Dr. Moon interviews Dustin Domingo about how he navigated his Filipino and queer identity, coming out to Filipino parents, why he decided to publish a book for queer Filipinos, and what it meant for him to be out in his workplace.


Dr. Dustin Domingo is an artist, educator, and writer from Southern California's Inland Empire. Dr. Domingo holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of Massachusetts Global and has worked in education for 15 years. His community work and projects prioritize the documentation of histories and perspectives of minority populations, especially those of LGBTQIA+ and Asian Americans. He's been a member of Asian American collective of performing vocalists known as Filosophy; a podcast producer for "Mesearch" a show featuring interviews with Filipino leaders and change makers, as we well as "the stories we're proud to share" a show that captures vulnerable conversations between members of the LGBTQIA+ community. His most recent project is as primary author and editor for "With Love: what we wish we knew about being queer and Filipino in America." 

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This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

In this episode, Dr. Moon interviews Carrie Zhang on what it means to live expansively as a Queer Asian person. She shares about her own mental health journey, what led her to start Asian Mental Health Project, and navigating her family’s reactions to her coming out. Carrie dives into the nuances of her expectations of her parents in accepting her queerness.

CW: sexual assault

⭐️ Carrie Zhang is an activist and the founder of the Asian Mental Health Project. She is an advocate and organizer for mental health equity - particularly through the intersections of her identity. A daughter of Taiwanese and Chinese immigrants, Carrie grew up in southern California. Carrie identifies as a bisexual, cisgender woman and survivor. She is currently passionate about creating non-judgmental community care spaces for AAPI and LGBTQIA+ folks, as well as for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. She recently partnered with the Los Angeles Public Library to co-create the first AAPI Pride event, "It's Reading Rainbow."

Founded in 2019, the Asian Mental Health Project aims to educate and empower Pan-Asian communities in seeking mental healthcare. Currently, Carrie also works in public policy research at a civil rights organization, helping everyday people write laws. Carrie's work has been featured in Vogue, TIME, and CNN. Her work has been recognized by A24, through the Academy Award-Winning movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

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This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Ryan Fukuda who shares about how he navigated being Black, Japanese, and Queer, within a family system that broke gender and parenting stereotypes. He also dives into his parents’ affirmation of his queer identity, and the experience of growing up Christian to enrolling in a psychic and energy healing school. 

RYAN FUKUDA (he/him) is a LA-raised/Portland-based queer, Blasian American who wears many hats; a community-focused creative and events producer, spiritual teacher, and emerging filmmaker & writer. With a background in Film Producing from Columbia College Chicago and over 20 years of experience studying and teaching consciousness training, he now blends intuition, meditation, and energy healing in all of his creative endeavors.

He currently works with video, event, and community engagement clients on the West Coast and teaches online consciousness training as the Managing Director at Art of the Seer Academy. He’s conducted thousands of energy readings and healing sessions at events, independent retail stores, book launches, salons, art galleries, parties, and team gatherings at companies like NIKE and ASANA. He’s also taught hundreds of classes on how to consciously read and heal energy in a repeatable, confident way. 

When Ryan isn’t collaborating with his colleagues across various industries, he indulges in Detroit-style pizza and comic books, or delves into screenwriting on quiet weeknights and weekends.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Dr. Nadine Nakamura, a trailblazer in LGBTQIA+ mental health research and teaching. Dr. Nakamura shares about her own experience of immigrating to the US from Sweden, the unique challenges of being in a binational marriage, and what she has learned from being a professor and researcher in this field.

Dr. Nadine Nakamura was born in Stockholm, Sweden and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She earned her BA in Psychology with a specialization in Asian American Studies from UCLA and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. Dr. Nakamura is a licensed psychologist and professor at Alliant International University’s California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, CA where she teaches multicultural psychology, qualitative research methods, LGBTQ psychology and liberation psychology. Her research focuses broadly on multiculturalism and intersectionality with emphasis on understanding the experiences of LGBTQ people of color, LGBTQ immigrants and asylum seekers, as well as LGBTQ international issues. Her book LGBTQ Mental Health: International Perspectives and Experiences was published by APA Books. She recently served as co-chair of APA's LGB Guidelines Revisions Task Force and has served on the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and on the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration. She is an APA representative to the International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Issues. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

In this episode, Dr. Moon interviews Clara Lee, who shares about her experience of parenting her son who came out first as bi as a teenager, and then trans a few years later. Clara dives deep into her story of immigration, her initial reactions when her child came out to her, how she navigated her own family, and what she learned about herself throughout the process of supporting her son and "coming out" as a parent of a queer son.

CLARA LEE is a proud Korean mother of a queer, bisexual son with trans experience.  She is the founder of API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC  that provides support for LGBTQ individuals and families of Asian heritage and addresses culture-specific needs of the API community since 2012.  She is currently serving on the PFLAG NYC Board of Director.  She is also a co-founder of Korean American Rainbow Parents (KARP), a network of Korean parents and family with LGBTQ loved ones.   KARP hosted the Korean American LGBTQ Seminar in DC in 2016 and in NYC in 2018 as part of KQTCon to create a welcoming space for Korean parents with LGBTQ children to network and learn.

Clara was honored at the Stonewall Community Foundation’s Vision Awards Celebration in 2018 and at the New York City Council Pride Celebration in 2017 and received the Community Catalyst Award from NQAPIA (National Queer Asian & Pacific Islander Alliance) for her work in 2015.  Clara appeared in a number of interviews including Korean American Story and Asian American Life at CUNY.TV to advocate for LGBTQ causes especially in the API/Korean American community.    

Clara lives in Brooklyn and works for a fortune 100 financial company as a software engineer.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

This is a special episode, where Dr. Moon sits down with Melody Li and and Valerie Yeo in person to talk about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and of the Palestinian people. We dive into what it means to fight for the freedom of Palestinian people, the importance of doing this work in community, and how colonization impacts our capacity to experience collective grief and sacred rage. They also generously share the wisdom and knowledge they’ve gained through organizing and fighting against injustice. 

*Mel references a list of resources in the conversation, which you can find on the episode post @cutfruitpodcast 

Guest Bios:
Melody Li, LMFT (they/佢) is the founder of Inclusive Therapists: a mental health directory, resource hub & community centering marginalized communities. They also founded Mental Health Liberation, a non-profit bridging Black, Indigenous and People of Color with free, quality therapy, and empowering Students & Clinicians of Color.

Their activism focuses on decolonizing mental health care and mobilizing for collective liberation. The colony-born migrant and settler on Turtle Island advocates for Landback, Indigenous Sovereignty, and Black Liberation as priority.

Connect with Mel: @melodyhopeli @Inclusivetherapists , MelodyLi.com, Inclusivetherapists.com and Mentalhealthliberation.org

Dr. Valerie Yeo (she/they) is a queer Singaporean-Chinese-American psychologist. They grew up in Singapore, where they cultivated a lifelong love of art and food, before moving to the US at the age of 10. In her non-work life, she is an artist and community organizer, and values creating spaces for other queer AANHPI people to be in community together @pdxqueerasianmeetup.

When not at home painting or taking pictures of their cat, they have a private practice in which they see primarily BIPOC folks, with emphasis on those in the Asian-American community who have experienced racial and religious trauma. Valerie’s role as a psychologist includes providing individual therapy and immigration assessments, as well as teaching, supervising, and mentoring future mental health providers. She frequently provides workshops on topics including liberation and community psychology, and religious trauma. She believes strongly in honoring our full selves—emotional, somatic, mental, spiritual, and social, within our present and ancestral sociopolitical contexts. 

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Liz Kleinrock on her lived experience of being bisexual, and the intersection of her queer and Jewish identity. She shares about the misconceptions of being bi, what helped her queer identity development, the ways therapy has helped her as she processed her intersecting identities, and how she works to de-stigmatize mental health in her classroom.

This episode was recorded before the war on Gaza began, so we do talk about Judaism and Liz's Jewish identity without mentioning the horrendous attacks occurring in Gaza right now.

Liz Kleinrock (she/her) is an award winning educator and best selling author, as well as a Korean-American transracial adoptee, queer, Jewish woman. In 2018, Liz received the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2019 delivered her TED Talk, “How to teach kids to talk about taboo topics." In the spring of 2021, Liz released her first book, Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community with Heinemann Publishing, and is excited to announce the publication of "Come and Join Us" a children's book that was released in October of 2023, which is the first of four children's books she is set to publish with HarperCollins. She currently resides in Washington DC with her partner, cat, and two bunnies.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Ray Mathoda on her experience of immigrating from India and coming out in the 90's after meeting her wife at a high school reunion, and how cultural expectations to have an arranged marriage impacted her view of love and attraction. She also shares about her complicated and painful relationship with her parents over the last couple of decades, the grief of giving up her dreams of returning to India, and her passion for advocating for the LGBTQ community. 

Ray (she/her/hers) is a lesbian Sikh American CEO who lives in LA with her wife and two sets of twins.  Ray grew up in India, where she was a national level swimmer and debater before she came to the US to learn about capitalism. She earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.

Ray currently serves as CEO of Anchor Loans, one of the nation’s leading single family real estate finance companies; Board Director for Mosaic, a leader in the US clean energy finance space; and Board Chairperson for Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies, a national non-profit serving parents and families of LGBTQ South Asians with culturally sensitive support and spaces.

A transformational leader and social entrepreneur, Ray's 25+ year career spans the housing, healthcare, and non-profit sectors.  She previously served as CEO of Xome, co-CEO of Genesis Capital (sold to Goldman Sachs in 2018) and President of Hudson & Marshall (sold to Fidelity National Financial in 2017).  She has served on the Boards of the LA LGBT Center, the Housing Authority of the City of LA, and Planned Parenthood LA.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Erin McGrady, on breaking up with her therapist. She walks us through how she made her decision, when she knew it was the right time, and the guilt that came along with it. 

Erin also shares about being in a queer interracial marriage with her wife Caroline, and why they both prioritize mental health. 

Erin McGrady (she/her/hers) is a queer Asian American, transracial adoptee, and filmmaker, photographer, and writer based in Asheville, North Carolina. She is the co-founder of Authentic Asheville, a small media company passionate about telling stories that increase representation on both sides of the lens.

When she’s not at home trail running, hiking, riding bikes, or camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can find her traveling with her wife and rescue dog in their van in search of queer-friendly businesses, safe spaces, and cool outdoor spots. If you come to Western North Carolina, bring your running shoes as she hosts a free BIPOC+LGBTQIA2S+Ally Safe Space 5K Walk and Run where all are welcome. In the meantime, you can follow her adventures on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 

Erin gives a shoutout to Faith Briggs Rose in the episode. Faith is a documentary film director, creative producer, outdoor enthusiast, and host of the Trail Ahead Podcast.

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Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.

Dr. Moon interviews Dr. Jan E. Estrellado, on their experience of being Filipinx and Trans.  Jan shares about growing up in the Catholic church with a sense of shame for who they are, and how they found freedom and authenticity through relationships. They also touch on parenting two beautiful children with their wife, and how they have set boundaries with their own parents to protect themselves and their children. 

Jan E. Estrellado, PhD is Associate Professor in the PsyD program at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego campus. Dr. Estrellado’s research areas examine race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity in trauma therapy. 

Dr. Estrellado runs a private practice dedicated to trauma recovery and is also a consultant to the Avellaka Program, a federally funded anti-violence program serving Payómkawichum, known to some as the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.

Jan E. Estrellado, PhD is Associate Professor in the PsyD program at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego campus. Dr. Estrellado’s research areas examine race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity in trauma therapy. 

Dr. Estrellado runs a private practice dedicated to trauma recovery and is also a consultant to the Avellaka Program, a federally funded anti-violence program serving Payómkawichum, known to some as the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.

Please like, share, and subscribe to the Cut Fruit Podcast.

Follow us on @cutfruitpodcast

Please subscribe, share, and leave a review to support the Cut Fruit Podcast.

This episode was sponsored by Inclusive Therapists, a simpler, safer way for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks to find culturally-responsive, identity-affirming mental health care. You can find them at inclusivetherapists.com or @inclusivetherapists.