This week’s essay, “Dancing for the Female Gayze,” is by Caroline Blaike, a queer, American Sign Language performer, consultant, and interpreter. She has a master’s degree in social work from Gallaudet, the world’s only university exclusively devoted to Deaf students. Caroline is also a trained dancer and performer, and has a passion for combining ASL with music. Caroline came out at 13 and started stripping at 18, and while her first few years were spent performing for male audiences to make ends meet, everything changed for her the moment a lesbian walked into her club and sat down.

(Content Warning: references to abuse and drug use)

Learn more or submit an essay at ⁠https://www.thealphabetclub.co/⁠

This episode is sponsored by TomboyX - use code SHANNON for 15% off. ⁠https://tomboyx.com/shannon⁠

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This week we have Hannah Beck’s essay, “On Homoerotic Girl Best Friendships.” Hannah grew up in a conservative Christian cult(ish), leaving when she came out as gay and making the classic journey from cult member to stand up comic. Hannah’s essay is an introspective look at first love and self-discovery. It’s a love letter to the people that helped us find our way to true ourselves, even if they themselves got lost. (Content Warning: Religious trauma)

Learn more or submit an essay at https://www.thealphabetclub.co/

This episode is sponsored by TomboyX - use code SHANNON for 15% off. https://tomboyx.com/shannon

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This week we have Peyton Dix on the pod! Peyton is a writer, strategist, and co-host of Higher Ground’s Lemme Say This podcast. Her essay, “Savannah” centers around a classic queer experience, falling for a friend. But the way Peyton tells this story… it is absolute poetry. (Content Warning: self-harm)

Learn more or submit an essay at https://www.thealphabetclub.co/

This episode is sponsored by TomboyX - use code SHANNON for 15% off.

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Today’s essay, “Oblivious to My Queerness,” is by Maya Maldonado, a content creator based in San Francisco. This essay explores having multiple competing identities at different levels of visibility and public acceptance.

Maya tells the story of meeting her person on the dating app HER and how growing up as a queer, Latina, first-generation college student contributes to her self-concept and self-acceptance: a constantly evolving journey.

Today's episode is brought to you by HER, the Sapphic Dating App.

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This week’s essay is called, “Eat, Pray, Spank” and is written by writer, producer, and comedian, Topher Cusumano. Topher is a creative director and a co-founder of DaddyTV where he makes shows like For the Love of DILFs, Slag Wars, Hot Haus & more.

This week’s essay will be read by Jonah Wheeler. Jonah Wheeler is a pornographic actor and musician known for an enthusiastic and expansive approach to queer sexuality.

Content themes and warnings for this week’s episode are: divorce, sex work, religious trauma, BDSM, and kink.

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This week’s essay is called, “The Gaybors” and is written by Amelia Montooth. Amelia is a producer, content creator, strategist and CEO of Mutuals Media (the creators of Gaydar with Anania). This essay is about the power of queer community and the beauty of self-discovery and evolution when blanketed by a network of queer support and chosen family.

Content warning for this week’s episode is: unexpected loss.

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TikTok @ameliamontooth

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This week’s essay is called “Our Battle With AIDS” by Kendel D. Smith. It is written in loving memory of Kendel’s partner, Stephan Ray Sansom.

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This week’s essay is called, “Oh God, I’m a Whore” and is written by Caroline Dunphy. This essay centers around the often-awkward, often-inconvenient, and often-unexpected circumstances of our gay awakenings. In this case, as a sugar-riddled pre-teen at a sleepover watching the movie Dodgeball.

Caroline is an emmy-winning Executive Producer. She’s worked with Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Jodan Klepper, Samantha Bee; she built the video originals slate at Crooked Media from the ground up, and is currently building YouTube’s first late-night show, Outside Tonight with Julian Shapiro-Barnum.

Content warning for this week’s episode is: religious trauma.

Learn more or submit an essay at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thealphabetclub.co/⁠⁠⁠

Thank you to ⁠TomboyX⁠ for sponsoring this episode. Use code SHANNON for 15% off for any customer (new or returning) for a single purchase.

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This week’s essay is called, “I Swear I Love Him” and is written by drag queen, writer, standup, singer, and actor, Pissi Myles. We love this essay because it isn’t grandiose. It isn’t based in trauma. It is simply a wonderfully sweet love letter and celebration of queer joy. Something we really need right now.

Learn more or submit an essay at ⁠⁠https://www.thealphabetclub.co/⁠⁠

Thank you to TomboyX for sponsoring this episode. Use code SHANNON for 15% off for any customer (new or returning) for a single purchase.

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Alphabet Club is a queer storytelling podcast where every other week week, Shannon Beveridge will curate a personal essay by someone in our community — stories about desire, heartbreak, gender, sex, friendship, family, and becoming. After the reading, we sit with it together. We talk about what it brings up. What it reflects back to us. Each episode will feature a performance of a personal essay followed by an interview with the author and Shannon.

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