Join Gem for the final episode of the series, "What Happens When... You Learn to Trust Yourself?".

After visiting a Scottish castle, Gem reflects on the looming presence of oppressive systems and the work to deconstruct the ways we've internalised them. They share their experience of re-learning to trust themselves and how deepening their understanding of things like patriarchy, colonialism, children's rights, body liberation and queerness have been and continue to be vital in that process.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Helpful links:

For more conversation on these themes, check out my interviews with Sophie Christophy, Adele Jarrett-Kerr, Artemis D. Bear and Dr. Charlotte Cooper on previous episodes of Queers and Co.

Sophie Christophy: https://www.facebook.com/schristophy

Akilah S. Richards: https://raisingfreepeople.com/

The Body is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

Fat Activism: A Radical Social Movement by Dr. Charlotte Cooper

Join Gem for this episode, "What Happens When... Anxiety?".

Whilst going through a particularly bad breakup, Gem realised they experienced incredibly high levels of anxiety most of the time. Gem reflects on what has helped them (mostly) cope better with anxiety, including the impact of sensory regulation and exercise and understanding monotropism. They also talk about the grief that can come along with realising anxiety as an Autistic person might just be here to stay and detecting those sneaky default worries that pop up when the coast is clear.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Helpful links:

Monotropism: https://monotropism.org/

Some great books on sensory and emotional self-care for Autistics:

The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills by Sonny Jane Wise

Looking After Your Autistic Self: A Personalised Self-Care Approach to Managing Your Sensory and Emotional Well-Being by Niamh Garvey

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask! by Megan Anna Neff

Join Gem for this episode, "What Happens When... You're Genderslime".

After a spiritual counselling session including a poem by Hafiz, Gem reflects on their exploration of gender so far and why the term genderslime feels like the most accurate way to describe how they feel. Gem talks about the intersection of gender and Autism, being perceived and the importance of being seen and affirmed in our identity.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Helpful links:

"How Does it Feel to be a Heart?" by Hafiz can be found in I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy by

Rebel Dykes: https://www.rebeldykeshistoryproject.com/

Inspiring Women Changemakers: https://www.inspiringwomenchangemakers.co.uk/

Bear Hebert episode: https://www.gemkennedy.com/podcast/23

Neuroqueer Heresies by Dr Nick Walker: https://neuroqueer.com/neuroqueer-heresies/

Autigender: https://neurodivergentrebel.com/2021/01/06/what-is-autigender-the-relationship-between-autism-gender-an-autistic-perspective/

Join Gem for this episode, "What Happens When... You Find Out You're Autistic?"

In this episode, Gem talks about learning about Autism whilst a family member was in severe Autistic burnout and having brainwaves about how neurodivergence shows up their family. Whilst walking along a disused railway in Scotland, Gem also shares their own process of considering formal- versus self-identification, the pressure to unmask and the liberation of living in alignment with our neurotype.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Helpful links:

Autistic burnout: https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/autistic-burnout

An excellent book on sensory well-being: Looking After Your Autistic Self: A Personalised Self-Care Approach to Managing Your Sensory and Emotional Well-being by Niamh Garvey

Neurodiversity Paradigm: https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/

Kieran Rose: https://theautisticadvocate.com/

The Social Model of Disability: https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/about-us/disability-in-london/social-model/the-social-model-of-disability-and-the-cultural-model-of-deafness/

Autistic Masking: https://theautisticadvocate.com/autistic-masking/

Thriving Autistic - 6 week Discovery Programme for late-identified Autistics(written by Gem) and monthly socials: https://www.thrivingautistic.org/

Join Gem for this episode, "What Happens When... You're in the Shit Dad Club?"

Gem talks about something that heavily contributed to their cPTSD flare-up earlier this year. Whilst walking along the banks of the River Tweed, Gem describes what it's like being the child of a terrible dad and therefore a member of the Shit Dad Club, the culture of silence and shame that can exist in families and growing up as an unidentified neurodivergent child who refuses school and experiences bullying.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Join Gem for this episode, "What Happens When... Trauma is Kicking Your Arse".

When they experienced an intense cPTSD flare-up earlier this year, Gem realised their usual supports were no longer enough.

In this episode, they reflect on what helped them navigate being stuck in a trauma response, their experience of moral scrupulosity, the importance of co-regulation and loving community, and the magic of nature for recovery and perspective - all recorded in a cosy bed and then whilst walking by the River Tweed!

Helpful links:

PTSD and Autism: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/misdiagnosis-monday/ptsd-and-autism

Moral scrupulosity: https://iocdf.org/faith-ocd/living-with-ocd-religious-traditions/moral-scrupulosity/

Monotropism: https://monotropism.org/

Window of tolerance: https://autismunderstood.co.uk/health-and-wellbeing/window-of-tolerance/

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

Welcome to Series 3 of Queers and Co. It's been a while!

Listen as Gem sets the scene and heads off on their trip to Scotland.

Thank you so much for listening! I'd love it if you'd consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!

Find out more about me and my work at www.gemkennedy.com and @thegemkennedy in all the usual places.

My final guest this series is the wonderful Aisha Shaibu (she/her). The founder of 'Moonlight Experiences', Aisha is a proud queer activist who champions integration, diversity & equality. Aisha believes in using the economical power of LGBTQ+ tourism and nightlife to help amplify marginalized voices and transform communities. She is also a prominent event producer who works for organisations such as UK Black Pride & London Queer Fashion Show. Aisha has been featured in the Mayor Of London's hidden credit for her contribution to nightlife. 

We chat about the many hats that Aisha wears, founding Moonlight Experiences and bringing queer folks together from around the world, opening a sober queer venue in East London, her passion for building community, holidays and exercise as self-care, her ability to organise seamlessly, tourism as a tool for social change, educating on queer culture and lots more!

If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook community to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies.

Find out more about Gem Kennedy and Queers & Co. 

Podcast Artwork by Gemma D’Souza.

Resources

 Moonlight Experiences

https://www.moonlightexperiences.com

Follow Aisha on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ukblackpride/

https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/londonqueerfashionshow/

Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by experienced BDSM educator and kinky stand-up comedian John Pendal (he/ him). In 2003, John became the 25th (and only British) winner of the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. Since then he has travelled extensively leading workshops, giving speeches, as a master of ceremonies or doing stand-up comedy. He now works online with English-speaking clients anywhere in the world and loves helping people who identify as outsiders.

Join us as we chat about accidentally qualifying for and winning International Mr. Leather, being so late to the podium he was almost killed by fireworks, immersing himself in kink culture, the oppression experienced by the gay community in the 1990s, supporting others to undo a lifetime of being squashed, learning he was autistic and unpacking internalised ableism, punching up in comedy and so much more!

If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook community to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies.

Find out more about Gem Kennedy and Queers & Co. 

Podcast Artwork by Gemma D’Souza.

Resources

Find out more about John’s coaching practice

John’s Leather website

Find out more about John’s work with Thriving Autistic

Full Transcript to follow

This week I’m joined by the glorious Artemis D. Bear!! Artemis (they/them) is a non-binary queer iconoclast, who always has too many projects on the go. They are the founder and director of The Garden, a self directed learning community for young people in Bristol, and work for the Phoenix Education Trust on the Freedom to Learn programme. They are also a drag king, stage manager and queer cabaret producer. Last year they founded UBI Lab Bristol, campaigning for a basic income trial, which they believe could lift everyone out of absolute poverty and liberate many more. They live in Bristol with their partner and children and finally feel like a real grown up now they have a piano and a dog.

Join us as we chat about a terrible Tinder date, the joy of producing drag shows, seeing our bodies through the eyes of a queer person, co-parenting and self-direction, why UBI is a complete no-brainer, how schooling fuels inequality and grades people according to privilege and lots more juicy stuff!

If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook community to connect with other like-minded queer folks and allies.

Find out more about Gem Kennedy and Queers & Co. 

Podcast Artwork by Gemma D’Souza.

Resources

Sign the petition for a UBI pilot in Bristol

UBI Lab Network’s website

The Garden Bristol’s website

Freedom to Learn’s website

Check out Brizzle Boyz and Scritch Cabaret

Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape book

The book I mentioned in the episode but couldn’t remember the name of is Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People

Resisting Illegitimate Authority: A Thinking Person’s Guide to Being an Anti-Authoritarian book

Akilah S. Richards’ website, Fare of the Free Child podcast and Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work book

Full Transcript to follow