Episode 23 Transcript- Representation Matters

Megan: Welcome to Queers Next Door
Leigh: with your hosts Leigh and Megan.

M: We take the topics you care about:
L: sex, relationships, feminism, kink, social justice, and entertainment,
M: and look at them through a queer as fuck lens.
L: Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at Queers Next Door
M: and make sure to follow the blog at queersnextdoor.com.

L: Cheers, queers!
L: I have been doing a bunch of reading.
M: Mmhm.
L: And then watching “The Great British Bake Off.” (laughs0
M: I love that show.
L: I do too. That’s my reality TV I think. It’s just really calming and I feel like they’re real people
M: Mmhm.
L: so I feel less lonely, but also it just exists in, like, I don’t know I’m watching old ones, and they’re probably, like, five to ten years old anyway. And it also just exists completely outside of anything going on in the world.
M: Yeah.
L: And so I’m trying to- Because, like, I just, like, read and watch and listen to, like, heavy shit always. And so I’m trying to counteract that.
M: You need a break!
L: I know. So that’s what I’m trying to have my watching be because the other thing I watched this week was “LA 92.”
M: Oh, I watched that too.
L: Yeah. We could talk about it a little bit.
M: Yeah.
L: But yeah. So mostly British Bake Off and what else am I doing? Oh, and then I’m moving in a few weeks. So I have been, like, hardcore cleaning and organizeing and throwing shit way, which is one of my favorite things to do.
M: Oh, I love that. I love doing that.
L: Yeaahh. So what have you been doing to take care of yourself this week?
M: Well, this week was a big day for me.
L: Oh yeah.
M: It was June 16 is the day of my mom’s murder. So on the 15th well, I don’t think we’ve done a catch up in awhile because we recorded our last episode like a month ago, but…
L: Yeah.
M: So my partner’s mom passed away.
L: Yeah.
M: We went to Maryland to be there and attend a small service because of Covid. And then when we came home my partner had to get her wisdom teeth out and they were impacted. So she- It was, like…
L: Yeah.
M: It’s not the biggest deal but it was something that stressed me out and I was worried for her and we didn’t know what the recovery was gonna be like. So it was just a very intense few weeks with stuff going on with us.
L: Yeah.
M: So when her mom passed away, we had to find a dog sitter and go, like, the next day. And I have only met her mom two times
L: Okay.
M: but I loved her. And I’ve always said I wanted someone to call mom
L: Mmhm.
M: and, you know, like, a mother-in-law is always someone you would think possibly that could be the person. So anyways,
L: Yeah.
M: it was also Mother’s Day really recent and we sent a card and I called her mom in that card.
L: Awww.
M: Well, she never opened the package, so the package was in her room.
L: Okay.
M: And we opened it together and it was just, I don’t know, like, that, in a way I was grieving her loss because it was so new and the first thing I said, which I don’t think was the most supportive thing to say to my partner, but I said, “We both can’t have dead moms.”
L: Awww. That makes sense though that that would, yeah.
M: And I always think, like, you would think that having a dead mom would make you really supportive to people. But I actually feel it makes me the opposite to where I’ll just be like, there’s nothing to say or do. It’s horrible.
L: Yeah.
M: And so, it was just, like, being around fresh grief, it’s, like, reminds me of my own no matter what I do. So it’s either that I was already grieving so I didn’t feel as upset about my own mom or I was distracted.
L: Yeah.
M: But usually this whole month is just trash, like, I hate it all. And I didn’t feel that way until the 15th. And then that’s when things got a little dicey for me.
L: Okay.
M: And I think, we have our little book club WhatsApp group that I talk to you and like three others on and it was that day and I was watching “LA 92” and I realized, this probably isn’t the best thing to watch because it was,
L: Yes.
M: you know, Pretty violent. And then of course what happened to my mom was violent. So I tried to, like, stop while I was ahead and it was too late and I just started to, like, google stuff and I found that someone is selling a letter from my mom’s murderer and that made me, like, it just added to the intensity of the night. Like, I already couldn’t sleep. And I was trying to figure out what it was that was so hard to see about it. And I think it’s my boss who said, like, someone putting a price tag on something that is related to your mom is, like, is just gross.
L: Yeah. Right. Like, the information is out there if you look for it. That’s one thing, and that can still be, like, really uncomfortable, but when you take it to that space of, like, someone’s like commodifying it, like, (sighs) ugh.
M: Mmhm.
L: I mean, yeah, you sent me the screenshot of it or the link or whatever
M: Yeah.
L: and I get it. That made me feel sick when I saw it so I’m sorry that that’s something you kind of, you had to see right before
M: Yeah.
L: the day, yeah.
M: And it was just weird to see her words, like, I struggle with this a lot, especially with, like, you know, right now, wanting to, you know we’re all talking about, like, abolishing the police and prison system and stuff.
L: Mmhm.
M: And part of me, it’s like, she’s a human and she deserves rights.
L: Yeah.
M: But to hear her, like, talking about her normal life while she’s in prison, it’s still something I just don’t think about that much. So to hear anything she’s doing and to hear that she hopes she gets out in the next five to eight years, which I know is something. The parole hearing is gonna come and she might get out. It’s like, it just brings up so much stuff, you know.
L: Of course.
M: And so it’s a really hard thing. Because part of me, I don’t know. I just feel so conflicted about that.
L: Yeah.
M: So, anyways, all that long story to talk about what I’ve been doing to take care of myself is writing.
L: Yeah.
M: And so I actually have my own Patreon. I started it and I charge a dollar a month as the only option because it’s basically just a blog and I started it to do, like, cam girl advice or cam advice I could say, not cam girl advice.
L: Yeah.
M: Because I get that a lot. People wanting to know how to get into the adult industry or camming. And I figured, like, that’s a price that is doable for most people
L: Oh yeah.
M: because it’s not easy to get into. Most people have to buy a laptop and a webcam and all kinds of stuff, so it’s not like it’s cheap. And I also felt like the information was safer because of, like, employers and maybe like people that I wouldn’t want to see it. And I have done a lot of videos about that. And I have a lot of cam models but it’s more recently turned into just, like, “Hey, this is what I’m dealing with now.” I’m starting to write a memoir.
L: Yeah.
M: I’ve been taking courses on that, and it’s been very therapeutic. And so I just write there
L: Mmhm.
M: because I’m still not comfortable putting it, most of the stuff, like, I’ll talk about it here and there. But I’m not comfortable blogging so much about that yet.
L: Yeah.
M: Even for me to talk about the letter this way is a big deal because I try not to talk about the murderer.
L: Of course.
M: But I’m trying to, like, turn a new leaf with that. Because if I really do want to write a memoir I’m going to have to get over some of that.
L: Yeah.
M: So it’s been self-care to write about it. And it’s been nice. But it’s just been such a hectic few weeks. That’s why today when you were like, “Are you up for recording?” I’m like, “No, but I’m gonna do it anyways.”
Both: (laugh)
L: Totally.
M: Because it’s just been, like, I just feel like we can’t catch a break. And I’m, right now everything feels pretty good so I’m super afraid of, like, what’s gonna happen. Is something bad gonna happen? And my anxiety has been really bad.
L: Yeah.
M: So, but it’s been nice to write again.
L: I’m so proud of you. Yeah, that’s awesome.
M: We’ve both talked about wanting to blog. And I want to and I know you want to and, you know, not just for me
L: Yeah.
M: about murder stuff but anything, I would like to blog on Queers Next Door and our Patreon.
L: Yeah, me too.
M: So hopefully this will help to kind of- You know what I’ve been doing that you might like is writing sprints on YouTube.
L: Is what?
M: Writing sprints.
L: I don’t know what that means.
M: So you can look up writing sprints and people will be there on the camera and they’ll set a timer.
L: Oh, is it sort of like the Pomodoro technique, where you do, like, 20 minutes on. 5 minutes off.
M: Yes. But some will be on screen.
L: Okay, I have heard of that.
M: You could do it live or you could watch people’s replays.
L: Oh. Okay.
M: And it’s been so helpful. That is what makes me write. It’s like having the person there. Even, I watch replays most of the time.
L: Okay.
M: But having someone there and, like, it’s just, I don’t know, like having a work buddy that I don’t know. (laughs)
L: Yeah!
M: And it’s just been motivating to me.
L: That’s awesome. I did a- I just hit my nose against the microphone.
M: (laughs)
L: I did a workshop type thing, like a everybody-work-on-their-own-project, kind of weekend
M: Uh huh.
L: a couple years ago. And we did that, that 20 minutes on, 5 minutes off. And, like, I do really well with timers. And so I wasn’t, for that I was working on a presentation. So, like, my Polyamory 101 thing and it was really helpful to have that. So, cool.
M: We could even do that together. We could do like a FaceTime
L: Yeah!
M: or a Zoom or something. That would be fun.
L: Oh I would totally do that. Awesome! Well, yeah that seems like-
M:  So I’ve been trying to schedule that in once a week. That’s been helping me to write.
L: That’s great. Yeah, I’m sorry so much. I know that this time of year, if nothing happens is super shitty and stressful
M: (laughs)
L: also.
M: (sighs) Yeahh.
L: Yeah. Okay. Well today we were just gonna do another kind of, like, media/entertainment queer shit episode but with a special focus on, like, queer Black artists or TV or whatever. Media. Media’s the word I’m looking for. (laughs) I’m a little, my brain’s not amazing today. Yeah.
M: Yeah.
L: (laughs) Soo do you want to, I think you wanted to talk about some stuff that you’re, like, partaking in at the moment.
M: Yes. I have a list. I think there’s only, let’s see one, two, three. I only have four things, but
L: That’s okay.
M: it’s still a really good list. The first thing I want to talk about is you read this book too. Samantha Irby.
L: Yes!
MWow, No Thank You.
L: Yesss.
M: So I found Sam Irby, like, in 2012
L: Mmhm.
M: when I was married, which everyone knows ’cause I’ve talked about this a lot, what a horrible time that was. (laughs)
L: Yeah.
M: And I loved her. She has a blog called “bitchesgottaeat.”
L: Mmhm.
M: And I followed her on Instagram. And she’s just so funny. She’s hilarious. And so she wrote four books now. The last one being Wow, No Thank You. And we started a little queer book club on WhatsApp.
L: Yes.
M: I think we should keep doing that and we could invite listeners and stuff ’cause I think it’s a lot of fun.
L: It’s super fun! Yeah. I would love that. It’s nice to, yeah it’s nice to have, like, I’m in, you know, like five books clubs like a dummy, but it’s nice to have one that’s just, like, light.
M: Yeah.
L: Like, her stuff is just, it’s just so funny.
M: Yeah. So I really enjoy the fact that we only read one essay per week.
L: Yeahh.
M: And I just, I know you said it was like one of your favorite books. I just can’t get over how hilarious she is.
L: So funny.
M: And she talks about being married. She got married to her wife. I think it was kind of recent. I don’t really remember. She talks a lot about that.
L: She just had her anniversary. I think it was. I think they’ve been married for, like, five years, something like that. She just said it on her Instagram but I already forgot.
M: Oh my gosh! It’s been five years!?!
L: It was just her anniversary. It’s been awhile.
M: It feels like it’s been one year.
Both: (laugh)
L: But maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe that was when they got together not when they got married. It looked- I like briefly read a post and now I’m reading it back incorrectly.
M: Let me find her Instagram. I want to tell everyone what it is. Is is @bitchesgottaeat?
L: I think it’s actually @samirby but it might be @bitchesgottaeat. I don’t know.
M: It is @bitchesgottaeat.
L: Okay. Also-
M: So if you wanna follow her, @bitchesgottaeat.
L: Yes. Also highly recommend getting her daily newsletter “who’s on judge mathis [today],”
M: Yeah. (laughs)
L: which is literally the best part of my day lately. Also it totally doesn’t matter if you’ve ever watched Judge Mathis, but I have, and he’s hilarious.
Both: (laugh)
L: So I have, like, so I can hear his- So I haven’t watched it probably in 10 years, but when she talks through, I can just, like, hear his voice and that makes it even more fun.
M: Yeah, I love that. I love everything about her.
L: It’s so good.
M: I will always buy her books. I will subscribe to any newsletter she has. I will always check out her blog. I think everything about her is fantastic. (laughs)
L: Amazing. What have I been- So I actually just- So, for my, one of my book clubs, I haven’t started the book yet ’cause I just had book club this week. But we are going to be doing a book my Mia McKenzie. Do you know her?
M: No!
L: So she has, like, I think it a was blog first and then, like, a sort of imprint called- Oh yeah, it’s a blog. “Black Girl Dangerous.”
M: Mmhm.
L: You know, she’s a queer Black woman.
M: What’s her name? I’m gonna write it down while I’m-
L: It’s Mia
M: Mia
L: McKenzie
M: McKenzi]
L: Yeah. And so she was the winner of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award [for LGBT Debut Fiction], which is cool, which is like for queer writers. So I’m gonna be reading her novel The Summer We Got Free and I’m super psyched about it. I can’t say anything else about it, ’cause it’s on its way to my house, but I’m really excited. All I know is that it’s queer and that’s what my book club is. (laughs) Queer book club.
M: Yay! Queer!
L: It’s almost like that’s our theme or something.
M: Yeah. (laughs) Right? Okay. Just pressed save. We’re doing a new way of recording without out person who helps us, Dick, so I’m just announcing that to Leigh that I saved this cause we’re supposed to be doing that every 20 minutes, so
L: Oh, good.
M: maybe he’ll cut this out. Maybe he won’t. But we had some technical difficulties and I almost had to call you, Dick. So I know you’ll be hearing this. (laughs)
L: (laughs) Hi Dick.
M: We figured it out!
L: All I can think of when you do that is “My Favorite Murder” and them being like, “Steven! Cut that!” (laughs)
M: (laughs) Yeah.
L: Okay. Did you wanna- What else are you…reading, watching, et cetera?
M: Okay. The next book I’m super excited to tell you all about is called The Marked Ones: Uprising.
L: Mmhm.
M: It’s by TreVaughn Malik Roach-Carter and it’s science fiction.
L: Oh, cool.
M: So I have been really into, like, young adult paranormal and science fiction books.
L: Mmhm.
M: And I found this book online because someone was saying you don’t see enough queer Black books like this. And I was thinking how true that is.
L: Yeah.
M: So I just wanna read, I know I’m a dork and I always wanna read stuff.
L: Yeah, that’s okay.
M: I wanna read it in case anyone wants to read this book. It’s really, really good and I relate to it a lot and you’ll see why. Okay. It says, “Sixteen-year-old Sam and her older brother, Matty, are seemingly ordinary teens who have survived the unthinkable—witnessing their mother’s murder ten years earlier. But one day when they visit their grandmother in a care home, everything changes. After they learn their grandmother has been repeating the same strange phrase for days that forewarns of the demise of the world, a chain of events ultimately leads Sam and Matty to develop superhuman abilities. They also learn the identical marks on their skin are somehow connected to their mother’s murder. Now as the siblings are thrust into a power struggle between the organization trying to protect them, the extremists trying to destroy them, and the mysterious figure who has dangerous plans for them, neither has any idea that a secret is about to be revealed with the power to transform their lives forever.”
L: Oh, that sounds super rad.
M: It really, really is. And a lot these, like-
L: So have you read it or you’re reading it right now.
M: I’m reading it. I’m like halfway done.
L: Okay.
M: And it’s so good. I can’t stop. Like, I have not been able to read. I was just telling Sam, the person who does our transcriptions – Hi Sam – that
L: Hi Sam.
M: I talk to them every day. They’re like my best friend.
L: Mmhm.
M: And they know how much I love to read. And I have not been able to read at all. And this is the book that kind of got me back into wanting to read as an escape. It’s really, really good. I noticed a lot of these science fiction books start with, like, a murder or something.
L: Mmhm.
M: And so it’s always easy for me to identify with the characters.
L: Yeah.
M: And it’s really good. (laughs)
L: That’s awesome.
M: Maybe that should be our next book club one, even though I’ve already read it so it’s not fair.
L: I would totally do that. The other person that- I mean, the person that I think of when you say, like, Black queer science fiction
M: Mmhm.
L: is of course Octavia Butler.
M: Uh huh.
L: Have you read any of her stuff?
M: No but I’m gonna write it down.
L: So Adrienne Marie Brown, who’s, like, an awesome writer and activist, is, like, a huge Octavia Butler fan. So, like, her book Emergent Strategy talks a lot about, like, ideas from Butler’s work.
M: Mmhm.
L: And I have not read much. So I’ve read one of Octavia Butler’s books, which is called Kindred.
M: Mmhm.
L: And it is basically, like, a magical realism/sci-fi where a person, like, time travels between the modern day and then slavery.
M: Mmhm.
L: So a Black woman is pulled into, like, a setting where she’s an enslaved woman and then she’s pulled back into real life, and it’s like back and forth.
M: Oh wow.
L: It is incredibly, like, hard to read. obviously, but it’s really, really good. And I’ve heard only good things about her other work too.
M: Oh, that sounds really, really good.
L: It’s great. I like how I’m just, like, pausing while you write things down like we’re not on a podcast
M: (laughs)
L: right now. I’m like, “I’ll just sit here quietly while you write that down.” (laughs)
M: Take my notes. (laughs)
L: Oh my god. No, I would love to read that book though. That sounds awesome. When we were talking about, just like, “What’s some Black queer media we really like?,” I was thinking a lot about, like, TV specifically
M: Mmhm.
L: and like either TV shows or TV characters ’cause I know I’ve talked about how I love “How to Get Away With Murder”
M: Mmhm.
L: and why, like, Annalise is, like, a character that is just pretty amazing for being on TV because she’s like a powerful Black woman. Like, she’s a lawyer and a profess and she’s over 50 and she, like, openly bisexual and, like, so yeah. So that’s, like, one character that…I don’t want to say I like her because she’s terrible just like every other person on that show. (laughs) But she’s also amazing and super complicated. But then another person that I was thinking of- Did you- I can’t remember now if you ended up watching the new L Word or not.
M: No, I didn’t.
L: You didn’t.
M: I’m still on, like, season two of the other one, the old one.
L: Okay.
M: I can’t watch things until I watch them again. So I will not watch it ’til I get all the way through the old one, which who knows, that might be like, three years from now. (laughs)
L: That is okay. Well, the only- I will not give anything away. I mean, The L Word also has queer Black characters, but I don’t know. The L Word is notoriously not good at dealing with anything except for cis White women.
M: Mmhm.
L: So they’re sort of problematic on race. I would say Gen Q’s a little bit better. But there is a character who is Afro-Latina
M: Mmhm.
L: named Sophie and she is, like, far and away my favorite character on the new one, but I won’t give it away. She works for Alice. So she’s like younger. Yeah.
M: Okay.
L: That’s all I’m gonna say about that.
M: I wrote both of those down.
L: Another, like, so Aziz Ansari got, like, cancelled a couple years ago (laughs)
M: Uh huh.
L: for being, like, for being real creepy and, like, coercive in a sexual encounter. So that’s very important to point out here. But he had that TV show “Master of None.”
M: Mmhm.
L: I don’t know if you watched it or not. It was excellent and I don’t know. I think it’s okay for things to be excellent even if the people who made them were whatever. But the part I want to talk about is his best friend on the show is played Lena Waithe.
M: Mmhm.
L: And she also did some writing. And she wrote a coming out episode, which is basically, like, flashes back to when they were teenagers and then, like, goes through different points in their life and shows, like, you know basically, like, her coming out in a specifically, like, Black family and how they reacted. And it’s a beautiful piece of television. It’s a Thanksgiving episode.
M: I haven’t watched that. I knew about that episode but because I don’t watch things out of order I haven’t watched it yet.
L: Not that it really matters but “Master of None” kind of focuses- Like each- There is an overarching storyline but, like, only barely.
M: So you’re saying I should just watch it and it will be okay.
L: You should watch it. I would say just watch it because honestly her character doesn’t get enough credit
M: Mmhm.
L: and also it, like, a lot of episodes are kind of, like, conceptual so it really doesn’t matter.
M: I knew that she wrote an episode and I knew that it was the Thanksgiving one
L: Mmhm.
M: but I, like I said, I haven’t seen it. But I really want to. So is that like an easy watch or is it hard?
L: I think it’s medium.
M: Okay. So it’s something I could watch before bed.
L: Yes.
M: Okay. Then I’ll watch it.
L: It’s really good. And, you know, if we’re gonna talk about, like, one episode where you don’t watch everything else, I of course am also gonna recommend the “San Junipero” episode of “Black Mirror.” Do you know what that is at all?
M: No.
L: Do you what “Black Mirror” is?
M: I’ve heard of it.
L: “Black Mirror” is, like, dystopian British, like, it’s not- Every episode is freestanding. And people really like it. I find it too upsetting to watch, which takes a lot for me. And I won’t go into an entire reason why. I just find it, like, extremely upsetting. Well one of the reasons is they kill children a lot on the show.
M: Oh my gosh.
L: Like way- I was gonna say way more than you need to but I don’t- We could argue that you don’t need to kill children in television shows. Either way, there is one episode and it’s like an interracial lesbian relationship done in a sci-fi way, set in the ’80s, that is one of the sweetest, most charming episodes of television. All the queers like it. So if you’re listening, you’ve probably seen it. But if you haven’t, it’s the “San Junipero” episode. I don’t know, like, what season [3] or any of that, but we could find it.
M: Yeah.
L: What else are you watching or into?
M: Okay, the next thing I want to talk about is a podcast called “Ya Gay Aunties.” It’s really, really good. It’s by Red and Hanifah.
L: Okay.
M: I was just trying to find their little tagline.
L: I don’t know them.
M: They talk about digging for jems and they’ll talk about, I don’t know, like, it’s really, really good. They are, like, I guess in their late 40s.
L: Okay.
M: And so they talk about, like, having a gay aunt to give you advice.
L: Oh, I love it!
M: Yeah. I just subscribed to their Patreon.
L: Nice.
M: And they go live, like, I think it’s every Sunday. They do live on YouTube and they record podcasts every week. And I was listening to it. So I have a hard time listening to podcasts. I sometimes don’t even listen to our own. (laughs)
L: (laughs)
M:  Because I have this, like, since I haven’t been driving since the Covid stuff, to work.
L: Yeah.
M: And I work when I go to an office. It’s like really far away, it’s like 90 miles. So that’s my podcast time. But when I try to listen to podcasts at home, I feel like I’m having, like, sensory overload.
L: Okay.
M: But lately I’ve been driving a little bit more around to do errands and stuff and, like, over the- When my partner got her wisdom teeth out, we had to drive to Huntington Beach.
L: Mmhm.
M: So I took that time to listen, to catch up. And I heard the last episode, I think, of “Ya Gay Aunties.” They talked about protesting and what it was like for them, although they- I don’t think- They said they didn’t go to the protests recently but
L: Okay.
M: they were like handing the baton off.
L: Yeah.
M: But they talked about being at other protests and what it’s like and how White allies can really do harm when they’re meaning to do good. And so I thought that was, like, a really good perspective for me as a White person to hear. And they also did- They do poetry. And just so many good things. And the last one they did poetry about masculine presenting lesbians and it made me cry. It was so beautiful.
L: Awww.
M: I reposted it on Queers Next Door. So it just made me tear up. I think they are really entertaining and funny but they also talk about serious issues. And you can ask them questions and they will respond to you as if, you know, they were your gay aunties.
L: I love it. That’s amazing!
M: So for young queer people, yeah. They talk about having a different worldview than, like, the millennials or Gen X. Wait, is that what it- Gen X?
L: They would be Gen X if they’re in they’re 40s.
M: Okay, what is it called after millennials?
L: Millennials are next.
M: And then something else.
L:  Oh, zoomers. (laughs)
M: I don’t know.
L: Gen Z. The Zoom-
M: Gen Z! Gen Z! That’s what I’m looking for.
L: Right. Yeah. They’re don’t even- We don’t even have a name for them yet ’cause they’re BBs.
M: Okay.
L: But yeah, I guess they do need a name now because millennials are, like, in their 30s.
M: Yeah! I’m a millennial, right?
L: You are. I’m not.
M: And what are you? You’re Gen-
L: I mean, I’m at the end of Gen X.
M: Okay.
L: There’s varying opinions on when Gen X starts but almost every opinion has it at the very earliest, or that it ends in, like, 1980. So it ends somewhere between ’80 and ’84 and I was born in ’79. So, yeah. I’m basically like an elder millennial or baby Gen X or…
M: I think of us as, like, people’s queer moms.
L: I was gonna say, well if talking, like, if it’s, like, queer women in their late 40s, like, I’m sure that- I mean that’s not that far from me. So I’m curious how, like, similar or different their perspective is.
M: Mmhm.
L: Yeah, I’ll totally check that out. Speaking of being a Gen Xer. I know that, like, last time we talked about queer movies one of the times. I always have a bunch of 90s media for you. And I realize that there is a 90s movie- I mean, it’s not- It has a queer character. It’s not like super – Actually, it is super gay – that I just always forget about.
(faint music playing in background on Megan’s end)
B: Have you ever seen “Set It Off?”
M: Oh my gosh. I’m playing something sorry.
L: I was like, yeah, are you playing guitar?
M:  I’m playing piano. (laughs)
L: Oh my god.
M: Sorry. “Set It Off?” No. I’ve never
L: “Set It Off.”
M: heard of that.
L: Okay. It’s from the mid-’90s. And it is a group of women decide to rob a bank and, like, they all have different reasons, but it’s basically, like, toward financial independence, and fuck The Man. I honestly don’t remember a ton about it but I know I loved it. But it’s a group of, I think it’s like four Black women. But most importantly Queen Latifah plays a butch lesbian.
M: Oh really?
L: Yeah, it’s great. It also has a really excellent soundtrack.
M: Oooh, I’ll look it up on Spotify.
L: And I want to say that, is Jada in it too? I have to look, but I think so. Now I gotta see. We’ll keep talking but I gotta see who all was in it because I did figure that maybe you hadn’t seen it.
M: Of course I haven’t. I haven’t seen many things.
L: Oh! Oh! Oh! Yeah! So it’s Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise.
M: Nice! That’s an awesome cast.
L: It really is. And it’s written by a woman, which is awesome. And yeah. It’s a crime action heist film. So if you like a heist film, which, who doesn’t?
M: Yeah. Who doesn’t?
L: High recommend.
M: I’ll have to check that out. I always makes lists. Every time you talk to me about something, I write it down. But I’m really going to watch the Thanksgiving episode soon.
L: Yeah!
M: So hold me to that because I’m sure I’m gonna love it.
L: I mean the good thing about that is, like, it’s 40 minutes or whatever, you know. Or 25 minutes. I don’t even know. So it’s not the same as, like, committing to, like, starting a whole new series.
M: Mmhm.
L: Although, one more thing that’s, like, on now is- Do you watch Queer Eye at all?
M: No.
L: Okay. Queer Eye is very sweet and very charming and it’s worth a shout out to Karamo, who is the Black guy on it, who is, like, the sweetest, most lovely human being and just has, like- I think when you talk about, like, non-toxic masculinity, he has, like, a really awesome, like, way of talking about and way of, like, existing as a man in the world. I don’t know. That’s not, like, a good way to put things.
M: (laughs)
L: He’s the culture guy, you know, so he’s not, like, one of the, like, he’s not like design or fashion or whatever. He’s, like, culture so he’s usually the one that’s sitting people down and talking to them about their feelings. And he’s just really excellent at that. And I don’t know. He models a really awesome kind of masculinity that we don’t see enough of. So of course he’s gay because-
M: Because of course.
L: Let’s just remind everybody that straight guys are garbage.
M: (laughs)
L: I’m kidding.  (laughs)I’m not kidding. What else? I feel like you had another
M: You want to hear the last one on my list?
L:  thing you were gonna tell me about. Yeah.
M: Okay. So I’m not sure if she’s queer
L: Okay.
M: because she doesn’t talk about, like, relationship stuff.
L: Okay.
M: But I love YouTube. I love the Dollar Tree. So I’m telling- I’m not kidding you that I watch Dollar Tree unboxing videos, like, every week.
L: That is not surprising to me at all.
M: (laughs) This is how I found Weightless Wendy.
L: Okay.
M: And I think she’s amazing. She does like planning video, like the planner community, which is whole thing that I’m not into yet but I probably will be because of Weightless Wendy. She does plus size
L: You mean planner, like, organizing,
M: Yes
L: like bullet journal planner stuff.
M: Mmhm.
L: Okay.
M: She does Dollar Tree unboxing, I mean not unboxing, Dollar Tree Hauls.
L: Okay.
M: She does plus size fashion hauls where she’ll try stuff on. She does videos about how to take care of your body, like, as a plus size woman. And so many people, myself included, commented, like, “I’ve never heard anyone talk about this and this is amazing.”
L: Oh, that’s cool.
M: And she talks about, like, the vitamins she takes and just, like, all kinds of really good stuff. So I had to shout her out. I watch her YouTube every time a new video comes out so we’ll definitely link to her channel.
L: Awesome! Okay, yeah. I don’t know a whole lot about different YouTube celebrities so that’s cool.
M: Yeah. I’ve really been into makeup and YouTube and Dollar Tree (laughs) since this whole quarantine thing
L: I think that’s so cute.
M: has been in effect, because the Dollar Tree sells groceries and they have the best popsicles
L: Ooooh.
M: and tortilla chips and they have green tea and just, they have, I could, we could do a whole episode about the Dollar Tree but we won’t. But when I’m there I’ll also checkout makeup. And they have really good makeup for a dollar.
L: That’s awesome!
M: So if you want to get into makeup and play with make, start there. You don’t have to buy the expensive palletes. Just buy the colors from the Dollar Tree. So that’s how I got into that. Sorry I went off on a little tangent about how much I love YouTube and the Dollar Tree.
L: No, I love it.
Both: (laugh)
L: No, it’s amazing. That’s awesome. So, yeah, I don’t know how long we’ve been recording.
M: It’s been 40 minutes.
L: 40 minutes?
M: Yeah.
L: That seems like a good amount of time.
M: Yeah! I think we did good.
L: Yeah. There’s obviously, like, we could name a bazillion, like, Black queer artists. But yeah, we just wanted to talk a little about some things we liked or some things that we’re currently reading, watching, listening to. Yeah.
M: Well we mentioned 12 things so that’s a good even number.
L: Nice. I’m so glad that you take notes and I just sit in my room. Like, it got dark while we were doing this so I have no lights so I’m just, like, sitting in the dark in my room
M: (laughs)
L: like a dummy.
M: (laughs)
L: So yeah. Well, thank you everyone.
M: Thanks for listening.
L: Okay bye.
M: We’ll see you next time! Take care of yourselves and all that good stuff.
L: See you next time. Black Lives Matter. Fuck the police.
M: Yes. You always have to say that. I love your voice saying that.
L: (laughs)
M: I hope that didn’t sound creepy. Sorry. (laughs)
L: (laughs)
M: “I love your voice saying that.” (laughs)
L: Is it because you didn’t know before what it would sound like if a cartoon mouse said, “Fuck the police,” and now you do. And you’re like, “Awwww.”
M: Well because you’ve said it a few times so it’s like the best when it comes from you.
L: (laughs)
M: Just like how you have to say, “queer cuts” when we do our Patreon podcast.
L: Totally.
M: There are certain things you have to say every time and that’s one of them so thank you.
L: I- I- I- You’re welcome. (laughs)
M: (laughs) Okay bye.
L: Thanks for listening to Queers Next Door. We hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
M: If you like what we’re doing, join the Queers Next Door fan club at patreon.com/queersnextdoor to receive all of our exclusive content, and we’ll mail you a fun little surprise. You can find the link on our blog queersnextdoor.com. Cheers, queers!

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