Outward: Slate's LGBTQ podcast

Outward: Slate's LGBTQ podcast

Outward, Slate's queer podcast, is a whip-smart monthly salon in which hosts and guests deepen the audience’s understanding of queer culture and politics, delight them with unexpected perspectives, and invite listeners into a colorful conversation about the issues animating LGBTQ communities.

Episodes

April 23, 2025 44 mins
This week, Bryan Lowder is joined by Hope Giselle and Dr. David Johns to discuss Iowa’s recent decision to strip trans people of key legal protections, making it legal to discriminate based on gender identity. They explore the broader implications of this rollback, drawing parallels to the historical dismantling of rights during Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow. They discuss what this moment means for the future of trans rig...
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In this episode, Christina Cauterucci speaks with Zein Murib, Fordham professor and author of Terms of Exclusion: Rightful Citizenship Claims and the Construction of LGBT Political Identity, about the historical roots of the marginalization of trans and bi people in the gay rights movement. Zein, who recently wrote the Slate piece "Why Are Trans People Such an Easy Political Target? " breaks down how the movement’s focus on a narro...
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Christina Cauterucci speaks with Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride, about the goals and challenges of organizing Pride this year amid the corporate retreat from LGBTQ+ issues. They discuss the current political climate, how corporate sponsorship shapes the event, and how to maintain visibility and safety without losing political urgency.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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In this episode, Christina Cauterucci and Jules Gill-Peterson discuss Christina’s latest Slate article, The New Lavender Scare, which highlights the experiences of queer and trans federal employees grappling with the threat of retaliation, job loss, and a chilling political climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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In this episode of Outward, Jules Gill-Peterson sits down with Colby Gordon to talk about his new book, Glorious Bodies: Trans Theology and Renaissance Literature. Gordon digs into early modern religious texts that, instead of rejecting trans existence, actually provided ways to think about gender transformation—socially, surgically, and theologically. They explore what Shakespeare, Milton, and other writers had to say about gender...
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March 19, 2025 46 mins
A gun won’t make you safer, but it will pull you into America’s deep-seated obsession with armed individualism. This week, Bryan, Christina, and Jules dig into The Washington Post’s “The Trans Americans Turning to Guns for Protection” and Defector’s “Don't Buy a Gun, Even If It Comes in Rainbow” to unpack the recent interest around queer gun ownership—and why safety has never really been the point of gun culture. Learn more about y...
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This week, Bryan Lowder sits down with activist and author Dean Spade to discuss his latest book, Love in a F*cked Up World. Together, they unpack how capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy shape our desires, the pitfalls of the “relationship escalator,” and why collective care might be the most radical love of all. From breaking free of toxic relationship scripts to reimagining intimacy beyond hierarchy and control, this conv...
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This week on Outward, host Christina Cauterucci talks to historian Rebecca Scofield about the new book, Slapping Leather: Queer Cowfolx at the Gay Rodeo. From rhinestone-studded chaps to the hard-won battles for inclusion, they explore how queer cowboys and cowgirls carved out space in the rodeo circuit, the gender politics at play in this community, and how the AIDS crisis shaped its trajectory. Plus, they dig into the current res...
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Bryan Lowder sits down with journalist Nico Lang to discuss their recent article for Slate It Was Never About Protecting Kids on Trump’s Executive Order restricting gender-affirming care for minors. They examine how the administration is using “child protection” rhetoric as a cover for anti-trans policies, the real-world impact on trans youth and their families, and the history of this political strategy. Learn more about your ad c...
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In this episode, Bryan Lowder and Christina Cauterucci sit down with ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio to unpack the strategy behind the latest legal fights over trans healthcare, passports, and military service. They explore how the language of Trump’s executive orders are more overtly cruel than his last administration, what this progression signals policy-wise, and how we can think about the road ahead for caring and protecting each ot...
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February 12, 2025 34 mins
In this episode, Christina Cauterucci speaks with Sasha Buchert, Counsel and Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Director at Lambda Legal, and Geirid Morgan, a trans lieutenant commander in the Navy, about the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. Sasha walks us through Lambda Legal’s case challenging the ban and the broader constitutional implications, while Geirid shares her personal exper...
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February 5, 2025 45 mins
This week, Jules Gill-Peterson sits down with Owen Dempsey, the founder of Quest Healing House, a post-op recovery home providing safe, affordable lodging and wraparound support for transmasculine people. They discuss how Quest House, began, the urgent need for trans-led recovery spaces, and how the project has grown to meet community needs. Dempsey shares their vision for a future where no trans person has to heal alone—and why it...
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Bryan, Jules, and Christina take on the troubling transphobia in Emilia Pérez, the movie that has received 13 Oscar nominations this awards season. They explore why it’s heavily nominated in this political climate. They also unpack the backlash to the film and the backlash to that backlash, exploring why some defend Emilia Pérez despite its flaws. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Host Christina Cauterucci sits down with WIRED senior writer Kate Knibbs to unpack Meta’s alarming internal shifts, including its embrace of right-wing ideologies, the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the policy changes that permit hate speech against gay and trans people. Together, they discuss why these changes are happening, how they align with broader political trends, and what it all signals ...
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This we’re diving into the delightful chaos of queer life with an advice-packed episode! Bryan, Christina, and our guest host Outward Producer Palace Shaw, tackle the perplexing world of bisexual dads navigating dating apps, strategies for dealing with transphobic relatives during family gatherings, the dos and don’ts of art-gifting etiquette, and whether to make a messy disclosure to new partners. Learn more about your ad choices....
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Bryan Lowder talks with writer and scholar Lucas Wilson about his new book, Shame Sex: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy. They chat about Wilson’s experience navigating same-sex attraction while on an evangelical path, experiencing conversion therapy, and the complicated relationships he experienced along the way. He also shares powerful stories from other survivors and explores the enduring harm of these practices, offering...
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January 1, 2025 59 mins
This week, we’re excited to share an episode of Death, Sex & Money with Anna Sale. In this conversation, Anna talks with Jeff Hiller, the gay actor known for his role in Somebody Somewhere. Jeff shares insights on his career, navigating faith and queerness, and finding joy in adulthood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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This week, Christina Cauterucci and Bryan Lowder are joined by guest host Jeff Bloomer to discuss the new film Queer from director Luca Guadagnino based on William S. Burroughs’ groundbreaking novel of the same name. They explore the themes of desire, alienation, and the director’s approach to queer intimacy- and most importantly whether the sex scenes deliver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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This week, Christina Cauterucci explores the intimate connections between queer identity and the natural world with Bryn Mawr professor Kate Thomas. In this episode, we journey through the lives of Florence Blood and Princess Ghika, two enigmatic lesbians who found self-expression, love, and freedom renovating their Italian Renaissance estate at the turn of the 20th century- creating an enchanting landscape to host lesbian artists ...
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This week, Bryan Lowder chats with Michael Andor Brodeur, author of Swole: The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle, to unpack the complex intersections of fitness, masculinity, and queer identity. From the sweaty intimacy of the gym to the charged symbolism of muscle, Brodeur examines how bodies become sites of desire, power, and transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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