PODCAST · society
LGBTQ&A
by Jeffrey Masters
*Nominated for Outstanding Podcast at the GLAAD Awards* Weekly interviews with the most interesting LGBTQ+ people in the world. Recent guests include Laverne Cox, Janelle Monáe, Pete Buttigieg, Brandi Carlile, Alok Vaid-Menon, and Angela Davis. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters.
Episodes
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Bob Mackie: From Cher to Miley, Remembering the Legendary Fashion Designer (1939-2026)
Bob Mackie, the legendary fashion designer who created costumes for everyone from Cher and Judy Garland to Elton John and Carol Burnett, died on Monday. He was 87. In our interview last year, he talks about his ongoing collaboration with Cher, the infamous Gone With The Wind curtain dress from…
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Carmelita Tropicana: The Accidental Queen of Downtown Performance Art
Carmelita Tropicana was created almost by accident: a made-up name, blurted out at a radio broadcast in the 1980s. But Carmelita, and the woman behind the character, Alina Troyano, went on to become one of the pillars of downtown New York theatre. Alina talks about the ongoing evolution of her...
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Karla Jay: The Lesbian Stonewall That History Forgot
Longtime activist Karla Jay recalls the early days of the Gay Liberation Front, the all-women's dance that ended in a mafia raid, and the Lavender Menace's 1970 takeover of the Second Congress to Unite Women that produced The Woman-Identified Woman manifesto: "A lesbian is the rage of all women...
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Duane Michals: Jump First, Ask Questions Later (Remembering the Gay Pioneer)
"Because I didn't learn the photo rules it was very easy for me to abandon them." The pioneering photographer Duane Michals talks about discovering his love for photography in the 1950s, not looking down on commercial work, his half-century-long relationship with his partner, and why talking…
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Alan Shayne: At 100, Looking Back on a Gay Life in Hollywood
At 100 years old, Alan Shayne's life has spanned the entirety of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. He got his start acting on Broadway in the 1940s, then became a casting director (casting Barbra Streisand, Diane Keaton, Cicely Tyson, and Dustin Hoffman in many of their earliest roles) before...
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Avram Finkelstein: "Silence = Death" and the Image That Defined the AIDS Crisis
"Silence = Death" has become the defining image of ACT UP and the AIDS crisis. Avram Finkelstein, co-creator of the Silence = Death poster and a founding member of ACT UP, takes us back to where it all began: how the image came together months before ACT UP was even formed, how the artist...
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Barney Frank: We Are Change Agents (1940-2026)
Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Congressman who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over thirty years, died at the age of 86. The first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay, Frank became one of the most consequential openly gay politicians in American history. He was...
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Miss Major Griffin-Gracy: Was At The Forefront of Trans Liberation Since Before Stonewall (1946-2025)
The legendary transgender elder and activist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy died yesterday. She was 78. A veteran of the Stonewall uprising, Miss Major dedicated her life to the transgender movement. She worked for multiple HIV/AIDS organizations and spent a decade at the Transgender, Gender-Variant…
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Inner Voice with Jeffrey Marsh: Why "It's All My PARENTS' Fault" Is NEVER An Excuse
Please enjoy this episode of Inner Voice, a new podcast from Jeffrey Marsh and Zaq Latino. Jeffrey Marsh is a Zen teacher, Oprah-endorsed author, and social media phenomenon. In this episode, they speak with the hosts of Transparently Speaking about how to best parent a trans kid when the world…
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Robert Suttle: The Case for Ending HIV Criminalization
Across 32 states, outdated HIV criminalization laws continue to punish people living with HIV. Robert Suttle shares his story of being prosecuted in Louisiana after a former partner accused him of not disclosing his status and he explains why these laws are based on bad science. LGBTQ&A is an...
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Darryl Stephens: Noah's Arc Returns! Celebrating 20 Years of the Groundbreaking Gay TV Show
In 2019, almost 15 years after the beloved TV show, Noah's Arc, cemented itself into queer history, its star, Darryl Stephens, was considering shifting his focus away from acting. His subsequent roles were often met with the same response, fans expressing variations of "You'll always be Noah to…
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Edmund White: Remembering the Groundbreaking Gay Writer
“I'm at an age when writers are supposed to say finally what mattered most to them—for me, it would be thousands of sex partners." Edmund White died this week at the age of 85. Earlier this year, I got to speak with him at his home in N.Y.C. about his latest novel, "The Loves of My Life: A Sex...
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Susan Stryker: Trump's War on Transgender People, A Historian's View
Why is the world so threatened by the existence of trans people? Historian Susan Stryker joins us to break it all down. She talks about how she's thinking about the onslaught of attacks targeting the trans community, her time with the activist group Transgender Nation, and why she views transness...
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Edmund White: The Loves of My Life (X-Rated)
Edmund White talks about his groundbreaking 1982 novel, A Boy's Own Story, co-writing The Joy of Gay Sex, his evolving relationship with sex now that he's in his 80s, and his new book, The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir. This is a part of our special series, The LGBTQ+ Elders Project. Click…
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Bob Mackie: 60+ Years of Iconic Costumes, From Cher to Miley
Throughout his decades-long career, Bob Mackie has designed costumes and gowns for some of the most legendary names in entertainment history: Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Carol Burnett, and Elton John, among many others. He joins LGBTQ&A to talk about his longtime (and…
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Randy Wicker: Marsha P. Johnson, The Mattachine Society, and Early Gay Protests
Randy Wicker talks about joining the Mattachine Society in 1958, one of the first gay rights groups in the U.S. He also talks about leading what's considered the first pro-gay protest in the U.S., the 1966 "Sip-in" at Julius' in New York City, and sharing his home with Marsha P. Johnson. The…
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Mark Segal: Stonewall Lasted 365 Days
Mark Segal moved to New York City in May of 1969 and a month later found himself at The Stonewall Inn as the now-infamous police raid began. "The police came in, pretended that they were doing their duty, got their pay off," he says. "The difference here was they barged in, they threw people up...
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Laverne Cox: The Transgender Tipping Point Turns 10
Laverne Cox talks about being on the cover of Time magazine ten years ago, the pressure she's faced as one of the most visible members of the trans community, and how the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court case with Aimee Stephens impacts all LGBTQ+ people. LGBTQ&A is an independent,...
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Barney Frank: The Gay Agenda, Then and Now
Rep. Barney Frank served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013. He talks about being one of the first members of Congress to come out, how the AIDS crisis forced Congress to act, and the current state of the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement. Plus, his "Trophy Husband", Jim Ready, drops by…
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Gigi Raven Wilbur: Talking BDSM With the Bisexual Intersex Elder
(This interview contains explicit sexual content.) Gigi Raven Wilbur talks about learning that they were intersex in college, the transformational power of BDSM in their life, and how they're feeling living in Texas right now among the current onslaught of anti-trans legislation. LGBTQ&A is an...
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Lesbian Nation: Martha Shelley and Audre Lorde (Bonus Episode!)
Martha Shelley talks to poet Audre Lorde in an episode of her radio show, Lesbian Nation. This was originally recorded in 1972 and is a part of Martha's archive at the Lesbian Herstory Archive. Martha is a pre-Stonewall activist who got her start in the 1960s with the Daughters of Bilitis. Click...
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Martha Shelley: Gay Activism Before Stonewall
Martha Shelley began her life as a gay activist before the Stonewall uprising. She talks about joining the Daughters of Bilitis, co-founding the Gay Liberation Front, the first pride march, and her memoir, "We Set The Night On Fire". LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please...
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Mia Yamamoto: The Trans Lawyer 'Liberating' The Judicial System
Mia Yamamoto talks about her work as a criminal defense attorney, the racism she faced growing up as a Japanese-American after World War II, and coming out as trans later in life. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider subscribing to our Substack in order to help...
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Bob 'Rose' Levine: Has Been Doing Drag in Fire Island Since 1955
Bob "Rose" Levine talks about his first trip to Cherry Grove in 1955, being a part of the original drag "Invasion of the Pines" in 1976, and how the AIDS crisis changed Fire Island in the 1980s. LGBTQ&A is an independent, listener-supported podcast. Please consider joining our Substack to help...
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Ma-Nee Chacaby: 'I'm Old, But So What?' Says The Two-Spirit Elder
Ma-Nee Chacaby talks about learning that she was Two-Spirit as a kid, her rural upbringing, and the challenges of being an out indigenous lesbian in Thunder Bay, Canada in the 1980s. Ma-Nee is the author of A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder. (Note: This…
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Sandy Stone: From Lesbian Separatist to Trans History
Sandy Stone talks about working with the lesbian separatists of Olivia Records, why the attacks on the trans community today mirror the attacks from the 1970s, and the moment that led her to write "The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto"—an essay that became a founding document of...
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Joan Jett Blakk: The Drag Queen Who Ran for President
Joan Jett Blakk (a.k.a. Terence Alan Smith) talks about her historic 1992 presidential campaign, why the AIDS crisis influenced her run, and what it was like to be an out gay teenager in the '70s. "They still ask the same questions that they asked in the '90s. 'Drag queens run for president in...
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Duane Michals: Redefined Photography, But Don't Call Him an Artist
Duane Michals has never followed the rules. The pioneering photographer, now 92 years old, says, "Because I didn't learn the photo rules it was very easy for me to abandon them. You're either defined by the medium...well, I redefined the medium." Duane talks about discovering his love for...
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If You Can Read This, You're Gay (We Are So Back)
Hi! We're coming back! On February 27th! And we're continuing our special series, The LGBTQ+ Elders Project. I can't wait for you to hear it. For more info, come check out our Substack. Do you know an amazing elder and want to hear from them on the show? Come find me on Substack or social media...
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Amy Ray: How The Indigo Girls Became The Greatest Band of All Time
When Amy Ray first started playing music with her Indigo Girls bandmate, Emily Saliers, her "head felt like it was going to explode". She remembers thinking, "This is amazing. Not, we sound amazing. But this feels amazing. It was always about, This feels amazing." They've been playing together…
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Darcelle XV: The Oldest Drag Queen in the World (ft. Poison Waters)
Darcelle XV (Walter Cole), the world's oldest drag queen, died on March 23, 2023. She was 92. Since 1967, Darcelle has been performing and running the Portland drag venue, Darcelle XV Showplace, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. I had the opportunity to speak…
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Charles Silverstein: Remembering The Joy of Gay Sex Author (1935-2023)
Dr. Charles Silverstein died this week at the age of 87. Best known for making the 1973 presentation before the American Psychiatric Association that led to the removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s list of mental illnesses, he was also a co-author of the landmark...
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Shatzi Weisberger: Remembering The People's Bubbie (1930-2022)
Shatzi Weisberger died this week at the age of 92. A lifelong activist, Shatzi was a fixture at marches and protests here in NYC and was affectionately known as The People’s Bubbie. "I was a political lesbian for many years. I just loved being around lesbians...one of my earlier demonstrations…
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Angela Davis: Queer Revolutionary | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
"I totally support the politics of coming out, but at the same time, I'm critical of the assumption that one's identity has to be the major driving force that determines one's politics." For the final episode of our season, Angela Davis joins us to talk about how to keep pushing movements…
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André De Shields: Breaking The Methuselah Code | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
"Prior to Hadestown, I played The Magical Negro. I have no regrets about that. But all the while...and this is going to sound corny, but it's true. All the while I was saying, 'Why doesn't someone cast me for my mind? For my intellect? Am I really just another pretty face?' And it came together…
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Colton Haynes: Is Still 'Trying To Figure Out Who The F*ck I Am'
Please welcome to the stage, Miss Memory Lane! Colton Haynes talks about the barriers that queer actors still face in Hollywood, why he went back into the closet while acting on hit shows like Teen Wolf and Arrow, and his new memoir, Miss Memory Lane. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and...
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Gloria Allen: The Mother of Chicago's Trans Community | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Gloria Allen is a legendary figure in Chicago's trans community. The 76-year-old joins us to talk about coming out as trans in the 1960s, why her family's support was so transformational, and the extraordinary impact that her charm school had on LGBTQ+ youth in Chicago. Mama Gloria, a new...
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Danica Roem: From Heavy Metal to Trans History
The history-making politician shares every inspiring, heartbreaking, and drunken moment that led her to become the first openly trans person to serve in a state legislature in the United States. Danica Roem's new memoir, Burn The Page, is out now. Kate Kelly (who you also hear from in the…
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Janelle Monáe: The Queer Icon Has a Warning for The Future
Janelle Monáe (!!!) joins us to talk about her journey to becoming a queer icon, new music, and her debut book, The Memory Librarian. “One of the main points that’s super important is about the threat of censorship, memory censorship. Because as we know, memories are essentially our stories that…
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R. Eric Thomas: We Learn About Love By Loving Our Friends
Grab your best friend and give them the tightest possible hug: this episode is a celebration of platonic queer intimacy. R. Eric Thomas joins us to talk about being married to a pastor (it's fun!), the importance of queer community (also fun!), and his new YA novel, Kings of B'more. LGBTQ&A is...
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Karine Jean-Pierre: The Historic White House Press Secretary
As of today, a Black lesbian is now the voice and face of the United States government. Karine Jean-Pierre, the newest White House press secretary, joins us to talk about why there is a place for all of us in politics, no matter what you might think of as the typical background or narrative for a...
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Hugh Ryan: Will Change How You Think About Queer History
With his crucial new book, historian Hugh Ryan restores The Women's House of Detention to its rightful place in LGBTQ+ history. "It was one of the Village’s most famous landmarks: a meeting place for locals and a must-see site for adventurous tourists. And for tens of thousands of arrested women...
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Don Bachardy: His 33-Year Love Affair With Christopher Isherwood | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Don Bachardy talks about the 33-years he spent with Christopher Isherwood (author of A Single Man and The Berlin Stories, which became the musical, Cabaret) and what it was like being an out gay couple in the 50s and 60s. Born in 1934, Don has gone on to become of the most respected portrait...
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Shatzi Weisberger: The 91-Year-Old Death Educator | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Spoiler alert: You are going to die. Shatzi Weisberger works with people to dismantle their fears and worries around dying, helping them to approach their deaths with intentionality. A lifelong activist and former nurse, Shatzi was born in 1930. This is part of our new LGBTQ+ Elders Project.…
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Greg Louganis: This Is What HIV Looks Like | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
"When I was in the pool, HIV/AIDS didn't exist. That was a sanctuary for me. It was a place that I could go to, really to seek refuge from the stress of the HIV diagnosis." Four-time Olympic gold medal winner, Greg Louganis joins us to talk about his infamous concussion at the Seoul Olympics in...
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Alexandra Billings: Transgender Acting Legend | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Alexandra Billings is redefining what is possible for our community. Before making a name for herself in the Chicago theatre scene and landing her breakout role in the TV show, Transparent, Alexandra was a showgirl and sex worker struggling with addiction. "I ate, I breathed oxygen, I had sex…
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Tracey 'Africa' Norman: The Trailblazing Model | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
After being discovered at a casting for Italian Vogue, Tracey "Africa" Norman's modeling career skyrocketed. In 1975, she memorably appeared as the face on a box of Clairol hair dye sold in drugstores across the U.S. In the middle of this formidable rise, Tracey was outed while on a shoot for...
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Jamison Green: Where Are All The Trans Men? | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Jamison Green has spent his career fighting to make the healthcare world a safer, more accessible place for transgender people. He talks about the seeming invisibility of trans men, gives the best explanation I've ever heard for why people feel threatened by gender nonconformity, and talks about...
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Ruthie Berman: An Old-Fashioned Lesbian Love Story | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
Ruthie Berman shares her epic, decades-long love story with her wife, Connie Kurtz. She talks about how they fell in love in the 1970s, successfully sued the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits in 1988, and reflects on how much has and hasn't changed for LGBTQ+ people...
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Harvey Fierstein: Makes Broadway (And Queer) History | LGBTQ+ Elders Project
When Torch Song Trilogy opened on Broadway in 1982, Harvey Fierstein became the first and, at the time, only out gay leading man on Broadway. He made further history by winning the Tony Award for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy. One year later he won a third Tony Award…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
*Nominated for Outstanding Podcast at the GLAAD Awards* Weekly interviews with the most interesting LGBTQ+ people in the world. Recent guests include Laverne Cox, Janelle Monáe, Pete Buttigieg, Brandi Carlile, Alok Vaid-Menon, and Angela Davis. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters.
HOSTED BY
Jeffrey Masters
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does LGBTQ&A have?
LGBTQ&A currently has 274 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is LGBTQ&A about?
*Nominated for Outstanding Podcast at the GLAAD Awards* Weekly interviews with the most interesting LGBTQ+ people in the world. Recent guests include Laverne Cox, Janelle Monáe, Pete Buttigieg, Brandi Carlile, Alok Vaid-Menon, and Angela Davis. LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters.
How often does LGBTQ&A release new episodes?
LGBTQ&A publishes regularly with 274 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to LGBTQ&A?
You can listen to LGBTQ&A on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts LGBTQ&A?
LGBTQ&A is created and hosted by Jeffrey Masters.
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