Proudly on Record

Emily Clede (she/her) is an Emmy-winning, VMA-nominated producer, but before any of that, she was a homeschooled kid on an isolated Kansas farm. Her father worked with James Dobson and Focus on the Family, making anti-gay documentary content that used Emily and her siblings as unwitting participants from the time she was three years old.

In this episode, Emily opens up about growing up without the freedom to choose her own c...

Hannah Orsag (she/her) grew up as the eldest daughter of a Methodist preacher in North Georgia, fluent in scripture, leading worship, and doing everything right. But being perfect never actually felt like enough.

In this episode, Hannah walks us through her slow-burn deconstruction, from purity culture and a Christian summer camp that literally burned her shorts in a bonfire for being "immodest," to discovering her bisexuality thro...

Dan Shenk (he/him) grew up the son of Mennonite missionaries in Tanzania, East Africa, spent his teenage years boarding at a mission school, and later found himself ordained as a chaplain working inside Rikers Island and the Virginia State Penitentiary. But it's what happened next that defines his legacy: as a gay man coming into his own identity in 1980s New York City, Dan became one of the co-founders of what is now known as Bail...

Proudly On Record sits down with Spencer, who is a non-binary lesbian, YouTuber, and community builder who grew up in a conservative Eastern European country where queerness wasn't visible or discussed.

In this episode, they take us through the slow, nonlinear process of understanding their gender identity after immigrating to Canada as a teenager, encountering queer community for the first time, and eventually discovering trans...

Religious trauma is real abuse and it's time we stop letting it get minimized.

In this episode, Elise and Kari sit down for a candid conversation about the deep and lasting impact of religious trauma, why it maps almost perfectly onto CPTSD, and how the church runs the same narcissistic abuse cycle that keeps survivors stuck, confused, and doubting themselves for years.

They get into:

• Why religious trauma is still minimized
• Religio...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, we sit down with Angela (she,they), a 36-year-old from Houston, Texas, who shares their remarkable journey from charismatic Christian missionary to openly queer woman in recovery.

Angela talks about growing up in a non-denominational church where "God loves you no matter what" was the message, even as subtle signals told her being gay was something to hide. She takes us through her 18+ months li...

Pastor, educator, and queer theologian Stephen Lowe (he/they) joins us for a conversation about reclaiming Christianity from evangelical toxicity and finding liberation as a queer Anabaptist Christian.

Stephen grew up in a tight-knit Mennonite community in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, where his family had been rooted since the 1600s. As a queer, gender non-conforming pastor now serving in Appalachia, they share how falling in love ...

Writer and podcaster DL Mayfield (they/them) joins us to unpack the deep harms of religious authoritarian parenting and the legacy of evangelical culture in America. DL grew up as a homeschooled pastor's kid, deeply immersed in end-times theology and evangelical purity culture. As a late-diagnosed autistic, non-binary parent, they share how reading, parenthood, and listening to their own kids ultimately led them out of the faith an...

Vivian (she/her) is a Nigerian writer, singer, web designer, and queer activist working as a paralegal and first responder for STAG Initiative, a trans-focused NGO. Raised Catholic in an orphanage, she found her way to queer community through literature, social media, and underground gatherings, all while navigating a country where being LGBTQ+ is criminalized.

In this episode, Vivian pulls back the curtain on what queer life in Nig...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tanya Johnson (she/her), licensed mental health counselor, clinical supervisor, and counseling professor, for a deep dive into the psychology of religious trauma and high-control groups.

Dr. Johnson breaks down exactly how high-control religions use behavioral, emotional, thought, and information control to keep members compliant and disconnected from their own instincts.

In this episode we cove...

Dr. Lulu (Coach Udaku) is a queer Nigerian immigrant pediatrician, certified life coach, bestselling author, and advocate whose life defies every box society tries to put her in.

In this conversation, she opens up about her own decades-long journey to understanding her identity and how navigating faith, culture, immigration, and medicine shaped every step of the way.

Dr. Lulu shares the raw, unfiltered experience of learning her elde...

Biconic breaks down what it means to be an AFAB (assigned female at birth) drag queen in a space historically dominated by AMAB (assigned male at birth) performers, how she built her drag persona inspired by Ursula, and why she chose drag queen over drag king.

We talk about Texas's SB12 "drag ban", what it actually says, why it's deliberately vague, and how it's creating a climate of fear for performers and small businesses alike. B...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, we talk with Haley (she/her), a witchy, neurodivergent, queer single parent from Dallas, Texas, about religious trauma, evangelical deconstruction, purity culture, therapy, and reclaiming personal power.

Haley shares what it was like growing up in charismatic church spaces, being shaped by perfectionism and rigid Christian expectations, and learning how church culture taught her not to trust her...

A. Elise Joy joins Proudly on Record to talk about growing up queer in Alabama, surviving Mormon purity culture, and finding a lesbian awakening through The L Word.

The conversation also dives into Mormon purity culture, religious trauma, and deconstruction. Elise opens up about converting to Mormonism as a teenager, the shame and depression that followed church discipline around premarital sex, and the long process of leaving harm...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, the mic turns inward as host Elise is interviewed by cohost Kari about their own story.

Elise discusses growing up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist church, being homeschooled, and living in an environment shaped by extreme religious control, isolation, and fear-based messaging.

They share what it was like to be raised in a world where women wore long skirts, music and movies were heavily res...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, we sit down with Jess Grace Garcia, a queer Christian, polyamorous community builder, and co-host of Queer Consciousness, to talk about what its like being a trans-queer-poly pastor.

Jess shares their journey growing up in an evangelical, cult-like church environment and what it took to deconstruct those beliefs while still holding onto spirituality. We dive into what it means to be both queer a...

In this episode, we sit down with Arden Coutts (they/them), a queer trans author based in rural Nebraska who writes emotionally driven fiction centered on grief, resilience, found family, and queer identity. Arden shares their journey growing up in a small town, discovering their identity over time, and navigating life as a trans man in a rural community where LGBTQ+ resources and community spaces can be difficult to access.

Arden d...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, we continue our conversation with disability advocate, nurse, and creator Ryann “Ry” Mason (Chronically_Ry).

Ry shares what it is like living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder that affects collagen throughout the body and can cause joint dislocations, chronic pain, fatigue, and mobility challenges.

Ry talks about growing up hypermobile, becoming ...

In this episode of Proudly On Record, we sit down with Ryann “Ry” Mason to talk about what it was like growing up near Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Raised Methodist in the foothills of Appalachia, Ryann shares how she experienced church culture differently than many of her peers, while still feeling the powerful influence of evangelical politics and Liberty University’s presence in her hometown.

From ...