Rev. Leela Sinha is a genderqueer, Queer-as-fuck entrepreneur. Ze is intense, spiritually grounded, real, funny, compassionate, and mostly interested in creating a better world with more pleasure and less pain. To that end, Leela coaches and consults to uplift intense people (if you're told you're "too much" that means you!) and creates leadership, companies, and systems where the bottom line is robust and everyone's needs get met.

In this special 2-part episode, Anne-Marie and Leela take a fascinating meander through subjects such as the profound impact of Leela's upbringing in the Unitarian church, the contrasting messages they received surrounding sexuality during their formative years (Anne-Marie was raised Catholic, while Leela learned about sexuality through the Unitarian "About Your Sexuality" (AYS) program), the early 2000's reclamation of the word "Queer" and the shifting climate surrounding that word today, how language around gender has changed the coming out trans experience over time, how the experience of coming out and living as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community differs regionally in the United States, how Leela both lost and gained a community after cutting hir hair and much, much more. Their deep dive into topics surrounding Queer, trans and lesbian experiences as they relate to history, culture and religion continues in a part 2 episode, to be released on July 7th, 2023.

Leela's coming out song is In or Out by Ani DiFranco. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/track/57RddpbPMFxeR20eonC0gH?si=98cbf96c72db48d4

Leela hosts PowerPivot, a business podcast showcasing the best ideas out there for changing the way we work (and live) for the better.  https://open.spotify.com/show/6Q1oG5PtdIOWdW2HswVK4l

The PowerPivot podcast is an extension of Leela's coaching/consulting business, The Intensives Institute. The Intensives Institute exists to encourage and develop intensives – that's people are strong-minded, innovative thinkers – to develop in leadership and executive roles. You can learn more about The Intensives Institute here: https://intensivesinstitute.com/

Some of Leela's reading recommendations are:

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Exhibitionism for the Shy by Carol Queen

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion by Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow

Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rebecca Ann Parker and Rita Nakashima