In this episode you’ll hear host Effie Dusoleil talk with Christa Orth about their research in queer and trans history of the Pacific Northwest, how it felt to see herself inside of a rich history of queer and trans ancestors, how their performances in drag helped them to express themselves on a literal stage, and how people’s stories that center justice and joy bring them so much inspiration. We discuss the ways historical fights for liberation aid our own liberation today, how we ourselves are the product of our ancestors surviving, and how our lives offer us the opportunity to be generous and supportive during the fight. 

You can find more information about Christa’s creative writing here: https://www.christaorth.com/ and their fundraising consulting practice, Seaworthy Fundraising, here: https://www.seaworthy.consulting/.

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: Being queer is righteous!  We will survive! We are part of a rich history & lineage of queer and trans people. 

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In this episode you'll hear host Effie Dusoleil and Jesse Patterson discuss the power in living your truth, the way politics and socially constructed ideas aim to divide us and how the people in your corner can become your grounding rod through tough times. Jesse shares about the unending love of her partner throughout her transition journey, her dedication to stay in Texas despite the rhetoric, and how she navigates societies narratives about right and wrong while raising her child. 

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news:  We are all each other has! You know everything you need to know about yourself. No effort to divide us will succeed!

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In this episode you'll hear host Effie Dusoleil talk with Santy Sanchez. As Program Director for an organization called The Insight Alliance,  Santy leads Insight to Wellbeing groups in prisons across the US state of Oregon, guiding participants to discover that they are not broken and don’t need fixing. 

Santy and Effie discuss how beautiful insights can come from tragedy, the way isolation can be an opportunity for self-reflection, how our thoughts create made-up stories about what we think things will be look like that don’t always prove to be true and the very timely reminder that it is each one of us that holds the ability to decide how we react and respond to our thoughts and feelings. 

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: There is no light at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel is made up and you are the light! 

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In this episode you'll hear host Effie Dusoleil chat with Chih and Mike of “The Dumpling Dudez”. During this conversation our two guests open up about their experiences living in a deeply conservative area of the world as a gay interracial couple, their journey towards loving themselves full heartedly and the incredible community they’ve built online. Chih and Mike remind us that love can exist anywhere and community can be found everywhere. 

More information on The Dumpling Dudes here, https://www.dumplingdudez.com/

Follow, subscribe, & share to spread the news: As RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?”.

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Get in touch with our team here: [email protected]