Lez Hang Out | Lesbian Life & Queer Culture

First, a little note to you, the listeners. Lez Hang Out will be taking a bit of a different direction with our Should’ve Been Gays this season in support of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. As such, we will not be covering any material from the struck companies until an agreement is reached with the studios. While this means you will be hearing a bit less about movies and TV shows for a while, don’t fret, because if there is anything we have learned from the past 108 SBGs it’s that we can make absolutely anything gay.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before Fletcher could shake up the sapphic community with the absolute banger, Becky’s So Hot, Dolly had all the gays gagged with Jolene. This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) talk about the iconic Dolly Parton song, Jolene. Dolly released Jolene in 1973 and it was not only an instant classic, but an instant gay anthem. Unless you have been fully living under a rock your entire life, you have heard this song hundreds if not thousands of times and could probably recite the lyrics in your sleep (it helps that the majority of the song is just Dolly moaning Jolene’s name over and over). 

At first glance, this song is giving heterosexual. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who is afraid her husband will leave her for the overwhelmingly beautiful Jolene and her locks of auburn hair. When you look a little closer, it’s almost impossible not to be totally slapped in the face by the lesbian subtext. It literally opens with a description of Jolene that rivals an Emily Dickinson love poem. This woman is honestly way more enamored with Jolene than her husband ever could be. Instead of being upset with her husband or even with Jolene for the potential affair, Dolly gives all the power to Jolene. She’s so hot that she quite frankly cannot be stopped. 

For the sake of the gay mafia, we are *not* speculating at all about Dolly’s sexuality. But when you approach this song from the perspective of the wife, it reads a lot like a closeted lesbian’s attempt to process her own attraction to Jolene while maintaining her relationship with her Beard. She’s basically saying, please don’t take my man because I’ll literally never find another one that I can tolerate being around (you can take me instead though, Jolene). 

We know one thing for sure, Dolly Parton’s Jolene Should’ve Been Gay. 

Follow along on the platform formerly known as Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). 

You can support your favorite independently produced gay podcast while unlocking a bunch of awesome perks like access to our exclusive Discord, monthly bonus episodes, weekly ad free episodes, and more by joining us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon. You can also support the podcast by buying our original merch at bit.ly/lezshop and purchasing our original Lez-ssentials songs for as little as $1 each on Bandcamp!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a long time (It’s Ellie and Leigh!). It’s been a long time coming (It’s fearless). It’s been a long time coming (big reputation)...It’s been a long time coming (And they said, Speak Now). It’s been a long time coming. (We are Lez Hang Out and we were born in 2017!) It’s been a long time coming (Loving her was Red). It’s been a long time (Meet me at Midnight). It’s been a long time coming (Lover).

That’s right, gays! Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) are back, baby with Season 7 of the little lesbian podcast that could! Thank you so much to everyone who has been listening whether you started the journey with us 6 years ago or are brand new to the pod. We are so excited to have you here!

An overview of what’s been going on in queer news and media would be too depressing, so we are doing something a little different this time and reminiscing about the gay old days. If you are a gay of a certain age like us, you probably had a very different high school experience than what is currently depicted in tv shows and movies. Many millennials and older gays did not get to have quintessential high school experiences like playing Seven Minutes in Heaven or bringing a date of their desired gender to the Prom. When we watch shows and movies like Hulu’s Crush, what stands out the most is just seeing the characters be openly queer without it having to be a whole thing. We can’t even imagine playing Spin the Bottle and not having to first have an intense discussion about what to do if it were to land on someone of the same gender. 

While we are sure it’s still not easy to come out and be openly queer (especially depending on where you live), it gives us hope to see that at least within the realm of queer media representation, things have improved for the youth. They are living their best gay teenage years and we love to see it! Can you even imagine how much better life would have been if the gay representation you had as a teenager was something like Crush instead of the biphobic love triangle in South of Nowhere, the hypersexualized relationships in The L Word or the barrage of Bury Your Gays attacks? Even more recent teen media like the OG Pretty Little Liars (which we refuse to believe was over a decade ago) gave full on softcore p0rn love scenes to the heterosexual couples and faded to black on Emison. It’s only very recently that the media has finally stopped cutting away every time a gay couple does anything even remotely sexual. 

Although a lot has changed (for the better!) about queer representation, there are still some things that are largely the same – namely the tropes. These tropes exist for a reason and we do love certain ones, but others really deserve to be left in the past. We would be very happy to never watch another ‘lesbian student falls for her highkey predatory teacher’ love story for the rest of our lives. Instead, we want to see more tropes spun on their heads! Give us more of the too cool for school gay kid who is the one doing the bullying or show us a teenage lesbian hitting on a straight friend without it absolutely ruining her entire life.

Don’t forget to follow along on the platform formerly known as Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow us on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). 

We would not have made it to Season 7 without the support of our incredible Patrons! You can support Lez Hang Out while unlocking a bunch of awesome perks like access to our exclusive Discord, monthly bonus episodes (there is a brand new one available now about Nimona!), weekly ad free episodes, and more by joining us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon. You can also support the podcast by buying our original merch at bit.ly/lezshop and purchasing our original Lez-ssentials songs for as little as $1 each on Bandcamp!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are officially coming up on the end of our summer hiatus! Before we dive into Season 7, we have one more LGBTQ+ podcast to share with you all, this time from our friend Leigh over at History Is Gay. It's time to go all the way back to the start and learn about the absolute legend that is Sappho!

...

At long last, hosts Gretchen and Leigh are going back to the beginning, to the OG lesbian: Sappho herself. Despite the dearth of information about her life and history, your hosts still find plenty to say about Sappho, her poetry, her legacy, and all the debate that’s circled around her for years. Find out what Leigh and Gretchen think about the many questions about Sappho and listen to fragmentary poetry filled with queer longing and other relatable feels like fire burning beneath flesh, wind crashing through mountain oaks, and…celery. 

Outline

0:00 – Introduction

4:57 – Main Topic: The OG Lesbian Sappho 

5:08 – Socio-Historical Context

13:02 – Who were they? Bio Time.

23:42 – Sappho’s Poetry

56:12 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week 

1:16:40 – Why do we think they're gay? 

1:30:12 – How Gay were They?

1:33:48 – Closing and Where to Find us Online

Find a full list of sources and bonus content at www.historyisgaypodcast.com. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to History Is Gay wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lez Hang Out will be back with Season 7 quicker than you can say 'mycelium'. But in the meantime, put on your detective hat and get ready to solve a mystery! This week we are sharing the pilot episode from one of our favorite fiction podcasts, Arden. If you are a true crime and comedy fan, then you will love Arden.

Forced into an unlikely partnership, Bea, a committed radio journalist, and Brenda, an unconventional private detective, team up for a new radio investigation into the 2007 disappearance of starlet, Julie Capsom. They'll unravel the mystery, or possibly unravel each other.

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of gore and severed limbs, discussion of stalking, missing people, drugs and alcohol

Episode credits and transcript at ardenpodcast.com. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are officially midway through our summer hiatus leading up to Season 7 of Lez Hang Out! Today, we have a very special treat for our listeners as we release one of the full length bonus episodes from our Patreon exclusive series, Lez-tracurriculars. Today, Ellie and Leigh discuss Chasing Amy, a movie from 1997 that was considered very progressive at the time and that critics absolutely loved. It has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, and we can only assume these high ratings were given by men, seeing as the entire plot is basically male wish fulfillment. For anyone who remembers when there was so little truly gay media that this movie was constantly being recommended nearly the second you came out, we rewatched it so you wouldn’t have to be re-traumatized. We cannot imagine a more invalidating movie to watch after coming out, because it manages to be not only misogynistic and homophobic, but also very biphobic. Essentially the plot of this film is that a man (Holden) falls in love with a lesbian (Alyssa) and makes it everyone's problem. Instead of just appreciating his friendship as is, Holden constantly tries to make Alyssa feel bad for being gay. The whole plot reeks of male entitlement. Holden refuses to validate Alyssa’s sexuality, continually slut-shames her for actions in her past, and makes her responsible for his own emotional wellbeing instead of going to therapy like he so clearly needs. This would all be a relatively benign story if it was just boy loves girl, girl is gay, boy stays grumpy, the end. But instead the story is boy loves girl, girl is gay, boy makes girl feel like crap by shoving all his feelings at her, girl gives in and makes out with boy. This movie is literally the fantasy of every man who has ever dreamed of “turning” a lesbian and it is truly upsetting to watch Holden get everything he wants while Alyssa turns against everything she had so vocally stood for the entire movie.

We want to hear your thoughts! Was this movie recommended to you by straight people after coming out? Did you like this movie and think we’re missing something? Let us know your experience with Chasing Amy on social media. Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod). Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod).

Our Patrons are the lifeblood of LHO and we absolutely could not make this show without listeners like you! If you enjoyed this episode of Lez-tracurriculars, you're in luck because there's a lot more where this came from! Join us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon for access to all eleven exclusive full-length bonus episodes. As a Patron, you'll get a new bonus episode every month as well as exclusive merchandise, special Patreon-only event invites, mp3s of our original songs, ad-free weekly episodes, access to our exclusive Discord channel and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lez Hang Out is still on summer hiatus, but don't worry! We would never leave you hanging. Join us all summer long for our Summer Spotlight series where we feature episodes from some of our favorite queer podcasts. This week we are sharing a recent episode from our friends over at The Gayly Planet, a queer media podcast from the folks at Hashtag Ruthless Productions:

The Gayly Planet is a humorous, yet ruthless, podcast where two queer nerds talk about media we love! 

This week we are discussing D.E.B.S (2004) as part of our special Summer CAMP programming, where we talk about the Campiest movies all summer long. 

Find all of the Hashtag Ruthless podcasts at hashtagruthless.com 

Music credit: "Zazie" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

   License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Subscribe to Lez Hang Out wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod), Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lez Hang Out will be back in a few weeks with Season 7! But first, join our friends Dayra and Jojo over at Les Chat Podcast for an episode about all the things they wish they'd known before dating women.

We hear straight women say quite often "I'm going to start dating women" with the idea that women relationships are easier to handle. Little do most people know lesbian/wlw relationships require much more effort than expected. Dayra and Jojo run down a list of things they wish they knew before dating women that could have potentially helped better prepare them for the types of relationship they had experienced. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lez Hang Out will be back in your ears in a few weeks with Season 7! But don't worry, we've got some really fun, queer feed swaps to share with you in the meantime. So, while you wait for Ellie and Leigh to return, check out this episode from our friends Lauren and Nicole over at Coming Out Pod.

Holy cats! It's our 100TH EPISODE!!!! We take a queer walk down queer memory lane with clips from some of our most memorable moments inside and out of the closet, featuring past guests like Kirsten Vangsness, Erin Foley, Nicole's mom, and many more! We've also packed this ep with never-before-heard outtakes, bloopers, and behind the scenes moments. It's funny! It's moving! It's surprisingly sexy! JOIN US, WON'T YOU?! And, hey - thank you so much for listening :)

Check out comingoutpod.com for resources, a media list, virtual community links, and anything else your queer little heart desires!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s fine-ally time to talk about the Target fiasco. This week Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out to wrap up Pride month and Season 6 with a look at what it really takes to be a good queer ally in 2023. As anti-LGBTQ+ hate increases across the country, it is no longer enough for allies to just be okay with queer people existing. Corporations that were previously known for performatively turning their logo into a rainbow each June and selling Pride themed merchandise are now pulling back and removing what little support they had been showing in favor of appeasing the loud, fanatical homophobic and transphobic bigots. With our right to simply exist as we are under attack, it is so important for allies to show up and stand up for the queer community and to do so in ways that do not cause further harm. 

We are done accepting the bare minimum from so-called ‘allies’. Just going to Pride and posting pics of yourself day drinking in your Love Is Love t-shirt are not going to cut it anymore. The stakes are rising incredibly fast and true allies need to recognize the very real fear that queer people are currently experiencing. Depending on where you live, it may have never felt safe to be gay. However, now even the spaces typically known for being welcoming, safe environments for queer people are under attack. The safe havens that gays have been fleeing to from their small towns for decades are beginning to look a lot less safe. This Pride month has been a heavy one and has served as a stark and much needed reminder for many that Pride has always been and will always be a riot, a protest, and much more than rainbow capitalism wants it to be. 

It’s entirely possible to not be homophobic, but still not be a particularly good ally. Take Target for example. Historically, Target has not been homophobic and has long been viewed as ‘gay Walmart’. But this month, Target showed that when push comes to shove, they are not here for the community and are in fact a bad ally. If you think you are an ally but then balk at the first sign of backlash or resistance, you are not actually a good ally. Instead, a good ally is someone who is willing to be a little uncomfortable, willing to embrace change, and willing to show support even when that support is unpopular. 

Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). 

This #pridemonth and all year long don’t forget to support LGBTQ+ creators and small businesses directly. You can support Lez Hang Out while unlocking a bunch of awesome perks like access to our exclusive Discord community, monthly bonus episodes (there are already 11 of them to enjoy upon joining!), weekly ad free episodes, exclusive merch and more. Join us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon.

You can also support the podcast by buying our original merch at bit.ly/lezshop to proudly rep queer all year and purchasing our original songs for as little as $1 each on Bandcamp! 

Want to go on a dream vacation and make lifelong memories with a group of amazing queer people? Invest in your own joy this #pride and grab one of the last 3 spots on our #trovatrip to Croatia coming up this September! Get all the details at bit.ly/lezdocroatia.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check your toxic masculinity at the door and get ready for the skip day to end all skip days! This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with singer-songwriter and comedian Emma Jayne (@emmajaynegrams) to talk about the 1986 campy teen classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This movie exists outside of the confines of heteronormativity (and the space time continuum). Nearly every character is queer (except Principal Rooney who is continually punished for his crimes against the queer community ie. our beautiful polycule).

Everything about Ferris’ relationship with Cameron and Sloane is giving Gen Z #relationshipgoals. Ferris planned this whole skip day just to lift his boyfriend Cameron out of his depressive funk and to give everyone a chance to bond with their newest polycule member, Sloane. We dive into the dynamics of our three leads, exploring Ferris through a transmasc lens and declaring Cameron our panromantic gray ace king. Sloane of course is not like the other girlies. She wears two different earrings, a sure sign of queerness; and we love watching her and Cameron get closer as the film goes on. 

There is nothing gayer in this world than Ferris lip-synching for his life TWICE on a parade float in his cheetah print vest. Not only is he fully embracing drag culture, but he is doing it all to cheer up Cameron. We love to see it. Ferris is absolutely winning for boyfriend of the year. This movie is pure vibes, just chasing one dopamine hit to the next. Genuinely feeling SO SEEN by this neurodivergent queer rep. #RepresentationMatters!

We know one thing for sure, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Should’ve Been Gay. #SaveFerris (from heteronormativity).

Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). 

This #pridemonth don’t forget to support LGBTQ+ creators and small businesses directly. You can support Lez Hang Out while unlocking a bunch of awesome perks like access to our exclusive Discord community, monthly bonus episodes, weekly ad free episodes, exclusive merch and more. Join us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon. 

Want to go on a dream vacation and make lifelong memories with a group of amazing queer people? Invest in your own joy this #pride and grab one of the last 4 spots on our #trovatrip to Croatia coming up this September! Get all the details at bit.ly/lezdocroatia.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices