Come spend the night with us in Ybor City! 

In this episode, we take you through one of Tampa’s most iconic nightlife spots with our amazing friend and 2x Emmy Award-winning producer, Sarah Funkhouser! From karaoke chaos at Utopia to celebrity stories, stress tests, nightlife laughs, and behind-the-scenes moments in Ybor… this episode truly has EVERYTHING. 

 In this episode:
•  Exploring Ybor City nightlife
•  Karaoke at Utopia
•  Sarah’s Emmy-winning TV career
•  Celebrity & Hollywood stories from LA
•  Bradley’s on 7th & Tampa LGBTQ+ nightlife
•  Hilarious late-night chaos with the Skittle Squad
•  Paul takes a stress test live on camera
•  Our favorite Ybor food & nightlife spots

If you love Tampa nightlife, LGBTQ+ culture, karaoke nights, entertainment stories, and complete unfiltered fun… this episode is for you.

Filmed in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida

Make sure to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE to the Skittle Squad Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook for more episodes, interviews, nightlife adventures, and behind-the-scenes fun!

Drag legend. Talk show icon. Tampa Bay entertainer. 

In this episode of the Skittle Squad Podcast, we sit down with the incredible Amy Demilo live from Bradley’s on 7th in Ybor City during the Wonder Watermark Awards!

Amy opens up about:
 - Growing up and discovering drag
 - Performing for over 30 years in Tampa Bay
 - Appearing on Jerry Springer, Sally Jessy Raphael & more
 - Winning major drag titles including Miss Florida
 - The evolution of LGBTQ+ acceptance over the decades
 - Why visibility and education matter for the queer community
 - Life as show director at Bradley’s on 7th
 - Tampa Pride, community, and creating safe spaces

Amy also shares emotional reflections on being applauded for the first time as a performer after being shamed as a child — and how drag became both survival and purpose.

This conversation is funny, heartfelt, inspiring, and packed with LGBTQ+ history from one of Tampa’s true icons.

In this episode of the Skittle Squad Podcast, we sit down with Leo Anderson, founder of the Queer Asian Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, to discuss the powerful mission behind preserving queer Asian history, culture, and activism.

What began as a personal effort to safeguard LGBTQ+ artifacts from organizations being shut down across Asia has become an internationally recognized museum preserving thousands of irreplaceable pieces of queer history.

Leo shares how this incredible project came to life, why preserving these stories matters now more than ever, and what visitors can expect when stepping inside this one-of-a-kind space.

 This conversation explores identity, activism, cultural preservation, resilience, and the urgent importance of visibility.

In This Episode  

- The origin story behind the Queer Asian Museum
- How over 2,000 artifacts and 900+ books were collected
- LGBTQ+ advocacy challenges happening across parts of Asia
- Why St. Pete became home to this historic museum
- Rare artifacts, pride memorabilia, and preserved queer history
- The museum’s virtual reality preservation experience
- Leo’s international work protecting endangered LGBTQ+ cultural spaces

- How technology is helping preserve queer history for future generations

- Why cultural preservation is an act of resistance

PLUS:
 Paul and David debate dating struggles, relationship confusion, and recruiting go-go boys for St. Pete Pride

This is an emotional, eye-opening, and inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss.

 Visit the Queer Asian Museum:
1006 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, Florida

 Learn more / support: QAM.org

What starts as a hilarious childhood story about performing Rum Tum Tugger in a fifth grade production of Cats quickly turns into a full-circle moment about identity, community, and showing up 

In this episode of the Skittle Squad Podcast, we’re coming to you from the Queer Asian Museum with special guest Preston Scott from Equality Florida—and yes… we get the full story of that iconic (and slightly chaotic) cat costume performance 

But beyond the laughs, this episode dives into:
 LGBTQ+ advocacy and the real work happening behind the scenes
 How Equality Florida is fighting for rights across the state
 Why storytelling and visibility matter now more than ever
 And how community support can make a real impact

In This Episode:

 Fifth grade Cats performance (and the tight costume story )
 Theater memories + chaotic musical opinions (Into the Woods, Cats)
 Inside Equality Florida & LGBTQ+ advocacy work
 How real change happens (and how you can be part of it)
 Upcoming gala + ways to support the community
 Random but important: elite coffee opinions

Welcome back to the Skittle Squad Podcast  — and this episode is one you don’t want to miss.

We’re LIVE from Tampa Bay at Bradley’s during the Wonder Awards, sitting down with the iconic Esme Russell — a true legend with decades of experience, stories, and perspective.

From hilarious chaos to powerful truths, this episode brings everything: humor, heart, and real conversation about what it means to show up for your community.

In This Episode:

 - The story behind The Big Gay Radio Show
 - What it’s really like working in radio + drag for decades
 - The “bottom energy” moment that took over the episode 
 - What 50 YEARS in the LGBTQ+ scene has taught Esme
 - Real talk about community, culture & identity
 - Why supporting LGBTQ+ spaces is more important than ever
 - Unfiltered opinions you won’t hear everywhere
 - The reality of losing safe spaces and how to protect them

This episode is funny, unfiltered, and real — exactly what Skittle Squad is all about.

We’re reporting LIVE from Tampa Bay  inside one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ spaces in the community.

In this episode of the Skittle Squad Podcast, we sit down with Bradley Nelson, owner of Bradley’s on 7th, to talk about what it really takes to run a gay bar in today’s world and why keeping these spaces alive matters more than ever.

From wild opening day chaos to navigating rising costs, community backlash, and even tragedy… this conversation goes deeper than nightlife.

This is about community, resilience, and survival in Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ scene.

 In this episode, we talk about:

• How Bradley’s went from idea → Tampa Bay staple
• The truth about running a gay bar (it’s not what you think)
• The VIP card + cover charge controversy explained
• Rising costs & what’s really impacting nightlife right now
• The heartbreaking 2025 حادثة and how the community responded
• Why LGBTQ+ safe spaces are more important than ever

What happens when you put the Skittle Squad in heels… add pouring rain… and throw them into a drag race obstacle course? 🌈Chaos. Absolute chaos. 😂In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of the Winter Pride Drag Race from rain delays and last-minute choreography to pushing our cart through the streets and performing in front of RuPaul Drag Race Queens.You’ll see it all:✨ Getting into full drag (wigs, heels, and all)🌧️ Racing through unpredictable weather🎭 A performance we definitely didn’t fully rehearse💥 The iconic “wig snatch” obstacle🏁 And somehow… placing TOP 3This episode is messy, hilarious, and full of moments that prove sometimes you just have to show up, commit, and hope for the best.💛 And we were proud to race in support of Love the Golden Rule with Dr. Bob Wallace

What does Pride really mean in today’s world? 🌈In this episode of the Skittle Squad Podcast, we take you inside Winter Pride 2026 capturing the energy, emotion, and powerful voices that make this community so special.Throughout the festival, we spoke with incredible guests including:✨ Dr. Bob Wallace (Love the Golden Rule) on advocacy, visibility & giving back✨ David Fischer (event organizer) on why Pride events are more important than ever✨ Gabe Alves & Rob Hall (Executive Directors of Winter Pride) on bringing this massive event to life🌈 We Also Discuss:✨ What Pride means in today’s political climate💛 Why community support matters more than ever🗳️ The importance of visibility, advocacy & showing up🎉 Behind the scenes of Winter Pride 2026👑 Drag events, performances & festival highlights🤝 Finding your “tribe” and building real connections🔥 How joy and resistance coexist in Pride spaces

 We took the podcast OUTSIDE and straight into the chaos of Winter Pride… and let’s just say, anything could happen 

From wild booth interviews to unexpected throwbacks (yes… the muffin top conversation made a comeback ), this episode is full of laughs, love, and real moments with the community.

We talked to local vendors, past guests, performers, and some unforgettable personalities. All about what Pride really means, the power of showing up, and finding your people 

 In this episode we discuss:
 What Pride really means to different people
 The return of the muffin top lore
 Local vendors, businesses & wild products
 Real conversations about community + belonging
 Unexpected interviews & chaotic moments
 Finding your people + showing up anyway

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