Unshaming: Recent Episodes
Jordan Gonsalves
Unshaming highlights the silenced voices of society through storytelling. It's founded on the belief that shame exists because representation doesn’t. You'll hear the stories of people who have hidden themselves — now loudly visible. You should listen if you are fascinated by the perseverance of the human spirit. Hosted by Jordan Gonsalves. Season 3 premiers in February. #StayUnshaming with us at Instagram.com/unshaming and UnshamingPodcast.com. Tell us what you're unshaming at unshamingpodcast@gmail.com!
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The third episode of my new show, "But We Loved" with iHeartMedia. Here's the description: But We Loved is a new podcast that showcases the untold stories of queer history through intimate interviews with LGBTQ+ elders, who share their wisdom, their struggle, and — most importantly – their triumph. You'll learn queer history, but through the storytelling you'll feel like you were actually there.
Listen on:
- Apple
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
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The first episode of my new show, "But We Loved" with iHeartMedia. Here's the description: As a gay kid growing up Catholic, in conservative Texas, Jordan Gonsalves knew nothing about queer history. Now, as a journalist, he’s searching for the stories he craved when he was coming of age. Through intimate interviews with LGBTQ+ elders, Jordan uncovers the untold stories of queer history. And in the process, he discovers the role models he always needed and the wisdom they’ve been waiting to pass down.
Answering your sex & dating questions! Don't get too excited... you're getting #unshaming advice.
- Letter 1 — 3:56
- Letter 2 — 31:30
- Letter 3 — 47:21
Shenny De Los Angeles returns to the pod this episode. She is an actress, activist, and poet. Engage with her here.
- Shenny’s instagram:
- Shenny’s email where you can write to her: shennyangeles@gmail.com
StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. Email us your unshaming questions and stories at unshamingpodcast@gmail.com
Wtf does unshaming even mean?! We dive into it all in this episode. Nikila Cranage, host of Bad Behavior Podcast, joins the show.
In this episode, we reference Jor's unshaming journey. You can listen to his episode on the shame of being gay here. We also reference an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show about forgiveness — watch that here.
TW: this episode briefly touches on sexual abuse.
StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
A glimpse into the royal life of a prince...
Prince Manvendra's family is part of a 600 year dynasty in India. Learn more about him below:
- NY Times article
- Prince Manvendra on the Oprah Show
StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Unshaming returns in Fall 2021! You can #StayUnshaming with us instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. Join us for this powerful conversation with host Jordan Gonsalves on grief, intuition, validation from social media, and following your dreams.
Thank you for a fabulous Season 2. You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming.
This episode contains discussion around sexual abuse and suicide.
Victoria Lee is a fiction author, PhD Psychologist, and neuroscientist. She also lives with Psychotic Depression. Her work centers around representing people with mental illnesses as folks who have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. Her new novel, A Lesson in Vengeance. does just that.
If you or someone you know is being or has been sexually abused, and would like help, please find resources below:
- National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE
- Chat with a trained specialist RAINN.org
- Resources for survivors and allies
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
What's it like losing a core piece of your identity? Losing a core sense of belonging? Hair. In this episode, we explore these questions through the hair loss journey of Ronald Hinton, who documented his experience in the new documentary My Hair, My Rules.
You can stream My Hair, My Rules, here.
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
This episode contains candid descriptions of human rights violations against LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya. Listener discretion is advised. Tanya Lokshima is the associate director for Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, based in Moscow. She has extensively covered and exposed the human-rights abuses against LGBTQ+ people in Russia/Chechnya throughout her career. You can follow her work here.
Background information:
- New Yorker article exposing the anti-gay purges in Chechnya
- Welcome to Chechnya documentary
- Information on Halimat Tarmova
- Information on the Russian LGBT Network — the organization helping LGBTQ+ flee persecution
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
This episode contains candid descriptions of sexual abuse and child molestation — listener discretion is advised. In this episode, Shaun T tells his story of surviving child molestation by his mother’s boyfriend. He discusses how he forgave his abuser and ultimately learned to forgive himself. He also shares how his experiences made him a better partner, father, and person.
Shaun T is one of the most iconic fitness influencers in the world. His message of trust and believe has flourished into an entire brand that has impacted millions of lives.
If you or someone you know is being or has been sexually abused, and would like help, please find resources below:
- National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE
- Chat with a trained specialist RAINN.org
- Resources for survivors and allies
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
What’s it like recovering from a stroke where you lost everything? Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor shares her journey of how experiencing a near-death brain hemorrhage helped her achieve inner peace. Her new book “Whole Brain Living” describes how we can all achieve connectedness, love, and healing by training our brains.
Get connected with Dr. Jill below.
- watch her TED talk here
- watch her Oprah interview here
- purchase “Whole Brain Living"
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Why do we fear death and dying so much? What is it like to stare it in the face with a diagnosis of Cancer?
In this episode, children's author Sharon Frances and her partner Matthew Rodriguez openly discuss their personal experiences with Cancer. Sharon is a Breast Cancer survivor while Matthew lost his last wife to Throat Cancer. They are the co-founders of the Well Beings Studio, a non profit using the arts to help children with Cancer express themselves.
You can read their books here:
- Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
- Wet Wings: Poetry through Breast Cancer, By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
- Shifting with the Tides: Yoga Poems for All Ages, By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
- Scoops of Joy, By Matthew Rodriguez and Sharon Frances
References to Windows and Mirrors in children’s literature:
- Emily Seed, 1988, Curriculum as Window and Mirror
- Diversity in Children’s Literature with Windows and Mirrors
You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
This episode contains discussion around eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. Millions of men suffer from the pain of body image standards but rarely speak out due to the stigma of weakness attached to asking for help. In this episode, an Unshaming listener — Antonio Lombardi — shares his 20 year struggle with body image, eating disorders, and toxic masculinity.
If you or someone you know would like to receive help or information regarding eating disorders, please visit the links below.
- National Eating Disorder Association
- National Institute of Mental Health — Eating Disorders
Mentalhealth.org reports that 1 in 5 adults feels "disgusting" about their bodies. How do we break free from the toxic cycle of body shaming ourselves? How do we create peace with our body image? Allison Ross, eating and body image therapist and author of "Non-Dieting: How to Love your Body and Be Healthy in Diet Culture" discusses:
- the origins of body image issues
- body neutrality
- understanding the role of social media in our body image issues
You can support the show at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone
This episode contains explicit language around experiences with racial slurs. Tony Lee is a 27-year-old Asian-American journalist for NBC News. He has reported on COVID-19 and the rise in Anti-Asian hate attacks in depth. In this episode, he discusses his experiences growing up Asian-American in the United States, being fetishized as a gay Asian man, and the complexities of being an Asian-American journalist in 2021.
You can support the show at patron.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Episode Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone.
What is it like dismantling everything you believe in for your authentic self? In this episode, we explore the freedom and devastation that comes with relinquishing your former life. A letter from an Unshaming listener, this touching story about choosing yourself surrounds Anna Mouchref's decision to leave Islam. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Letter Author: Anna Mouchref
Episode Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone
Quan Huynh murdered another human being in gang related violence and was charged with second degree murder in 1999. He entered prison without remorse and left prison, a changed man. His story is not about his crime though — it's about his transformation during his 22 years in prison: humanizing himself as a person with grief, ambitions, and potential. He is the bestselling author of Sparrow in the Razor Wire: Finding Freedom from Within While Serving a Life Sentence. He now works as the senior post release program manager for Defy Ventures, a non profit helping those with a criminal past transform their lives through entrepreneurship. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Barb Zablotney was crowned Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2018. After a tragic car accident in 2007 that left her paralyzed from the waste down, she became a fierce advocate for women with disabilities. Although 61 million Americans live with a disability, why is that we know so little about this community? In this episode, Barb candidly shares how she navigates her daily routine, seeing friends, dating, and sex. She opens up about her own internalized ableism and how able bodied people can be more inclusive of folks with disabilities.
This episode contains graphic descriptions of Barb's car accident from 4:54 — 6:52.
StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
What exactly is failure and why are we so afraid to admit that we've experienced it? Even harder to admit, is that we're currently experiencing some kind of failure. But can our failures teach us something about who we are and what we need? In this episode, Jasper Soloff, a high profile Hollywood photographer opens up about how successes in one area of his life inevitably equate to failures in others. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
This episode contains frank discussion about mental and sexual trauma. The Brain and Behavior Research institute estimates that up to 1/20 Americans have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). If a person experiences 5/9 BPD symptoms, they can be diagnosed. In this episode Megan Brogdon speaks candidly about her BPD experience in an effort to end the stigma around living with a mental illness. You can learn more about BPD here. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
34 million Americans are low-income according to the US Census Bureau. What’s life like for them? In this episode, Xiomara Contreras shares her memories of growing up on food stamps and living in a home where she shared a twin bed. When she became a teenager, she was selected to attend a prestigious boarding school on scholarship and later graduated from Northwestern and accepted a job at Google — all the while going back and forth between these two worlds. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
This episode contains explicit language about sex and sex work. Host Jor Gonsalves interviews New York City Dominatrix Godess Talia. In what she describes as a career, she defines what a dominatrix is and discusses her business model, her clientele, and of course — her wildest stories. The mission of #Unshaming is to shine a light on communities that are otherwise silenced. The sex work community is no exception. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
A deeply underrepresented community: the people who take medication for their mental Illnesses. In this episode, we hear from health coach Claudia Canabal about her depression and decision to medicate for it. Claudia details her internal work to undo the "I'm not crazy" narrative and touches on fears of being medicated for life. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Can regret actually be productive? Why get stuck on things you can never change? Won't it lead to unhappiness? In this episode with poet/actress/activist Shenny De Los Angeles, we dive into all of these questions and debunk the idea that regret is negative. We explore the importance of regret and how it can be a tool to hold ourselves accountable.
Alisha Gomez-Shah, a 4-year student athlete alum from Northwestern University discusses the shame of being a queer athlete and how toxic masculinity affects everyone. How do we call people in vs call them out? How do we successfully stop homophobia that’s rooted in our systems? What even is a system? #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Sadasia McCutchen discusses how she overcame her shame of being a darker skinned black woman. She also explains her belief that your struggle is part of your ultimate path to finding and fulfilling your greatest purpose. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Trans entertainer Ivana Black tells the story of finding and unshaming her womanhood in a time when America's transphobia was rampant. She openly discusses her experiences with the black market and what womanhood means to her. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Erin Jorgensen has had four abortions and works for Shout Your Abortion, an organization dedicated to removing the stigma around abortion. In this episode she discusses how she unshamed her own abortions, the importance of representation in her community, and sense of belonging she found in telling her story proudly. If you'd like to learn more about abortion, visit Shout Your Abortion. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Haley Johnston shares her story of unshaming body image. During her time at UT Austin, she struggled with disordered eating and over-exercising which resulted in her missing her period for two years. Her journey to body love has included regaining her period but also a passion for women’s health and self-love. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
Host Jor Gonsalves takes us on his unshaming journey of being gay. Jor discusses the pain, the shame, the freedom, and the joy of his coming out story. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.
AIDS activist and health educator Jahlove Serano discusses his journey to unshame his HIV positive status: from being diagnosed at 15, running away from home, and dropping out of school in fear of others finding out to becoming the face of several global "end HIV" campaigns. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.