This session with Mike Joseph, host of Radio Free Brooklyn's, The GCC was pre-recorded because of the pandemic. It took place on Wednesday, June 3, at the height of the George Floyd protests. Mike is a queer black man so we had (for me) an eye-opening discussion about how even Mike, the sweetest, unscary guy ever!, is careful of the police. I am grateful to Mike for this part of the discussion.

Most of our session was about Mike’s upbringing, being queer from childhood and born to a mother who enlisted into the Air Force when Mike was very young. Mike was left with his grandparents—he never met his dad.

When Mike’s mother left the service, she moved to Michigan with Mike’s new stepdad—a macho air force guy, and they sent for Mike. Mike Lived in Michigan with them and half-siblings from age 8-11, when his aunt came to visit and immediately got him out of his unhealthy environment. Cut to Mike’s adulthood where his struggles with the inevitable confusion he had with masculinity and identity led him to suicidal ideation, which got him into therapy, which he is still working through. This was definitely a job for a licensed professional!

More about Mike HERE: