Dr. Felipe Henao is one of the kindest, most down to earth, and hard-working individuals you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. Dr. Henao joined New York Tech as Dean of Students for the New York City and Long Island campuses in March 2021. He has been instrumental in bridging the gap between commuter and residential students at Mercy College. He has also instilled a holistic approach to student success and academic achievement. Dr. Henao has secured various grants, including an AmeriCorp VISTA to help implement campus-wide food pantries to address food insecurity. He was recently accepted as a content expert for Complete College America with a focus on addressing student basic needs and is now working on a project to address student success primarily for adult learners at Historically Black Colleges. Listen as Dr. Felipe shares his testimony of how his career path was inspired by the hard work of his parents, as well as his gratitude for having the privilege to help provide queer & people of color access to education.

Produced by Pretty Easy Podcasts

On this episode of Queer Late Night, we welcome the one and only Brita, from season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race! Servicing as one of New York City’s fiercest drag performers, Brita is an avid activist, and an advocate for LGBTQ and women’s rights. Brita shares her story and insight on everything that she’s accomplished outside of Drag Race. Listen as Brita opens up about anxiety and depression and find out how she’s learned to grow and cope with whatever life has to offer. Drag isn’t only about expression, it’s also therapeutic in the way that it touches the lives of many. Enjoy our conversation with the purest of them all!

Queer Late Night welcomes with big arms Dey Phoenix! Dey is a person with so much charisma, charm, & compassion for the arts. He is a triple threat erotic pole dancer, instructor, and when he’s not dancing, he serves as the chapter president for Impulse Group NYC; advocating for the local queer community. 

In this episode, Dey gives us just a small slice of the big projects he has planned for his journey outside of the steady 9-5 atmosphere. He has performed for a number of shows and nightlife events such as Schtick A Pole In It, Lyfe Lounge, PoleCon, and more recently, Polari ATL. Listen to Dey Phoenix share how exuding sexuality through the art of pole dancing has been a part of his own mental and spiritual healing voyage.

On this episode of QLN we talk with Dr. Alfonso Ferguson about mental health & mindfulness as a hot topic to kick off 2022. If you’ve experienced the feeling of being stuck, this is a great starter conversation. Dr. Ferguson is a full-time faculty member in the Graduate Counseling Program at Centenary University, as well as a queer person of color, who's dedicated to creating change by encouraging people to engage in their own mental health and well-being. He has a strong interest to work with LGBTQ+ Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) struggling with mood disorders and psychosocial stressors. This episode is meant to be helpful for people looking to better their mental health as they plan for a successful year.

For many people the holiday season brings much excitement and festivities but, for others it's a time of heightened emotional vulnerability & isolation. Surveys show that people among the LGBTQ community commonly experience increased feelings of anxiety, stress, & depression during these times. For a lot of us going home means leaving the safety net of our queer freedom and identities behind just to survive the “family” function. Let us not forget that there are many who don’t have the option of going home or there isn’t a home to go to.

This week, Sarah Mikhail (she/her) Executive Director of Time Out Youth, an organization serving a LGBTQ-youth in Charlotte, NC shares her professional and personal approach on the importance of identifying emotional triggers, how to create safe boundaries for uncomfortable situations and healthy ways to communicate when those boundaries have been crossed. More importantly how to show up and be supportive for our chosen friends and loved ones who are spending the holiday season alone.

On this Episode of QLN, we have the pleasure of hearing a story that is not only about sobriety, but it’s also about self empowerment, self trust, and, most importantly, self love. Christina Ouyang is a queer ally, a nightlife enthusiast, and a sober person, exuding inspiration to people who want to start their sober journey. By night time you find her at New York City’s newest queer night club, The Q, and by day she helps cultivate the colorful world of fashion.

In this conversation Christina opens up about the importance of cultural representation, trusting yourself, being present, and more importantly the power in knowing and understanding your triggers. Sobriety doesn’t mean isolation or the absence of thrill. Sobriety is a new beginning to a life of fulfilling your goals, chasing your dreams, and having fun while being present for the ones you love.

On this episode on QLN we have the pleasure to be in the presence of super stars on their rise to the top. Not only are Odessa and Issa magical to watch, but their story of friendship, sisterhood, artistry and business partnership goes unmeasured. From being published in issues of Vogue and Billboard magazine, to their studio recorded album, “The Fine Print," The Dragon Sisters have made themselves known all over New York City as nothing to be fu*ked with. This episode is soaked in black queer artistry and it’s a testimony to believing in yourself, working hard, and staying dedicated to your craft.

Glow Job & “My Last Free Gig”

On this episode QLN we hear from superstar on the rise Glow Job with no s. Glow is no stranger to sudden change. In his life he’s been the orchestrator of the change he wanted to see in NYC nightlife. Glow opens up about breaking through negative doubts of others to refine his own take on what drag and performance art means from a Glow Job point of view. 

Glow in details opens up about the pivotal moment when being comfortable wasn’t enough to keep Glow chained to the 9-5 lifestyle. Hailing from Sunnyside Queens, Glow Job is a circus, mime, clown, burlesque, gogo, pole, aerial, crafty, lewk queen here to bring some joy and color into the world.

On this Episode of QLN bestie Ricky & Ell open up a conversation about their early adolescence  experiences with gender expression and sexual identity. At the age of 14 Ricky knew he needed to close the bedroom door for his personal rehearsal to “Borderline” By Madonna.  Born and raised in a small town of Salisbury, Maryland, Ell takes you on a short walk down memory lane to trying on mommy's clothes and in some cases altering them for better use.  

Episode 6, is meant to be the precursor for Episode 5 with Alex Borsa “Toxic Masculinity and Mental Health”. Nevertheless, this episode is a good example of what it is to do the work of developing and understanding oneself. Finding / Building the confidence in yourself outside of the social norms & expectations can be almost like a reawakening experience. 

Clothes don’t have a gender.

On this episode of “Queer Late Night” we start the conversation of unpacking & understanding the box of toxic masculinity and how its effects both cripples men’s mental health and damages the progressive nature of the LGBTQ community as a whole. We also acknowledge that we don’t know what to with masculinity that isn’t toxic. As well ways to bring more visibility and representation of queers bodies and culture.

Alex Borsa is a PhD student in socio-medical sciences and sociology at Columbia University. Alex’s background is in HIV, sexual health, and general hoeing, and he now looks at corporate investment in women’s health and fertility services. When Alex’s isn’t turning looks or reading books he’s busy writing informative & educational pieces like “The Doomsday Sperm Theory Embraced by the Far Right” or “Gay Circuit Parties During COVID Sparked a “Civil War.” Can Anyone Win?” for “Slate” magazine.

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https://slate.com/technology/2021/05/sperm-counts-decline-fertility-science-white-nationalism.html

https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/01/gay-circuit-parties-new-years-covid.html