Nancy

Every Monday, stories and conversations about the LGBTQ community. New episodes start September 24.

Content warning: This episode contains a reference to suicide.

Traveling to Taiwan with her mom, Kathy imagines the life she might have lived had her family stayed.

— Kathy's mom previously appeared on Nancy in the episodes "Hello Hello" and "Kathy's Mom is Uncomfortable With All This."

— Guo Mama is a volunteer at the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association in Taipei.

— Li Te-Yun (Nan Gua) is a singer-songwriter in Taiwan.

Special thanks to Andrew Ryan, a host and producer with Radio Taiwan International.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by Art of Escapism ("Done with Disco"), Uncan ("Unbroken"), and Little Glass Men ("Cloud Launching"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

Alan Cumming became a U.S. citizen in 2008. His new show, "Legal Immigrant," tells a story of love for his adopted homeland.

— Patti O'Furniture hosts a weekly drag show at PT's 1109, a gay bar in Columbia, South Carolina.

— Lewis Wallace is a radio producer and magazine editor.

Music in this episode by Jeremy Bloom. Theme by Alexander Overington.

All things just keep getting better.

— Katie Schlechter is a freelance journalist based in Mexico City.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with original composition and performance by Kyle Sanna. Theme by Alexander Overington.

When it comes to RuPaul's Drag Race, Nancy is a house divided.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by Mystery Mammal ("Xanadont"), Broke for Free ("Hella"), Benedek ("Cruzin"), and Lee Rosevere ("Welcome to the World of the Living"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

Content warning: This episode discusses sexual assault.

Most jokes about rape are terrible. But in a new special, comedian Cameron Esposito is using them to talk about being a survivor of sexual assault. 

Cameron's special "Rape Jokes" can be streamed for free on her website or purchase a copy with all proceeds going to RAINN, the United States’ largest organization combatting sexual violence. You can find resources for survivors of sexual violence at RAINN, End Rape on Campus, and the Trevor Project.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by Drake Stafford ("Casets"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

Everybody loves a hero. But villains can be much more interesting. 

Meredith Talusan is the Executive Editor at Them. She wrote an essay about trans villains in film for BuzzFeed.

Dan Kois and Isaac Butler are co-authors of The World Only Spins Forward, an oral history of Angels in America. Andrea Bernstein is the co-host of Trump, Inc., a podcast about the Trump family business from WNYC Studios and Pro Publica. Stephen Spinella plays Roy Cohn in the Berkeley Rep production of Angels in America.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by Lee Rosevere ("I Was Waiting for Him" and "Featherlight"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

Nancy's "How to Get a Gaggle" project gave listeners four weeks of challenges toward making new friends. This week on the show, we check in on how it all went.

Special thanks this week to friendship guinea pig Joe Rodriguez and WNYC engagement project extraordinaire Charlotte Cooper.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by James Pants ("Bird"), Madame Rrose Selavy ("Sojou Meu Nome"), Mystery Mammal ("Xanadont"), Ondrosik ("Love is Over"), and Anamorphic Orchestra ("Machine Elves"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

JP Brammer has all the answers.

— John Paul Brammer is a writer who's wrote for Into and Them. You can subscribe to "Hola Papi" here.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom. Theme by Alexander Overington.

Original music by Jeremy Bloom.

Support our work! Become a Nancy member today at Nancypodcast.org/donate.

Sex toys can be about more than just pleasure. For queer people, they're often a vital part of figuring yourself out.

— Gabe Gonzalez is a comedian and writer.

— Buck Angel is a trans advocate and sex toy designer.

Special thanks to Hallie Lieberman, author of the book Buzz: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy. 

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom with additional music by James Pants ("Bird") and Kevin MacLeod ("Off to Osaka"). Theme by Alexander Overington.