My Dad Stole My Limelight

In this instalment of the Limelight Mailbag episodes, I am joined by hilarious comedian and drag sensation Rae Carson (they/them). We unpack this month's limelight-stealing submission from Marian.

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with my guest:

-Follow Rae on Instagram: @raelynncarson

-Follow Manly Nipkiss on Instagram: @manlynipkiss

-Follow Rae on TikTok: @raelynncarson

-Follow Rae on X: @raelynncarson

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In this episode, I sit with a Writer and Therapist, who specialises in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, Tom Smithson (he/him).

We discuss the faith that it gets better, Tom's book that he is writing due for release in 2025, that there is no one way to come out, how what a therapist looks like can affect how much we share with them, the many ways in which Tom finds his work meaningful, and the idea of 'inviting in' as an alternative to 'coming out'.

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with my guest:

-Follow Tom on Instagram: @newhcounselling

-Subscribe to Tom's Substack: thomassmithson.substack.com

-Check out Tom's Website: newhorizoncounselling.co.uk

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In the second instalment of the Limelight Mailbag episodes, I am joined by my delightful co-host; writer and gecko enthusiast Nessa Chileshe (she/they). We unpack this month's limelight-stealing submission from Fiona.

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with Nessa:

-Follow Nessa on Instagram: @nessacwrites

-Read and subscribe to Nessa's Substack: nessacwrites.substack.com

Connect with Fiona:

-Follow Fiona on Instagram: @fionapplebum

-Check out Fiona's work: linktr.ee/fionasamson

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In this episode I sit with researcher and historian, specialising in Australian Indigenous and LGBTIQA+ histories, Noah Riseman (he/him). We discuss the language we use and how that has evolved, the importance and privilege of sharing trans folks' stories, the long history of visibility and activism in Australia and coming out to different family members!

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with my guest:

- Connect with Noah on Twitter: @NoahRiseman

Resources:

-Transgender Australia, Noah Riseman — Melbourne University Publishing. Or buy from any good independent bookseller. All money made from the book is being donated to trans charities.

Noah's other books on LGBTQIA+ military service:

-Pride in Defence, Noah Riseman, Shirleene Robinson — Melbourne University Publishing (mup.com.au)

-Serving in Silence | NewSouth Books

Free online resources on trans history provided by Noah:

-NSW Trans History Report - written for The Gender Centre and ACON

-Victoria's Transgender History - written for Transgender Victoria

-A History of Trans Health Care in Australia: A Report for the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH)

-Speaking Out Against Anti-Trans Violence: A Call for Justice - written for The Gender Centre and SWOP (Sex Workers Outreach Project) for the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ Hate Crimes

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In this episode I sit with comedian Tom Ballard (he/him) and discuss coming out over a meat pie, internet browser histories, coming out to ourselves, MySpace, letter-writing as a lost art, lying about being straight to taxi drivers and the insanity of the monarchy!

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with my guest:

-Follow Tom on Instagram: @tomcballard

-Follow Tom on X: @tomcballard

-Follow Tom on threads: @tomcballard

-Subscribe to Tom's YouTube: @TomBallardAus

-Watch Tom's latest special, It Is I, with 800 Pound Gorilla Records

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

I am honoured that my guest on this episode is comedian and musician Eve Parker Finley (she/her). We talk about the role of her art in her coming out and her emotional well-being. A behind-the-scenes note is that I kept trying to write the show notes for this episode and instead just got distracted multiple times watching clips of Eve performing because she is PURE JOY!

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

In this episode:

-Eve discusses how she has used music and comedy to figure out who she wants to be!

-We hear the process and discovery behind the first song Eve ever wrote!

-Using gender as a metaphor for other things is a thing Eve loves to do in her music and writing!

-We hate the relationships we have been in where we have forgotten who we are, but the comeback from those? It is the most powerful thing!

-Eve wrote a song for her parents and played it to them as her coming out!

-It's okay to not know. It's okay to not have it figured out. None of us have anything figured out!

-We each share three songs from our crying playlists with each other and let me tell you, nothing feels like more of a bonding moment than that!

-Taking scary plunges towards what sets our soul on fire is brave and beautiful! Eve shared her journey and it is gorgeous!

-Growing up means growing more confident and out of our "No worries if not!" phase and we love that for us!

-SHOUTOUT therapy! Always! Our longest and strongest relationships!

Connect with my guest:

-Follow Eve on Instagram:@eveparkerfinley

-Follow Eve on TikTok: @eveparkerfinley

-Eve's album In The End

-Eve's latest release, her comedy song Screw You Steve

-More of Eve: eveparkerfinley.contactin.bio/

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In this episode I got to chat with comedian, producer, host of New Moon Comedy and just all round wonderful human, Jackie Hoffart (they/them).

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

In this episode:

-Check out New Moon Comedy! One of the best shows in Canada!

-Here we are with another story that involves my guest moving very, very far away from their hometown!

-This interview has big two-cats-per-house energy and we love it!

-How wonderful is it when you can see people on stage that help you discover or uncover your true self? What a gift!

-Jackie gives a wonderful perspective on how they feel about identifying as non-binary, for now, until the language catches up and I love it very much!

-In this chat, we hear how Jackie came out to themself first, and how big that experience is!

-Hot tips for how to start identifying as a lesbian in this episode!

-We are here to follow the butterflies that make us feel alive! And we are not taking anything less!

-As Jackie puts it, there are infinite ways to be non-binary. Theirs' took the surgical route and they kindly share that experience with us!

-We are learning to make less space for folks to get our pronouns wrong! We have been choosing our battles, and maybe it is time to change that!

Connect with my guest:

-Follow New Moon Comedy on Instagram: @moonbasedcomedy

-Follow Jackie on Instagram: @ostensiblyclear

Resources:

-Check out YVR Funny!

-The article Jackie wrote in 2003!

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

In this month's (and our first ever) Limelight Mailbag episode, I am joined by my wonderful co-host; filmmaker, podcaster, writer and dear friend Jason T. Gaffney! (P.S. I get so excited my voice goes high-pitched several times and Zoom is like "Nope! No sound here!")

We unpack this month's limelight-stealing submission from Karen'Nicole.

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Connect with Jason:

-Follow Jason on Instagram! @jasontgaffney

Connect with Karen'Nicole:

-Hire Me to Create for You

-karennicolemitchell.com

Resources:

-The London Writers' Salon

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

Silvi Vann-Wall (they/them) is a writer, film critic, improv comedian and as I excitedly learned in our chat, also a frog enthusiast.

I was introduced to their work via an important piece they published for the ABC (see the resources below) and was so honoured to get to know more about them and their journey.

Connect with MDSML:

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

In this episode:

-Our sexual resume does not define our sexuality!

-How nice is being able to change how we identify as we change and grow in life?

-We discuss what it is like for Silvi to "be non-binary and have a feminine body"!

-We hope this conversation serves as a place to let gender-diverse people know that there are others like them and I want the cishets to listen and learn more about gender diversity too!

-Google is free! Stop asking people to do the emotional labour of educating you!

-We hear from Matt, Silvi's husband, and hear what it is like to discover who we are and experience that in a long-term relationship!

-Lockdowns were revealing for queers, to say the least!

-Silvi and I shared the same fears as children: that our parents could read our minds! Our very gay minds! Terrifying!

-Silvi is great at checking in with themself every day, keeping their finger on the pulse of who they are!

-Did you get pulled out of class to draw dogs? No? You mustn't be as talented as Silvi! Sorry!

Connect with my guest:

-Connect with Silvi on Twitter/X @silvireports

Resources:

-Here is the article I read that led me to Silvi!

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca

-Join the FREE mailing list for queer joy! hilaurendeborah.substack.com

-Email the pod to say hi or share a limelight-stealing story! [email protected]

-2SLGBTQIA+ resources

Curtis Campbell is a playwright, novelist, theatremaker, director and producer. Dragging Mason County, Curtis' YA book was released last fall. Around Toronto, you may see Curtis being awesome in the comedy world and the theatre world. Please enjoy this truly invigorating conversation.

In this episode:

-We revisit the times we worked together via little digital boxes on our laptops!

-Curtis tells us about Dragging Mason County, the YA novel released last year!

-We chat about how we want to exist in this world and how we want to define ourselves!

-Creativity is such a wonderful way to explore who we are!

-Growing up is a lovely way to find out we no longer have to prove our credentials as queer folk!

-EVERYTHING Curtis is working on — both solo and collaboratively — is without any exaggeration, perfection. I am delighted to chat about all of this important, joyful, intelligent work!

-People are hungry for queer comedy!

-As queer folks, making stuff for ourselves vs making ourselves more palatable for others is something we have to think about, and we discuss that in this episode!

-Everyone's homework after listening is to go away and create bad things! We deserve it!

Connect with my guest:

-Follow Curtis on Instagram: @curtisdangcampbell

-Get your hands on Dragging Mason County: annickpress.com/Books/D/Dragging-Mason-County

-More of Curtis: linktr.ee/campwrites

Behind the scenes:

-Podcast production and editing made possible by: Alexi Johnson and the team at @604podnetwork

-Theme Music: Shawn Kangro

-Logo Art: @raphe.ca