Coming Out + Beyond | LGBTQIA+ Stories: Recent Episodes
Anne-Marie Zanzal
I share the stories of people who are coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. These stories are compelling, heartbreaking and inspirational. I started this podcast because we need to normalize exploration of sexuality/gender at all ages, plus visibility is vital to the LGBTQIA+ community. It is never too late to be who we were created to be. My guests prove that.
I am an ordained minister, bereavement counselor, conversationalist, spiritual wanderer, later-in-life lesbian, change maker, blogger, author, a northerner living in the south and trying to figure it all out.
"The Catalyst Chapter: #For WLW Navigating Love's First Chapter and Beyond" Learn more about the course and register at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/#catalystrelationship
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples": A course for building better communication and strong relationships. https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
❤️The Best Tool For Change? Love! - Part 2
This week, we're back with part 2 of Anne-Marie's engaging conversation with author and transformation coach, David Cunningham. If you haven't watched part 1, do yourself a favor, go back and give it a listen, as it's where David drops several gold nuggets of wisdom about love, self-love, and shares his coming out story.
In part 2, Anne-Marie and David dig even deeper into themes of love, forgiveness, and leading a values-oriented life. David shares about how to lead with love while we're experiencing difficult emotions, shares perspective on separating our core sense of self from our emotions, how mindfulness about our values informs our behaviors, and explains why the quality of our life is never dependent on another. David also shares why he recently sent a copy of his book to every single member of Congress! This episode is a fantastic conclusion to a very compelling conversation that you won't want to miss.
Connect with David on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidCunninghamAuthor
Learn more about David's work and his book, 'Your Love Does Matter,' at https://www.yourlovedoesmatter.com/
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
❤️ The distinction between how we feel vs. who we are.
❤️ Concepts of forgiveness - what does it mean? How do we achieve it?
❤️ How to lead with love when we are angry or sad.
❤️ How a values-led life leads to purpose and love.
🏳️🌈 and much more!
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬Do you lead with love? Is self-acceptance and forgiveness a challenge for you? What did you take away from this episode? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
comingout #comingoutandbeyond #comingoutlgbtqiastories #comingoutlaterinlife #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #2slgbtqia #lgbtqpodcast #queer #queerpodcast #podcast #love #selfacceptance #personalgrowth #transformation #leadwithlove #leadership #boundaries #embracingemotions #lovefootprint #davidcunningham
"The Catalyst Chapter: #For WLW Navigating Love's First Chapter and Beyond" Learn more about the course and register at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/#catalystrelationship
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples": A course for building better communication and strong relationships. https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
❤️The Best Tool For Change? Love!
David Cunningham believes that love is a powerful tool for transformation. As an author and transformation coach, David is committed to teaching others how to use love to create a path to acceptance, better communication, forgiveness, conscious leadership, and connectedness with others. In this part 1 of 2 podcast episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal, explores with David topics related to his personal experiences in learning about the transformational power of love, including his coming out story and reflecting on how stepping into his identity as a gay man transformed his relationships with people he cares about. David highlights the significance of self-love and forgiveness, sharing insights from his mentors and the courage it takes to love freely, advocating for a world where love prevails as the primary way of being. This is a profound, compelling conversation centered on the power of love and our relationship to our most vulnerable emotions. Tune in next week for part 2!
Learn more about David's work and his book, 'Your Love Does Matter,' at https://www.yourlovedoesmatter.com/
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
❤️ How love is instrumental to personal transformation.
❤️ How coming out impacted David's relationship with his son for the better.
❤️ The role of love in effective leadership.
❤️ Why quality of our life comes from who we choose to be, not what we receive from others.
🏳️🌈 and much more!
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬Do you lead with love? Is self-acceptance and forgiveness a challenge for you? What did you take away from this episode? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
comingout #comingoutandbeyond #comingoutlgbtqiastories #comingoutlaterinlife #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #2slgbtqia #lgbtqpodcast #queer #queerpodcast #podcast #love #selfacceptance #personalgrowth #transformation #leadwithlove #leadership #boundaries #embracingemotions #lovefootprint #davidcunningham
"The Catalyst Chapter: #For WLW Navigating Love's First Chapter and Beyond" Learn more about the course and register at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/#catalystrelationship
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples": A course for building better communication and strong relationships.https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we're revisiting an episode from season 4 on the ups and downs of catalyst relationships. Host Anne-Marie Zanzal sits down will fellow coming out and catalyst relationship coach, Barbara Rowlandson. In this episode. Barbara shares the story of her catalyst experience and reflects on how the relationship precipitated some very big and quick changes in her life. Anne-Marie and Barbara examine the gifts of the catalyst experience, the hard lessons, share some of their best advice about navigating that first lesbian relationship, and talk about steps for recovery if the relationship ends.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🏳️🌈 How catalysts cause us to stop and reconsider our wants and needs.
🏳️🌈 Why grieving the end of your marriage while in a new relationship is so hard.
🏳️🌈 Making meaning of your catalyst experience when it is over.
🏳️🌈 Why finding community is vital for healing after a catalyst experience
🏳️🌈 and much more!
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬Have you had a catalyst relationship experience? How are you today? What learn? What do you feel like you need most right now? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
TW: Hate groups, racism and homophobia are discussed. Some strong language is used. Listener discretion is advised.
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Uncloseted Media, a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ -focused newsroom. In a time when America is reconfiguring its systems to marginalize LGBTQIA+ citizens, Uncloseted Media is working to explore the anti-LGBTQIA+ landscape. Guided by principles of non-partisanship and rigorous journalistic standards, Uncloseted Media shines a light on people and stories that might otherwise go unheard in a world that is increasingly working to suppress queer voices. In this episode, Spencer shares the story of his journey in creating a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ newsroom and his own coming out experiences. Anne-Marie and Spencer also touch on the impact of societal conditioning on queer identities, the role media plays in shaping perceptions, and the urgency of telling stories that highlight the ongoing fight against hate and discrimination.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🏳️🌈 Why trust is essential in journalism, especially for LGBTQIA+ communities.
🏳️🌈 Stories of resilience and allyship that inspire hope and change.
🏳️🌈 How media representation significantly impacts LGBTQIA+ identity formation.
🏳️🌈 Why finding community is vital for personal and collective well-being.
🏳️🌈 and much more!
You can follow Uncloseted Media on Substack here: https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬What does LGBTQIA+ representation media mean to you? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
TW: This episode explores grief as related to the coming out experience and may be difficult for some to hear. If you are grieving and are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 9-8-8 for crisis support.
Download our grief guide and worksheets here: https://bit.ly/amz-grief-handout
In this part 2 episode on healing grief host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coach, Barbara Rowlandson continue to explore the complex emotions surrounding grief when coming out later in life. If you're someone who is in the 'messy middle' of coming out and/or divorce we highly encourage you to listen, as parts 1 and 2 of these episodes on grief address the most common experiences we see in individuals who come out later in life. Anne-Marie and Barb pick up where they left of in part 1, discussing the last two stages of grief – depression and acceptance. They discuss recognizing and addressing depression, offer practical coping strategies for the depression stage, and emphasize the significance of community.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
❤️🩹Why incremental change is a big deal.
❤️🩹How aligning values with actions brings peace.
❤️🩹How engaging with queer media can foster a sense of belonging.
❤️🩹The importance of community and daily rituals for self-care
🏳️🌈 and much more!
Read Anne-Marie's article, "The Unexpected Grief of the LGBTQIA+ Coming Out Experience." https://annemariezanzal.com/the-unexpected-grief-of-the-lgbtqia-coming-out-experience/
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬Are you on the other side of the 'messy middle?' What practices did you adopt to lift the grief?
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
TW: This episode explores grief as related to the coming out experience and may be difficult for some to hear. If you are grieving and are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 9-8-8 for crisis support.
Download our grief guide and worksheets here: Free Grief Guide For The Later In Life Community or https://bit.ly/amz-grief-handout
❤️🩹 Healing Your Grief When Coming Out- Part 1
In the episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coach, Barbara Rowlandson explore the complex emotions surround grief when coming out later in life. This is a MUST listen episode for anyone coming out and radically changing their lives in other ways, such as divorce or moving! Anne-Marie and Barb discuss the five stages of grief, emphasizing that the grief journey is not a linear path. Three grief stages - denial, anger, and bargaining - are discussed, and the conversation highlights the importance of recognizing and naming grief feelings/stages. Understanding societal expectations, navigating relationships during this emotional journey and practical advice and resources for listeners are shared in this episode. Next week - Part 2 will tackle the remaining stages of grief: depression and acceptance.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
❤️🩹Why the 5 stages of grief are not linear and can 'loop back.' ❤️🩹How grief can manifest as avoidance or intellectualization. ❤️🩹How letting go of societal expectations can be accompanied by anger. ❤️🩹Why finding community is critical in the grief journey. 🏳️🌈 and much more!
Read Anne-Marie's article, "The Unexpected Grief of the LGBTQIA+ Coming Out Experience." https://annemariezanzal.com/the-unexpected-grief-of-the-lgbtqia-coming-out-experience/
💬 Join the Conversation! 💬How is grief appearing for you? What repeated thoughts are you having about grief and your journey? Let's talk about it in the comments. ❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com 💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com] 💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal 💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/ 💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
Lotus Community Coaching | For women navigating coming out & the "messy middle": https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
📷”I Want To See These Women’s Faces”
In the episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with documentary photographer, Morgan Lieberman. Morgan's work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angles Times, among others. Morgan's current documentary project, tentatively titled 'Hidden Once, Hidden Twice' focuses on documenting the lives of older lesbian partnerships. This project was borne out of a desire for lesbian community and out of recognition that the voices of the older lesbian generation have been suppressed and lost over time. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Morgan's conversation delves into the lessons learned from older generations, the significance of community, and the complexities of lesbian relationships. Morgan emphasizes the need for visibility and understanding of the unique experiences of older lesbians, while also discussing her aspirations for her documentary work.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🏳️🌈The significance of representation in media for the LGBTQ+ community. 🏳️🌈How lesbian relationships are often misunderstood and oversimplified by society. 🏳️🌈Reflections on the emotional depth and intensity of lesbian friendships and relationships. 🏳️🌈What younger generations of lesbians can learn from the older generation about resilience and love. 🏳️🌈 and much more!
You can follow Morgan Lieberman on Instagram, who goes by thechromaticsheep.
You can also donate to the "Hidden Once, Hidden Twice" GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/photo-book-on-senior-lesbian-partnerships
💬 Join the Conversation! 💬Are you a member of the older lesbian generation? What comes up for you when you listen to this episode? If you're of a younger generation, what surprised you about the episode? Leave your thoughts in the comments and let's talk about it! ❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com 💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com] 💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal 💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/ 💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
This week on the pod: pull up a chair and lean in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coming-out coach, Barbara Rowlandson, unpack all things 'comp het.' Compulsory Heteronormativity (sometimes used interchangeably with 'compulsory heterosexuality) represents the systems in place that keep women from understanding or realizing their needs and desires. If you're just starting out on your coming out journey and have ever asked yourself, "Why the heck did it take me so long to realize I am gay/lesbian/bi/queer?" then this episode is for YOU!
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Anne-Marie and Barb each reflect on what comp het meant to them and how they felt when the learned about the concept. 🏳️🌈Why heterosexuality wasn't a private choice for many of us, but the result of a system designed to erase queerness. 🏳️🌈Unpacking the unprocessed misogyny behind distaste for the word lesbian. 🏳️🌈The myth of the 'good mother' and why a mother's happiness matters to children. 🏳️🌈 and much more!
💬 Join the Conversation! 💬Have you given any thought to comp het? What did you learn from this episode? What resonates? Let's talk about it in the comments! ❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com 💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com] 💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal 💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/ 💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
Note: This episode contains content about sex and is NSFW. Listener discretion is advised.
‼️SPECIAL FOR COMING OUT & BEYOND LISTENERS! This episode's guest, Maxine Kroll, founder/owner of Provincetown's renowned sex shop & museum, Toys of Eros, is offering 10% off purchases for our listeners! Just use the coupon code COB when completing your order to receive your discount. Shop everything Toys of Eros has to offer at https://toysoferos.com/
Wing Women Weekend | Annual Conference in Provincetown, MA, during Women's Week | https://wingwomenweekend.com/
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
✊🏼Values in Action: Maxine Kroll's Life of Acceptance, Sex-Positivity & Activism
This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a conversation with Maxine Kroll, a lesbian and activist who has spent her life creating sanctuary for queer women and fostering acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. Maxine shares her journey of coming out, stories of activism, and reflects on the critical importance of LGBTQ spaces. From her early experiences in high school to founding Provincetown's sex-positive boutique, Toys of Eros, Maxine discusses the evolution of queer identity and the significance of education to create safety and acceptance for the LGBTQ community. She reflects on the changes in sexual exploration across generations and offers advice for those navigating their first experiences. Anne-Marie and Maxine's conversation highlights the need for continued activism and support for LGBTQ rights in today's political climate.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🕰️Reflections on the evolution of Provincetown as an LGBTQ+ sanctuary. 💋Discussion on the relationship between communication and pleasure. 🐘A walk down memory lane to early days of Provincetown's annual Women's Week. 👩🏽❤️💋👩🏽Sex-positive conversation about toys, sexual health, and empowering women through education. 🏳️🌈 Thoughts about the future of LGBTQ+ rights
💬 Join the Conversation! 💬Have you experienced Provincetown during Women's Week and/or been to Toys of Eros? Do you have thoughts about activism, sex-positive education, or the current state of LGBTQ+ rights? Talk about in the comments! ❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com 💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com] 💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal 💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/ 💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
Wing Women Weekend | Annual Conference in Provincetown, MA, during Women's Week | https://wingwomenweekend.com/
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
📣Dakarai Larriett's Fight for Fairness in Alabama!
This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal sits down with Alabama Senate candidate Dakarai Larriett. Dakarai Larriett is the son of a U.S. Army veteran, a successful entrepreneur, longtime community volunteer, and — above all — a proud Alabama native, deeply committed to serving the citizens of his home state. Dakarai’s passion for public service was ignited during his junior year as an exchange student at Howard University in Washington, DC. His career took him from New York to Texas and Michigan before his heart drew him back to Alabama. Dakarai has dedicated his time and resources to serving the community. In addition to his volunteer work with United Way, Meals On Wheels and the Humane Society, Dakarai leads the board representing the 60 families and businesses located in the Mercantile on Morris, a mixed-use development in downtown Birmingham. Dakarai's story is inspiring and his experiences inform his sense of fairness and justice. After having been falsely arrested, Dakarai has made it his mission to fight against corruption and has set his sights on the U.S. Senate, running as the Democratic candidate in 2026. Dakarai and Anne-Marie talk about his coming out story, his philosophy on servant leadership, his first-hand experience with institutional corruption, and the significance of his faith and personal experiences in shaping his world view.
You can find Dakarai Larriett's website here: https://dakarailarriett.com/
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🚨How Dakarai's false arrest in 2024 ignited a passion for justice and change.
🏳️🌈 Understand how Dakarai's coming out was influenced his upbringing in a strict religious environment.
🌎How travelling to over 55 countries has broadened his perspective on global issues.
🌟How Dakarai aims to bridge divides in a polarized political landscape.
✝️The evolution of Dakarai's faith journey, ultimately leading to the United Methodist Church.
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬What are your biggest perceived challenges in coming out? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on powerful stories from Coming Out & Beyond!
Reclaiming Your Sexual Self Workshop | with Mallory Hanfling, LCSW | Friday, Oct. 17th, 2025 | The Provincetown Inn, Provincetown, Massachusetts during Women's Week | 9:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. | Reclaiming Your Sexual Self Tickets, Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite Mallory Hanfling, a late-in-life lesbian/firefly, queer therapist, and sexuality educator provides attendees with the SexEd that you wish you got in high school. Covering everything from anatomy and the mechanics of all different types of queer sex, to toy maintenance, and to sexual communication and consent, Mal will help you reconnect with your sexual self, learn how to listen to and trust your body, and answer the questions you were too shy to ask out loud.
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" is a comprehensive course for lesbian couples who are seeking to build a better relationship. Designed by lesbian psychologist and couples therapist, Dr. Robin Sesan, this course is ideal for any lesbian couple who finds themselves stuck in a rut, desires connection, and wants to build emotional safety in the relationship. This do at your own pace course includes video instruction, worksheets, and offers an online community in Authentically Us, where couples can discuss the outcomes of their assignments for each course unit. Yes, you can learn how to create positive interaction and build intimacy that lasts! Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
🫣OK, I'm Gay, Now What?
Download the free Self-Care and Boundary-Setting Scripts guide that accompanies this episode! http://bit.ly/3V0qlQs
Calling all later-in-life newbies! If you're a woman who is just starting the process of coming out, this episode is for you. Host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coach, Barbara Rowlandson, unpack the complexities of coming out later in life, discussing themes such as compulsory heterosexuality, internalized homophobia, cognitive dissonance, and the importance of community support. Anne-Marie and Barb provide insights on navigating early feelings, setting boundaries, and the significance of self-acceptance in the journey of identity exploration. Don't forget to download the free 1 pg pdf with the 3-circle map for clarity and scripts for boundary setting, starting challenging conversations, and journal prompts.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
💡 Ideas for boundary setting when having challenging conversations.
🏳️🌈 The external forces that keep us from identifying our authentic sexuality until later in life.
🧠 Understanding how our brains keep us safe and the concept of cognitive dissonance.
🌟Why "LGBTQ affirming" support may not be enough and what to look for in a therapist or coach.
📢 Practical advice and achievable steps for change.
💬 Join the Conversation!
💬What are your biggest perceived challenges in coming out? Let's talk about it in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Reclaiming Your Sexual Self Workshop | with Mallory Hanfling, LCSW | Friday, Oct. 17th, 2025 | The Provincetown Inn, Provincetown, Massachusetts during Women's Week | 9:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. | Reclaiming Your Sexual Self Tickets, Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite Mallory Hanfling, a late-in-life lesbian/firefly, queer therapist, and sexuality educator provides attendees with the SexEd that you wish you got in high school. Covering everything from anatomy and the mechanics of all different types of queer sex, to toy maintenance, and to sexual communication and consent, Mal will help you reconnect with your sexual self, learn how to listen to and trust your body, and answer the questions you were too shy to ask out loud.
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" is a comprehensive course for lesbian couples who are seeking to build a better relationship. Designed by lesbian psychologist and couples therapist, Dr. Robin Sesan, this course is ideal for any lesbian couple who finds themselves stuck in a rut, desires connection, and wants to build emotional safety in the relationship. This do at your own pace course includes video instruction, worksheets, and offers an online community in Authentically Us, where couples can discuss the outcomes of their assignments for each course unit. Yes, you can learn how to create positive interaction and build intimacy that lasts! Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes Mallory Hanfling, a Philadelphia-based therapist specializing in identity development, coming out, and connecting with one’s most authentic self. As the founder of Courage to Grow Counseling, Mallory provides a safe and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, helping them navigate the challenges of later-in-life coming out.
But Mallory’s work doesn’t stop there—she’s currently pursuing a PhD in Human Sexuality at the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS). Her research focuses on how community mitigates the impact of compulsory heterosexuality on later-in-life LGBTQIA+ individuals.
As a passionate advocate for community, Mallory coined the term "Fireflies" to represent women, non-binary, and trans people who are exploring their sexual identity later in life. Through her weekly Firefly peer support group, she helps Fireflies at all stages of their journey connect, share, and empower one another.
Whether you're coming out later in life, questioning your identity, or looking for a supportive community, Mallory’s insights and experiences will resonate deeply.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
💡 How Mallory helps later-in-life LGBTQIA+ individuals navigate identity development
🏳️🌈 Why community is essential for those coming out later in life
🧠 The role of therapy in healing from compulsory heterosexuality
🌟 What it means to be a "Firefly" and how to join the Firefly peer support group
🎓 How Mallory’s PhD research is changing the conversation around later-in-life queerness
📢 Practical advice for embracing authenticity and self-discovery
🌐 Learn More About Mallory Hanfling
You can learn more about Mallory and her work on her website, https://www.couragetogrowcounseling.org/about
Books that resonated with Mallory are Untamed by Glennon Doyle https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52129515 and Bossy Pants by Tina Fey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/167987272-bossy-pants?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zHsUsI2...
Mallory's coming out song is Drive by Incubus. https://youtu.be/fgT9zGkiLig?si=g98J8LJ24IjUvXBm
💬 Have you experienced a later-in-life coming out journey? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
❤️Join Authentically Us! A supportive community for those coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community. Connect, share, and find guidance on your journey through mutual support groups, workshops, and live Zoom meetups. 💜Sign up today at www.annemariezanzal.com
💠 Visit our website: : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
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💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
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"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" is a comprehensive course for lesbian couples who are seeking to build a better relationship. Designed by lesbian psychologist and couples therapist, Dr. Robin Sesan, this course is ideal for any lesbian couple who finds themselves stuck in a rut, desires connection, and wants to build emotional safety in the relationship. This do at your own pace course includes video instruction, worksheets, and offers an online community in Authentically Us, where couples can discuss the outcomes of their assignments for each course unit. Yes, you can learn how to create positive interaction and build intimacy that lasts! Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and fellow later-in-lifer Barbara Rowlandson talk about #wlw dating later in life. Barbara Rowlandson is a coach for women who come out later in life with a focus on catalyst relationship recovery and dating resilience, and a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Ontario, Canada. Dating later in life - whether you're new to dating women or a long-out person who just hasn't dated in a very long time - dating can feel daunting, complex, and disappointing. Anne-Marie and Barbara explore the unique challenges of dating women later in life, the importance of understanding personal values and doing self-work, how to uncover limiting beliefs about dating, cultivating psychological flexibility, dealing with dating disasters and more. This is a fantastic episode for any woman who is about to step into the dating pool, or for those who have been dating and struggling to meet the right person.
For those interested in Barbara's coaching services, you can book a free consultation call here: https://calendly.com/lavender-dating-team/connection-call-with-barb
Learn more about Barbara's services and find 'The List' pdf downloadable template mentioned in the podcast at https://lavenderdating.com/
Direct link to 'The List' pdf download: https://lavenderdating.com/the-list
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈Discussion about finding yourself and getting clear about values after a long term relationship, and why this is an important step before dating.
🌈Clues on how to recognize limiting beliefs - and how to counter them.
🌈Reflection on setting boundaries and how to hold them.
🌈Tips for mindfulness practices to beat dating anxiety.
🌈Thoughts on what to do when you encounter a 'dating disaster.'
✨ Why This Matters:
Taking the next step into dating represents a major shift for many women that can feel very uncomfortable. Dating requires a willingness to try and to fail, and failure can sometimes feel very personal or painful. By adjusting our mindset around dating, we can create a much better experience for ourselves, one where we can meet people without pressure of expectation and shrug off negative experiences without taking rejection personally.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What is your biggest dating concern? What challenges have you run into, either within yourself or interpersonally? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" is a comprehensive course for lesbian couples who are seeking to build a better relationship. Designed by lesbian psychologist and couples therapist, Dr. Robin Sesan, this course is ideal for any lesbian couple who finds themselves stuck in a rut, desires connection, and wants to build emotional safety in the relationship. This do at your own pace course includes video instruction, worksheets, and offers an online community in Authentically Us, where couples can discuss the outcomes of their assignments for each course unit. Yes, you can learn how to create positive interaction and build intimacy that lasts! Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal interviews Dr. Samantha Winterberg, who shares her personal journey of coming out and her extensive experience in health psychology. Anne-Marie and Dr. Winterberg discuss the catalysts for coming out, the challenges of navigating open relationships, and the importance of communication. Dr. Winterberg's new workbook, "Coming Out in Adulthood" addresses the fears associated with coming out and the impact of childhood trauma on LGBTQ+ identities. Their conversation touches on spirituality, the role of religion, and the significance of understanding one's identity beyond societal labels.
You can order your copy of "Coming Out Later in Life" here: https://a.co/d/dvRYXUe
Find Dr. Samantha Winterberg online at https://www.bayintegrativewellness.com/
Follow Dr. Winterberg on Instagram: samanthawinterberg
A book that Dr. Winterberg found to be personally transformative is "Living in the Light: A Guide to Personal and Planetary Transformation" by Shakti Gawain: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/336734.Living_in_the_Light
Dr. Winterberg's coming out song is I Shall Be Released by Grace Potter and the Nocturals: https://youtu.be/CyLcyqrmF3o?si=nKfbC0bXXm2f-tl6
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈Discussion about how childhood trauma can impact the coming out process, but it does not define it.
🌈Reflections on the importance of spirituality in self-acceptance and joy.
🌈Thoughts on why open relationships require strong communication and self-awareness.
🌈Understanding why coming out is often catalyzed by significant life events or relationships.
✨ Why This Matters:
Understanding and contextualizing our formative experiences is crucial for insight during the coming out in adulthood process. This episode underscores how addressing fears, gaining self-acceptance, and coming out on your own terms can lead individuals to better mental health.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What did you think of Dr. Winterberg's observations? If you're a later-in-lifer and something in this episode really hit home for you, please share in the comments! We'd love to know what resonated.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
Authentically Us is an online peer support community for late-blooming women who love women. Learn more about Authentically Us at https://annemariezanzal.com/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Tennessee drag queen Kennedy Ann Scott. Kennedy is one of six drag queens featured in the soon to be released Harper Collins publication, "No Tea, No Shade: Life as a Drag Queen" (scheduled release date is September 23rd, 2025, now available for pre-order purchase). Kennedy's story is characterized as a journey of acceptance. Bullied as middle and high school student, Kennedy had the support of a teacher who made life bearable and ultimately inspired him to become an educator himself. Now a middle school teacher, Kennedy, who was recently award teacher of the year by his school board, fosters acceptance and safety for his students. As Kennedy Ann the drag artist, she also works to champion LGBTQ and trans rights, emphasizing the need for acceptance and understanding in society, particularly for marginalized communities.
You can order your copy of "No Tea, No Shade: Life as a Drag Queen" in advance now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/006343055X/?bestFormat=true&k=no%20tea%20no%20shade&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-en...
Book description:
"No Tea, No Shade is an essential read for anyone who has searched for a way to feel like themselves." -- Booklist
Intimate, hilarious, and inspiring essays by celebrated drag queens Kennedy Ann Scott, Lagoona Bloo, Alexis Michelle, Olivia Lux, Julie J., and Nina West.
No Tea, No Shade is a collective anthem written by six drag queens who believe in equality, peace, and in a world that loves and respects all people. The defiant legacy of drag will endure fearmongering and hate because their hearts have endured the unthinkable, their courage has been relentlessly tested, and to be blunt, they have the balls to prevail.
Kennedy Ann Scott was awarded Teacher of the Year in Nashville, Tennessee. Lagoona Bloo starred on the Off-Broadway hit Drag: the Musical, and Alex Michaels received a stellar review from the New York Times for their role in La Cage Aux Falles at Barrington Stage Company. Olivia Lux starred in Rent and Kinky Boots. Julie J raised more than $100,000 for trans and LGBTQIA+ organizations. Nina West received an honorary doctorate in May 2024 and is a well-known entertainer, having worked with everyone from Glenn Close to Kermit the Frog.
When these gorgeous queens wear a stunning gown with picture perfect makeup, haters label them as inappropriate and unlawful. They are entertainers not predators. Drag is an art of self-expression that, at its core, affirms and uplifts LGBTQIA+ people.
No Tea, No Shade features thirty essays discussing:
- Social activism, Drag Story Hour, and education.
- Coming out, gender, and equality.
- Relationships, setting goals, and rejection.
- Celebrating womanhood, family, and image.
Despite the pervasive danger of being authentic and real, these drag artists have chosen to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. They remind us that a person’s identity shouldn’t be marginalized to genitals. Identity categories are not as important as we have been led to believe, and the shade casted on drag is just a scapegoat. It is a distraction political figures and trolls use to lure people away from caring about serious issues like equality, gun violence, poverty, and racism.
No Tea, No Shade shines a light on a community of people who are paving the way for a better world and holding the light for others to step up.
A movie that resonates with Kennedy Ann is (their grandma's favorite!) is 'Steel Magnolias': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098384/
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈Kennedy Ann's coming out story and emphasis on how the acceptance of their grandmother made all the difference for a young, gay kid who experienced bullying.
🌈Discussion on how current and pending changes to Tennessee legislation have a profound impact on drag culture and LGBTQIA+ representation.
🌈Thoughts on how affirming teachers can make a profound difference for queer kids during the turbulent period of adolescence.
🌈Conversation about how Kennedy Ann came to be involved in the book project, "No Tea, No Shade: Life as a Drag Queen."
✨ Why This Matters:
Kennedy Ann's story illustrates the hardships and the joys associated with growing up gay. Kennedy Ann's positivity is inspirational! The emphasis on doing 'the work' in therapy, embracing humor and joy, and being the positive change you want to see in the world is evident in Kennedy Ann/Benjamin's story. This is a fantastic episode for anyone who needs inspiration in the face of adversity.
💬 Join the Conversation:
If you're a person in the LGBTQIA+ community, did you have an adult in your life who made growing up more bearable? What brings you joy as a queer person? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
"Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples" is a comprehensive course for lesbian couples who are seeking to build a better relationship. Designed by lesbian psychologist and couples therapist, Dr. Robin Sesan, this course is ideal for any lesbian couple who finds themselves stuck in a rut, desires connection, and wants to build emotional safety in the relationship. This do at your own pace course includes video instruction, worksheets, and offers an online community in Authentically Us, where couples can discuss the outcomes of their assignments for each course unit. Yes, you can learn how to create positive interaction and build intimacy that lasts! Learn more and register at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
It's an exciting week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, as host Anne-Marie Zanzal is joined by psychologist Dr. Robin Sesan and lesbian business owner and marketing expert Anna Empey to discuss themes surrounding lesbian relationships. This episode comes at the precipice of the launch of their collaborative project, "Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples," an evidence-based course, culturally sensitive course on the psychology of lesbian relationships and practical advice on how to build stronger bonds in couples. In this wide-ranging conversation, Anne-Marie, Anna, and Robin cover topics such as sexual minority stress, attachment styles, misconceptions about lesbian identities, the importance of lesbian community and much, much more. The episode is a must-listen for any queer woman, in a relationship or not, who desires a deeper understanding of the challenges and strengths of lesbian intimate partner relationships.
Learn more about the Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples course at https://healthylesbianrelationships.com/
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈Conversation about challenges of lesbian couples in finding effective, culturally informed couples therapy.
🌈An overview on attachment theory and sexual minority stress.
🌈Personal stories of identity shifts and relationship dynamics in later-in-life lesbian relationships.
🌈Insights on the impacts of societal expectations and internalized homophobia on queer relationships.
✨ Why This Matters:
Lesbian intimate partner relationships are unlike any others. Challenges of lesbian relationships are not well researched or talked about in common discourse around couples therapy, and therefore it can be very difficult to find information relevant exclusively to lesbian couples. Lesbian couples deserve to have competent care and to be understood in their identities and for their unique joys and challenges.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you in a committed lesbian relationship? What have you noticed that is different about lesbian relationships that sets them apart for heterosexual, gay, or non-binary partnerships? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back her fellow coach Barbara Rowlandson to the podcast for a conversation about things they wish they understood before embarking on a divorce journey. Anne-Marie and Barb cover some of their biggest missteps and common negative and usually-untrue beliefs that many women hold about the divorce experience. Anne-Marie and Barb reflect and share advice with compassion, encouraging curiosity, and share a few laughs throughout this very informative and engaging episode. While Anne-Marie and Barb both identify as lesbians and are speaking from their experiences in divorcing their ex-husbands, this episode is relevant for any woman, queer or straight, divorcing a person of any gender.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈Conversation about getting the facts from professionals before making decisions.
🌈Encouragement to slow down and go through the process thoughtfully.
🌈Advice about taking time through the process for self-discovery and healing.
🌈Emphasis on why community and professional support is key to navigating separation and divorce in the best way possible.
✨ Why This Matters:
The decision to leave your marriage is one that may be fraught with anxiety, guilt, and shame. It takes time and deliberation to reframe our thinking and unlearn messages about what it means to be a good woman, wife and mom. Learning to prioritize ourselves may feel hard, but that's because it is unfamiliar, not because it is not worth doing.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you thinking about separating from your spouse? What are your biggest concerns? Let's talk about them in the comments.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we bring you a guest who has had not one, but two coming out stories! Nate is a trans man who began his gender journey in his 50s. Nate's gender transition was preceded by coming out as a lesbian in his mid-30s. In his conversation with host Anne-Marie Zanzal, Nate shares his journey of self-discovery, discussing the challenges of coming out to family, the importance of support groups, and the complexities of navigating male privilege. Nate reflects on his transition, the medical changes he underwent, and the emotional impacts of his sexuality and gender transitions. Nate's story reminds us of the significance of self-acceptance and offers advice for others in the LGBTQIA+ community.
For information, advocacy and support for gender transitions, visit https://www.diversitycenter.org/
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️⚧️Messages about the importance of self-acceptance during the transition journey.
🏳️⚧️Thoughtful reflections on male privilege, and its unexpected, negative associations.
🏳️⚧️One man's thoughts on clues that he might not be the gender he was assigned at birth.
🏳️⚧️Conversations about the differences between coming out as gay vs. coming out as trans.
✨ Why This Matters:
Self-kindness, self-acceptance, and a strong sense of self-worth are crucial for LGBTQIA individuals, especially through a gender transition journey. This episode aligns with the our principles for wellness during the coming out process: self-compassion, community, and mindfulness.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you questioning your gender? Or maybe you've recently realized that you aren't the gender you were assigned at birth. How are you coping? What are you noticing? Let's talk about it in the comments.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal interviews Lonay Halloum, a queer relationship coaching and Rapid Transformational Therapy practitioner. Lonay shares his coming out story, the challenges he faced with family acceptance, and the importance of self-acceptance and support systems. he discusses his journey through relationships, hitting rock bottom, and discovering transformative therapy methods that helped him rebuild his self-worth. The conversation emphasizes the significance of understanding both conscious and subconscious mind work in personal growth and healing.
You can find Lonay's website here: https://rainbowjourney.co/
Follow Lonay on Instagram, radiantheartsjourney
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈An emphasis on the need for a strong support system during the coming out process.
🏳️🌈Conversation about changing limiting beliefs and understanding the unconscious mind.
🏳️🌈Education on how Rapid Transformational Therapy can address deep-rooted beliefs about self-worth.
🏳️🌈Reflections on the ongoing struggle with internalized homophobia in the LGBTQIA community.
✨ Why This Matters:
Self-kindness, self-acceptance, and a strong sense of self-worth are crucial for LGBTQIA individuals, especially through the coming out process. Spending some time to uncover subconscious limiting beliefs and how they impact our emotions and behaviors is part of the process when working on personal growth and healing.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you caught up in negative patterns and are on a path to discovering why? Has self-acceptance been a struggle for you? Let's talk about it in the comments.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with author Scott Stirrett. Author of 'The Uncertainty Advantage' and founder of Venture for Canada, Scott shares his personal journey of coming out, the impact it had on his career choices, and how he founded a nonprofit to help young people navigate uncertainty in their careers. Scott shares a personal account of how he manages his OCD, his processes for managing feelings around uncertainty, talks about challenges faced by marginalized groups, and reflects on the importance of values in personal growth. This is a fantastic episode for anyone at any age who is seeking to build their resilience and flexibility in the face of adversity.
You can purchase Scott Stirrett's book, The Uncertainty Advantage, here: https://www.amazon.ca/Uncertainty-Advantage-Launching-Career-Change/dp/1459753224
Learn more about Venture for Canada here: https://ventureforcanada.ca/
Books that influenced Scott are Virtually Normal by Andrew Sullivan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1717573 and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Scott shares his coming out story and underscores that the coming out process is never quite done.
🏳️🌈Scott talks candidly about his experiences wrestling with OCD and the processes for becoming okay with uncertainty.
🏳️🌈Anne-Marie and Scott talk about his six pillars for embracing uncertainty.
🏳️🌈Thoughts on the learning that comes with reflection.
✨ Why This Matters:
We're living through turbulent times. The world has become more unpredictable than ever, and learning how to become more comfortable with uncertainty gives us the mental flexibility to endure and succeed.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Is psychological or emotional flexibility something you've had to cultivate? Tell us about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Watch the video of the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AyzDFRwurJc
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we revisit an episode from season 3 where Anne-Marie Zanzal and Tonda McKay revisit the story of their journey in love and marriage. With the conversation facilitated by Anne-Marie's collaborator, Anna Empey, Anne-Marie and Tonda retell the story of how they first met, explain the nuances of a newbie and long-out lesbian courtship and relationship, and reflect on what they've learned along the way. As you listen, you'll discover how theirs is a partnership based on equity within the relationship, how they navigated complicated feelings as Anne-Marie went through the coming out and divorce process, how they resolve conflict, and what it means to them both to find love later in life.
The songs Anne-Marie and Tonda mention in this episode are "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=3dz8Uc6b7tNhXmOS and "This is Me" from the film "The Greatest Showman" https://youtu.be/CjxugyZCfuw?si=YiMI9dHJUUgADcIO.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈A vulnerable and engaging story of how two people overcame past hurts to find connection.
🏳️🌈Thoughtful reflections on the later-in-life experience.
🏳️🌈A real life-account of why some women put their sexuality on the back burner until later in life.
🏳️🌈Inspiration that you, too, can find love at any age! And laughs, lots of laughs!
✨ Why This Matters:
In a world where there is so much negative media about the LGBTQ experience, it is heartwarming to hear positive stories that reflect real life queer happiness and love.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Did you find love later in life? How did it happen for you? Tell us in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
You can also tune into this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
Welcome back to part 2 of Anne-Marie Zanzal's conversation with celebrated author and illustrator, Brian Selznick. Brian is the author of the popular young adult novels, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, The Marvels, Run Away With Me, and Kaleidoscope, among others. Brian inspires young readers with his creative approach to storytelling that combines writing and illustration, telling stories that resonate with young queer audiences. In 2011, The Invention of Hugo Cabret was adapted as a film my legendary director Martin Scorsese.
In part 2 of this engaging conversation, Anne-Marie and Brian dive into themes of queer love, queer history, discuss why representation matters for young LGBTQ people, explore the concepts of inner and outer safe spaces, and discuss how Brian's storytelling has evolved over time.
Discover Brian Selznick's body of work at https://brianselznick.com/
The song Brian mentions in this episode as being so impactful to him at a young age is 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by Bonnie Tyler: https://youtu.be/lcOxhH8N3Bo?si=Tldbu0sIp-a66NoU
A book that influenced Brian is "Weetzie Bat" by Francesca Lia Block: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44353.Weetzie_Bat
A film that impacted Brian is Poison, directed by Todd Haynes: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102687/
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Knowing our history matters. Brian and Anne-Marie discuss how history is lost or filtered over time, removing access to queer stories and impacting queer culture.
🏳️🌈Brian discusses how themes and characters have matured in his work over time, and how this presents a creative challenge.
🏳️🌈Anne-Marie and Brian talk about the importance of safe spaces and how they are cultivated by queer individuals.
🏳️🌈Brian gives us a peek into his inner world, discussing how his characters represent conversations between different versions of himself.
✨ Why This Matters:
Preserving queer stories and queer history matters. When we can see ourselves, our experiences, and our stories reflected in the stories of others, we feel validated, less alone, and connected to our community. Storytelling is a powerful healing modality we can all participate in, as creators or as listeners and readers.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you a fan of Brian Selznick's work? Tell us which of his stories resonates with you the most and why in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Wing Women Weekend, October 15-18, 2025, Provincetown, MA - a conference for women/non-binary persons who are new to the LGBTQIA+ community! This conference is all about connection, finding queer community, and having a whole lot of FUN! For the full conference schedule and to sign up, visit https://wingwomenweekend.com/ and use the coupon code PRIDE in June to receive 10% off.
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
Celebrated author and illustrator Brian Selznick is known for his impactful storytelling. Author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck, The Marvels, Run Away With Me, and Kaleidoscope, among others has inspired young readers for decades with his creative approach to storytelling that combines writing and illustration. In 2011, The Invention of Hugo Cabret was adapted as a film my legendary director Martin Scorsese. In this engaging conversation, Brian shares with listeners how his personal experiences have influenced his writing, particularly in his latest young adult novel, Run Away With Me. Anne-Marie and Brian explore themes of grief, loss, and the role of family in storytelling. Brian shares his coming out story, representing a journey of acceptance for himself and his family. Stay tuned for part 2 of this engaging conversation, when Anne-Marie and Brian dive into themes of queer love, queer history, and how personal experiences shape storytelling.
Discover Brian Selznick's body of work at https://brianselznick.com/
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Representation matters! Brian's work reflects stories of young love that are relevant to the LGBTQIA+ community.
🏳️🌈In exploring historical themes, Brian addresses the persistent challenge of erasure of queer historical figures.
🏳️🌈Brian's work demonstrates how art can confront and counteract societal ugliness.
🏳️🌈Brian's work connects us with reoccurring themes in queer stories.
✨ Why This Matters:
Preserving queer stories and queer history matters. When we can see ourselves, our experiences, and our stories reflected in the stories of others, we feel validated, less alone, and connected to our community. Storytelling is a powerful healing modality we can all participate in, as creators or as listeners and readers.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you a fan of Brian Selznick's work? Tell us which of his stories resonates with you the most and why in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
"Maybe I'm Not Straight" and "When the Catalyst Relationship Ends" are do-at-your-own-pace courses for women who are reconsidering their sexual orientation and overcoming the end of their first lesbian relationship. Accessible, information-packed, and easy to do, these courses represent many years worth of experience working with women who come out later in life. Purchase your course and receive your first month subscription to Authentically Us, a safe online space for women who are coming out and beyond, for free! Learn more at https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/
Dating got you down? Does the idea of dating scare you? Or maybe you've been dating all the wrong people? Lavender Dating offers coaching for women dating women, helping you overcome mental blocks surrounding the dating experience. Book a free connection call with dating coach Barbara Rowlandson and let's talk about how to get you to a place of authentic connection in love and relationship! https://calendly.com/lavender-dating-team/connection-call-with-barb
TW: Religious trauma
Queer author, poet, and storyteller Rebecca Wilson is this week's guest, and hers is a story of rejection, rising up, and finding belonging. Rebecca, an ex-minister in the Methodist church, found herself in the center of a storm when the New York Times posted her photo, her expression belying the heartbreak she felt when the United Methodist Church (UMC) voted at a special session of the general council to strengthen a ban of LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings. Consequently, the UMC have lost 5,800 churches through disaffiliation. After the photo was published Rebecca found herself in a position as a lightning rod for hate and ultimately left the UMC ministry. In this impactful conversation with host Anne-Marie Zanzal, Rebecca shares her story of courage, transformation, and the quest for self-acceptance in the face of adversity. Her journey of healing through her writing project, 10 Camels, is a reminder of the power of storytelling.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Rebecca shares the story of her journey in seminary and her struggles with mental health.
🏳️🌈After leaving the UMC, Rebecca finds the gift of queer community.
🏳️🌈Rebecca shares the how her project, 10 Camels, helped her navigate the wilderness of healing.
🏳️🌈Rebecca's story exemplifies the importance of prioritizing authenticity over institutional acceptance.
✨ Why This Matters:
In a society where active suppression of LGBTQ rights emboldens homophobic actions (e.g. the Pulse nightclub shooting), finding healing and a sense of home in queer community is fundamental to the health and well-being of queer individuals. The power of storytelling, of being seen and heard, is a powerful catalyst for healing trauma associated with oppression.
You can connect with Rebecca Wilson and learn more about her project, 10 Camels, here: https://10camels.com/
Rebecca's first book of poetry, "Unraveling", is available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Rebecca-Wilson/dp/1960326708
Rebecca's coming out song is "It's a Miracle" by Culture Club: https://youtu.be/YewVugPHon4?si=qsji3zYCRoNuoz-i
A film that resonates with Rebecca is 1985's "The Goonies": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you now or have you been a member of the UMC? How did their decision to ban LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage impact you? Are you someone who uses their creativity for healing? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
TW: Religious trauma
Mike Maeshiro (he/him) is the founder of Numa, and organization that supports people recovering from religious toxicity. Mike is gay, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and a queer theology enthusiast. He is an ex-pastor who now works with gay men recovering from evangelicalism. Mike's story reflects his journey from being a deeply involved evangelical pastor to embracing his identity as a gay man. In this conversation, Mike reflects on his spiritual experiences that affirmed his identity, the cultural conditioning that led to his initial homophobia, and the eventual decision to live authentically. He emphasizes the importance of finding community and support, exploring inclusive theology, and the challenges of coming out publicly. Mike shares his journey of coming out as a gay man and the subsequent challenges he faced, including public backlash, mental health struggles, and family dynamics. He discusses the importance of self-acceptance and the process of deconstructing his evangelical faith, highlighting key issues that many face in similar situations. Mike also reflects on his professional shift towards supporting the queer community and the impact of media on societal perceptions. Ultimately, he emphasizes the significance of finding safety and authenticity in one's life.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈A story of facing fear of losing community and identity when coming out.
🤗Emphasis for the need for compassion in discussions about sexuality.
💞Acknowledgment that self-acceptance is a journey that takes time.
💬Discussion about key issues in evangelicalism that include views on hell and the Bible.
✨ Why This Matters:
Cultural conditioning is a strong contributor toward internalized homophobia. This is a must-listen episode for any person who is recovering from evangelical faith traditions. Reaching a place of self-acceptance and authenticity is a vital aspect of personal identity.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you someone who has been negatively impacted by conservative faith traditions? Let's talk about it in the comments!
Connect with Mike....
https://www.mikemaeshiro.com/
Mike's Substack: https://mikemaeshiro.substack.com/
Mike's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5vGo6yRl6Gay-wbJ7F6og/featured
Mike on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikemaeshiro/
Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikemaeshiro
Books Mike recommends is Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129659-adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents
and The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us unable to Read It by Peter Enns: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20262405-the-bible-tells-me-so?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qi...
Mike regards Taylor Swift's story as instrumental to his coming out process. Find the Taylor Swift documentary, Miss Americana, on Netflix.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
People new to the LGBTQIA+ community: ever feel like you don't belong? Worried that, after a 'straight' life, others (straight or gay) won't accept you as being queer? Imposter syndrome (yes, we know it's not a real syndrome, but you know what we mean!) can do a number on our heads, and Anne-Marie and Barb are here to talk about it! This week on the podcast, your two trusty later-in-life coaches talk about the importance of self-identification, the societal pressures surrounding visibility and authenticity, and the impact of internalized homophobia. Anne-Marie and Barb also touch on the significance of media representation and the importance of leaning into community when you're trying to figure out how 'queer' for you manifests as you walk through the world.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🏳️🌈Explanations of why being LGBTQIA+ is about so much more than just sex.
💬Discussion on why there is a greater need for open conversation and greater understanding about the later in life experience.
🔍Examination of societal pressures to appear 'gay.'
💞An emphasis on doing what is right for you when you are ready.
✨ Why This Matters:
Self-identification is a journey that needs affirmation and acceptance. We want you to know that if you're struggling with what queer looks like for you, that you're not alone, and that you are not 'less-than' just because you've come out later than some.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does being gay/queer/lesbian/bisexual look like for you? How have you evolved your outer self to align with your inner self? And how to you handle correcting assumptions about your sexuality? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
This week on the podcast, Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson talk about one of the biggest concerns women have when coming out later in life: telling their kids that they aren't straight. We know this topic carries a lot of emotional weight and worry, and we encourage listeners to ground themselves and listen through to the end, as Anne-Marie and Barb cover a wide range of nuanced topics related to coming out to kids. You'll hear their personal experiences of coming out to their own children and conversation about the complexities of navigating queerness and family dynamics.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
👶🏼Advice on coming out to kids of all ages, from youngsters to grown adults.
⚠️Reflections on pressures women face to disclose their sexuality to kids before they're ready.
🗮How to cope with angry or estrangement after coming out.
💞Vital considerations for helping your child process the news.
✨ Why This Matters:
For moms, this piece of the coming out process can be the most fraught, especially if their children are teens or adults. Anne-Marie and Barb in their years of working with women who come out later in life have observed this process in their clients' experiences and have informed reflections on what helps this process go smoothly, pitfalls to avoid, and what women need to meet this challenge in their coming out journey.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
If you haven't come out to your kids yet, we invite you to share your thoughts and concerns here. If you've already come out to your kids and have advice for others, share in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
This week on the podcast host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Sue Willoughby, a "No BS" life coach and Equus coach, who shares her journey of self-discovery, coming out, and the transformative power of equine-assisted coaching. Sue discusses her unique approach to helping women reconnect with themselves through the wisdom of horses, while also reflecting on her own experiences with family dynamics, relationships, and identity. Anne-Marie and Sue delve into the therapeutic benefits of horses and how they can facilitate personal growth and healing. Sue shares how horses can serve as mirrors to our emotions and personal challenges
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🐎Sue shares her coming out story and formative experiences as a young, queer person.
🐎Exploration of how working with horses in a coaching setting can reveal our 'blind spots.'
🐎Emphasis on the importance of mindfulness and being in the here and now.
🐎Explanation of how the horse can become a metaphor for our personal issues.
✨ Why This Matters:
For anyone who is feeling stuck, mindfulness work and somatic experiences can lead to emotional release. This episode builds awareness on how Equus coaching can help us become more attuned with ourselves, and how the horse serves as both a mirror and a model for behavior.
You can find out more about Willoughby Coaching online at https://www.willoughbycoaching.com/
Sue is also the host of the A Life Worth Being podcast. You can tune in right here, on YouTube! @SueWilloughby
One of Sue's coming out songs is I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross: https://youtu.be/3pmt-wWzC1E?si=CHq_f9TBqgDSl9aH
A book that influenced Sue is Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165395.Rubyfruit_Jungle
The lesbian movie that Anne-Marie and Sue talked about is Desert Hearts: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089015/
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Have you participated in coaching or therapeutic work with horses? What was it like? How did it help you? Share in the comments your experiences!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Download '3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Coming Out Later in Life' Guide: https://annemariezanzal.com/3-questions-ask-coming-out/
Download "Embracing the In-Between: Messy Middle Guide and Checklist" https://annemariezanzal.com/free-guide-messy-middle-embracing-the-in-between/
Download "5 Places to Start When Coming Out Later in Life" Guide" https://annemariezanzal.com/free-guide-where-to-start-your-coming-out-journey/
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
Exploring sexuality – what does that even mean? And how do you do it, especially after having been in a long term relationship? In this episode, Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson discuss the complexities of exploring one's sexuality, particularly for those who may be coming out later in life or questioning their identity. Anne-Marie and Barbara emphasize the importance of curiosity, courage, and self-reflection in this journey, while also addressing societal expectations and the concept of compulsory heterosexuality.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🔍How compulsory heteronormativity affects many people's perceptions of their identity.
🪞Why self-reflection is crucial in understanding one's sexual orientation.
🗺️How personal experiences can serve as catalysts for exploration.
👥 Understanding one's feelings and sensations is key to exploration.
✨ Why This Matters:
It's important when exploring your sexuality to investigate the impact of patriarchal norms on women's identities and relationships, the importance of exploring one's sexuality, and the role of media in shaping perceptions of queerness. This episode underscores the need for self-discovery, curiosity, and community support in navigating the complexities of sexual identity, particularly for those coming out later in life.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Can we have a conversation about exploring sexuality? If you've done this already, how did you go about it? What came up for you? What did you have to unlearn?
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Oh, and if you want to check out that lovely woman who chops wood, her handle is @NicoleCoenen - you're welcome! ;)
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with feminist, transformational coach, and publisher of positivenewsus.org, Ilu Wloch. Ilu shares her story of growing up in communist Poland in a deeply Catholic culture, and discusses the impacts it had on her path of self-discovery. Tune in for an in-depth conversation about cultural gender expectations, Ilu's path to embracing her authentic sexuality, understanding the powerful pull towards the divine feminine, and her work as a healer.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🗣️Conversation about cultural contexts of communism and Catholicism and their impacts on queer individuals.
🕯️An in-depth exploration of the divine feminine in religion.
♀️Understanding feminism and its misconceptions
👥The gifts of cultivating positivity and community.
✨ Why This Matters:
Understanding the role of the patriarchy and the counterbalance of feminist resistance helps us all to understand the true significance - and fear of - female power. Challenging conventional gender roles, leaning into community of women, understanding the past and acknowledging our power to shape the future is both empowering and healing.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
You can learn more about Ilu's coaching practice at https://www.readmylips.fm/
Ilu is also a founder of https://www.positivenewsus.org/ a site dedicated to lifting the best of humanity to the surface for all to see.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does feminism mean to you? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
Questioning is a fundamental aspect of Jewish tradition and learning. In this spirituality-focused episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and LGBTQIA+ activist, Rebecca Stapel-Wax, explore the intersections of queer, family, and faith identities in the context of Jewish community. Rebecca is the director of the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity (SOJOURN) in Atlanta. Rebecca shares her personal experiences of coming out and her journey to find a welcoming Jewish community. Historical awareness is a running theme in this episode as Anne-Marie and Rebecca delve into Jewish history, particularly focusing on Ashkenazi traditions, and the importance of questioning within the faith. They discuss the evolution of LGBTQIA+ representation in Jewish communities and the significance of understanding diverse identities in contemporary society. There is an emphasis on the need for open conversations about faith, history, and identity, highlighting the role of community in supporting individuals navigating their spiritual and personal journeys.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🎓An emphasis on the importance of inclusive education for youth and families.
✡️Reconstructing Judaism, offering a more inclusive approach to faith.
🏳️🌈Examining historical narratives that overlook significant figures and events, especially in LGBTQIA+ history.
👥An emphasis on community support, vital for navigating life's challenges.
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barbara share personal stories about times when negativity impacted their lives, the stories they told themselves that perpetuated their negative thought cycles, and how they put an end to negative thinking.
✨ Why This Matters:
It is important to recognize diverse identities within religious communities. And, community support is crucial for individuals exploring their identities within Judaism. Understanding the evolution of LGBTQIA+ rights is essential for intergenerational dialogue. Inclusivity in religious spaces can enhance community bonds and support.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
Learn more about Rebecca's work and SOJOURN at https://sojourngsd.org/
💬 Join the Conversation:
Have you had to reconcile your faith with your sexuality? Let's talk about it! Comment and let us know your thoughts.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Join Authentically Us, a community and support space for late blooming lesbians! Find us at https://www.annemariezanzal.com
Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women who are reevaluating their sexual identity, coming out as LGBTQIA+, and transitioning from a straight, married life to an independent life. If you're struggling and need help during this challenging time, learn what Lotus Community Coaching can offer you: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-community-coaching/
Ever get stuck in a cycle of negative thinking? It happens to all of us! During periods of challenge, grief, or adversity, our normal coping skills may be stretched and we can easily find ourselves spiraling into a cyclone of negative thoughts. So, what can we do about it?
In this candid episode, Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson share personal insights on overcoming negativity's grip – from its impact on how we see ourselves to navigating difficult relationship dynamics. Explore the power of community, the peace found in mindfulness, and the clarity gained through rituals and journaling. If you're seeking strategies to reframe negative thinking and embrace self-love, this conversation offers valuable perspectives and highlights affirmations as key tools for personal growth and acceptance.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
⛓️Anne-Marie and Barbara talk about how negativity impacts our personal growth and relationships.
🦉Discussion on how reframing thoughts can improve your mental health.
🧘Making distinctions between what is true and negative self talk that stems from core beliefs about self.
👥Exploration of rituals that dispel negativity
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barbara share personal stories about times when negativity impacted their lives, the stories they told themselves that perpetuated their negative thought cycles, and how they put an end to negative thinking.
✨ Why This Matters:
Negative thinking arises from feelings of shame and guilt, emotions experienced by many women who come out later in life. The shame and guilt is often rooted in deeply ingrained, gendered expectations for women. As we step away from heteronormativity and into our authentic selves and sexual identity, it is the perfect time to end negative internal narratives about what it means to be a good woman and change our inner-script to be more affirming.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Do you struggle with negative thinking and rumination? How did it impact you during your coming out process? Is it something you still deal with? Let's talk about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Authentically Us: A space for women who are coming out later in life. Join us for support groups, education, and community for just $34.99/month - your first week is free! https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
Need a deeper level of support for coming out and getting through "The Messy Middle?" Lotus Community Coaching is a 6-month program for women coming out later in life. Learn more at https://comingoutsupport.net/coaching-program
This week, please enjoy this revisited episode from season five, featuring Dr. Tina Schermer-Sellers. Dr. Tina Schermer-Sellers is a therapist, sex educator with a Ph.D. in clinical sexology, author, and Medical Director for the Northwest Institute on Intimacy. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Schermer-Sellers about sexuality, gender identity, the harmful repercussions of purity culture on sexuality and relationships, and society's shift towards acceptance of diverse identities.
This episode is of particular interest to anyone who has endured purity culture. Purity culture in America (and other countries) has truly made sex and sexuality points of angst and shame for so many people, straight and gay. If you've been impacted by the vice of purity culture, we encourage you to listen to this episode as a step towards healing.
Connect with Dr. Tina Schermer-Sellers at www.tinaschermersellers.com
🔗 Visit our website: Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
Want to check out the April 2025 events highlighted at the start of this episode? Visit Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
🌈 In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and coming out coach Barbara Rowlandson explore the complexities of estrangement, grief, and the societal narratives surrounding suffering. They discuss personal experiences with estrangement from children, the impact of diet culture on self-worth, and the cultural messages that equate suffering with love and worthiness, particularly for women. Their dialogue emphasizes the importance of choosing joy over suffering, recognizing the dual realities of grief and happiness, and challenging the comfort found in familiar suffering. Anne-Marie and Barb encourage listeners to rethink their relationship with suffering and embrace a more compassionate view of themselves and their experiences. Themes explored in this episode include struggle, ease, and the inherent worthiness of joy, the importance of self-acceptance, the practice of allowing joy to be a default state, and the necessity of releasing unnecessary suffering. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their worthiness and the joy that comes with it, challenging the narrative that happiness must be earned through hardship.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
⛓️Anne-Marie and Barbara talk about harmful messages about self-worth and joy that are directed at women.
🦉Discussion on how opposing feelings like grief and joy can coexist and are not mutually exclusive.
🧘The roles of mindfulness and self-compassion in overcoming suffering.
👥How community support can help individuals thrive, cultivate self-kindness, and embrace their true selves.
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barb discuss their personal relationships to suffering and how and when they learned in early life that suffering is a virtue. They share anecdotes about family estrangement, diet culture, religion, and divorce to highlight their relationship to suffering, and then discuss how they deconstructed the belief that suffering is virtuous, learning to live without shame and suffering as a prerequisite to joy.
✨ Why This Matters:
Women are raised with strong messages about what it means to be a good girl or woman, and those lessons become deeply ingrained, lasting well into adulthood. Suffering and self-sacrifice are seen as womanly burdens, and women are groomed to expect that suffering is normal and noble. When women come out later in life and leave their heteronormative lives, there is an opportunity to step away from societal expectations and embrace self-love and joy without conditions that include suffering.
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us
💬 Join the Conversation:
Has this episode made you think about your own relationship to suffering? Drop a comment and let's talk about it!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
📌🎙️Support The Tennessee Equality Project
Want to help us make positive change for LGBTQ individuals in Tennessee? Visit https://podcasthon.org/podcaster/coming-out-beyond to find the link to make a donation today! You can learn more about The Tennessee Equality Project at https://www.tnep.org/
🌈 It's Podcasthon 2025! What does that mean? This week's show is part of a larger initiative by podcasters everywhere to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes. This week's show is in support of The Tennessee Equality Project, an organization dedicated to legislative advocacy for LGBTQ rights in the Tennessee General Assembly and local governments around the state. The Tennessee Equality Project ensures that LGBTQ voices are heard by federal officials, taking a stand on important issues that impact the lives of LGBTQ Tennessee residents. Our guest this week is Chris Sanders, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project. Chris and Anne-Marie discuss the importance of LGBTQ advocacy, personal coming out stories, and the intersection of faith and sexuality.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
⚖️Chris shares insights on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community in Tennessee, the role of advocacy in creating change, and the significance of community support
🧠Anne-Marie and Chris touch on the importance of critical thinking and the need for trust in collaborative efforts for advocacy.
👥There is an emphasis on building trust, showing up consistently and leaning into community for effective advocacy.
✨ Why This Matters:
We are more effective in our advocacy when we understand the legislative landscape, build trust in our community of support and show up consistently in advocacy efforts
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you a member of the LGBTQ community living in Tennessee? Or maybe you're an advocate for LGBTQ rights in another state and have some wisdom to share? Tell us about it in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
🌈 What exactly is resilience? Why is it so important to the coming out later in life process? How can we push past fear and uncertainty? How can we become more resilient so we don't lose ourselves in grief, rejection, or pain? These are some of the things host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coach, Barbara Rowlandson, discuss in this podcast episode about resilience.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈 Anne-Marie and Barb reflect on the power of self-compassion when coming out later in life.
🧑🏼🤝🧑🏿Emphasis on the importance of finding a supportive community and dealing with loss of support from family and friends.
❤️🩹Holding space for both grief and joy in the coming out process.
🏳️🌈Leaning into queer joy and the gifts associated with coming out.
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barb explore the concept of resiliency as an ongoing process rather than a one-time achievement. They emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and understanding one's authentic self versus conditioned self. In this episode, you'll hear advice on how to foster resilience, particularly for those navigating life changes within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson explore the themes of fear, resilience, and personal growth, particularly in the context of coming out and embracing one's identity. They discuss the importance of reframing fear, the necessity of grieving past experiences while embracing new possibilities, and the value of self-affirmation. The conversation emphasizes that resilience is a practice that requires mindfulness and community support, and that it is possible to hold space for both loss and joy simultaneously.
✨ Why This Matters:
Coming out later in life is usually associated with a lot of big life changes, losses, accompanied by joys and self-discovery. The process often feels like a rollercoaster ride that includes grief, excitement, anger, sadness, exhilaration, and fulfilment. Building resilience for the wild ride of coming out helps you to keep it together when feelings are all over the place.
📌🎙️About Authentically Us
Later in lifers have unique needs. Authentically Us is a space where women can participate in discussions, attend support groups & find education on exploring sexuality, coming out, queer relationships and more. You can find Authentically Us here: https://community.annemariezanzal.com/landing?space_id=17760704
🏳️🌈Maybe I'm Not Straight?
We have a mini course available for those questioning their sexual orientation and feeling unsure about next steps. It is a comprehensive mini course designed to provide you with the tools and support you need to explore your identity and embrace your authentic self. https://annemariezanzal.com/courses-from-anne-marie-zanzal/#notstraight
🏳️🌈Embracing the In-Between is our Messy Middle guide that can help you shift from overwhelm to clarity. It's a guide designed to help you reflect, identify growth areas, track progress and cultivate self kindness. https://annemariezanzal.com/free-guide-messy-middle-embracing-the-in-between/
💬 Join the Conversation:
Has coming out later in life made you stronger? How has it changed your life? If you've been through this journey and have thoughts on resilience, tell us about them in the comments!
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
🌈 Meet Kiki Joy Latham: soulful singer, survivor, and later in life lesbian. In this episode, Kiki shares their journey in a conversation with host Anne-Marie Zanzal, and it is a true story of self-discovery, navigating queer identity, and championing challenges faced in relationships and spirituality. From their early life in a diverse community to experiences with love, faith, and the search for belonging, Kiki's story is one of resilience and empowerment. Kiki discusses the impact of toxic relationships and spiritual abuse, and how they ultimately found their voice and community in the LGBTQIA+ space.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈 Kiki's experiences of rejection and trauma in early relationships and their path to self-acceptance provides inspiration to those who may be struggling.
📣 Emphasis on the importance of finding a supportive community.
❤️🩹Discussion about spiritual abuse and deconstructing religion.
🧑🏼🤝🧑🏿Inspiration so that you, too, might find hope for greater fulfilment after a period of intense struggle and loneliness.
Real Stories, Real Advice: Kiki's story reminds us of the powerful forces that can keep women from recognizing their authentic sexuality. Kiki's strict upbringing, experiences with racism and manipulative conversative faith communities diverted her from their inner voice. Ultimately Kiki began to listen to that inner voice telling them something was wrong, leading to a path of self-discovery and greater happiness as they embraced their queer identity.
✨ Why This Matters:
So often, people who come out later in life do not see themselves or their experiences reflected, and therefore experience difficulty locating their identity of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Kiki provides us with a model of a strong, talented, Black and queer individual who overcame the odds to become the happy, thriving queer person they are today.
📌🎙️About Authentically Us
Later in lifers have unique needs. Authentically Us is a space where women can participate in discussions, attend support groups & find education on exploring sexuality, coming out, queer relationships and more. You can find Authentically Us here: https://community.annemariezanzal.com/landing?space_id=17760704
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you struggling with deconstructing religion or have experienced spiritual abuse or racism? How is your story similar to Kiki's? Tell us about it in the comments.
You can find Kiki on Instagram as @lovekikijoy.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
The Three Big Questions You've GOT to Ask Before Coming Out | Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories |Season 6 Episode 9
🌈 If you're a woman reevaluating your sexuality later in life, this episode is going to change things for you. Why? Because host Anne-Marie Zanzal and fellow coming out coach Barbara Rowlandson talk about the three most important questions you need to ask yourself at the start of your sexual awakening/coming out journey. Anne-Marie and Barb, both later-in-life lesbians who work in this very niche community supporting women who come out in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, share some common threads of the coming out experience and wisdom that can help you find the courage to make hard decisions.
Download the free 3 Questions Guide: api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/4qBZycuEelYRSvpLNy1M
In this episode, Anne-Marie and Barb also make reference to the Dealing with Guilt and Shame Guide. If you'd like to check it out, it's free too: api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/QFAgIx30gAptZxdsUNjP
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈 Anne-Marie and Barb explain why the question of our sexuality often surfaces when things seem to be going great.
📣 Discussion on why the "good girl's prescription for a happy life" doesn't make us fully happy.
❤️🩹An explanation of disenfranchised grief: what it is, and why it can make this process so much harder.
🧑🏼🤝🧑🏿Sharing Authentically Us, a community, support and learning space for women who are going through the sexual reevaluation and coming out process.
Real Stories, Real Advice: Women who are just starting this journey often don't know where to go next and feel stuck between feelings of not wanting to "ruin" their lives and intense desire for intimate connection with women. This episode addresses that place of being stuck, offering questions that can help lead you to some clarity about what you want and next steps.
✨ Why This Matters:
There is so little awareness and support out there for women who are questioning their sexuality later in life. This episode directly addresses where you can find the support you need, directing you to a place where you can talk about what you're experiencing without fear of judgement, with people who understand this journey.
📌🎙️About Authentically Us
Later in lifers have unique needs. Authentically Us is a space where women can participate in discussions, attend support groups & find education on exploring sexuality, coming out, queer relationships and more. You can find Authentically Us here: https://community.annemariezanzal.com/landing?space_id=17760704
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you struggling with feeling like you want to be with a woman? Worried about what this means for you and the people you care about? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
👣A Path to Spiritual Healing🏳️🌈 The Role of Affirming Spiritual Direction for the LGBTQIA+ Community | Season 6 Episode 8
🌈 This week on "Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories" host Anne-Marie Zanzal spends some time in conversation with Canadian spiritual director, Joan Alexander. Joan serves on the faculty of several formation programs teaching and supervising students in ministry. She facilitates workshops and webinars on topics such as spiritual accompaniment to the LGBTQIA+ community, spiritual trauma, hurting and healing. Joan currently serves on the board of directors of Spiritual Directors International.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌈 Understanding the nature of professional spiritual direction.
🪞 Reflecting on the impact of coming out on spirituality.
❤️🩹Working with trauma in spiritual direction.
📋Using the Enneagram assessment tool and much more!
Real Stories, Real Advice: This episode is a must listen for anyone is LGBTQIA+ and has spiritual wounds from faith communities. Joan reviews her spiritual direction tools – conversation, prayer, community, Enneagram assessments, dream work and symbolism – and gives us a mini-demonstration of how they are used in spiritual direction.
✨ Why This Matters:
This episode shows us how spiritual direction can help LGBTQIA+ individuals reclaim their spirituality.
📌🎙️About Joan Alexander: You can find Joan online at https://www.joanalexanderspiritualdirector.com/Joan offers spiritual directions sessions on a sliding scale. If you use Joan's Calendly to book a session, please put a note in at the time of booking that you found her through the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast!
💬 Join the Conversation:
Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who has a complicated relationship with spirituality and faith? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🌟 Why Watch This Episode? Many in the LGBTQIA+ community experience religious trauma and become disconnected from their spiritual lives. Anne-Marie and Joan, both lesbians in LGBTQIA+ ministries, illuminate a path for wounded individuals to find a way back to their spiritual side, in a way that respects individual dignity and acknowledges trauma.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
➡️Reframing Guilt & Shame Part 2: A New Perspective | Season 6 Episode 7
🌈 Welcome to another episode of "Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories"!
Host Anne-Marie Zanzal and fellow later-in-lifer Barbara Rowlandson are back this week to talk about recognizing and reframing guilt and shame. Guilt and shame are two of the most common feelings that later-in-lifers struggle with. Anne-Marie and Barb keep the conversation going about these very challenging feelings in the context of coming out, deconstruct them, and offer new perspectives.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌧️ Values, where we learn them, and dealing with guilt and shame as our values change.
⚖️ Being fair to ourselves, allowing grace for life changes.
🧗♀️Cultivating psychological flexibility, strategies for addressing shame, temporary fixes and bargaining during the coming out process, and much more!
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barbara talk about guilt and shame in the context of their own lives and experiences.
✨ Why This Matters:
It's important to differentiate between feelings and identity. Reflection and perspective can help in understanding guilt and shame. Women are disproportionately impacted by societally driven guilt and shame based on gender role expectations. Self-compassion is a practice that can significantly reduce these difficult feelings.
📌🎙️About Barbara Rowlandson:
With years of experience as a relationship coach, Barbara specializes in helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples create fulfilling and authentic relationships. Her compassionate approach empowers individuals to embrace their identity and build strong connections.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does dating readiness mean to you? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Barbara Rowlandson’s : [ lavenderdating.com]
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🌟 Why Watch This Episode?
If you're a later in lifer in what we call "The Messy Middle," you might be experiencing a great deal of guilt and shame over your sexual identity, wanting divorce, impacting your children, or going against your faith tradition. In this episode, you'll learn you aren't alone in those feelings, feel understood, and begin to learn ways to navigate the murky waters of guilt and shame.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
➡️Reframing Guilt & Shame Associated with Coming Out Later in Life : Season 6 Episode 6
🌈 Welcome to another episode of "Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories"!
Host Anne-Marie Zanzal invites fellow later-in-lifer Barbara Rowlandson back to the podcast to talk about everyone's favorite topic 🙄, guilt and shame! Guilt and shame are two of the most common feelings that later-in-lifers struggle with. Anne-Marie and Barb have a conversation about these very challenging feelings in the context of coming out, deconstruct them, and offer new perspectives.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
🌧️ Definitions guilt and shame and understanding the nuanced differences between them.
⚖️ Review justified vs. unjustified guilt and shame and how societal pressures contribute to unjustified guilt.
🧗♀️Recognizing how guilt and shame manifest in our bodies, separating our identity from our feelings and more!
Real Stories, Real Advice: Anne-Marie and Barbara talk about guilt and shame in the context of their own lives and experiences.
✨ Why This Matters:
It's important to differentiate between feelings and identity. Reflection and perspective can help in understanding guilt and shame. Women are disproportionately impacted by societally driven guilt and shame based on gender role expectations. Self-compassion is a practice that can significantly reduce these difficult feelings.
📌🎙️About Barbara Rowlandson:
With years of experience as a relationship coach, Barbara specializes in helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples create fulfilling and authentic relationships. Her compassionate approach empowers individuals to embrace their identity and build strong connections.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does dating readiness mean to you? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
Barbara Rowlandson’s : [ www.lavenderdating.com]
🌟 Why Watch This Episode?
If you're a later in lifer in what we call "The Messy Middle," you might be experiencing a great deal of guilt and shame over your sexual identity, wanting divorce, impacting your children, or going against your faith tradition. In this episode, you'll learn you aren't alone in those feelings, feel understood, and begin to learn ways to navigate the murky waters of guilt and shame.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
#comingoutandbeyond #lgbtqiastories #guilt #shame #BarbaraRowlandson #AnneMarieZanzal #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #2slgbtqia #lgbtqpodcast #lgbtqplus #comingout #comingoutlaterinlife #lateinlifelesbian #latetolesbian #themessymiddle #divorce #podcast #love #separation #lgbtpodcast #lgbtrepresentation #lifetransitions
🌈 Welcome to another episode of "Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories"!
In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and fellow coming-out coach, Barbara Rowlandson, talk about leaning into queer community during challenging times. Informed by their work with later-in-lifers, Anne-Marie and Barb discuss why this demographic of women needs community so much.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
✔️ Explanation of the recent changes to Facebook Community Standards that are harmful to the LGBTQIA+ community.
✔️Protecting your mental health during a period of uncertainty that comes with political and social change.
✔️ How, as a newly out person, you can find queer community in real life.
✔️Moving later-in-life lesbian Facebook communities to a safer space (Authentically Us on Mighty Networks).
✨ Why This Matters:
Women who come out later in life often feel like outsiders in both the hetero and LGBTQIA+ worlds. It is common for later-in-lifers to feel alone, and in these uncertain times, many are scared. Now more than ever, later-in-life queer women need to lean into each other for support, camaraderie, joy, and to be seen.
📌🎙️About Barbara Rowlandson
With years of experience as a relationship coach, Barbara specializes in helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples create fulfilling and authentic relationships. Her compassionate approach empowers individuals to embrace their identity and build strong connections. Barbara's work is centered on values identification, examining and reevaluating core beliefs, overcoming limiting beliefs, fostering self-worth, and cultivating psychological flexibility.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does community mean to you? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🌟 Why Listen to This Episode?
If you're a queer person who needs to feel connected to others in your community, this episode holds many fantastic suggestions for finding like-minded individuals who will respect your identity.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
🌈 Welcome to another episode of "Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories"!
In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal interviews Pastor Greg Bullard, the longest-serving affirming pastor in Tennessee. They discuss Greg's coming out journey, the importance of community in faith, and the role of acceptance within the church. Greg shares his experiences growing up in a strict religious environment and how he found his place in the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). the conversation delves into the challenges of language in faith, the duality of love, and the need for community support. Greg emphasizes the importance of transforming hate into love and creating a beautiful world through action and connection.
❓ What to Expect in This Episode:
✔️ Emphasis on the importance of community to faith and salvation.
✔️ The importance of language in faith matters and how it can be a barrier or a bridge.
✔️The power of transforming hate into love and more!
✨ Why This Matters:
Many within the LGBTQIA+ community experience rejection from their faith communities and suffer religious trauma. Pastor Greg Bullard offers a perspective that makes space for queer individuals and emphasizes that church trauma stems from individuals, not God. Finding friendship and support within a faith community can be deeply meaningful and healing for those who have suffered religious trauma.
📌🎙️About Pastor Greg Bullard:
Pastor Greg Bullard started his ministry in northern Alabama when he first felt the call at his home church. His pastor, then, said, “Greg, I’m sorry you’ll never be able to be in ministry because of who you are, and that’s not fair.” Over three decades later, Pastor Greg has built one of the most long-standing affirming ministries in the Southeast. A graduate of The University of Alabama in Huntsville, he made Nashville his permanent home in the late 1990s. With an accounting and business systems background, he marries his analytical side with his humor and storytelling each week as he ministers in the community and his home church. Greg has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign, Tennessee Equality Project, Middle Tennessee State University, and Hands On Nashville for his work in LGBTQ+ ministry and food security. He and his husband, Brian, live with their son, Micah, born in 2011 and daughter, Esther, born in 2014. You’ll find his other son, Zach, on the piano bench every Sunday, sharing the ministry. Learn more about Greg here: https://www.covenantofthecross.com/staff-nav
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does faith mean to you? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Anne-Marie's : [ www.annemariezanzal.com]
🌟 Why Watch This Episode?
If you're a queer person who has been impacted by a conservative faith tradition and feeling the loss of acceptance by your faith community, let this episode inspire you and help you to know that you are inherently lovable and that there is space for you in an affirming church.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
You can also tune into this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Apple Podcasts: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569)
Spotify: (https://open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e)
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Buckle up, daters! In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond, we’re diving even deeper into the complexities of dating in the LGBTQIA+ community with Barbara Rowlandson, a seasoned relationship coach and LGBTQIA+ advocate. 🌈❤️
Dating can be both exciting and daunting, especially when you’re navigating life after coming out or rediscovering your authentic self. In this candid conversation, Barbara offers insights, tools, and strategies to help you assess your dating readiness and build meaningful connections that honor your true self.
💡 Topics Covered:
☑️ What you need to consider before starting to date
☑️ The importance of self-acceptance to the dating experience
☑️ Ridding yourself of limiting thoughts about yourself and dating
☑️ Why vulnerability is essential for connection
☑️ Preparing for rejection – an inevitability in dating
🎙️About Barbara Rowlandson:
With years of experience as a relationship coach, Barbara specializes in helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples create fulfilling and authentic relationships. Her compassionate approach empowers individuals to embrace their identity and build strong connections.
💬 Join the Conversation:
What does dating readiness mean to you? Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. Let’s foster a supportive community where we can learn from each other.
🔗 Visit our website:
Barbara Rowlandson’s : [ lavenderdating.com]
Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]
🌟 Why Watch This Episode?
Whether you’re new to the dating scene or seeking to improve your approach, this episode provides valuable insights to help you date with confidence, authenticity, and purpose.
🔗 Follow us on social media:
💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal
💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal
💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!
Please download, like & subscribe! You can also tune into this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Dating later in life can feel like tricky business! That's why we've asked our in-house dating expert, Barbara Rowlandson, to chat about best practices when stepping out into the dating world after a long hiatus. This episode covers dating while you're still in your heteronormative marriage, assessing your dating readiness, priorities in dating, and much more!
Interested in taking part in Lavender Dating's 2-part dating workshop, Jan 25th & Feb 1st? Visit www.lavenderdating.com or www.annemariezanzal.com for more information and to register.
Another year of podcasts is in the history books! In this first episode of Season 6, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her fellow coach/producer Barbara Rowlandson review some of their favorite episodes of 2024, and give us a peek into topics that will be covered in 2025. Happy New Year, everyone!
80% of gender is between your ears (not your legs) says, transition coach Wendy Cole. Wendy's remarkable story begins in the 1950s, when as a very young child she knew she was a girl. In her conversation with host Anne-Marie Zanzal, Wendy shares her struggles in early childhood with her parents and psychiatric professionals who gave her harmful labels, how she coped in a heteronormative world, her eventual breaking point when she finally stepped into her identity as a woman, her friendship with her ex-wife, figuring out her sexuality post-transition, and much more.
Oh yes! Oh no! It's the holiday season once again! Individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community experience unique stressors during the holiday season. Queer/coming out coaches Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson have a lively discussion about strategies for coping with family, friends, and life changes during the holiday season. This is an especially good episode for anyone who is coming out or newly out!
What does it mean to hide? How does hiding effect us and the people around us? This week's podcast could be considered an expert on hiding. Author Karen Solt, a lesbian, made her career in the United States navy which spanned over the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" years (1993-2011). A middle child with alcoholic parents, Karen's youth was a wild one, where she hid, started drinking at age 9-10, and generally underachieved to stay below the radar. After high school, Karen was tricked into joining the navy by an unscrupulous recruitment officer. Karen found structure in the navy, became sober, made chief after 11 years, and spent the entirety of her career hiding her sexuality. When she retired, Karen found that she couldn't hide behind the uniform any longer, and thus began her journey of learning, healing, and being seen.
Poet, lyricist, celebrated vintage/antiques seller, and author of "Selling Dead People's Things" Duane Scott Cerny has led a varied and fascinating life. In this episode, Duane shares his remarkable life story with host Anne-Marie Zanzal, covering his sister's miraculous recovery from an grievous illness that caused his parents to convert to Catholicism, growing up gay in the Chicago suburbs, using his charm to diffuse school bullies and developing entrepreneurial skills in high school as self-protection, losing a partner and friends during the AIDS crisis, his early work launching his own record label, founding Chicago's popular Broadway Antique Market, and much, much more. Tune in to hear all of the colorful details of Duane's incredible life story!
Learn more about Duane at https://sellingdeadpeoplesthings.com/meet-the-author/
Discover more about the Broadway Antique Market at https://bamchicago.com/
Duane's favorite musical is 'Sunset Boulevard.' You can catch a compelling performance by Glenn Close in the lead role here: https://youtu.be/i8Xz1aHPhE4?si=r8LtdVWGT2ISMRNB
This week, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with the very wise and funny Phillip Headrick. Phillip, is the host of the recently retired "Two Bottles Deep" podcast, a physical therapist, and Nashville-based comedian. Before he was the charming and confident person he is today, Phillip was a boy raised on a farm in rural Tennessee who was raised in a Christian cult known as "The Truth." As a young man in college, Phillip's realization that he was gay sparked an existential crisis that will have a familiar ring to anyone who has grown up in a conservative faith community. Tune in to hear Phillip's coming out story, the unlikely response from his parents when he came out, and Phillip's messages of grace and tolerance.
You can tune in to previous episodes of the "Two Bottles Deep" podcast here: https://twobottlesdeep.libsyn.com/
When in Nashville, you can catch Phillip's standup comedy at The Third Coast Comedy Club https://www.thirdcoastcomedy.club/ or Zanies Nashville https://nashville.zanies.com/#
Phillip's coming out song is Believe by Cher: https://youtu.be/nZXRV4MezEw?si=7DmK3t9-ph5YCvuM
A book that has had a profound impact on Phillip's life is Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43848929-talking-to-strangers
NSFW: This episode contains strong language that may be offensive to some.
The current political climate is undoubtedly tough for the LGBTQIA+ community. How do we persevere in a society where so many would like to see queer people go back in the closet? This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal taps into the wisdom of individuals who have been out for several decades, discussing how to push through adversity and thrive. Anne-Marie is joined by her wife, Tonda McKay, who came out in the early '80s, Pam Nuchols, LCSW and therapist, and Robert McNamara, retired GM and founder of Franklin TN Pride. You'll here the group talk about their coming out stories, loss in the time of the AIDS crisis, emerging from conservative faith traditions, and how they've come through times that are even tougher than what we face in the present day.
Robert's coming out song is Don't You Want Me by The Human League: https://youtu.be/uPudE8nDog0?si=uC0pHYXId_qrFsm0
Pam's coming out song is Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon: https://youtu.be/zpOULjyy-n8?si=Mx9nk8yCXF8cwk9s
and Pam also recommends reading Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165395.Rubyfruit_Jungle
Anne-Marie and Tonda mentioned a song by Chappell Roan, "Good Luck, Babe": https://youtu.be/6ENzV125lWc?si=admdyeKj1VdmNsZy
Tonda recommends reading "Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay worlds" by Judy Grahn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64767.Another_Mother_Tongue
Activist, scholar, mental health advocate, and The Trevor Project and WClub volunteer JJ King (they/them) is Anne-Marie's special guest on this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories. Anne-Marie and JJ met as JJ was beginning their coming out journey. Both were raised in conservative faith traditions that impacted their sense of self and autonomy. In this compelling conversation about women's power, Anne-Marie and JJ unpack the layered impacts of conservative faith, including homophobia, purity culture, and complementarianism. JJ shares their inspiring story of how they emerged from a family system and marriage where they were deeply oppressed to live their best life. Recorded just two days after the 2024 U.S. election, Anne-Marie and JJ also unpack why so many white American women voted against themselves.
Charlie Sprinkman is a young person with a vision! After working in a job that required him to travel across 50+ states, Charlie recognized there was a lack of visibility to queer-owned businesses when he tried to find them in his travels and his searches came up empty. This is how Everywhere is Queer was born. Everywhere is Queer is a free app where people can list and search for queer-owned businesses. With an enormous amount of hard work and a boost from major media outlets, Everywhere is Queer's visibility has dramatically taken off, with thousands participating on the app worldwide. Tune in to hear host Anne-Marie Zanzal chat with Charlie about their journey, from their early days growing up in conservative Wisconsin, coming out, his fearless 'just do it' attitude, the country that surprised him the most, his business coaching service, and much more.
You can learn more about the Everywhere is Queer app at https://www.everywhereisqueer.com/
A song that is meaningful to Charlie is 'Same Love' by Macklemore feat. Mary Lambert: https://youtu.be/hlVBg7_08n0?si=TOvY3aMo1wogizyj
A television show that Charlie recommends is 'Pose': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7562112/
Find out more about Everything is Queer, sign up for his newsletter, and find links to connect on Instagram and TikTok at www.everythingisqueer.com.
Join host Anne-Marie Zanzal as she welcomes author and coach Annie M. Henderson to explore the diverse experiences of women coming out later in life. Annie shares her personal journey, highlighting the challenges of growing up Catholic in Northeast Texas and the profound impact of a lack of representation in her life. The conversation delves into the complexities of people pleasing and co-dependency, revealing how these patterns can shape relationships and self-identity. Annie's catalyst experience serves as a pivotal point in her story, leading to deep reflections on authenticity and self-acceptance. Tune in for an insightful discussion that emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual's journey while navigating the common themes of discovery and empowerment within the LGBTQIA community.
Women: dating in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially if you haven't dated in a very long time, or if you're new to dating other queer people, can feel very daunting! Figuring out how to navigate dating apps, learning how to talk to strangers, and identifying your priorities and goals are among some of the very real challenges that singles face. This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with later-in-lifer Barb Rowlandson, whose coaching work has expanded to working with those who want to get the most out of their dating experiences.
You can learn more about her coaching and support programs for LGBTQIA+ women at www.lavenderdating.com.
In this episode, Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the 'toaster oven,' a reference to a joke from Ellen DeGeneres' 90s sitcom. You can learn more about that reference here: https://annemariezanzal.com/whats-up-with-the-toaster-oven-by-tonda-mckay/
KaRon Spriggs-Bethea, DSW, LCSW, educator and expert on the subject of bullying. KaRon experienced bullying as a young person, and today uses his expertise to support others who feel diminished as a result of bullying. In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with KaRon about his lived experiences being bullied as a black, gay man, defines bullying, and discusses how to minimize shame, build self-esteem, and how to support the people we care about who are experiencing bullying.
Happy National Coming Out Day, 2024! In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with two of her favorite lesbians: her wife, Tonda, and fellow coach, Barb. Anne-Marie, Tonda, and Barb share their thoughts on signs that you might not be as straight as you originally thought. A little cheeky and with a lot of laughs, these three touch on stereotypes in the lesbian community and throw a little sage advice into the mix. It's a fun episode you won't want to miss!
This week on CO&B and in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, we are revisiting an episode from season 1 featuring Judy Wilson. Judy grew up in Nashville, Tennessee in a Roman Catholic family. She came out in the early 1970’s and live in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis. Her story is a testament to the courageousness underground culture of those who came out out in the South and an important reminder of the challenges faced by our queer elders.
Judy is a website designer and writer/mentor. You can find her at site-shack.com or www.judyannewilson.com.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
This episode of Coming Out and Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories featuring a conversation with lesbian couple's expert, Dr. Robin Sesan originally aired in December 2023. Today, we reshare this episode with you and invite you to join us at Dr. Sesan's upcoming workshop, Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples, on Oct 17th in Provincetown MA during Women's Week. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, spaces are limited.
Link to the event information and to purchase tickets: Strengthening Love: Building Secure Bonds for Lesbian Couples Tickets, Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 1:30 PM | Eventbrite
Dr. Robin Sesan is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist specializing in working with lesbian/queer couples. She has recently developed an online coaching program for lesbian couples. Listen as host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Robin about her coming out later-in-life experience, challenges that are unique to the later-in-life experience, lesbian couple dynamics, and how to make your relationship go the distance.
Visit Robin's websites for her therapy practice: www.securelesbiancouples.com and www.thebrandywinecenter.com
Follow Robin on Instagram @securelesbiancouples
Robin's coming out songs are Defying Gravity from the musical "Wicked" https://youtu.be/MslDnwerQRA?si=AL_c2AD4287DAdsf and The Power of Two by Indigo Girls https://youtu.be/hj0yVN8pFNw?si=I4uiTd7GH2YrJhZJ
A book that validated Robin's perspective on life was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Coming out is often an ongoing process, and sometimes people come out selectively to the people around them. It is not unusual for our family members to be the last to know this important piece about our identity. Podcaster Sarah St. John understands this truth. While Sarah has a happy life with her partner, she has yet to come out to her family of origin and has lost members of her support system in the coming out process. In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks to Sarah about her coming out experience, the impacts of a conservative faith tradition, why the "right time" to come out does not exist, loss of friends and support systems, and much more.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
In her book, "Perfectly Queer," author Jillian Abby recounts her journey of coming out later in life and overcoming chronic perfectionism. Jillian began her metamorphosis as a wife in a heterosexual marriage, home-schooling mom, and CPA. Sensing a change was needed, Jillian transitioned her job to Licensed Massage Therapist, and as she engaged in physical healing modalities she became more in touch with her authentic self, realizing she was queer. A recovering perfectionist, Jillian has learned to release unrealistic expectations, turn to self for validation, and be a peace with imperfection. In this lively discussion, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Jillian talk about a wide range of topics, including overcoming pernicious perfectionism, the 'superpower' associated with coming out later in life, good and not so good therapists, internalized homophobia, and so much more.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
After 10 years of unravelling her sexual identity, later-in-life lesbian Emily Bettdur came out and transformed her life. Now a later-in-life dating coach for women, Emily helps others feel connected to their authentic sexuality, navigate complex emotions, build self-esteem, and foster healthy relationships. In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Emily talk about the coming out later in life experience, opening marriages as a bargaining strategy, family responses to coming out and how to handle them, therapy pitfalls, and much more!
Connect with Emily at https://thelatelifelesbian.com/
Emily's coming out song is This is Me from The Greatest Showman https://youtu.be/CjxugyZCfuw?si=Hm1boIfE6VzbCupi
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Have you ever felt so disconnected from your body that you don't know what you feel or want? This week's guest on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories is Juliana Allen, a certified somatic breathwork facilitator who helps people become reconnected with their bodies and heal. Juliana, a later in life lesbian, found breathwork in her coming out process. In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Juliana talk about why those coming out later in life can benefit from alternative healing, releasing trauma from the body (TW: anorexia), her experience opening her marriage after coming out, and the joyful, authentic life her has cultivated.
Follow Juliana on Instagram: @reclaimingjuliana
Juliana's website: www.reclaimingjuliana.com
A song that is meaningful to Juliana is The Chicks' My Best Friend's Wedding. https://youtu.be/dMU0Pfn65lU?si=rYnnkRc6ecZvUziE
A book that is meaningful to Juliana is Glennon Doyle's Untamed: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52129515-untamed
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This week's guest, Wes Schmitz, was raised in a small farming community in central Illinois. While growing up, he retreated deeper and deeper into the closet, forced there by the rhetoric around him. In college, homophobic jokes on campus and in the frat house kept him in the closet. Wes came out at age 29, emerging from the darkness and into a brighter future. Wes says "I never chose to be gay, but I finally chose to be happy." Since then, Wes has flourished in his career, co-hosted the "Two Bottles Deep" podcast, and has built a joyful life for himself in Nashville, TN. In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Wes are reunited in the podcast sphere once again to talk about triumphing over negative messaging , the importance of having queer community, ditching shame for good, ditching alcohol for good and the positive consequences that followed, and what it's like to go from having FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (joy of missing out).
Wes' coming out song is Simply the Best by Tina Turner: https://youtu.be/GC5E8ie2pdM?si=7_zuOuz6Qr1wrj59
Wes also resonates with Miranda Lambert's song, Automatic: https://youtu.be/2ksWKOy665o?si=Q64rgduYd34ZRHcQ
A book that has special meaning to Wes is The Help by Kathryn Stockett: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024-the-help
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TW: Bullying.
Raymond J Brune is Anne-Marie's special guest on this week's episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories. So many people are a slave to their trauma; trauma that results from sexual abuse, accidents, the loss of a loved one, terrorism – even bullying. The impacts of trauma can last a lifetime. Raymond found a path to healing and forgiveness four decades after being viciously bullied in school, and he discovered it completely by accident. Raymond reveals how his healing was precipitated in his upcoming book, The Art of Being Bullied: Reframing Trauma One Masterpiece at a Time, which drops August 20th. Ray is a TV executive, former executive producer of Good Morning America, World News Now, VP at E! networks and Fox Sports, among many others. Tune in to hear Ray's story of triumph over a past filled with abuse, and learn how he used his creativity to forge ahead to a place of healing.
You can purchase Ray's book, "The Art of Being Bullied: Reframing Trauma One Masterpiece at a Time" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Being-Bullied-Reframing-Masterpiece-ebook/dp/B0D78NTSJ8?ref_=ast_author_m...
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This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with psychotherapist and art therapist, Jamie Winters. Jamie's professional experiences encompass a variety of roles, including social worker, educator, fine artist, farmer and yoga teacher. Jamie combines her love of neuroscience, psychology, art, nature, movement, and healing to facilitate growth, connection and empowerment for her clients. In this episode, Jamie shares with Anne-Marie her journey from self-realization that she is queer to coming out later in life, her experiences being entrenched in a faith tradition as a preacher's wife, what it was like to encounter homophobia in the church, and the subsequent steps she took to blossom and live an authentic, joyful life.
You can learn more about Jamie's practice at www.rainbowlotustherapy.com
A film that is meaningful to Jamie is the Danish film, Antonia's Line (1995): Antonia's Line (1995) - IMDb
A song that is meaningful to Jamie is 'Wild Sweet' by Starling Arrow: https://youtu.be/-al77IYpmsg?si=sB_c_QcVymlJRPLk
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In this very special Part 1 episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with identical twins Ronda Landers and Jonda Valentine, both later-in-life lesbians and founders of Nashville's iconic bar, The Lipstick Lounge. Ronda and Jonda's stories reflect their remarkable journeys, beginning with growing up with their dad, a closeted preacher, moving to Nashville, realizing they were lesbians later in life, having children taken away by an ex-husband and mother for being a lesbian, and more. This is an episode that truly gives you a snapshot of what it was like to be out and lesbian 35 years ago and the social, familial, and legal struggles that queer people faced. Ronda and Jonda will be back in a future episode to continue telling their story about how they built a queer community hub in Nashville, TN, when they started The Lipstick Lounge, voted one of the best bars in America by USA Today.
New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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Therapist Dr. Andreya Jones and sex and relationship coach Angie Zimmerman are kink-aware practitioners whose work is centered on helping individuals have more rewarding relationships and fulfilling sex lives. Deconstructing from conservative religion, overcoming history of sexual abuse, finding acceptance in community, exploring polyamory, and finding purpose are themes throughout Andreya and Angie's stories. In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Andreya and Angie about their coming out stories, their experiences in polyamory, the impact of purity culture on sexual function and much, much more!
You can learn more about Andreya and Angie's work at www.andreyajonescounseling.com
New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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This week on CO&B, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes somatic embodiment and sex coach, Ayce Kypton. Ayce's story relates a journey of coming into his authentic gender, embracing transmasculine identity, emerging from conservative faith tradition, and stepping into his sexuality after decades of celibacy. His story is also one of perseverance, as Ayce experienced profound losses of family, faith, community and employment during his transition. Today, Ayce thrives as a coach for other transgender individuals who seek to become more connected to their bodies and to sexual pleasure.
You can find out more about Ayce and his services at aycekyptyn.com
Ayce's coming out song was You're Gonna Love It by Sun Heat https://youtu.be/RSx23VgRXVI?si=Q5qQYaNMIrGjNKwy
A program that had a profound impact on Ayce was Sex, Love & goop, on Netflix.
New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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Anne Russo is a licensed clinical social worker, sex-positive therapist and founder of AMR Therapy. A therapist with over 20 years of experienced, she specializes in servicing marginalized communities, particularly in areas of sex positivity, queer issues, and religious trauma. Anne is a dedicated advocate for modern women's sexuality and is the author of the upcoming book, 'Her Own Terms: Navigating the Landscape of Modern Female Sexuality.' In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with Anne about her unconventional upbringing and coming out, and the two take a deep dive into a wide range of topics, including queer theology, helpful and unhelpful messages about womanhood, the intersection of queerness, religion, and sex positivity, and much more.
You can find Anne Russo online at www.annerusso.org
Anne's coming out song is Sunday Morning by No Doubt: https://youtu.be/PiBX-ESFDF0?si=LArxJXJObkvnen5L
A book that has inspired Anne is 'Conversations With God' by Neale Donald Walsch: Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch | Goodreads
New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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Struggling with the decision of whether to leave your marriage? This week on the Coming Out & Beyond podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back producer Barb Rowlandson to talk about divorce as you're coming out. Many of the clients Anne-Marie and Barb work with have the challenge of untangling long-term marriages, and the process can be fraught with difficulties. Anne-Marie and Barb address some of the most common questions and concerns women have as they consider and proceed with divorce, including how do you know if it's time to end your marriage, should you open your marriage, silent signs that you should leave, and much more!
If you are going through a later in life coming out journey and are in the process of divorce, and you feel that you need support, come to the Life Reimagined workshop, offered free and on Zoom, July 8-10th, 7 p.m. CST. Sign up at www.comingoutsupport.net.
New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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This week on the CO&B podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes later-in-life lesbian and adventurer, Jill Holiday. Jill's story is one of remarkable perseverance and personal discovery. After becoming a teen mom, years of home schooling and a heteronormative life, Jill took a bold step out of her comfort zone and spent months hiking the Appalachian Trail. Despite adversities she met along the way, her hike result in a personal revelation that led to her coming out later in life. Now a dedicated adventurer, Jill has embraced the world of van life, seeking new horizons and experiences. In this episode, you'll hear Jill's story of emergence from a conservative faith tradition, what happened on her hike on the Appalachian Trail, her coming out, and, most importantly, her 'beyond.'
You can hear Jill speak at the upcoming Wing Women Weekend event, Oct. 16-20, in Provincetown, MA (during Provincetown's annual Women's Week). To learn more about Wing Women Weekend, visit: www.wingwomenweekend.com.
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"The Messy Middle" is the term coming out coaches use to describe the process of transformation from a straight life to life as an LGBTQIA+ person. In this episode Anne-Marie Zanzal invites her producer and fellow coming out coach, Barbara Rowlandson, do discuss the ins and outs and best practices for navigating this challenging time. Tune in for some great advice and a few laughs!
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This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal interviews queer author, playwright, abuse survivor, and former pastor, Trent Clifford. Trent's debut book, Reclaiming Faith, is a tender yet practical approach to uniting the spirituality you love with the religion you've lost. After surviving marital abuse and religious discrimination, Trent reconciled his sexual and spiritual identities and, through his work, invites others to learn from his journey. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Trent talk about religious deconstruction and reclaiming faith on your own terms.
Learn more about Trent Clifford's new book, 'Reclaiming Faith' here: Writing | Reclaiming Faith
Learn more about Trent's work in theater here: HOME | Trent Clifford
Trent's coming out song is Reflection from the film Mulan: https://youtu.be/lGGXsm0a5s0?si=_2IryrNh7gMT8sPw
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In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back psychotherapist and later-in-life lesbian Miriam Grace to talk about parenting and relationships with young adult children. With the strong trend of 'grey' divorces (divorces after age 50), many people find their grown children have a difficult time with changes to their parents' relationship. Anne-Marie and Miriam chat about a number of things, including a follow up on their conversation from Season 5 Episode 17 on parent/child estrangement (https://youtu.be/eTIjiQ5EZRQ), setting boundaries and learning to say 'no,' the ebbs and flows of maturing young adult behavior, unlearning heteronormative roles and expectations after a parent comes out, and much more. Episodes with Miriam are always a fantastic listen, don't miss this one, especially if you're a parent of older kids!
You can find Miriam Grace online at https://blue-skies.org.uk/
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Dubbed "the Godfather of Gay Diversity Training" by the New York Times, Brian McNaught is considered on of the world's leading corporate diversity consultants dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues in the workplace. In this lively discussion, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Brian McNaught talk about his coming out story, how he approaches LGBTQIA+ topics when speaking with groups, issues surrounding spirituality, faith and queer identity, activism, and much, much more!
Learn more about Brian on his website: Brian McNaught : Biography (brian-mcnaught.com)
Brian's coming out song is I Am, I Said, by Neil Diamond: https://youtu.be/8TYesac3Hmw?si=HUUTnWesM5XevnjS
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Nancy Shadlock is a missionary-kid-turned-youth-pastor-turned-spiritual-director-turned-coming out coach. When Nancy discovered that she didn't have to divorce her spirituality to embrace her sexuality, she started creating the life she always dreamed of but feared would never be possible. Now, as the founder of Centered Counseling and Coaching and host of the Coming Out Chronicles podcast, she devotes her time to helping individuals and organizations break free of their metaphorical closets to bravely live the truth of how beautiful and whole they are. In this episode, Anne-Marie speaks with Nancy about her experiences as a missionary kid, in conversion therapy, the intersection of spirituality and sexuality, and much more.
Learn more about Nancy's coaching work at https://www.centered.ca/about
Nancy's coming out song is Brave by Sara Bareilles: https://youtu.be/QUQsqBqxoR4?si=MBLOlIHQ-a2MVvMS
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Erika and Layla Quinones are an married couple who started an annual Pride celebration in their small town of Pulaski, TN. What began as a plan to welcome about 40 people to a potluck with a few vendors turned out to be an event that drew over 1300 visitors to the community. Pulaski has the dubious distinction of being the community where the KKK, a far-right terrorist organization, was formed in 1865. Erika and Layla, an inter-racial couple, quickly found themselves in the spotlight, garnering praise and support, but also hatred from the community. Tune in and listen to their story, as host Anne-Marie Zanzal asks about their coming out experiences, what it's like being a queer, racialized couple in small-town Tennessee, and their successes and challenges in starting Pulaski Pride.
To volunteer or donate and support Pulaski Pride, visit pulaskipride.online
A song that is special to Erika and Layla is She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert. Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=HKhMftGvDwXG5HOp
A movie that was impactful to Layla in her youth was Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115736/
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Resiliency is the theme of this week's episode as host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes speaker and author, Marcie Macari. Marcie's life story has been a master class in resiliency, as she has faced numerous extraordinary challenges, which includes being abandoned and stranded in South Africa with her infant daughter after being shunned by her ex-husband and Christian ministry. Marcie's coming out and acceptance journey spans decades, culminating to her present-day reality of living a joyful and fulfilled life as an out and proud lesbian. Marcie uses her skills and experience to train others to build their resilience and lives by the motto that has become integral to her personal brand: "Bounce, Don't Break."
Find Marcie on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn as @ Marcie Macari.
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Over a quarter of adults are estranged from their parents. One of the greatest concerns that people face when coming out later in life is estrangement from their children. In this week's episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back guest Miriam Grace for a vulnerable discussion on parent/child estrangement - an often untalked about subject. This is a must-listen episode for anyone who is experiencing estrangement from their children and especially for mothers who, as a consequence of societal expectations of what makes a good mother, are guaranteed at some point to disappoint their children. In this illuminating episode, Anne-Marie and Miriam unpack what those societal expectations are, why estrangement is so painful for later-in-life LGBTQIA+ parents, how mothers bear the load of emotional caretaking for their families, how estrangement impacts surrounding family members, the grief process and getting the help you need to find strength and move forward with your life.
You can find Miriam Grace online at https://blue-skies.org.uk/
For further reading on this topic, check out this NY Times article and and this blog piece on The Hill.
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Krista Oakes is a certified yoga and meditation teacher specializing in working with beginners and seniors. She teaches gentle and chair yoga classes in Daytona Beach, Florida and nationally, online. Krista leads group wellness retreats and teaches yoga and meditations to corporations. Her classes focus on safety, proper body alignment, mindfulness, and trusting oneself. Krista's approach to teaching integrates the mindfulness of meditation, lifestyle coaching, and the compassionate approach of Kripalu yoga rooted in faith and spirituality, with humor sprinkled throughout. Krista received her BA from Muhlenberg College where she first discovered the thrill of expressing herself through writing. As a yoga teacher, she enjoys reconnecting with that joy through blogging and communicating with her students. In January 2024, Krista published her first book, Shedding Shame: Finding Freedom to Live an Authentic Life, where she takes the reader on a journey through her life's challenges. She shares about being a child growing up with gay parents, losing her dad to AIDS, and the shame of her marriage full of dysfunction and mental illness which ended in divorce. Krista shares her path to unravel the shame that held her back, where's she's been, and how she's gotten to where she is today, living her best, authentic life.
Learn more about Krista's gentle yoga programs here: https://www.daytonayogawithkrista.com/
You can find Krista's book, Shedding Shame: Finding Freedom to Live an Authentic Life here: https://www.daytonayogawithkrista.com/sheddingshame
Krista's "coming out" song is Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked: https://youtu.be/MslDnwerQRA?si=ip60m30HHGF0d02N
Two books that have influenced Krista are Daring Greatly by Brené Brown https://brenebrown.com/book/daring-greatly/
and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33516773-big-little-lies
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Fellow later-in-lifer and Philadelphia-based therapist Mallory Hanfling is our special guest on this episode of CO&B. Her practice, Courage to Grow Counseling, caters to the Queer community, working with individuals and couples, specializing in identity development, coming out, communication skills, and connecting with one's most authentic self. Mallory is a doctoral student at the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) working towards a PhD in Human Sexuality, working on a dissertation about how community mitgates the impact of compulsory heterosexuality on those who come out later-in-life. Mallory coined the inclusive term "Fireflies" for women/ non-binary/trans people to encapsulate a spectrum of identities and experiences reflected in the later-in-life community. Mallory offers a weekly Firefly peer support group where Fireflies at various stages of their journeys can come together to support and empower one another through the highs and lows of their experiences.
You can learn more about Mallory and her work on her website, https://www.couragetogrowcounseling.org/about
Books that resonated with Mallory are Untamed by Glennon Doyle https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52129515 and Bossy Pants by Tina Fey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/167987272-bossy-pants?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zHsUsI2...
Mallory's coming out song is Drive by Incubus. https://youtu.be/fgT9zGkiLig?si=g98J8LJ24IjUvXBm
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Lesbian dating – specifically when a long-time out lesbian dates a newly out lesbian – is the topic of this week's episode, featuring guest conversationalist, Tonda McKay. In addition to being an award-winning photographer and community advocate, Tonda holds a very special role of distinction: she is wife to podcast host, Anne-Marie Zanzal! Tonda and Anne-Marie met just as Anne-Marie was beginning her coming out/divorce journey. In this engaging episode, Tonda and Anne-Marie talk about the benefits and challenges of the long-out/newly out dating dynamic, the hurdles they have overcome, and the rewards of perservering through what can sometimes be characterized as a difficult pairing of long-out/newly out lesbians. This is an episode that will be of great interest to anyone who is embarking on a dating journey later in life!
Tonda McKay earned her bachelor's degree in photography at Middle Tennessee State University and has been a professional corporate photographer for over 35 years. She has worked for several Fortune 500 companies, including Philips/Magnavox and DESU, LLC. While working at Philips she received two ADDY awards, which recognizes and rewards the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. In 2001, her coffee table book, A City In Harmony, on Nashville was published. This was a two year collaborative project with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Tonda also won several national magazine awards (Best Cover - National Magazine Association) for her editorial work on Business Nashville and Nashville LifeStyle. While architectural photography (including Matterport 3D Imaging) and drone photography is her niche now, Tonda has worked in every imaginable area of photography, from jewelry, furniture, editorial & photojournalism. Tonda likes to say there isn’t anything she hasn’t done in photography and she still enjoys learning new processes and information. She has gone from shooting on an 8x10 view camera to HDR digital photography. She believes photography is ever changing and it is always a journey of learning and growth. When not photographing Tonda enjoys kayaking, travel, and of course scenic photography.
To learn more about Tonda and her work as a photographer, visit https://tondamckay.com/
A song that has special meaning to Tonda are 'She Keeps Me Warm' by Mary Lambert. https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=1c3fLiKIE5Rogo0T
A book that has impacted Tonda and she recommends to others is 'Another Mother Tongue' by Judy Grahn. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/64767
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Nita Agustin is a Queer and gender affirming clinical counselor based in Burnaby, B.C., Canada. Their jam is helping Queer youth and young adults find alignment within themselves so they can feel confident showing up in their own skin. This is accomplished by finding words to name their experiences and discover ways to live on their own terms. In this episode, Nita describes coming out in the pressure-cooker scenario of the pandemic, being Queer in Southeast Asian Indonesian culture, emerging and moving on from Catholocism, what it's like working with Queer youth, and much more!
You can find Nita online and learn more about her work at nitaagustincounselling.com
Nita's coming out songs are You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift, and Born This Way by Lady Gaga.
A book that inspired Nita is Me, Myself and They by Luna Ferguson. A show that has inspired Nita is I am Jazz.
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This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we introduce you to media PR expert, April Mason.
April is the President of Violet PR, a busy agency that utilizes new and traditional media tools to craft powerful stories for their clients that shine a spotlight, attract new business, and enhance their public identity. April is also a later-in-life lesbian who learned to embrace all facets since the end of her marriage. Tune in and learn April's coming out story, how she stepped into her power after divorce, and her journey as a leader and business owner.
Learn more about April and Violet PR at https://www.violetpr.com/
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In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with transgender advocate and educator, Ben Greene.
Ben is a sought after speaker who has spoken at international events and conferences about topics surrounding transgender inclusion. After coming out in 2015 living in a small town in Connecticut and givng a popular TEDx talk at Brandeis University, Ben has dedicated his career to spreading empathy, education, and storytelling around the trans experience. He has spoken to groups at companies, hospitals, schools, religious organizations and government entities sharing what it means to be transgender and how to show up as an ally. He is a fierce advocate for transgender youth, regularly speaking up for them at the Missouri state capital. When he is not speaking during working hours he is delivering free presentations to parent support groups around the country and spending hours speaking one-on-one with families with newly-out transgender loved ones. He is passionate about educating others from a place of compassion, no matter where they are starting from.
In this episode, Anne-Marie and Ben talk about Ben's coming out experience, what it's like to be queer in New England, the importance of sharing positive and 'normal' transgender narratives and much more.
Ben's coming out song is 'Riptide' by Vance Joy: https://youtu.be/lYoWuaw5nSk?si=BHa6bqGR1y_K1M01
A book that resonates with Ben is Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
Ben's book is called 'My Child is Trans, Now What?' You can pre-order it on his website here: https://www.bgtranstalks.com/preorder
You can find Ben online at bgtranstalks.com
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This week, we welcome back psychotherapist Miriam Grace to the podcast! Miriam first joined us in Season 2 to discuss catalyst lesbian relationships and recovering from the end of a first lesbian relationship. Miriam has over 30 years of experience as a humanistic therapist and primarily works with women to tackle life problems associated with sexuality, the end of relationships, empty nest, loss of a parent, and other challenges associated with midlife. Miriam's work focuses on promoting diversity and inclusivity, challenging others to throw out old paradigms, and allow lesbian voices to come through to disrupt profoundly corrupt definitions of "healthy relationships"
In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Miriam Grace explore themes surrounding the experiences of women in mid-life and coming out later in life. They underscore the biases in psychotherapy that cause queer and middle age women to fall through the cracks and subjugate their voices, lesbiphobia in psychotherapy, the vitality and gifts associated with mid-life, Miriam's research and scholarly publications on the later-in-life experience, challenge destructive lesbian tropes like 'U-Hauling" and "lesbian bed death" and much, much more!
Listen to Miriam's first appearance on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast (Season 2) here: https://annemariezanzal.com/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories-support-season-2-episode-6-miriums-sto...
Miriam contributed a fantastic piece to Anne-Marie's blog in 2020 about overcoming your first lesbian relationship: https://annemariezanzal.com/getting-over-your-first-lesbian-relationship/
You can learn more about Miriam, her psychotherapy services and her scholarship on her website: https://blue-skies.org.uk/
Miriam recently contributed a chapter to a collection of scholarly articles, "Queering Gestalt Therapy: An Anthology on Gender, Sex & Relationship Diversity in Psychotherapy." You can purchase this book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queering-Gestalt-Therapy-Relationship-Psychotherapy/dp/1032371099/ref=sr_1_...
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CiCi Reagan is a published author and copywriter who found her calling in message strategy and alignment for all types of businesses, from entrepreneurs to billion dollar corporations. She's also an international advocate for addiction and domestic abuse survivors, covered in Newsweek, Metro, and several award-winning podcasts. CiCi uses their vast life experience, cultivated writing talent, and innate intuition for people to channel her clients words into mind-blowing marketing copy. CiCi teaches and coaches those who want to learn the mechanics of messaging in a simple, straightforward way. Her goal is to help others find clarity in their messages so that they can do what they love and find fun and freedom in business.
Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with CiCi Reagan about their early years of addiction, finding sobriety, surviving domestic violence, and finding joy when under adversity.
Listen on
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e
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You can learn more about CiCI Reagan's work and coaching services at www.reaganeyes.com
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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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This week, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes Dr. Roxy Manning and Sarah Peyton to the show.
Dr. Manning is a clinical psychologist and a certified Centre for Nonviolent Communication trainer. She brings decades of experience to her work, interruping explicitly and implicitly oppressive attitudes and culture norms. Dr. Manning has provided consultation and training across the U.S. and internationally to businesses, non-profits, and government organizations wanting to move towards equitable and diverse workplace cultures. She also works as a psychologist in San Francisco serving the homeless and disenfranchised mentally ill populations. She is the author of "How to Have Anti-Racist Conversations: Embracing Our Full Humanity to Challenge White Supremacy," and co-author of the companion text written with Sarah Peyton "The Anti-Racist Heart: A Self-Compassion and Activism Handbook."
Sarah Peyton is a certified trainer in non-violent communication and neuroscience educator who integrates brain science and resonant language to awaken and sustain self-compassion, particularly in the face of difficult issues like self-condemnation, self-disgust, and self-sabotage. She teaches and lectures internationally and is the author of the "Your Resonant Self" book series. She is Dr. Manning's co-author, as mentioned above.
Tune in as Anne-Marie, Roxy and Sarah about anti-oppression, and anti-racism, compassion, connecting with others in a broken world, how to have hard conversations, and how to have non-violent communication.
Find out more about Dr. Roxy Manning and her work on her website: https://roxannemanning.com/
Learn more about Sarah Peyton and her work on her website: https://sarahpeyton.com/
Dr. Manning's coming out song is " I Sing the Body Electric" from Fame. https://youtu.be/tG-wl2qqD7Y?si=xco-qyfPemNJQA_D
Sarah Peyton's 'power song' is Purple Rain by Prince. https://youtu.be/TvnYmWpD_T8?si=Y-n30GrnARjH13C2
Books that have inspired Dr. Manning are the fantasy series by Mercedes Lackey: https://www.goodreads.com/series/list?id=8685.Mercedes_Lackey
A book that has inspired Sarah Peyton is The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4887.The_Drama_of_the_Gifted_Child
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
For years Michael "Tate" Barkley lived his life in shame—of living in poverty, of alcoholism and addiction, of being a closeted gay man. His story may sound familiar to anyone who struggles with feeling “less than.” Now sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, he wants to share his story in the hopes that it will help others to leave their shame behind and discover the peace that they deserve.
His memoir, Sunday Dinners, Moonshine and Men, recounts Tate’s troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome shame and the scarcity mindset that blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers readers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina, to his family’s struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas. He details his attempts to repress his sexuality and control his escalating drinking as he became a successful attorney, only to hit rock bottom and lose it all. Tate’s story will resonate with readers as they follow his quest to accept himself and find peace.
Learn more about and follow Tate Barkley at https://tatebarkley.com/
Tate's coming out song is 'Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson: https://youtu.be/PivWY9wn5ps?si=goz_6apWwWpdDtY6
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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Author Melissa Giberson was a suburban housewife and mother of two who always felt something was missing in her life but couldn't define what that missing piece was. Her catalyst relationship experience caused her to stop and have a head-spinning revelation that she never expected – that she was, in fact, a lesbian. Melissa's incredible journey forced her to consider how much she was willing to risk for authenticity.
On this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, Melissa talks with host Anne-Marie Zanzal about the revelation that dramatically changed her life, her journey of coming out to herself and others, her relationship with faith, and where's she's at today.
You can learn more about Melissa and her work on her website, www.melissagiberson.com
You can find Melissa's book, "Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self in Mid-Life" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Late-Bloomer-Finding-Authentic-Midlife/dp/1647425190
A book that that influenced Melissa is Sing YouHome by Jodi Picoult: https://www.jodipicoult.com/sing-you-home.html
A movie that inspired Melissa was City of Angels: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120632/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Lisa N Alexander is CEO of the award-winning creative agency, PrettyWork Creative. Lisa and her team work with clients to help tell their amazing stories through video, strategic marketing communications, and PR. She has directed and produced three documentaries for non-profit agencies and has written her first feature film, "My Father, the Queen." The film is in pre-production, has already won Best LGBT Screenplay from the Best Script Awards London, Best Script from Cannes International Shorts, was a semi-finalist in the Paris Women Festival, and was a BLK Screenplay Semi-Finalist in 2023.
In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a conversation with Lisa about what it was like growing up with a closeted father. Lisa shares how her real-life experiences were the jumping off platform for writing her screenplay and talks about identifying and healing generational trauma.
You can learn more about The film My Father the Queen here: https://myfatherthequeen.com/
Learn more about Lisa and her work here: https://lisanalexander.com/
A book that has inspired Lisa is the Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz: https://www.miguelruiz.com/the-four-agreements
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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Laurie DeJong Zuverink (they/them) is a 53-year-old gender-non-conforming later-in-life lesbian who crashed into the full acceptance of their identity five years ago. Laurie is the descendant of Dutch settlers, and until 2020 engaged in the conservative Protestant Christian community of West Michigan where they lived in the assumption of heteronormative culture while at the same time pressed against them.
Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with Laurie about their powerful coming out journey, overcoming the constraints of conservative culture and heteronormativity, their gender and sexual journey from struggle to self-acceptance, their experience of ordination into ministry, the spiritual abuse they experienced upon coming out, and eventual path back to an affirming faith community.
Laurie's coming out album is the sountrack to The Greatest Showman, in particularly the song Tightrope: https://youtu.be/He5NctQPXK8?si=lD04DkzXSn-r-pDN
Laurie's coming out book is Richard Rohr's Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life.: https://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Upward-Spirituality-Halves-Life/dp/0470907754
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Amy Nielsen is a divorce attorney and coach with a decade of experience as a family law attorney. Amy is an expert in navigating the emotional, logistical and legal aspects of restructuring families. She is a licensed attorney in the state of California but serves people all over the country as a certified divorce coach. Amy is also a later-in-lifer who came out in her late 30s after 10 years of marriage to a man. She now co-parents her two kids and rescue dog, Pepperoni, with her ex-husband who lives 5 houses away. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with Amy about her later-in-life journey, the challenges and considerations that come with divorce, collaborative divorce, mediation and much more.
Amy's coming out 'song' is actually the entire Frozen 2 soundtrack, which you can listen to here: https://youtu.be/dpza2z4jmDk?si=KEnQEC6pNqvB2-64
Amy's coming out book was Untamed by Glennon Doyle: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52129515
You can find out more about Amy's services at https://www.bloomlegalcoach.com/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Mallory Kiersten is a self-love and 'unstuck yourself' coach, Akashic Records reader, joy seeker, and Erotic Blueprint coach in training. Mallory helps her clients connect with their guides, divinity and their higher selves. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with Mallory about her coming out experience, emerging from conservative Catholicism, internalized homophobia, shedding gender norms and expectations, and embracing sexuality and sexual pleasure.
Mallory's coming out song is 'Closer to Fine' by Indigo Girls: https://loom.ly/T89tbGQ
A movie that changed Mallory's life is Imagine Me and You: https://loom.ly/YS2LsbI
You can connect with Mallory on her website: https://loom.ly/ivGR-2Q
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers is a therapist, sex educator with a Ph.D. in clinical sexology, author, and Medical Director for the Northwest Institute on Intimacy. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Schermer Sellers about sexuality, gender identity, the harmful repercussions of purity culture on sexuality and relationships, and society's shift towards acceptance of diverse identities.
A film that has inspired Dr. Schermer Sellers is Fantastic Fungi, which can be found on Netflix and YouTube. You can view the trailer here: https://youtu.be/bxABOiay6oA?si=PuezRCCTuuygLoCp
Connect with Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers at www.tinaschermersellers.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
In this special New Year's Day episode of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and guest Barbara Rowlandson share details on their upcoming free workshop about coming out later in life. Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the grief and joy, the questions and the experiences that lead people to question whether or not they are straight.
To sign up for the free coming out later in life workshop, visit www.comingoutsupport.net
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Well, that's a wrap on Season 4! And what a remarkable year it has been.
In the final episode of the year, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson talk about the podcast episodes whose stories impacted them the most. Listen and we guaranteed to be inspired by the incredible journeys of some truly remarkable LGBTQIA+ people! They also talk about Anne-Marie's second podcast Queer Business Success, that launched earlier this year, and a free educational series for women (cis or trans) and non-binary people who are at the beginning of their coming out later-in-life journey.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and new year! Thank you for being a listener; if you'd like to give us a small, meaningful gift, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you!
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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Dr. Robin Sesan is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist specializing in working with lesbian/queer couples. She has recently developed an online coaching program for lesbian couples. Listen as host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Robin about her coming out later-in-life experience, challenges that are unique to the later-in-life experience, lesbian couple dynamics, and how to make your relationship go the distance.
Visit Robin's websites for her therapy practice: www.securelesbiancouples.com and www.thebrandywinecenter.com
Follow Robin on Instagram @securelesbiancouples
Robin's coming out songs are Defying Gravity from the musical "Wicked" https://youtu.be/MslDnwerQRA?si=AL_c2AD4287DAdsf and The Power of Two by Indigo Girls https://youtu.be/hj0yVN8pFNw?si=I4uiTd7GH2YrJhZJ
A book that validated Robin's perspective on life was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
We're back for Part 2 of Anne-Marie Zanzal's conversation with Casandra Jones, a.k.a. Mistress Cas, interSEXtional educator, therapist and scientist from San Antonio, Texas. For those of you who missed Part 1 where Anne-Marie and Cas talk about polyamory, you can catch that episode here: https://youtu.be/Fl9zLT_cQeA?si=eQaWVRu731I1FnsO
Casandra Jones is a queer, polyamorous slut who aims to advocate for sex-positive cultural practices in all settings. She works as a therapist for Respark Therapy/Foundation and provides education/trainings on various mental health, relationship health, and sexual health topics to diverse individuals and healthcare professionals. Tune in as Anne-Marie and Cas shift the conversation from polyamory to kink and kink culture, where to start when exploring the world of kink, kink and consent and much more!
Cas's coming out song is Strut by Emeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IDTWfLNnJE
A book that changed Cas's perspective on life is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)
Find Cas on Instagram: @ mistress.cas
YouTube: @IntersectionalMistressCas
and for more ways to connect, visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/boldlycasandra
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Casandra Jones, a.k.a. Mistress Cas, is an interSEXtional educator, therapist and scientist from San Antonio, Texas. She is a queer, polyamorous slut who aims to advocate for sex-positive cultural practices in all settings. She works as a therapist for Respark Therapy/Foundation and provides education/trainings on various mental health, relationship health, and sexual health topics to diverse individuals and healthcare professionals. Tune in as Anne-Marie talks with Cas about her journey in discovering her Queer and polyamorous identities. This is a fantastic episode for anyone interested in learning more about polyamory! Anne-Marie continues her conversation with Cas in a follow-up part 2 episode (drops Nov 24, 2023), where she and Cas dive into the topic of Kink.
Cas's coming out song is Strut by Emeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IDTWfLNnJE
A book that changed Cas's perspective on life is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)
Find Cas on Instagram: @ mistress.cas
YouTube: @ IntersectionalMistressCas
and for more ways to connect, visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/boldlycasandra
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Lora Brown is a self-proclaimed hippie Jew, the owner of a small business, a wife and mother, dog mom, activist, a corporate dropout, and LGBTQIA+ ally. She is an active supporter of women-owned, LGBTQIA+ owned, and black-owned businesses. Lora is also actively involved in animal rescue and volunteers as a District Captain for the ASPCA. Tune in to hear Lora's journey as she recounts being raised in the 70s and 80s by her hippie, lesbian mother and alongside her lesbian sister, and talks about the intersections of culture, ethnicity and feminism in her life.
Connect with Lora online:
www.odaavirtualassistant.com
Facebook https://loom.ly/Vnq0r-8
Shopify store: proceeds got to help non profits in animal rescue
https://loom.ly/HEsaHnE
LinkedIn https://loom.ly/2s_dBf4
Fempreneur True Confessions Podcast https://loom.ly/6nQC9l8
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
This week we welcome Amanda Ferrat to the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Podcast!
Amanda is the founder of Value Yourself Counseling. Amanda is a certified advanced EFT Tapping Practioner, wellness counselor, and international speaker. For two decades, Amanda has supported others with various needs in the field of human development and social services, including those in crisis or healing from trauma. Amanda now helps women and teens that feel lost or out of sync with themselves get back to a place of deep self-knowing, unburdened by guilt or shame. Amanda supports them on their journey to empower their "inner badness" by combining her empathy, knowledge, lived experience, passion, and professional skills to create safer, braver spaces, deeper healing and personal growth. Amanda identifies as a fat, Queer, neurodivergent, disabled woman, and wants to show the world that those with marginalized identities deserve to be seen, heard and safe within their community.
Amanda's coming out song is Meghan Trainor's "BadAss Woman."
A movie that has inspired Amanda is Labyrinth , which first intrigued her because of David Bowie's gender non-conformity.
You can find out more about Amanda and her services at https://valueyourselfcounseling.com/
Amanda is on Instagram and TikTok as @valueyourselfcounseling
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
This week on the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, we are thrilled to feature film and television producer and storyteller, Frank McGowan.
TW: Frank's story relates anecdotes from his lived experience that describe homophobic-based violence, physical and mental trauma and CSA. Listener discretion is advised.
Frank McGowan's remarkable life represents a mix of hardships and triumphs. Frank, who was born and raised in North Glasgow, was a sensitive, creative child in a culture that vehemently rejected Queer people. Frank's main childhood ally – his mother, Eileen – instilled in him a sense of pride that sustained him through dark days of violence and rejection. Frank has emerged from adversity to become an award-winning filmmaker. As Executive Producer of Bad Pony Media, Frank and his team produce content across all genres for the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Braw TV in Scotland - which will be available around the world for FREE from late 2023. Frank tells authentic stories across series drama, factual entertainment, comedy, documentary and children’s programming - and aims to engage, entertain and inspire.
To connect with Frank and Bad Pony Media online, visit:
Instagram: @glasgowfranko81 | @badponymedia_
Twitter: @glasgowfranko81 | @badponymedia
Web: www.badponymediagroup.co.uk
Creative Blog: www.badponymediaproductions.webs.com/apps/blog/
Books that have inspired Frank are:
Armistead Maupin (prolific LGBT writer) - "Tales of the City" - https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/TALECITY/tales-of-the-city
and
Sheila Lavelle (fellow later in life coming out story) - "Holiday with the Fiend" - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holiday-Fiend-Lavelle-Sheila/dp/0140385665
Frank's coming out song is "Horny Horny Horny" by Moose T. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6muYHRX90
In addition to being a filmmaker, Frank is also a musician in a band called Eric and the Bunny Boilers. You can catch their music on the following platforms:
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_XuThHy-O8
Amazon Music - https://www.amazon.co.uk/15ft/dp/B07DLFM22W
Live @ King Tuts EP - https://soundcloud.com/bunniesontour
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Kristin Jones (she/they) is a genderqueer and bi parent of 3, spouse, speech-language pathologist, and small business owner. They are passionate about social justice and human rights. In their 15-year career, Kristin has worked in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient clinics in major medical centers, specializing in neurological distorders that impact speech, language, voice, and cognitive skills. In recent years, Kristin has added a new area of expertise: serving the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary communities through providing accessible Gender-Affirming Voice Training.
In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond, host Anne-Marie Zanzal asks Kristin to share their coming out story, and Kristin reveals what it was like to come out as bi and genderqueer within a straight-presenting marriage, their journey in overcoming OCD, and speaks to the affirming nature of voice training for the trans community.
Music that Kristin associates with coming out is anything by Brandi Carlile, but especially 'The Story.'
A book that has changed Kristin's perspective on life is Pema Chodran's 'Comfortable with Uncertainty.'
You can find Kristin Jones online at www.vocespeechtherapy.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/vocespeechtherapy/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Dr Keith Brown is a speaker, teacher, coach, author, podcaster, and theologian with over 30 years of experience within the LGBTQ+ arena. He is a married, bisexual man who’s mission is to help LGBTQ+ individuals age 45+ turn their hurting into healing and their healing into happiness.
Anne-Marie and Keith – who are both ordained ministers – dive deep into themes and spirituality as related to their religious professions. Keith shares openly about how he feels God called him to support LGBTQ+ people, how difficult it was in his early career to be a Queer person and a minister in the Southern Baptist church , how this difficulty was compounded by negative attitudes towards gay people in the 1990s, and the work he does with Queer clients today.
Keith didn't have a coming out song per se, but a song that resonates with him and that speaks to his journey is "My Way" (Elvis)
The book that has most influenced Keith is the Bible.
You can find Keith Brown online at www.jkeithbrown.com, Instagram: @thejkeithbrown, TikTok @thejkeithbrown, and on his podcast, Coffee with Keith.
Jennifer Bourdrye is the founder of Parent With Care LLC where she helps parents of LGBTQ+ youth, teens, and young adults to understand, connect and celebrate their kids through 1:1 coaching, group coaching, workshops, and presentations. Jennifer is a Safe Zone trained Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Faculty Advisor, a certified coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting, the Education Director for Equality Loudoun (an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit in Loudoun County, VA), and she facilitates a parent support group for the Ryan Bartel Foundation (a nonprofit working to end teen suicide).
As the founder of Parent With Care LLC, Jennifer is committed to helping parents develop and implement compassion, awareness, respect, and empathy in their parenting. She most enjoys supporting parents through the turbulent teen years because she recognizes that if her parents had the necessary tools she might not have been such a hellion in her teens! She is the parent of 3 adult children, one of whom is bisexual, and the bonus parent to a transgender man who is dad to an adorable 1-year-old. She has unique, personal experience, perspective, and understanding of parents of LGBTQ+ youth and the paths they take alongside their kids' journey.
Jennifer's favorite anthem is "Red Dress" by Maia Sharp: https://youtu.be/f-GDoaa6Csk
Books that have changed Jennifer's life are "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz and "Furiously Happy" by Jenny Lawson.
You can find Jennifer online at:
www.parentwithcare.com
https://www.facebook.com/ParentWithCare
https://www.instagram.com/parentwithcare
John Sovec is a therapist, coach and counselor based in Pasadena, California. He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. John is the author of Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond. He is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQIA+ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and consultation on LGBTQIA+ competencies for community agencies, schools, and non-profits. He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ adolescents with his work featured on The Rikki Lake Show, OWN, FOX, The Advocate, Bravo, LA Talk Radio, The Washington Post, and columns for Huffington Post, Medium, and Good Therapy. John is the host of OutTalk, a monthly web series for OutCare Health.
In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with John Sovec about all of the thoughts, feelings, and considerations families experience when a child comes out as Queer or trans. John helps us understand the sometimes bumpy road to acceptance, gives great advice on how to respond when your kid comes out, and explains the nuanced differences between the experiences of having a child come out as Queer and having a child come out as trans.
You can learn more about John Sovec and the good work that he does at www.JohnSovec.com and www.GayTeenTherapy.com.
You can purchase John's book, Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond, here: https://www.amazon.ca/Out-Parents-Supporting-LGBTQIA-Through/dp/1839974249/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LA72EGXF...
A coming out song that John loves is Cher's 'Believe.' You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXRV4MezEw
You can follow John on Instagram: @JohnSovectherapy or on Twitter, @JohnSovec
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we have our first ever man as a guest! Mike Iamele has a remarkable coming out later in life story. Mike thought he was straight his entire life. But a life-changing illness forced him to challenge that notion head-on when he fell in love with his male caretaker. And the two of them went on a years-long journey to explore sexuality and fluidity to figure out if the relationship could work.
When he chose to blog about his relationship, he had no idea that 100,000 people would share the post overnight, and he’d wake up to millions of people talking about his sex life. Or that his story would be made into an off-Broadway musical today.
For most of the past decade, Mike has helped hundreds of people to explore their own sexuality, identity, and purpose by mapping their experiences and understanding who they are inside and outside of labels.
Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal digs into some important topics with Mike Iamele, including internalized homophobia, holding boundaries, being open to big life changes, and, of course, his incredible coming out story.
You tune in to this podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and on Anne-Marie's website, www.annemariezanzal.com.
Find Mike Iamele online and learn more about his coaching program for Gay, Bi, Trans and Queer men at https://mikeiamele.com/
Follow Mike Iamele on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeiamele
To learn more about the musical based on Mike's life, visit www.straightforwardmusical.com
Mike's coming out song is Life by The Avett Brothers, and you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/ZWgmtmIiomI
A book that has greatly helped Mike is Louise L. Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life": https://www.amazon.ca/You-Can-Heal-Your-Life/dp/0937611018
This week on the Coming Out & Beyond podcast we're back with part 2 of our interview with Rev. Leela Sinha. Leela is a genderqueer, spiritually grounded, Queer-as-fuck entrepreneur and principal at the Intensives Institute, an organization dedicated to executive leadership and development.
In part 2 of this special episode, Anne-Marie and Leela talk about Leela's experience growing up atheist and in the UU, what it was like having a call to ministry, and expand on the language and constructs surrounding gender. It is a fascinating episode, not-to-be-missed for anyone who is interested in gender and trans issues.
Learn more about The Intensives Institute at www.intensivesinstitute.com
Rev. Leela Sinha is a genderqueer, Queer-as-fuck entrepreneur. Ze is intense, spiritually grounded, real, funny, compassionate, and mostly interested in creating a better world with more pleasure and less pain. To that end, Leela coaches and consults to uplift intense people (if you're told you're "too much" that means you!) and creates leadership, companies, and systems where the bottom line is robust and everyone's needs get met.
In this special 2-part episode, Anne-Marie and Leela take a fascinating meander through subjects such as the profound impact of Leela's upbringing in the Unitarian church, the contrasting messages they received surrounding sexuality during their formative years (Anne-Marie was raised Catholic, while Leela learned about sexuality through the Unitarian "About Your Sexuality" (AYS) program), the early 2000's reclamation of the word "Queer" and the shifting climate surrounding that word today, how language around gender has changed the coming out trans experience over time, how the experience of coming out and living as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community differs regionally in the United States, how Leela both lost and gained a community after cutting hir hair and much, much more. Their deep dive into topics surrounding Queer, trans and lesbian experiences as they relate to history, culture and religion continues in a part 2 episode, to be released on July 7th, 2023.
Leela's coming out song is In or Out by Ani DiFranco. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/track/57RddpbPMFxeR20eonC0gH?si=98cbf96c72db48d4
Leela hosts PowerPivot, a business podcast showcasing the best ideas out there for changing the way we work (and live) for the better. https://open.spotify.com/show/6Q1oG5PtdIOWdW2HswVK4l
The PowerPivot podcast is an extension of Leela's coaching/consulting business, The Intensives Institute. The Intensives Institute exists to encourage and develop intensives – that's people are strong-minded, innovative thinkers – to develop in leadership and executive roles. You can learn more about The Intensives Institute here: https://intensivesinstitute.com/
Some of Leela's reading recommendations are:
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
Exhibitionism for the Shy by Carol Queen
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion by Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow
Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rebecca Ann Parker and Rita Nakashima
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes certified parent and life coach Dr. Lulu
Dr. Lulu is Queer, Nigerian-born, a pediatrician, mom of a transgender daughter, and TEDx speaker. Her work centers on coaching parents of Queer children, helping families overcome the shame and fear that often comes with learning a child is Queer. Dr. Lulu's mission is youth suicide prevention particularly amongst LGBTQIA+ youth. She is a bestselling author of 7 books, including "How to Teach Your Children About Racism” and other books in the nonfiction genre. Her next book: “Invited In, How to Become the Parent Your LGBTQ+ Child Needs”, is due out summer 2023.
In this episode, Dr. Lulu shares with Anne-Marie her coming out (or "letting in") story, the common concerns of parents who learn that their child is Queer, underscores the unique perils that threaten black transgender women, discusses the roots of and harm caused by internalized homophobia, and talks about how she helps clients change their mindset, moving from a place of fear to acceptance.
A song that resonates with Dr. Lulu today is Who's That Girl by Eve: https://youtu.be/8N9PL3Iz3xc
Some books that Dr. Lulu recommends are:
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid Menon https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Gender-Binary-Alok-Vaid-Menon/dp/0593094654
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill https://www.amazon.ca/Think-Grow-Rich-1937/dp/B07Q5B3FVF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Think+and+Grow+Rich+by+...
Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno, MD https://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Back-Pain/dp/B071L5C7S5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PRNGHPEC89MO&keywords=Healing...
You can find Dr. Lulu on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter as @drlulutalkradio, on Facebook as Moma Trician, and on LinkedIn as Uchenna "Dr. Lulu" Umeh.
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Lynda Spann and Lisa Yaeger about the nuances of lesbian relationships.
As therapists and creator/facilitators of the Lesbian Couples Institute, Lynda and Lisa have tapped into the lesbian couples counseling niche after recognizing there was a need for lesbian-specific therapy services. As lesbians and a couple of 18 years, Lynda and Lisa blend their professional experiences as therapists and life experiences as members of the LGBTQIA+ community to serve lesbian couples in a way that few therapists can. In this episode, Anne-Marie, Lynda, and Lisa explore some common themes that arise in lesbian relationships and address common challenges lesbian couples experience.
You can find The Lesbian Couples Institute online here: https://lesbiancouplesinstitute.com/
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenCouplesInstitute/
This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal digs deep into the topic of co-dependency with special guests Carla Romo and Sherry Gaba.
Carla, a certified Life and Dating & Relationship Coach, and Sherry, LCSW & coach, are experts in the area of relationships and co-dependency. As hosts of The Love Fix, a podcast dedicated to dating, healing from codependency, and toxic relationships, Carla and Sherry bring a wealth of insight and wisdom to this week's episode. Anne-Marie, Carla, and Sherry explore themes surrounding codependency, including why people fall into co-dependent relationships, how to recognize codependency in yourself and others, challenge old tropes about lesbian relationships and codependency, and how to start on a journey of recovery from codependency. Carla and Sherry's 30 year age difference brings an array of perspectives to the conversation.
You can find Carla and Sherry's podcast, The Love Fix, at www.thelovefix.com, or wherever you normally tune in to your favorite podcasts. You can also find the relationship quiz Carla and Sherry refer to at thelovefix.com.
You can find Carla Romo's book, "Contagious Love" and Sherry Gaba's book "Love Smacked" on Amazon.
For the first time on the Coming Out & Beyond Podcast, we welcome...a Straight Ally!
Host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her guest, Kwavi, have a great deal of sympatico in their work lives. Both work to help women overcome ageism, the constructs of heteronormativity, build courage and blow past their comfort zones. Where they diverge is in the populations they serve – Anne-Marie works with women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond to come out later in life, and Kwavi works with women from all walks of life who are 50+.
Kwavi is a certified life coach, speaker, author of the book "50 Questions to Answer When You Reach 50," and a life-long member of "Team Have Fun!" Her mission is to help empower women to take control of their lives on their own terms, and embrace their next chapter as a fascinating and exciting journey. She is a wife, a mother of 2 teenage boys and has been featured on CBS, NBC, ABC, Best Self Magazine and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
As you watch/listen along to this episode, you'll feel the positivity and confidence that radiates from Kwavi. Kwavi's message is an important one: she reminds us that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow, our time on Earth is short, and that we have a duty to live as our authentic selves – for our sakes, the sake of the people we love and for the world.
The book that most inspires Kwavi is "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" by Don Miguel Ruiz.
You can purchase Kwavi's book, "50 Questions to Answer When You Turn 50" on Amazon.
You can connect with Kwavi via her website, www.kwavi.com
Watch Kwavi on her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/kwavitv
Follow Kwavi on social media:
Instagram: @ kwavi_tv
TikTok: @ kwavi_tv
This week on the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, you'll meet Hannah Jones. Hannah is a self described 35 year old "gaybaby!" She came to the realization she is gay during a stay in drug rehab 3 years ago - and has remained sober ever since! - and describes the process as a "slow awakening to always knowing."
Hannah and Anne-Marie dive deep into topics of how the architecture of fundamentalist religion is built on misogyny, shame, and internalized homophobia. Hannah speaks candidly about her experience being immersed in a restrictive faith community, and how leaving the church and embracing sobriety brought her to a place of happiness, liberty and self-acceptance.
Hannah is a licensed professional counselor at a community mental health center service people who do not typically have access to quality mental healthcare. She is mom to her awesome 4 year old son, Truett, and dog mom to 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks who think they are lapdogs. In her spare time, you're likely to find Hannah immersed in nature, camping, backpacking, bikepacking, marathon running, nature photography, kayacking - anything that gets her outdoors! Other hobbies include reading non-fiction, drumming, roller derby, and daydreaming about one day having girlfriend - all of which are pursuits she wouldn't enjoy today if she hadn't embraced her authentic self! Hannah's story is an inspiration for anyone who feels held back by their religion, demonstrating to all of us that a life of vibrancy and fulfillment awaits us when we start living as the people we were made to be.
Hannah's coming out songs are:
"Waking Up" by MJ Cole
"I am" by Satsang
and "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor
The books that have had the greatest impact on her life are
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Thy Queendom Come: Breaking Free from the Patriarchy to Save Your Soul by Kyndall Rae Rothaus
Affirming: A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Staying in the Church by Sally Gary
and Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story by Julie Rodgers.
In the podcast, Hannah and Anne-Marie talk about the 2010 film 'Elena Undone.' You can find the trailer for this film on YouTube.
In this episode of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with trans activists Pastor Lazarus Jameson and Nick Mundwiller. Laz and Nick share their personal coming out stories, they're calling to work in ministry serving the Queer community, talk about the work they are doing to protect and re-home trans people in the state of Missouri who are at risk of persecution from trans-erasing laws, and emphasize the urgency required to keep trans people safe in a political and social climate of anti-trans sentiment.
Pastor Lazarus Jameson (they/them) is a queer and non-binary chaplain out of St. Louis Missouri serving trans people and other underserved lgbtq folks in St. Louis, Missouri through their org Lot’s Wife Trans and Queer Chaplaincy. They have a masters of divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and an undergraduate degree in teaching woodshop from North Carolina State University. They live with two large elderly orange cats with anxiety and are currently learning to make stained glass art as a hobby. Nick Mundwiller (they/them) is a queer activist, educator, and organizer who recently left Missouri in search of safer pastures and more opportunities in Fresno. Nick has a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School where they studied the intersection of religion, ethics, and politics and has been involved in activism through education and change work across the country. Nick is a gamer, comic-nerd, and historical cooking fanatic!
To support Laz and Nick's work to protect trans people in Missouri, visit https://www.patreon.com/lotswife.
Amy is an expert in facing fears and overcoming insurmountable obstacles. Through what she thought was the darkest time in her life, she began to wake up to aspects of her life she didn’t know existed. These realizations sparked an utter dismantling of her life, but was also what she needed to begin to rebuild. Her Coming-out story is intertwined with her "coming out" of a toxic and abusive church and "coming out" of a 30 year relationship with her childhood sweetheart. For a time, she was consumed with grief, guilt and shame, while also grappling with her belief system and her very identity. Now, Amy is a Transformational Life Coach, helping others to face the adversities in their lives and thrive despite them.
Connect with Amy:
www.amykvaughn.com
TikTok
Listen to Amy's coming out songs, Right to Be Wrong and Free Me by Joss Stone on YouTube.
Find more information and the link to sign up for our Catalyst Relationship Recovery Workshop here.
Download our free guide "5 Places to Start When Coming Out" here.
Schedule a free Connection Call with Anne-Marie.
On this week's episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we're getting some good energy flowing with Linda Moore!
Linda Moore's vocation in life is healing others. She has a long career in nursing and, in recent years, has turned her attention to energy healing. Linda is a Reiki master and energy healer who uses multiple modalities to help others restore their health. Linda discovered energy healing after incurring a shoulder injury and the experience launched her on a path of learning and discovery. Linda credits energy healing for 'peeling back the layers' of learned behaviour that does not align with her authentic self. After diving into the arena of energy healing, Linda became healed enough to accept the fact that she is a lesbian. In this episode, Linda and I have an in-depth conversation about how energy healing can be of immense benefit to those coming out later in life. After several years of working with Linda on her late-in-life journey, I am thrilled to share with you all that she is now our "in-house" energy worker at Lotus Group Coaching.
After March 1st, 2023, anyone who signs up for Lotus Group Coaching has access to Linda for a Reiki session. Lotus Group Coaching is a program designed for women/non-binary people who are reevaluating their sexuality later in life. Wondering if Lotus Group Coaching is right for you? Book a free Discovery Call with Anne-Marie today: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/anne-marie-zanzal-connection-call?month=2023-02
You can listen to this and other episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube and on Anne-Marie's website: https://annemariezanzal.com/coming-out-stories-beyond-
podcast/
Questioning your sexuality and not sure where to start? We have a free Coming Out Guide available to download: https://annemariezanzal.com/free-guide-where-to-start-your-coming-out-journey/
Follow Anne-Marie on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annemariezanzal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/
Ready for some laughter, tears, and lots of wise, loving advice? Our final Share the Love February episode of the Coming Out & Beyond podcast has dropped, and it's a good 'un!
Every Friday in the month of February in 2023, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson have been sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Barb cover alllll the feelings and share their best advice when it comes to catalyst relationships, including:
-defining 'what is a catalyst?' in the context of the coming out later in life experience,
-why catalyst relationships are often profoundly joyful in the beginning, and earth-shatteringly painful when they end,
-how catalyst relationships can often become all consuming,
-separating your new Queer identity from your catalyst,
-picking up the pieces and healing after a catalyst relationship ends,
and more!
In this episode, Barb shares her catalyst experience with listeners and offers reflections on the good, the bad, and the ugly about catalyst relationships. Anne-Marie offers tons of wise, loving advice on how to navigate these relationships, and what to do if your catalyst relationship ends.
You can catch episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com
Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01
Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/
For context, here's a link to that 1993 photo of kd lang and Cindy Crawford. Photo by Herb Ritts for Vanity Fair magazine: https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/qynov7/a_little_throwback_kd_lang_and_cindy_crawford...
In the podcast, we refer to Tonda McKay's articles on the origins of the 'convert a straight woman, win a toaster oven' joke and relationships between long-out and newly-out lesbians. You can find these articles here:
https://annemariezanzal.com/whats-up-with-the-toaster-oven-by-tonda-mckay/
https://annemariezanzal.com/when-this-long-time-out-lesbian-dated-a-newbie/
We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! This episode is all about finding, celebrating, and cultivating joy after coming out later in life.
Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb dive into the topic of joy, including:
-The infectiousness of joy,
-The joy of shedding old beliefs and expectations to live as your true self,
-Celebrating the independence that comes with coming out later in life,
-The unparalleled feeling of joy that comes with being accepted by Queer community,
-Stepping into courageousness,
-The multi-layered joy that comes with intimacy in Queer relationships,
and more!
Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community. Our final Share the Love episode drops on February 24th when we unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships. Anne-Marie and Barb will share lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.
You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com
Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01
Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/
We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! This episode is dedicated with love to all of you in the late-in-life community who are struggling with grief surrounding your coming out experience.
Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb tackle the topic of grief, including:
-Why it's normal to grieve your old, married/hetero life,
-How, sometimes, we can find ourselves grieving a life we didn't live,
-Finding someone to talk to about your grief other than your partner,
-The truth about how long it takes to grieve,
-Feeling joy and grief simultaneously,
-Why the grief journey never travels in a straight line
and more!
Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community:
February 17th - Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the joy that comes with coming out later in life
February 24th - We unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships, with lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.
You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com
Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01
Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/
We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! If you're someone in the late-in-life community who needs some loving encouragement about getting a divorce, this is a must-listen episode!
Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb cover a multitude of topics surrounding divorce, including:
-Whether or not to disclose your newly (re)discovered sexual identity to your husband,
-When to see a lawyer,
-Whether or not mediation is right for you,
-Flipping your mindset from 'I am destroying my family' to 'I am changing my family,'
-Why divorce can ultimately be very good for kids.
-Pushing past fear and getting out of your comfort zone.
Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community:
February 10th - This episode focuses on navigating grief when coming out and/or divorcing
February 17th - Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the joy that comes with coming out later in life
February 24th - We unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships, with lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.
You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com
Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01
Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/
Joan Alexander is a Spiritual Director & Supervisor who came out as a lesbian in her mid-forties. Twenty years later, she is here to share a bit of her life story...how she worked in The Anglican Church of Canada, told her sons she was queer via email, met the love of her life (a same-gender priest) in The Church, was disowned by her siblings for making this "choice" and...how today she serves others on similar journeys in her practice of spiritual direction and supervision.
Visit Joan Alexander's website: www.joanalexanderspiritualdirector.com
Joan's Contemplative Circle for Queer Women is a six-session opportunity to practice and participate in contemplative listening within a community of queer women who are coming out later in life. Coming from a variety of spiritual/religious backgrounds and perhaps in the processes of deconstructing and reconstructing lives – all will be welcome here! This group will meet on:
DATES (Tuesdays):
March 7 & March 21, 2023
April 4 & 18, 2023
May 2 &16, 2023
6:30 p.m. Mountain Time
If you'd like to participate, please reach out to Joan at alexander.joan9@gmail.com.
Book a free Discovery Call with Anne-Marie.
Download the free Coming Out Guide here.
Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here.
Follow Anne-Marie on Facebook and Instagram.
Listen to the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and on www.annemariezanzal.com
Stephannie Weikert is a Certified Yoga Therapist and creator of the Make Peace with Stress method. She wants to live in a world where all women flourish because she knows that when women thrive everyone benefits. She mentors women who feel stuck and struggle with overwhelm and self-doubt to incorporate the time-tested wisdom of yoga into their daily lives so that they can be balanced, calm, and confident. When she's not teaching women to use life’s challenges as catalysts for growth, she can usually be found hiking or planning to hike all the trails, reading, practicing ukulele, or working on her first book about how to make peace with stress. Discover more about Stephannie and Make Peace with Stress at makepeacewithstress.com.
Follow Stephannie on Instagram
Follow Stephannie on Facebook
Book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie
Download the free Coming Out Guide
Christine Gardner Terpening is an artist, an entrepreneur, a mother and also a late in life lesbian. Christine was born and raised in the rural community of Vermontville, Michigan. Raised in a time where she knew something was “shamefully” different about her, but didn’t quite understand that she may be gay. She spent her youth in rodeo and reigned as Miss Rodeo Michigan 1992. She later married her wonderful high school sweetheart and Naval Veteran husband and had three beautiful kids with horses and a hobby farm. Despite having the “perfect” life, Christine fell out of the closet less than gracefully at 44. Lost, scared, and lonely, she could no longer deny her truth. Thanks to her loving kids, family and a few solid friends, she weathered the storm, gathered her feet underneath her, and swore she would help others to not go through what she went through (or at least not do it alone). She started a business called Happy Suz & Co selling her designs of positive LGBTQ+ merchandise with “Something for everyone under the rainbow.” Most importantly, Christine started I’ll Be Your Rock, a rural LGBTQ+ youth support. Meant to be local, this support group has drawn youth from many communities even as far as an hour away. Christine’s dream is to have a chapter of I’ll Be Your Rock in every rural community where queer resources are limited to non-existent. Thanks to “Rocks” that have joined in her queer crusade, Vermontville Michigan is hosting their very first Pride geared solely towards teens and younger. Vermontville Youth Pride will be August 20 and hopes to raise rural awareness and funds for the kids in this community and beyond.
From Christine:
Christine Gardner Terpening
christineterpening01@gmail.com
I can be followed or friended on FB
I can be reached on messenger.
Any child or a parent struggling to find support for their child can contact me any way they feel comfortable. We have a private FB group that is for youth, but parents may also join if their kids don’t have FB. You can also follow me at Vermontville Youth Pride, Moonshine Fine Art Studio, or Happy Suz & Co on FB. This started in Vermontville but we don’t turn any kid away. Our FB group is available to anyone, near or far and it’s private and discreet.
Michelle identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ family as intersex. In this podcast she shares her story of finding out that she is intersex at 15 and how her family navigated this time. After the death of her young son she realized that she needed to revisit this time of her life to explore the unexamined grief and shame around her diagnosis. Michelle has recently come out as a proud member of the intersex family.
Mary is a transformational travel junkie and explorer of inner and outer landscapes. She loves to discover what lights people up and help move them in that direction. As a connector, reflector, motivator and reverent passenger of this planet, Mary builds adventure trips and specialty retreats which inspire deeper connections to the self, to others and to the Earth.
She’s a Colorado resident, but calls many places home; hiking in the high desert, anywhere on a bike, in the presence of ancient Redwoods or in a kayak at sunrise. One of her core beliefs is that “Nature nurtures,” that it’s a powerful catalyst for personal growth, and that unplugged outdoor experiences result in calmer, more grounded humans, often looking toward their futures with new eyes.
Providing women a conduit for this kind of transformation is her jam, and the driving force behind her new endeavor, Women OUT West Tours.
Mary worked as a midwife and women’s health clinician for 20 years until a 10-day solo “walkabout” in the high desert radically shifted her perspective. Her mission now is to help other women on the path towards their best iteration, using Nature as a conduit.
Her other side gigs include being mom to two phenomenal man-children, sharing a Maine Coon with her ex-husband down the street, and spending an inordinate amount of time crafting adventures in her head.
Ash France (she/her) is a somatic practitioner who works one on one with queer women who are coming out later in life and are longing to create secure relationships as they identify & heal unhealthy relationship patterns.
Ash is originally from Oklahoma, and recently got engaged to Dawna Noble after moving to Oregon last year. She’s the host of the podcast, Queer Couples Conversations, where she & her fiancé, Dawna, talk all things queer relationships & how to build one that can last. Queer Couples Conversations dropped TODAY, so please listen, follow, rate & review!
You can connect with Ash on Instagram @ashfrancecoaching
Dawna Noble is a lgbtq+ relationship specialist that is trained in a psychobiological biological approach to couples therapy and currently works with Queer couples showing them how to build secure and lasting relationship in her Queer Couples Mastery program.She is also the co-host Queer Couples Conversations with her soon to be wife Ash France. You can find Dawna at Lgbtq+ Couples Specialist on Instagram.
Suzette Mullen is an author, retreat leader, and certified book coach who helps LGBTQ+ writers and allies start and finish nonfiction books they will be proud to share with the world. Her mission is to use her gifts and passion for justice to help birth LGBTQ+ stories that bring light, hope, and connected to people who feel alone or othered. And maybe, just maybe, change hearts and minds, one story at a time, in the process.
Suzette is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, and also holds a certificate in spiritual formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2019, she brought her passion for justice to her new hometown of Lancaster PA and co-founded The Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition. The proud mom of two adult sons, she is loving this chapter of life with her wife Wendy and their rescue pup Lucy—and is forever grateful the universe nudged her to take a detour five years ago to Central Pennsylvania where she's been embraced with open arms by friends of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations.
Are you considering or in the process of divorce? Lawyer Shanon Oury gives some tips and advice on how to navigate through this time of your life.
Shannon Oury (she/her) – practiced law for 20 years before changing careers to follow her passion to provide affordable housing to low income families. She was appointed as the Executive Director of the Lawrence Housing Authority in January of 2011. She is a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board for Lawrence, Kansas, served on the Board for the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health and is the convener for the Community Health Plan for the Safe and Affordable Housing initiative. She is involved in several nationwide organizations that promote affordable housing. She is an adventurer, avid kayaker, and hiker. She has two adult daughters that share her quest for adventure.
Carla Mullins is an adjunct instructor, mental health therapist, mother, wife, extreme introvert, friend of cats, lifelong pacific northwesterner, and increasingly fearless lesbian poet. Check out Carla's first published poem here: https://www.lavrev.net/2021/12/c-eliot-mullins.html?m=1
Mother of two kids, a 21 year old transgender daughter, cisgender daughter. Writer, online content stratigist and creator.
From Barbara: If folks would like to follow my adventures in growing flowers they can connect with Queen Bee Flower Farm on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the website at www.queenbeeflowerfarm.com.
Anne-Marie and Tonda share more about their love story, and how they exist as a lesbian couple after Anne-Marie came out later in life.
Andrea Hewitt who came out at the age of 44 after having two children and being married to two different men. Finding very few resources for people coming out later on in life she created the website a late life lesbian story in 2015 and created a facebook support group in 2016 that grew over 2,000 folks worldwide. She lives in Nashville Tennesee with her wife Rachel and owns a dual agency.
Anna Empey grew up on a 2,000-acre apple and fruit orchard in Eastern Washington. While growing up she went to the farmers market selling her family fruit until she left to go to college. She graduated with her degree from Brigham Young University in Anthropology, with a Minor in Communications.
Anna came out to her Mormon family when she was 25 and her and her wife just celebrated 3 years of marriage. Anna loves supporting small businesses and has created a business to help others and she has also spent countless hours volunteering for a variety LGBTQ organizations.
Miriam Grace, Psychotherapist, Writer, Supervisor, and Lecturer, works remotely from her home in Sheffield, UK. She has been in practice for over 30 years and her current research and writing focuses on women in midlife transitions, which include sexuality; health, disability and aging; menopause; caring for elderly parents; career and confidence; divorce and heartbreak; empty nest syndrome and living with teenagers. Her enthusiasm, care, and knowledge for clients and students is appreciated by many in individual sessions, groups, workshops, and coaching. Her specialisms are trauma, relationships, and women coming out later in life. For more details of Miriam’s professional story or training qualifications and accreditations see Miriam Grace or her home page www.blue-skies.org.uk
Pasha Marlowe holds a masters in marriage and family therapy and currently works as a therapeutic comedy coach and pleasure podcast host. Check out Pasha across the web:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pasha.marlowe IG-@pashamarlowe "Let Pleasure be the Measure"
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-pleasure-be-the-measure/id1548282200
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3VqgHlOwxvsTRZKK9W1PgI?si=rVRzdIvsSialJPCthLURAA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIKCBH-7r-wwkvzRlVJGFA
April grew up Independent Fundamentalist Baptist. Our discussion focuses on coming out from a conservative religious background. We reflect on faith, God, and finding community.
Javana (like Banana) is a 40 years old, mom to two children, business owner, holistic dentist, intuitive and tarot card reader. She used to be a fundamental evangelical Christian, she had her spiritual awakening in 2011, and then her sexual awakening in 2018.
For more info on Javana's dental practice: www.naturallyyoudentist.com
Robin describes herself as a VERY late-blooming lesbian who really wasn’t aware of any romantic feelings toward women while growing up. Although in hindsight, she does remember what she would describe today, as a “crush” on her female tennis instructor when she was just 8 or 9 years old. Robin supposes, but isn’t sure, that the sudden death of her mother, when she was 10, may have hijacked any possibility of realizing any other sexuality other than what was hetero-normative growing up. Fast forward decades later, (while married to a man for 28 years, and has 2 grown daughters), she unassumingly “followed the breadcrumbs” of an emerging infatuation with women. When that infatuation grew to the point of not being able to ignore it, Robin employed rather unconventional ways to finally get to the bottom of all these strong and increasing with frequency ‘girl crushes’, until she finally had her “AHA!” moment!
Bloomers-society.mn.co (A (free) community of late blooming lesbians of all ages and stages of their personal journeys of coming out; sharing stories and solutions and friendships). They also have an Instagram account: @bloomers.society; and a Facebook Group (search “Bloomers Society). Lesbianbarproject.com (Last year, two young NY film producers set out to raise awareness AND funds for the floundering 15 remaining US Lesbian Bars. They produced a short documentary and fundraised for a month. Based on last year’s success, they’re embarking on Lesbian Bar Project #2 this year with yet another documentary and a special event at a NY Lesbian Bar re-opening in June. Check their website for details about events and how you can support their fundraising efforts.
Samantha Fox is a late bloomer, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in New York City and a guide/coach for women coming-out later in life in her newly launched program Curious, Questioning and Coming Out. Mother of three humans and 2 fur babes. Samantha came out after marriage with three kids under 5 years of age almost twenty years ago, in 2002, when there was little support for women going through this awakening.
Samantha has created a program called Curious, Questioning and Coming out. Samantha is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in NYC specializing in women’s sexuality and has been helping women explore this area of their lives for over ten years. This program creates a safe space for women to find community, adopt a curious-mindset, thrive and connect, while supporting one another through the process of questioning their sexuality and coming out later in life. Self-understanding, belonging and acceptance are a few of the invaluable takeaways from this small group and 1:1 coaching program.
Judy grew up in Nashville, Tennessee in a Roman Catholic family. She came out in the early 1970’s and live in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis. Her story is a testament to the courageousness underground culture of those who came out out in the South. Judy is a website designer and writer/mentor. You can find her at site-shack.com or www.judyannwilson.com.
Megan was married to a man, mom of four, and came out at 38. She is a therapist who lives in the northeast and she works with the queer community.
Tammie came out at 50 after marriage to a man and three kids. She lives in the Northwest and works as a non-profit director.
Karin came out at fifty after marriage to a man and three children. Her story is poignant as she speaks with deep understanding about leaving a long time relationship and her current estrangement from her children.
JoAnne first wondered if she might be gay in her mid 40s when her 20 year marriage was ending, but then met another man with whom she had a good sex life so she thought "I guess I was just with the wrong partner". She got married again at age 48 and became a widow six years later. At age 55 she fell in love with a woman and she felt comfortable in her own skin for the first time in her adult life.
Olivia Hill was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the parent of two children and came out at fifty two as a trans woman. She served 10 years in the US Navy and worked at Vanderbilt University for 25 years. She is on the Board of Directors for Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Women's Committee fighting for Women's rights, and was elected to the University Staff Advisory Council and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee.
Terri Conroy came out at 43 after being married to a man for 17 years and having 2 kids. She always knew she was gay but like so many others, her conservative upbringing made any chance of coming out and being accepted non-existent. It was only when she started to teach my teenaged children to be true and honest with themselves that she realized she needed to “walk the talk”. She came out, divorced and her xh and kids are doing well and no one was traumatized. It had its moments of heartache and challenges but it was all worth it. Terri is now living as an out and authentic person in a loving and healthy relationship with a woman.
Carla came out in her late thirties. She is the mom of two kids and is a voice teacher in Seattle. You can find her thttp://www.carlahilderbrand.com
Kristy came out at 36 after marriage to a man and two sons. She shares a home with her partner, Brandie in Maine, along with their five dogs! She is an artist, photographer, writer and does tarot and oracle reads along with self care mental health clips on TikTok and Youtube. You can follow her at @Healwithkristylee
Marissa Mitchell is a high school English teacher who came out at the age of 39. She resides in Indiana with her daughter and two cats and enjoys reading, roller skating, and writing poetry in her spare time.