Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride: Recent Episodes
Spirit and Pride
This podcast will discuss the intersection of religion and gender and sexuality. Spirit and Pride is an initiative at Elon University that is grant-funded and a collaboration between the Gender and LGBTQIA Center and Truitt Center.
This podcast was originally created and hosted by Lily Kays '23 and Anna Ditesheim'22 and edited by Hayley Loftus.
In the third episode of the new season, host Mercedes Ruiz chats with Rabbi Maor Greene, an Elon University Chaplain and mentor to the Spirit and Pride Initiative. Rabbi Maor shares their experiences as a nonbinary Chaplain supporting Jewish students and other spiritual identities on campus.
In the second episode of the new season, host Mercedes Ruiz chats with Ivy Blue, an Elon staff member and mentor to the Spirit and Pride Initiative. Ivy shares her experiences as a Unitarian Universalist navigating LGBTQIA spaces, and the support she provides to students at Elon University.
In the new season's first episode, host Mercedes Ruiz introduces herself and the Spirit and Pride initiative at Elon University. Then, she chats with Georgia "Bo" Bontempo, an Elon Junior from Charlotte, NC. Georgia shares their experiences as a Catholic navigating LGBTQIA space, and the support she has found at Catholic Campus Ministry at Elon.
In this episode of Queer and Divine, host Lily Kays sits down with Emily DeMaioNewton to discuss their experience with queer identity. Emily is a writer and amateur dancer who writes about queerness, autism, dance, and the intersections of these topics. Find them on TikTok @emilydmn or Twitter @emilygracedmn.
In this episode, guest Faith Minor sits down with host Lily Kays to discuss the intersection between the Trans and Jewish experience. Faith is a junior at Elon University, majoring in Middle Grades Education and is currently researching Transgender and Jewish studies.
Adrian Cardwell is a full-time actor who specializes in improv education. He is the former host of the Doctrine Detox podcast, which focuses on religion and deconversion. More on Adrian can be found on his Instagram, @adrianmcardwell.
Dani is a junior at Elon majoring in Education with minors in African/African American Studies and Environmental Education. In this episode of Queer and Divine, she talks about her sister, her hometown, and her journey to discover her spirituality and sexuality.
In our second episode, Jenna Weber joins host Lily Kays to discuss growing up in a Conservative Christian household, feeling the pressures of heteronormativity, relationships, and navigating her identity.
In Queer and Divine: A Conversation with Spirit and Pride's first episode back for season two, host Lily Kays sits down with our newest intern, Virginia Beall to discuss a little bit about herself, her excitement for the upcoming year, and TERFs in writing.
In the second episode of our intern-highlighting series, host Lily Kays sits with Maria Guadarrama Hernandez, a first-year Spirit and Pride intern. Maria and Lily discuss Maria's projects with Spirit and Pride, a little bit about who she is, and her unique experience with sexuality and religion thus far.
In the first episode of 2021, host Lily Kays sits down with Hayley Loftus, another Spirit and Pride intern, to talk about Hayley's role with Spirit and Pride, how the program impacts her, and upcoming goals for the new year.
In Queer and Divine's final episode of 2020, host Lily Kays sits down with Elon student Paige Wilson to discuss her life growing up as a preacher's daughter, Queer representation, and her coming out story which included the phrase, "You may want to to turn off Jeopardy for this." She touches on her relationship with God and how it has grown since she came out. Funny, genuine, and well-versed, Paige brings truthful and honest conversation to the Queer and Divine podcast.
In the seventh episode of Queer and Divine, host Anna Ditesheim is joined by Elon junior Tori Lynch. Join Anna and Tori as they discuss Tori's Catholic upbringing, the ever-changing discovery of sexuality, finding solace in the unknown path of figuring out one's religion/spirituality, and the beautiful experience of creating chosen family.
In this week's episode of Queer and Divine, Elon senior, Lauren Memery, joins host Lily Kays to discuss her experience in a Christian school, living in the Bible Belt, her awakening to her sexuality, and her coming out process. She also discusses where she currently stands in her religious journey and her current sexual orientation.
In the fifth episode of Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride, host Anna Ditesheim is joined by guest Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Associate Chaplin for Jewish Life and Senior Jewish Educator of Hillel at Elon University. Listen in to hear about Rabbi Sandra's experience navigating sexuality, diversifying her congregation, Black Lives Matter in Judaism, connecting to people during a pandemic, and so much more!
In the fourth episode of Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride, hosts Anna Ditesheim and Lily Kays are joined by Kellum Thompson. Tune in to hear about Kellum's experience navigating his gender as a transman through his Jewish upbringing.
In this week's episode of Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride, host Lily Kays is joined by Adam Plant to discuss his experience as a trans man in the Divinity School, his work within the ministry, and his work as an actor in the performing arts. Discussions of Judeo-Christianity and the work Adam has done within this area, as well as Naming ceremonies and their importance within the Trans Community will be touched on.
** CW Violence and suicide are discussed from 12:00-12:45 in this episode.**
In the second episode of Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride, hosts Anna Ditesheim and Lily Kays are joined by Dr. Lynn Huber, a religious studies professor at Elon, author, and Queer woman. Tune in to hear how Lynn has navigated the complex relationship between Christianity and sexuality.
In the first episode of Queer and Divine: Conversations with Spirit and Pride, hosts Lily Kays and Anna Ditesheim discuss their own coming out stories, growing up in the south, and what Spirit and Pride means to them.