Steven Underwood, award-winning writer, cultural critic, and digital worldbuilder, joins Embracing All of Me for a conversation that unfolds like a map of survival, imagination, and becoming. From a misunderstood tweet that led to a traumatizing arrest, to the grandmother who infused his life with art, to Frank Ocean’s influence on his queer awakenings, Steven breaks open what it means to create in an era where vulnerability is often punished and Black creativity is endlessly consumed and forgotten.

Together, we trace the rise of the “New Black Digital Renaissance,” unpack the myth of Black excellence, talk about the politics of first kisses, and explore why introverts, dreamers, and digital kids have every right to be taken seriously as artists.

Steven’s book, Forever for the Culture, drops January 27, 2026 in print and audio. Preorders now open.

Steven Website:https://www.blaqueword.comPlease rate and review to grow the Embracing All of Me community!

In this bonus solo episode, Ross Victory examines why people choose interpretations of God that harm instead of heal. Using the viral Yolanda Adams clip as a springboard, Ross breaks down the forces behind fear-based theology—scarcity, control, inherited doctrine, community pressure, and the need for moral cover. Through history, psychology, and spiritual honesty, he exposes how interpretation becomes a mirror: fear, power, or liberation. This episode invites listeners to confront not what the Bible says, but why they choose the version of God they follow.

Latino hip-hop artist Ryan Xavier isn’t here to make himself palatable, he’s here to make you feel something!

In this episode, we talk Texas pride, Ryan's influences from Hairspray to Florence & the Machine, his creative process, bisexual Latino representation in hip hop, balancing art and algorithm, building Xavier Nation and what happens when you show up online as yourself without waiting for permission. Ryan opens up about building a authentic persona "Bi Latino Top" in a genre that rarely leaves room for bi guys. And we end with his advice to artists that want to bring their full selves to their music and art.

Check out Ryan Xavier's latest single, "Texas On" streaming everywhere.

Follow Ryan Xavier on Instagram

Ryan's Linktree

In this episode of Embracing All of Me, Ross talks with sex educator Zoomy Taylor and animator/artist Chizu about what it means to be both Black and bisexual in a world that insists on binaries. Together, they dive into:

• Why bisexual people, especially bi+ Black women and fems, experience the highest rates of interpersonal violence

• How myths about “DL men” harm everyone and distort sexual health conversations

• How biphobia shows up in family, religion, and queer spaces

• Diaspora tensions (African vs. African American vs. Caribbean) and how they shape identity

• The power of media and animation to rewrite representation

They discuss sex education, consent, bodily autonomy, domestic and sexual violence rates in the bi community, and the harmful assumption that bisexuality is a “stepping stone” or a privileged experience.

This conversation is emotional, intellectual, and freeing.

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate or review to help the algorithm reach more people.

Reach Chizu:

Chizu on Instagram

[email protected]

Reach Zoomy:

Zoomy on Instagram

Email Zoomy: [email protected] 

Rate and review Embracing All of Me on your favorite podcast platform!

What does home really mean when you’ve crossed borders, rebuilt your life after loss, and found family in strangers? In this conversation, global nomad and entrepreneur Ken Krell takes us on a journey through airports, Pride flags, and unexpected moments of belonging spanning a life of 68 years.

“Home is wherever you let people in,” Ken shares, reflecting on decades of travel, queer love across continents, and the lessons learned when safety, freedom, and loneliness collide on the road.

From divorce, heart attack, and losing millions in the 2008 financial crash to reinventing life in Bangkok and Sydney, Ken opens up about resilience, queer identity, and the courage it takes to “read the room” in countries where being out can be dangerous—or transformative. Along the way, he shares why he created projects like PrideNomad, The Daily Hug, and SeenWithLove to help LGBTQ+ travelers, veterans, and elders find connection and community anywhere in the world.

https://pridenomad.beehiiv.com/

https://AlexListens.com

https://DoThisWinToday.com

https://MyDailyHug.com

This episode examines presence as a political, emotional, and spiritual discipline in an age of distraction. Ross shares how confronting what is, rather than what should be, has shaped his journey toward forty and reshaped his definition of abundance. Listeners are invited to consider presence as a form of protest and a pathway to becoming.

In this episode of Embracing All of Me, Ross sits down with Rick Goodwin, MSW, RSW, social worker, author, and the founder and Clinical Services Director of Men & Healing, to unpack the silent epidemic of shame carried by male survivors of sexual abuse. Together, they explore how masculinity, societal pressure, and outdated narratives which keep men, including bisexual, queer, and fluid men, from naming their trauma and seeking help.

Rick shares insights from decades of clinical work and trauma recovery, including the role of the “male code,” how shame fuels rage, and why true healing starts in groups. Rick also shares advice for those who may not be ready to be visible as a survivor. Whether you’re a survivor, an ally, or someone rethinking what it means to be a man or work through internalized shape, this conversation opens the door to compassion and change.

🔹 Topics include:
– The real meaning of “one in six”
– Why many men don’t recognize abuse when it happens
– The shame–rage spiral
– Reframing masculinity beyond blame
– How to start healing when therapy feels out of reach

This episode is not only transformational, but a reference guide and illumination to the uniqueness of male trauma and survivors.

Men & Healing - Psychotherapy for Men

1 in 6: Support for Men Healing from Sexual Abuse

[email protected]

What do grief, bisexual representation in film and TV, and a foot fetish have in common? In this episode, writer, actor, filmmaker, and corporate trainer Chris McNeany shows us the power of embracing every side of ourselves — the pain, the joy, the awkward laughter, and the desires often kept in the shadows.

From caregiving through cancer to creating bi+ films like More Than He Knows (with nearly 5 million views!), Chris takes us behind the scenes of storytelling that breaks stereotypes and gives bi+ narratives the visibility they deserve. Along the way, we talk about how humor, curiosity, and even kink can become part of healing — and how embracing all of ourselves doesn’t stop at the heavy pieces. It includes the pleasure and the play.

If you’ve ever wondered how art, identity, and self-acceptance collide this conversation will make you laugh, think, and maybe even breathe a little easier.

• ​Blazing Ginger Corporate Training Programs (ACU MAX)
• ​More Than He Knows on Youtube
• ​thefootlonging.com
• ​Pancreatic Cancer Network
• ​Glioblastoma Foundation

What does it mean to carve out joy, liberation, and healing in a world that tries to write your story for you? In this week's conversation, Dr. Danielle Samuel, proud Black Caribbean bisexual woman, licensed therapist, entrepreneur and President of the Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force — takes us from her teenage years in Grenada, and St. Lucia to her work as a professor, therapist, and advocate creating ripples of change across communities.

We talk about everything from navigating parental relationships while bi, biphobia in Black spaces to the pressure of leadership, from teenage rebellion to the deep work of self-preservation and joy. Danielle reminds us that representation matters, boundaries are sacred, and liberation begins with taking up space as our full selves.

Danielle has an important message for parents of queer kids that everyone needs to hear!

Learn more about Danielle and Joy and Liberation Therapy (California & Georgia) here:

https://www.joyandliberationtherapy.com/

[email protected]

We're Back for Season 2!
In this episode of Embracing All of Me, we go beyond the content to meet the real Michael Lemus — a proud Bi+ Latino creator, first-gen college graduate, first-gen professional, and founder of Reclaiming Your Happiness with Lemus, LLC.

Michael opens up about navigating parentification, setting boundaries that others may not understand, choosing joy when it comes at a cost, and his ideal bisexual representation in media.

From the pressure of being the first in his family to graduate college to the courageous act of creating distance for his own mental health, Michael’s story reveals what it means to honor yourself when the world — and sometimes those closest to us— simply doesn’t get it.

https://www.reclaimingyourhappinesswithlemus.com/

Scholars of Color

Michael on Instagram

Pillemer: Family estrangement a problem ‘hiding in plain sight’ on Cornell Chronicle (Article)