🎙️ S2 E8: We Were The Secret: Feelings We Couldn’t Safely Say Out Loud

WARNING: Episode contains mentions of suicidal ideation and emotional trauma. We’re going to take you back to a time before dating apps, before video calls, and before “out” felt like something you could say without scanning the room. Our love story starts with a UK lesbian magazine, a Dial-a-Diva message line, and a meeting plan so romantic we both ended up at the wrong service station.But the real point of what we’re sharing is bigger than how we met. We talk about hiding and masking as a survival skill: performing a version of yourself that keeps you safe while costing you energy, joy and honesty. We connect the dots between closeting and the daily micro-decisions people rarely see, like fudging weekend stories, calling your partner a “friend”, or still wondering in 2026 whether it’s safe to hold hands. We also name the wider UK context, including Section 28 and the uncomfortable truth that progress can slide backwards when politics turns cruel.We get personal about what it did to us, including anxiety, depression, and the way ADHD masking and hyperfocus can intensify crushes, friendships, and heartbreak when you cannot name what you feel. We share stories of being harassed, of losing people we loved, and of the relief of small, ordinary freedom when it finally arrives. Underneath the laughs, our takeaway is simple: be kinder than you think you need to be, because you never know what someone is carrying in silence.If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday.Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater