It seems that everyone has a podcast these days; it’s the great leveller. From Hollywood stars like Amy Poehler interviewing Carol Burnett, Jon Hamm & Viola Davis to dating advice from the host of ‘Naked Attraction’, it’s all there, including a queer little corner just for us. Actually, it’s not so little; there’s a ton of content hosted by and about LGBTQ+ folk, and here is a selection.

 

Bottoms Up! With Alan Carr and Lee Peart

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/bottoms-up-with-alan-carr-and-lee-peart/id1853058074

https://www.instagram.com/bottomsupshow/

https://www.instagram.com/chattyman/

https://www.instagram.com/itsleepeart/

Comedian Alan Carr is huge in the UK. The man doesn’t stop, and for good reason, he’s genuinely great at what he does. In this podcast, he’s joined by fellow queer comedian Lee Peart in a weekly journey through the world of wine (and the occasional gin). While this is sometimes just a device to listen to them banter, we genuinely get some great advice about what’s good in the world of wine with the help of experienced wine journalists and celebrity pals.

Alan Carr’s Life’s a Beach

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/alan-carrs-lifes-a-beach/id1550998864

https://www.instagram.com/lifesabeach.podcast/

Alan has another podcast, because of course he does. This is one he hosts alone and the device here is to interview a variety of celebrities about their holidays/vacations. They do mostly stay on topic, but really, this is a series of celebrity interviews, and they’re genuinely very funny. Alan can charm and engage with anyone from Mariah Carey and Jeff Goldblum to Mark Bonnar and Susie McCabe.

 

Queer Times

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/queer-times/id1808973034

https://www.instagram.com/queertimespod/

https://www.instagram.com/kristenbeckercomedy/

https://www.instagram.com/summerofsass/

https://www.instagram.com/harrisonfish/

With no celebrities and the comedic moments being incidental rather than the purpose, this podcast is from hosts Kristen Becker and Harrison Fish. Kristen is a comedian and the powerhouse behind Provincetown’s remarkable ‘Summer of Sass’  program (which Queerguru has had the pleasure of following since Day 1!)  and Harrison is her friend who recently relocated from Ptown to San Francisco.

Covering politics, sports, and popular culture on a weekly basis, this provides those of us from outside the United States with a snapshot of the queer experience in an increasingly right-wing environment. At times enraged, but always powerfully eloquent and incisive, the pair remain largely hopeful and always end each show with a positive story.

 

Like Minded Friends

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/like-minded-friends-with-tom-allen-suzi-ruffell/id1049741444

https://www.instagram.com/tomindeed/

https://www.instagram.com/suziruffellcomedy/

With a similar dynamic between the hosts of ‘Queer Times’, comedians Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell bring a show that is in no way political but rather a meandering, light-hearted, weekly catch-up between a pair of queer friends. This podcast has been going on for over 10 years, and it’s been lovely to join them as they navigate their personal and professional lives. The pair have not only excelled in their comedy careers but have also become best-selling authors and still find time to let us in on a little part of their lives.

 

Attitude Presents: Out with Suzi Ruffell

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/attitude-presents-out-with-suzi-ruffell/id1505466130

Getting into more serious territory, Suzi is the solo host of this podcast, where she interviews a diverse group of folk from the LGBTQ+ community. The show is that rare beast that gives voice to every part of our community and is especially important when we hear from people who we may never have come across before. Suzi’s first guest was Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black (who we have heard off AND interviewed see here !) one of her most recent was the creator and star of Smoggie Queens, Phil Dunning, but throughout the last few years Suzi has interviewed Zack Polanski (before he was famous), Juno Dawson, and the legend that is Lady Phyll (co-founder of UK Black Pride).

When We All Get to Heaven

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/when-we-all-get-to-heaven/id1848974503

https://bsky.app/profile/thislynne.bsky.social

As with some of your favourite television shows, many podcasts also come to us as a limited series. With host Lynne Gerber, this award-winning series of 10 episodes tells the story of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco through the medium of 1,200 recordings of sermons and memorials discovered in an archive. The series’ focus is on the height of the AIDS epidemic that claimed the lives of many hundreds of this gay inclusive church’s own members.  At times, this is a hard, very emotional listen, but it’s also hopeful and inspirational, and I feel we owe a duty to those no longer with us to listen and remember.

 

So I Got To Thinking

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-i-got-to-thinking-the-sex-and-the-city-podcast/id1477109732

https://www.instagram.com/sigttpodcast/

https://www.instagram.com/junodawson/

https://www.instagram.com/dylanbjonesldn/

From best-selling author Juno Dawson and journalist Dylan B. Jones, this podcast takes a deep dive into the beloved HBO series ‘Sex and the City’. Juno and Dylan dissect every episode of the original series with a diversion into season 3 of The White Lotus before diving into the divisive SATC sequel ‘And Just Like That’.  Pragmatic and hilarious, this podcast isn’t effusively gushing as it very openly addresses some of the occasionally dodgy plot choices and, now, in hindsight, iffy way in which it addressed (or didn’t) the diversity of a show set in one of the world’s largest and most diversely populated cities. I hope that one day they cover both SATC movies because I think that will be a fabulous listen, especially for SATC 2.

 

Welcome to Provincetown

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/welcome-to-provincetown/id1625366072

Whenever I feel the need for a mental trip to Ptown, I pop on this limited season podcast and I’m right back there. For one entire summer (of 2021), Mitra Kaboli followed the lives of several of the residents (Kristen, Qya, Ethan and Sonny, among others), of this queer idyll by the sea.  The descriptions, the sounds and the stories immediately transport you to this place that for many is heaven, but for some residents can sometimes be challenging.  We have hope, worry, joy, anguish, and celebration. All life is here. The series was recorded when COVID was still running rampant, so it’s an important historical document, and it’d be great if Mitra returned to Ptown in a few years to see what’s changed since the epidemic, and how it’s survived the current political administration.

 

The Art Colony

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-art-colony/id1838341439

https://www.instagram.com/gastonlacombe/

One of the great things about Provincetown resident Gaston Lacombe’s podcast, besides his having one of the most listenable, likeable voices, is that it isn’t just for those interested in traditional art.  Art here covers everything from painting and sculpture to performance and activism. But mainly, this show is about the people. The stories of how Gaston’s guests came to end up in Provincetown, and those who are regular visitors, may all begin differently, but they all end the same. These people found a community to belong to and become a part of. Listening to this podcast is like a meditation, highly recommended.

 

David Allen : Contributing Editor Originally from South Wales, David works as a Librarian in central London, which he commutes to from his home in Brighton that he shares with his partner Paul and cat Janet.  He’s recently completed his first novel (currently looking for an agent) and is making an optimistic start on his second.