I'm Feeling Queer Today!

It’s Part 2 of our visit to Spartanburg, South Carolina and we’re back with the youth of Uplift Outreach Center to hear their coming out stories, secret crushes, and messages of hope for the future. Plus, they share their thoughts on the passing of House Bill 4624, which bans gender affirming care for minors across the state. If you’re just joining us, welcome to our queer road trip across the country! We suggest listening to Part 1 of this episode first.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS:

Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️ TIME STAMPS:

01:15 Intro & Welcome to Part 2

02:35 Find your identity in the LGBTQIA+ Wiki w Valentine  

05:26 Queer Crushes

7:28 Coming Out stories 

12:04 CW⚠️ transphobia & violence

12:20 Youth React to SC Bill H4624 (Gender-Affirming Care Ban)  

15:10 How Do You Express & Explore Your Queerness?

18:16 Ray’s “kinda crappy” Coming Out Story

22:15 Finding Belonging & Safety at UPLIFT  

23:00 Messages of Hope for Queer Youth of the Future

24:30 Outro, Credits & Gratitude

25:26 Crisis Resources

💬 TRANSCRIPT: https://share.descript.com/view/DOpbRTAMSLF 

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

Visit our site for full show notes on local queer info, history, and additional resources mentioned in this episode → http://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast 

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box → I’m Feeling Queer Today! Speakpipe - http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 3 and the first stop on our queer road trip: Spartanburg, South Carolina. In this episode, you’ll meet the youth at Uplift Outreach Center, an LGBTQ+ safe space behind a baptist church and the only center in the area dedicated to serving queer youth. Find out why folks come from all across the region (“The Upstate”) to spend time at Uplift, take a tour of the center’s gender-affirming free clothing closet, bake dinosaur brownies with the Uplift Program Director, and hear directly from the hearts + minds of young people in the region. This is Part 1 of 2 of our visit to Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS:

Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️ TIME STAMPS:

0:53 Intro & Welcome to Season 3

01:00 Inside the UPLIFT Outreach Center

05:00 Youth Speak: Identity, Safety & Everyday Reality

09:00 Holding Joy & Building Community in the South

14:00 Coming Out, Family Tension & Staying True

17:00 Baking Brownies w Jodi, UPLIFT’s program director 

24:15 Outro, Credits & Gratitude

💬 TRANSCRIPT: https://share.descript.com/view/nnAy4Lah4pm

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

Visit our site for full show notes on local queer info, history, and additional resources mentioned in this episode → http://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast 

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box → I’m Feeling Queer Today! Speakpipe - http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Season 3 we're going on a queer road trip around the U.S. to answer a big question: What is it like to be an LGBTQ+ person where you live?

So buckle your seatbelts–we’re speaking directly to the queer young people in five different U.S. cities: An LGBTQ+ youth center in the basement of a Baptist church in Spartanburg, South Carolina; a home for religious and secular queers alike in Provo, Utah; a high school for the performing arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Northern tip of Cape Cod where it’s pride month year round in Provincetown, Massachusetts; and a center opening its doors to the queer youth of Columbus, Ohio since 1994. Forget everything you think you know about these cities and towns, and get ready to hear from the LGBTQ+ youth who call these places home. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second bonus episode of Season 2, we’re sitting down with the creatives behind the Mount Holyoke College (MHC) production of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. IFQT! producer, host, and the MHC Much Ado About Nothing Assistant Director, Lily Mueller (they/she/he), leads us in a roundtable discussion with this uniquely queer, trans, and neurodiverse cast, crew, and creative team. In this episode, you’ll hear these artists talk about their experiences working on this production, queering the arts, the importance of theater, and some of their visions for a perfect future. As Talia Pott, the production’s director, says, “We can use our voices as young people and our gifts as artists…to share our voice and our humanity out into the world…We are here and we’re not going to go anywhere.” 

THE MUCH ADO ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

Talia Pott (she/they) Director 

Izzy Messina (they/he) Beatrice 

Charlie Watts (she/they) Dogberry, Don John, and Ursula

Lily Mueller (they/she/he) Assistant Director 

⚠️Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

1:21 Introducing the roundtable

3:34 Brief synopsis of Much Ado About Nothing 

5:30 On queering a "heterosexual" play

7:08 Don John is queer-coded

9:19 Transmasc Beatrice

11:00 The power of theater & experiences being in a mostly trans+neurodiverse cast & crew

14:50 Experiences as a queer neurodiverse actor

15:54 Costuming flowers

17:49 Future theater dreams, w/ unlimited resources 

20:55 Lily about their first-time directing experience

22:06 Julie Novak tribute

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

• MHC Much Ado About Nothing on IG: https://www.instagram.com/muchadomhc/
• For more about the roundtable participants and other links visit our site→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-8

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Periodically, the crew at I'm Feeling Queer Today! will share episodes from like-minded podcasts that they love. IFQT! producer and host, Claire Florence, presents today’s feed swap with The Bi Pod: a podcast on all things bisexual, hosted by Evan Chelsee (they/them) and Christina Brown (she/her). In this episode of The Bipod, “Am I Queer Enough?,” you’ll hear from non-binary artist and writer, Flo Godineau (they/them). 

🎧 ABOUT THE EPISODE:

"Am I Queer Enough" [originally aired Feb 8, 2024]

If you’re looking for the Queer DMV office so you can apply for your queer card and pay your membership dues, you’ve come to the right place!

Just kidding, it’s free to be gay! On this week’s episode, we chat with Flo Godineau about what it means to be bisexual enough and nonbinary enough. We also talk about backcountry skiing (as a metaphor about dating), and how Smallville fanfiction can make you queer.

Learn more about The Bi Pod: https://thebipod.com/

Subscribe to The Bi Pod: https://pod.link/1549505970

Follow The Bi Pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebipod/

Support The Bi Pod on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebipod

⚠️Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

01:45 Intro

3:36 Welcome to The Bipod

4:30 Introducing Bipod guest Flo

5:58 Flo’s queer identity bi story

7:07 Smallville

12:00 Feeling “not queer enough?”

17:44 Performing queerness

24:04 Not feeling bisexual enough, aro-ace spectrum

35:00 Dating vs romantic relationship

38:00 On being nonbinary

44:45 Bisexuality as an internal experience 

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our sixth and final episode of Season 2 explores what queerness can look like across the country: from a transmasculine artist and activist in Nashville, to a queer curriculum advocate in Massachusetts, and even folks from the trans community in rural Pennsylvania. Plus, a conversation with a young queer person in South Carolina who has spent most of their life living on the road. Hosted by Zorian Edwards (he/they) and Trudy Poux (they/them).

⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS:

• Mention of assassination and violence against Black people
• Mentions of anti-trans bills and rhetoric
• Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Evan, 17: Finding community

0:46 Meet the hosts: Zorian & Trudy

1:45 Fiona, curriculum changes, CT

7:40 Zorian highschool activism, PA

8:15 Zorian and Neo (they/them) PA

15:12 PA updates since this convo

18:00 Moving south

18:42 Introducing Evan of Memphis, TN

20:34 Getting politically involved in TN

22:24 Host reflections

23:00 Jaye,16 living on the road

28:10 Host reflections

28:51 “From Here to Now” poem by Evan

31:44 🎙️Online voice message box at speakpipe

32:00 Crisis resources

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

We've compiled a long list of show notes, resources related to this episode. See below for a sneak peek of the list. For full show notes, resources, links→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-6

• Anti-trans bill trackers.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• OUTMemphis - Memphis, TN
• Uplift LGBTQ+ Outreach Center - Spartanburg, GA

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box →http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York. This episode was produced by Trudy Poux and Zorian Edwards, with special thanks to guests Lily, Evan, Fiona, Neo, and Jaye. Our theme song was composed and performed by Alex Masse and produced by Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Additional music composed by Alex Masse & Epidemic Sound. Episode mixing and mastering by Julie Novak with assistance from Emma Jayne Seslowsky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our fifth episode of Season 2 is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ authenticity! You’ll hear from a neurodivergent poet, scholar Dr. Joy Ellison on the history of queer disabled folks, another “Queer Crushes” segment, and a hopeful declaration of neurodivergent life. Plus, one queer youth tells the story of their coming out and what it’s like to navigate daily life as a conjoined twin. Hosted by Alex Masse (they/them) and Lily Mueller (they/she/he).

⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS:

• Anti-trans language
• Discussions of violence against transgender, gender nonconforming, and queer people
• Discussions of enslavement in the U.S
• Discussions of lynching and violence against Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color
• Discussions of ableist rhetoric
• Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

0:05 Kodi: “A Letter to Queer Youth in the Future”

1:31 Meet Alex & Lily

3:42 Queer Youth Animated: Nestie’s story

6:00 Hosts discuss Nestie's segment 

7:03 Dr. Joy Ellison on “Trans histories in the midwest”

13:10 Dr. Joy Ellison on building coalitions

14:19 Intersection of disabilities and queer studies

18:16 Optimistic hope for the world to come

24:30 Queer Crushes: Lily

26:55 Original piece written & scored by Alex Masse

28:28🎙️Online voice message box at speakpipe

28:52 Crisis resources

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

We've compiled a fascinating list of show notes, resources related to this episode. See below for a sneak peek of the list. For the full list of links visit→ 

• Learn more about the work of Dr. Joy Michael Ellison!
• What is “ableism?” 
• What is “transmedicalism?”
• What is a “TERF?”
• What is “eugenics?”
• We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box →http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

For show notes, resources, links on our site→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-5

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York. This episode was produced by Alex Masse and Lily Mueller. Special thanks to Dr. Joy Ellison for their interview and to Kodi and Nestie for sharing their original work. Our theme song was composed and performed by Alex Masse and produced by Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Additional music composed by Alex Masse and Epidemic Sound. Episode mixing and mastering by Julie Novak with assistance from Emma Jayne Seslowsky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Transmasc Roundtable, featuring IFQT producers, Ari, Wallace, Lily, and Frankie. In this episode, these queer young people discuss what the trans masculine experience means to them. Plus, original poetry from a trans writer about finding home. Hosted by Eric Eubank (they/them) and Lily Mueller (they/she/he). Part 2 of 2.

⚠️Content warnings:

• Mentions of scars.
• Mentions of drowning. 
• Brief discussion of eating disorders. 
• Discussion of beauty standards. 
• Discussion of gender dysphoria. 
• Mention of microaggressions. 
• Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

0:06 “Home at Last”, by Stellan Knowles

3:33 Defining transmasc

4:00 IFQT! Transmasc Roundtable

   5:27 Are the labels “femme and masc” reductive?

   9:02 How has your trans-ness been affected by the beauty standard?

   11:21 “You would be so pretty if you JUST…”

16:14 🎙️Online voice message box at speakpipe

16:30 Crisis resources

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box →http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

Learn more about:

• What does “transmasc” mean?
• What is “autism?”
• What is “white supremacy?”
• What does it mean to be “able-bodied?”
• What are “microaggressions?”
• What is “gender dysphoria?”

For show notes, resources, links on our site→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-4

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York. This episode was produced by Eric Eubank and Lily Mueller. Special thanks to guest Stellan Knowles and to roundtable participants Ari, Wallace, Lily, and Frankie. Our theme song was composed and performed by Alex Masse and produced by Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Additional music composed by Alex Masse and Epidemic Sound. Episode mixing and mastering by Julie Novak with assistance from Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Additional thanks to the IFQT! production team Alex Masse, Claire Florence, Trudy Poux, Zorian Edwards, Sam Smalls, and Soniamiya Blanco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our third episode of Season 2, we are transgressing the binary through original poetry, another “Queer Crushes” segment, and Sailor Moon. Plus, meet a queer transfemme witch who “identifies as a threat.” Featuring original music by a queer artist who left the Mormon church and is “choosing the right” to be their full, authentic self. Hosted by Eric Eubank (they/them) and Lily Mueller (they/she/he). Part 1 of 2.

⚠️Use of the word “bitchin.” Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️TIME STAMPS:

00:01 Original poem “Baby Gay” by Parker

01:47 Meet the hosts

2:37 Eric & Lily discuss transgressing the binary and expectations 

4:00 Parker on what “transgressing the binary” means to them

6:55 Queer Youth Animated: Fletcher’s Story 

9:50 Host takeaways from Fletcher

10:34 Queer Crush segment: Ari

14:00 Parker: Nonbinary representation in media via Sailor Moon

17:18 Host takeaways on Parker’s segment

19:08 “CTR” - original song by Katelyn Handy

21:14 🎙️Online voice message box at speakpipe

21:56 Crisis resources

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box →http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

Mentioned resources:

• Fletcher on QYA
• Listen to "CTR"

MANY more show notes, resources, links on our site→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-3 

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York. This episode was produced by Eric Eubank and Lily Mueller, Wallace and Parker. Fletcher's story is produced by Julie Novak and scored by Truth Bachman as part of FPP’s original series, Queer Youth Animated, available on YT. The song “CTR” is written and performed by Katelyn Handy, produced and mixed by Bryn Bliska and mastered by Piper Payne. The song is featured on the album Not What You Pictured, released by Future Perfect Records in 2022. Our theme song was composed and performed by Alex Masse and produced by Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Additional music composed by Alex Masse and Epidemic Sound. Episode mixing and mastering by Julie Novak with assistance from Emma Jayne Seslowsky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of “Expressing Queerness,” we sit down with trans artist and business owner matteline devries-dilling (they/she) of Lite Brite Neon. matteline shares what it’s like to be a queer business owner and how they infuse queerness into their neon shop through a “non-binary business model.” Hosted by Trudy Poux (they/them) and Frankie Gunn (they/them). Part 2 of 2

⚠️Please note that some resources may contain triggering content and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of, or the definitions used by, The Future Perfect Project. 

⏱️ TIME STAMPS:

00:05 Introducing matteline and Lite Brite Neon

00:52 How matteline began working with neon as a medium

02:00 On queering business models

05:20 Reclaiming censored histories as queer artists

07:07 Connecting to ancestral wisdom and life experiences

07:30 How nature reflects community + queerness + art 

09:49 Artist as vessel

10:58 🎙️Online voice message box at speakpipe

11:19 Crisis resources

📝 RESOURCES/SHOW NOTES:

We want to hear from you! Send a voice note to our online voice message box →http://speakpipe.com/ifqt

Mentioned:

• Lite Brite Neon Studio

Terms to know:

• What is “capitalism?”

Learn more about:

• Who was Felix Gonzalez-Torres? 
• Who was Hafez? 
• The Gift: Poems by Hafiz [sic,] the Great Sufi Master 
• Underground (Mycelium) Networks

More show notes, resources, links on our site→ https://thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast#s2episode-2 

🚨 CRISIS RESOURCES:

If you or a young person you know between the ages of 13-24 is currently in crisis, check out thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQIA+ specific support through text and chat, or call 1-866-488-7386

🫶 CREDITS:

IFQT! is produced by The Future Perfect Project with support from Radio Kingston, WKNY, Kingston, New York. This episode was produced by Frankie Gunn and Trudy Poux. Special thanks to matteline of Lite Brite Neon for joining in this episode. Lily Mueller, Alex Masse. Eric. Our theme song was composed and performed by Alex Masse and produced by Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Episode mixing and mastering by Julie Novak with assistance from Emma Jayne Seslowsky. Special thanks to executive producers and mentors, Julie Novak and Celeste Lecesne, as well as FPP team members Ryan Amador, Kiko Wan, and Aliya Jamil.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.