The Queerly Blax Show With Ashley

Inclusive Churches Matter WITH Pastor Valarie: Feeling Uncomfortable in a Traditional Baptist Church, Reconciling Religion & Sexuality, Meaning of an Inclusive Church

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Pastor Val. We talked about her upbringing, growing up in the south as a LGBTQ woman, leaving her home Baptist church to start an inclusive church and so much more! Check it out!

01:16 – Pastor Val introduction

03:57 – Pastor Val recalls her first time liking a girl

06:10 – Coming out to mom

09:25 – Trying to date men and how it compared to friends

11:39 – First experienced adversity as a LGBTQ woman in church

13:08 – Starting her own church, First Liberty Church

18:45 – Her previous pastor voting on Marriage Equality officiating

24:30 – The beginning of her church and preaching even when no one showed up

27:19 – What it means to be an inclusive church

30:02 – The biblical interpretations of ‘homosexual quotes’

35:36 – Highlighting LGBT couples in love on Instagram

39:05 – Advice to a person having their own struggle

42:01 – Theme song for her life

Social Media

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Queerly Blax Podcast: https://pod.link/1602328143

Queerly Blax Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbTFH1KU4zjauIBMlxhxHVQ/videos

Pastor Val IG: @pastor_valarie

Pastor Val Church, First Liberty Baptist: https://valarieoliver.wixsite.com/firstlibertychurch?fbclid=IwAR3Q55CBW5cWN4o2fXwJqxHoOe45mbS0K6IKV1dPgNKo1xTAD-Oh7Qrz3kY

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Dee & Kendra Reynolds. We talked about how they met, getting engaged in Hawaii, managing difficult family dynamics, keeping the love alive in a long-term relationship and so much more! Check it out!

01:53 – How Dee & Kendra Met

07:49 – Their Process of Dating & Getting Married

08:15- Proposing in Hawaii

10:32 – Meeting each others family members

13:50 – Difficult family encounters and meetings

17:51- Protecting your person against challenging family dynamics

20:20 – Providing comfort to one another through hard family situations

23:45- Differences now vs the beginning of the relationship

28:10 – Sharing the date night responsibilities and showing each other love equally

31:19 – Family Boundaries and talking about limiting family help

37:05 – Relationship advice

Social Media

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Dee & Kendra IG: @meetthereynolds

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Sharie Lawrence. We talked about her brand-new book called Love & Lies, the process of healing from childhood trauma, identifying with boyish things growing up, her healing journey to be the best partner for her wife and so much more! Check it out!

01:13 – Sharie Lawrence introduction

03:55 – First encounter with sexuality

07:10 – First girlfriend in the 8th grade

09:41- Mom finding letters under her bed to a girlfriend

10:44 – Process of writing her book “Love & Lies”

16:31 – Bridging the gap in childhood to adulthood

18:33 – Meeting her wife Carla

22:13 – Submitting to the healing process

26:31 – Labels and the confusion of it all

24:51 – Lawrence Life business endeavors

29:24 – Theme song for your life: Marvin Sapp, Never Would Have Made It

30:13 – Advice to young people

Social Media

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Sharie IG: @lawrence_life521

Sharie Tiktok: @lawrence_life

Sharie New Book: Love & Lies, Damaged but Not Broken

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Lies-Damaged-But-Broken/dp/B09XF3K7R7/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=14D8AW6V9YC7B&keywords=love+and+lies+by+sharie+lawrence&qid=1652050275&sprefix=%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-1

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Ashlee & Jordan Hodge. We talked about dating in the pandemic, coming out stories, being a blended family, Atlanta dating scene and so much more! Check it out!

01:03- Ashlee & Jordan Introduction

03:21- Coming out stories

06:59- Growing up in the Virgin Islands

08:49- Process of dating before marriage

14:39- Meeting & Marrying in the Pandemic

20:31- Gay scene in Atlanta

21:21- Conversations with their son about their relationship

26:26- Valentine’s Day celebration

27:49- Theme song for your life

29:02- Advice to someone on queer journey

29:30- Blending family and managing multiple parents

31:30- Expanding their family

33:51- First year anniversary trip

36:55- Theme song for your life

38:20-Advice to someone on their queer journey

Social Media

Ashlee & Jordan IG: @happilyeverhodge

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Jonathan Allen. We talked about his upbringing in the south as a childhood preacher, early recollections of queerness, battling through challenges of judgment, marrying his husband, Leadership Brainery and so much more! Check it out!

01:23- Jonathan Allen Introduction

03:43- First encounter with sexuality as a kid

05:10- being from the church and navigating the world

10:41- Fighting being gay from a young age

11:53- First sermon he ever preached & reflecting on his life mentor

19:53- How he met his husband

25:15- Navigating a DL relationship

32:38- First time he went public with his partner

37:21- Community response to coming out with his partner

42:36- Balancing sexuality, masculinity, and his professional career

48:00- Leadership Brainery

54:12- Reconciling being a black advocate & a queer advocate

59:38- Advice to young queer people

Social Media

QueerlyBlax IG: @queerlyblax

Jonathan IG: @johnathanforall

Leadership Brainery IG: @leadershipbrainery

Leadership Brainery Website: https://www.leadershipbrainery.org/

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Mia Cooley, Founder of ParentxHood. We talked about Mia’s coming out story, parenting as a black queer mother, biggest challenges in black maternal health, importance of safe spaces for black LGBTQ parents, as well as the upcoming ParentxHood and so much more! Check it out!

01:18 – Mia Cooley Introduction

02:51- Coming out story

06:31- The start of ParentxHood

11:20- Challenges with Black Maternal Healthcare

16:24- Parenting as a queer parent and answering difficult questions

19:26- Knowing that her son was gay

23:40- Co-parenting Challenges

27:07- Traveling as a queer family

29:59- Black Parent Pride Summit (June 25-26 Atlanta, GA)

33:06- Theme Song for your life

33:40- Advice to parent of a queer child

Social Media

Mia Cooley IG: thebigmommamia

ParentxHood IG: parentxhood

xHood on Facebook

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Kim & Jade. We talked about getting married and divorced while still in love, rebuilding the relationship, childhood trauma in adulthood and so much more! Check it out!

02:10- Coming out stories

04:55- How they met

13:34- The work involved in marriage

24:18- Kim talks about releasing control in a relationship

29:49- When & why they got divorced

38:27- Jade talks about realizing that Kim was serious about divorce

45:48- The work involved in marriage

50:34- Jade talks about breakthrough in self work

55:28- Rebuilding their relationship after divorcing

01:03:28- Advice for couples going through divorce

Social Media

Kim IG: @kimd850

Jade IG: jadeisher

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Ian Haddock. We talked about his organization The Normal Anomaly Initiative, growing up in Texas as a gay man, sex and its impact on relationship, promiscuity and so much more! Check it out!

01:15- Ian Haddock Introduction

03:46- Talks about challenges growing up as a flamoyant kid

07:40- Story of “Being to gay” while driving with his brother

13:30- We break down the differences in being gay in Texas

18:19- Living in Houston and crazy experiences

20:11- The Normal Anomaly Initiative work

21:35- Talk to his aunt about impact of political decisions on LGBT people

25:42- Ian discusses The Normal Anomaly Initative start from him being a sex worker

36:44- Challenges with having a negative relationship with sex

41:33- story of waiting to have sex with a partner

47:25- Theme Song for his life

48:26- Advice for someone on their own queer journey

Social Media

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Ian IG: @ianlhaddock

The Normal Anamoly Initiative IG: @thenormalanomaly

The Normal Anamoly Initiative website: https://www.normalanomaly.org/

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Kevin. We talked about being blackmailed into going to Pray the gay away school, growing up in a Christian school, traumatic childhood experiences, the journey to finding joy and so much more! Check it out!

01:13- Kevin Dwayne introduction

06:55- First encounter with sexuality in 1st grade

09:07- Traumatic story of when someone first called him gay

12:04- Going to Christian school and dating girls

16:00- Beginning of Coming out story and being blackmailed

17:10- Being Blackmailed into Praying the Gay Away

20:52- Talking to parents about sexuality

22:39- Niggas be Gay

27:34- Empathizing with the Oppressor

29:31- In-depth levels of queer language and terms

33:40- Self Reflecting during Covid

35:37- Learning to love himself

44:02- Advice for someone on queer journey

Social Media

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Kevin Dwayne IG: @theworldofkevin

Website: www.kevindwayne.com

In this week’s episode of The Queerly Blax Show, I had a conversation with Branden Lee. We talked about having feminine mannerisms, bad dating experiences, body positivity, his 1st book, and so much more! Check it out!

00:40- Branden Lee introduction

03:04- we talk about his First dating experience

07:49- Challenges of having feminine mannerisms

09:39- Body positivity and overcoming the bullying

14:36- The Virgin P*rn star book by Branden

19:55- First blog entry to the Virgin P*rn star

20:51- Craziest stories in his book

24:49- Experience dating online

26:50- Theme song for Brande

Links

Queerly Blax IG: @queerlyblax

Branden IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandenesss/?hl=en

Branden LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Brandeness

Branden’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Virgin-Porn-Star-1/dp/B09TMYW6ZL