Uncensored Visionary: The Queer Music Podcast: Recent Episodes
George
On this weekly podcast, George sits down with queer musicians for in-depth conversations about the joy and vulnerability in creating, producing and performing music. Join us as we discover how music is used to express the queer condition.
Jessye DeSilva talks developing sound and image and overcoming their traumatic religious upbringing
Miss Christine talks reimagining her dreams and moving from Nashville to Iowa to rediscover herself
Meet sam goli: Musician. Artist. Poet. Photographer.
sam goli grew up in Los Angeles, CA to a Mexican mother and a Palestinian father. Culturally, they always felt like an outsider because their mother’s side speaks Spanish, while their father’s side of the family speaks Arabic, both languages they don't really speak.
Their cultural upbringing translated to what they grew up listening to: Arab Music, Disco and Top 40s. Along with their two siblings, both of whom are artists also, sam is on a path toward discovering their musical identity.
Listen as sam goes through a journey of self-discovery in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow sam goli on Instagram.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Maxximo grew up in a vibrant community of cultures, colors and people. From the minute he was born he acknowledged the power of what it means to be Mexican. So when it came time for him to become a musician he was poised to introduce that into his sound and imagery.
When you look at Maxximo’s videos you’ll notice that he releases films that put the focus on telling a story. His biggest song, “Prince Harming” is the tale of a boy who broke his heart. Utilizing music to pierce into the hearts and minds of his and his fans souls, Maxximo is primed for incredible success.
Find out more about Maxximo’s journey in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: The Queer Music Podcast.
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Meet BVT —
BVT (Bernie Van Tiel) was born in the ‘place with many chins and noses’/‘place of many possums’ in Australia. Eventually, she moved out to Sydney, Australia to pursue her dreams in the performing arts making it into some music and acting programs. From there she continued to purse music and acting, landing roles in Jade of Death (as the lead) as well as a cameo role alongside LaLa Anthony in Reef Break.
Her interest in music came at a crossroads. She grew up listening to slow jams and songs by Whitney Houston. It wasn’t until her cousin played a song by Rahzel, with its intoxicating beatboxing, that got her hooked onto hip hop. BVT knew from that moment on that she had to be a hip hop/R&B artist. She started playing guitar, writing songs and became passionate about pursing a career in music. Over the course of her career, she’s been able to connect her music to her acting and vice versa.
Find out how BVT has been able to thrive in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow BVT on Instagram.
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Meet Yavin ——
Yavin grew up as a socially awkward kid in Massachusetts. Utilizing this to his advantage, Yavin grew up loving all different types of music to shape his future career as a musician. But it wasn’t until college that he decided to start playing around with music and writing songs. From there he was off to the races, releasing two Soundcloud songs, but under another name. He hit a speed bump after dropping out of school and working a part time job at a burger joint. But one day, he decided enough was enough, he was destined to be a music and thus decided to pursue music full throttle. Over the new few years, he’s gotten better with his word play and become a better communicative songwriter while being more openly queer.
Learn about Yavin’s journey in the latest episode of “Uncensored Visionary.”
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Meet Stephanie Gayle (She/They) ——
Stephanie grew up in PG County, Maryland with her mother. She had a distant relationship with her father and grew up with two older siblings, one sister and one brother. Her family is a multi-talented family with mostly singers, on her mom side, and educators, on her dads side. She’s even related to William Christopher Handy, the Father of the Blues. Given her background, it was inevitable that she was going to be a singer/songwriter.
And she did not disappoint. Stephanie started writing songs at the age of eight and started doing music production at the age of 16. Today, Stephanie Gayle owns her own record label, Twelfth Sign Entertainment.
Follow Stephanie Gayle on Instagram.
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Meet Bentley Robles.
Born in Los Angeles, CA to two Mexican parents, Bentley grew up in South Gate, CA and then moved to Rancho Cucamonga where he out grew it rather quickly. From California, he uprooted himself to New York to escape the cabin fever / cookie cutter life he had lived. Making that switch, he went to pursue something bigger than himself and find himself. Having moved to New York, he knew what he wanted to do, however the pressures of the big city (paying bills, living the day to day) got him sidetracked from his original plan.
It wasn’t until recently that he started dedicating himself to his craft, found himself and is now THE Bentley Robles.
Follow Bentley Robles on Instagram.
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Meet James Aries.
A singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada, James Aries’ main instrument is piano. James was trained and voiced in piano and writes off-beat, corky baroque pop songs that don’t fit in any genre.
Born and raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan in the middle of Canada, James started taking piano lessons when he was six. In elementary school he joined choir and studied piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music. In college, he studied drama at the University of Saskatchewan auditioning for the music program as a voice major and the drama program as an acting major. Having gotten into both programs, James had to choose one and he chose drama. After graduation he moved to Toronto to pursue acting, but failed and decided to purse music.
And from there it was off to the races. Follow James’ journey in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow James Aries on Instagram.
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Meet Chris Jehnert.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland to his mom and dad, Chris was mostly raised by his grandparents. Growing up, he didn’t know how to express anger and sadness. It wasn’t until he discovered music that he used the medium as therapy to express himself. From there, he started singing to himself in secret until he gained the courage to join a choir. His experience in the choir confirmed to him that his future was in music.
After receiving a degree in vocal performance, his career took off as he launched a career with performances on stage and on screen. Currently, Chris Jehnert is one of four members of the 90s tribute boy band Larger than Life (with previous guest Dan Kiernan).
Follow Chris Jehnert on Instagram
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Meet Kai Mata.
Born in Indonesia, but raised in the US, Kai Mata's upbringing led her to use music as a modality to explore her emotional landscape, figure out who she is in the world and tell stories that others can relate to even if they are not of her minority group, ethnic background and sexual orientation.
On this episode Kai Mata discusses pinpointing emotion to convey what’s in her heart and into the listeners ears, getting past being called “brave” for owning her identity and writing her song “So Hard,” about the objectification of female relationships.
Follow Kai Mata on Instagram
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Born in Oakland, California, Charles Peoples III grew up in a baptist community with an interesting childhood. Finding theatre in high school, he found his calling in performance and it changed his life. From there it was off the races to college in New York where he hit a snap. It wasn’t until he moved back to his hometown in Oakland, CA that he found himself and became the musician known as CPIII.
With the goal of giving back to the community CPIII is a soul artist on the rise and with hopes of using his platform to uplift and inspire future generations. This is CPIII.
Follow CPIII on Instagram and Twitter
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This week’s season finale episode features Boi Band. On this week’s episode, Boi Band discusses not having a Justin Timberlake in the band, honing in on an androgynous look for the band and evolving from a pop cover band to writing original music.
Follow Boi Band on Instagram and Facebook.
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This week’s episode features Dan Kiernan. On this week’s episode, Dan discusses the loss of his father, being romantic in the age of instant gratification and performing as Nick Carter in the tribute 90s boy band Larger Than Life.
Follow Dan Kiernan on Instagram.
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This week’s episode features Mel Fine. On this week’s episode, Mel discusses attending the Berkelee school of Music, being humble after releasing their debut album at 14 and what they look forward to in their burgeoning music career.
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This week’s episode features Jakk Fynn. On this week’s episode Jakk discusses exploring life through angst music, turning down the flash with writing and production and taking control over his messaging as a solo artist.
Follow Jakk Fynn on Twitter and Instagram.
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This week’s episode features Billy Mick. On this episode, he discusses his debut album, Just B., making it in the music industry as an out gay man, writing songs from the heart and being honest with yourself to give and get love back.
Follow Billy Mick on Twitter and Instagram.
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This week’s episode features Brett Gleason. On this episode, Brett discusses being unfiltered in his music, becoming more in touch with himself through therapy and navigating Patreon as a musician.
Follow Brett Gleason on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features Kisos. On this episode he discusses his breakup EP ‘sweet nothings,’ music pr and marketing and how he shifted from writing existential songs to top 40 songs.
Follow Kisos on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features band Ruby Mack. On this episode, the super talented harmonizers discuss developing their sound, making a mark as a queer band and turning heads through harmony.
Follow Ruby Mack on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features Lizzy Lehman. On this episode she discusses writing songs as a form of therapy, becoming a solo artist and doing whatever she wants and overcoming the feeling of being an outsider.
Follow Lizzy Lehman on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features RoVo Monty. On this episode RoVo discusses growing up on Janet and Micheal Jackson, auditioning for American Idol and his single ‘pretty in pink’.
Follow RoVo Monty on Twitter and Instagram.
It’s the season finale of Uncensored Visionary: The Queer Music Podcast. This week’s finale features singer Leopold and on this episode he discusses how he celebrates life, friendship and love while being who we are through his music.
Follow Leopold on Twitter: Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features Bay Area singer Kamerin. On this episode, they discuss learning to read by being in a children’s choir, being able to own their suffering and giving the gift of music as self expression to other people.
Follow Kamerin on Instagram.
This week’s episode features singer Wu Am I. On this week’s episode he discusses growing up religious and affirming his queerness and reclaiming his authority and power through his music and having a relationship for 24 hours.
Follow Wu Am I on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features singer, model and producer Teraj. On this episode he discusses manifesting his success, quitting his pursuit to become an architect and devote his attention to music and launching his career through grassroots fund raising and recording.
Follow Teraj on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features the band No Hugs. On this episode they discuss being the curator of people’s temporary joy, not selling out and what it’s really like to attend Berkelee School of Music
Follow No Hugs on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features Bay Area Singer, songwriter, rapper, performer Freddie. On this week’s episode we discuss being socially introverted, exploring more than R&B music, being a drag artist and so much more.
Follow Freddie on Twitter and Instagram.
This week’s episode features Louis Major. On this episode we discussed how a dramatic fight turned his life around and led him to focus on music, being intentional with his writing and aiming to play the long-term chart game. This is Louis Major.
Follow Louis on Twitter and Instagram.
Today's guest today is podcast host Lynn Casper. On this episode we discuss how her podcast Homoground aims to uplift queer musicians, creating a queer MTV and what she plans to do with Homoground in the future. This is Lynn Casper of Homoground.
Follow Homoground on Instagram and Lynn on Instagram.
Today's guest today is singer Richard Cortez. On this episode we discuss vulnerability in his music, recording an album in six days and so much more. This is Richard Cortez.
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And we're back for Season 4 of Uncensored Visionary. This week's episode is a short one and it features....me! My real name is George and I'm no longer hiding behind the stage name of Thomas Tucker. On this episode, I discuss why I've decided to use my real name and why I am rebranding the podcast as a deep dive into the queer music space.
This is George.
Today's guest today is Influx Collectiv co-creator Cori Bratby-Rudd. On this episode we discuss her journey growing up with two mom's, poetry awakening and how she was able to create Influx Collectiv, a LA based queer poetry reading series. This is Cori Bratby-Rudd.
Learn more about her journey in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow Cori on Instagram and Influx Collectiv on Instagram and Twitter.
As a teenager, Amazin LeThi was subject to bullying and discrimination which led to homelessness, poverty, depression and even contemplation of suicide. One night, she decided to change her life because she knew she had a purpose and wanted to contribute to the world. Through the use of sports, she was able to come from the bottom and now she’s one the leading advocates for LGBTQ youth.
Amazin’s resume currently lists bodybuilder, TV/Film star, activist, entertainment executive and Vietnam’s first internationally published health and fitness author.
Learn more about her journey in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow Amazin on Instagram and Twitter.
From Emily on ProfilesinPride.com
Hi, I’m Emily Starbuck Gerson, a 34-year-old full-time freelance writer and editor currently in Cambridge, England (formerly San Antonio, Texas). Yes, Starbuck is my real middle name.
I’ve been a journalist for over a decade, and in the past few years, I’ve written quite a lot about the LGBTQ community for various publications. Being naturally curious and inquisitive, I find it easy to ask people questions about their lives. But my journey to figuring out and owning my own sexuality has been a puzzle.
I knew from a young age that I was drawn to certain women, but I didn’t really know why or what it meant, especially since I was into boys. As I grew older, I felt an increasing curiosity about women. In early college, this became more than a curiosity, and I determined I was bisexual. But I told almost no one, and it never occurred to me that I could publicly date a girl.
Despite coming from a very liberal home, I was an over-responsible first-born with high internal and external expectations. I felt some shame and confusion, and I didn’t want to disappoint my family or create drama. I didn’t want to risk judgment or rejection from friends. I just wanted to be “normal” and do what I thought I was supposed to do. So I didn’t date women often, and when I did, I kept it casual and kept that side of myself hidden from the rest of the world. I was a vocal LGBTQ “ally,” but almost never let on that I was actually in the community since I was usually partnered with a man.
I thought I could be happy being primarily with men, so I didn’t think my sexuality would ever have to come to light. But in my late twenties, I began noticing a shift, feeling less interested in men and increasingly interested in women. I did some reading and learned about the concept of sexual fluidity and how our sexuality can change over time.
Eventually, this shift became powerful enough that it got harder and harder to hide this part of me. Several life-altering events also took place, such as the sudden death of my father, which led me to realize that life was too short to be lived out in the closet. So a few years ago, I began the process of shedding my old skin and figuring out what living authentically looked like for me. I began attending Pride celebrations, volunteering with HRC, writing for my local LGBTQ magazine, and getting involved in the LGBT community as a member, not just an ally, which gave me an incredible sense of belonging. I started slowly but surely coming out to friends and family, and while I braced for impact, I’m fortunate to have received almost nothing but love and support so far.
Follow Emily on Instagram.
Dr. Rodney Glasgow grew up lower class in Baltimore, Maryland and the most important thing to him was family. It’s no surprise then, that his students and fellow coworkers connect with him on a spiritual level.
Taking his life in his own hands at a very young age, Rodney Glasgow always knew by the time he was 40 he was going to be a doctor. Today, now 40, after having his doctoral degree for a couple of years, Dr. Rodney Glasgow has evolved into a chameleon. He’s a middle school principal by trade but also runs his own consulting company that aims to use diversity and inclusivity as vessels for change in not only schools and organizations, but also in individuals.
On this week’s Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast, found out how he uses diversity and inclusion to create a family-like environment to foster structural and emotional changes for future generations.
Follow Dr. Rodney Glasgow on Facebook and Twitter.
Born in Downey, California as a kid that never sought the spotlight, Ms. Ter never knew what her future was going to hold.
As a child and young teen, she had a penchant for choreography, but decided to study 2D art in college. After taking a live performance art class, she knew she wanted to perform but didn’t know what that would mean. One faithful night, after watching a performance from a local San Francisco drag queen, she knew what she wanted to become.
Now a New York drag queen in her own right, Ms. Ter is as empowered as ever and continues to forge her own path and identity within the community.
Learn more about this burgeoning queen on the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Ms. Ter on Instagram.
The oldest of three, Cemora grew up in St. Louis with a mother who would sing and dance to all of her children. From 16 - 18, Cemora was purely a backup dancer and choreographer for drag queens. It wasn't until a faithful night at a Gay Prom that changed her entire life. At said Gay Prom, Cemora came as a drag queen and won Prom Queen. St. Louis became the new home of a newly born Drag Queen named Cemora.Fast forward a couple of years, when her life was at a breaking point, she finally decided to stop making excuses and moved to Oakland. As soon as she landed in Oakland, she made a name for herself in San Francisco performing EVERYWHERE. After getting burned out and realizing the San Francisco market was over-saturated, she decided to take a break.This brief break provided her with clarity and it was then that she decided to break into the Oakland market. And break into Oakland she did. Now the Mother Superior of Oakland, Cemora is well known in Oakland as the former Show Director of the White Horse Bar and her current role hosting her "The Art of Drag" workshops.Hear more about Cemora's "The Art of Drag" workshops and how her life story influenced her success in this week’s episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.Follow Cemora on Instagram and Facebook.
Don't get in their way, because Hernando Umana knows who they are and what they want.A video performance of Into the Woods is what started their journey into the world of performing arts. From there, despite growing up in a Columbian and Catholic household, they always knew they were gay and that they were going to be a performer.Since the age of 15, they have been performing in musical theater working their way from the bottom all the way to the Broadway stage in plays such as Kinky Boots and School of Rock.During the national touring production of "School of Rock," Hernando came out yet again. This time they came out as HIV positive. What seemed like a taboo subject matter became a launching pad for their activism in the LGBTQ community, offering insight from a little heard voice. Hernando wrote: "The amount of support I’ve received since I came out with my status has been incredible. To those who are scared to talk about their status... go to my Instagram and see the amount of love coming my way. The world is ready to hear our stories!"Fast forward to early 2019, when Hernando further diversifies their life portfolio after opening their company CBD DOG Health, a CBD pet wellness company that offers a range of CBD oil-infused products for pets.Learn more about Hernando Umana's life journey and discover what they plan to do next in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.Follow Hernando on Instagram and Twitter.
Patrick Church is a British multimedia artist currently living and working in New York City. He paints from a personal point of view, blurring the boundaries between art and fashion, juxtaposing vulnerability with fearlessness; reflective of Patrick’s own character.Learn more about this burgeoning creative in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
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Meet Artist-Designer-Maker-Crafty Bitch BROCK. Learn more about his story in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
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Tiffany Wright grew up in North New Jersey, 45-minutes outside of New York. Since she was in 1st grade, she knew she wanted to teach. Fast forward to college at Gettysburg College she not only figured out that she was gay, but she also changed the course of her life.
While in college, she worked with a local literacy agency providing classes for the local jail. Then it clicked. She wanted to work for marginalized populations of students and discovered she wanted a research lens to her career. Her initial goal was to research the percentage of students who identify as LGBTQ who ended up in the system. From there her career took off and she has released studies such as LGBT Educators' Perceptions of School Climate, A Safer Place? LGBT Educators, School Climate, and Implications for Administrators and most recently LGBT Educators' Perceptions of Safety and Support and Implications for Equity-Oriented School Leaders.
Today, her research aims to dive into what it means to work as a LGBTQ educator and the challenges they face being their authentic selves.
Learn more about Tiffany's research on this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Andy Thayer is a long-time activist who has worked on a number of issues, including 1st Amendment rights, anti-war, and affordable housing. Described as "a gigantic pain in the butt for law enforcement" by a retired Chicago Police Deputy Commander, he’s been arrested numerous times in various protests, including twice in Moscow, Russia for protesting against that government's bans on gay rights demonstrations. He is a co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network, a multi-issue LGBT rights direct action group which played a principal role in winning equal marriage rights in Illinois.
Learn more about Andy's activism on this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Debt Free Guys' Story:
We’re David and John, husbands living our fabulous life. We help other gay men like you who also want to live an amazing life without sacrificing your financial security. With this website, our Queer Money™ podcast, tools and resources, we help you live fabulously, not fabulously broke.
We were sitting on the dining room floor or our cold, dark basement apartment wondering why we weren’t as successful as we wanted. We just admitted that between us we had $51,000 of credit card debt. We were living naively and unconsciously and doing it all on credit.
After spending the weekend in the mountains and looking at property to build a vacation home, we realized we could barely afford to spend a weekend there, let alone buy land and build a vacation home.
How could we have a vacation home when we didn't even own a home?
We realized that for the past few years, we were spending beyond our means to make ourselves feel better, in part, to make up for being bullied and picked on for being gay when we were younger.
Even though we eventually found our community, we had limiting beliefs and thought we had to prove ourselves worthy to them. So, we spent and lived like the A-List gays. They had new clothes. We had new clothes. They had new phones. We had new phones. They went on amazing vacations. We went on amazing vacations.
Then, that night sitting on the floor of that gloomy apartment, we hit rock bottom. We were two financial services professionals making good money and bad decisions.
We were the gay cliché of living fabulous but being fabulously broke.
Hear David and John's story in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow They Won't Win on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
They Won't Win is a folk-rock duo is made up of Danny M. Cohen and Greg Lanier. Originally, the duo played around the Chicago area as DannyPlusGreg but changed their name to They Won't Win in 2017 when they went into the studio to record their debut album, Lost At Sea.
Danny M. Cohen, who originally hails from London, is the author of the Holocaust novel Train and the choose-your-own-adventure story The 19th Window. He is the founder of the human rights education nonprofit Unsilence and a distinguished professor of instruction at Northwestern University. He lives in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with his husband and daughter.
Greg Lanier grew up in America’s south and heartland and now works for the social science research institute NORC at the University of Chicago where he helps researchers share their work. He is also the co-founder of Cowboys and Astronauts, a men's lifestyle and supplies shop that he runs with his partner. The shop is in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, where he also lives with his partner and daughter.
Hear Danny and Greg's story in this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow They Won't Win on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jake was always told they were "over the top" and "campy". It wasn't until they created their performance alter ego, Vogds, that they dove straight in and embraced their campy-over-the-top-ness.
As an artist at heart, it wasn't hard for them to become a revolutionary visual artist and build a following in Chicago, IL. Writing, producing and learning to master their own songs, the sky is the limit for this multi-faceted artist. In addition to being an artist, they also act and are a fashion designer. Together with Sky Cubacub and Compton Q they form The Radical Visibility Collective, which makes Intersectional Future-Fashion Accessible to All.
Vogds can be described as "a pop queer futurist singer-songwriter-producer and multidisciplinary artist." Learn what makes Vogds so unique in the Season 3 premiere of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
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In honor of last weekend being Dore Alley in San Francisco, this week's #TBT features Chad Onyx. Chad gives us a look into the leather and kink community.
Educate. Explore. Empower.
These are the words that Chad Onyx and the rest of his fraternal brethren live by. Born in Virginia, as one of two children, Chad roamed around the United States until he finally landed in South California. From there he learned and built a brotherhood for gay and bisexual men of color to explore their interest in leather and kink. Through empowerment and education, Onyx facilitates a safe space for people to be themselves without judgment.
ONYX is a fraternal organization for gay and bisexual men of color. The Southwest (ONYX-SW) chapter is centered in the Los Angeles/San Diego/Palm Springs areas and Southwestern states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Full membership is open to gay and bisexual men of color and associate membership is open to men and women of any race or sexual persuasion.
Follow Chad & Onyx: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook
WASI’s music and vigor is an invitation into WASI World: a utopia of love, liberation and a constant challenge of the status quo. Their anthemic songs speak of their experiences as Outsiders and owning your voice in a cloudy world. Influenced by the pop tenderness of Tegan and Sara with the rebellion of The Clash, WASI draws influence from the west coast underground punk scene, late night dance clubs and hip hop production. Their debut album RIOT POP speaks the stream of conscious honesty of a rebel who also fights to love themselves.
RIOT POP dropped on Friday, June 7, 2019 and is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and wherever music is sold / streamed.
Follow WASI on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Javier Saucedo is a born leader. He was born and raised in Santa Ana, a city in the very conservative Orange County's very conservative. Growing up there weren't really any services for the Latinx LGBTQ community. So as a grassroots movement, him and a couple of friends created numerous organizations including the, currently running, De Colores Queer Orange County. De Colores Queer Orange County is an organization that supports first-generation Mexican families and their kids who come out as LGBT and hosts monthly support meetings at the LGBT Center OC in Santa Ana.Additionally, Javier has worked tirelessly advocating for PrEP, HIV prevention and education. Today, Javier is on to a new journey as Program Supervisor for the TransVision Program. His hope is to put the T in front of LGBTQ+ and provide the service and care to the community that is and will continue to be his family.Follow Javier on Instagram.
TBT
Queering the Straight Male Gaze.
Mario Elias is a visual designer, photographer, and Art Historian, with a focus on art as a tool for Queer Expression. Focusing on narratives that give visibility to those who have been historically marginalized, overlooked, or overshadowed, Mario's work presents the Queer individual as a royal and otherworldly figure.
Follow Mario on Instagram and visit his Official Website
Lawyer or Doctor. Those were some of Tyler Jacob's predestined careers. He kept denying and denying his talent as a singer. But it wasn't until one of his early year teachers intervened that he began his path as a singer. Singer / Songwriter Tyler Jacob was born in Camden, NJ in a time when it was considered one of the most dangerous cities in America. He always knew he wanted to be a singer and through some miracle he was discovered while singing on the train. From there he was signed, was a part of a reality TV show called Unsigned and opened for Brandy (yes that Brandy). Tyler Jacob's ultimate goal is to get everyone to their highest self through his music.Learn about Tyler's musical aspirations, fashion influences and so much more on this week’s episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Tyler on Instagram and Twitter.© Uncensored Visionary
TBT to this incredible episode of Uncensored Visionary. ---
Queen of Trans Rap.
Miss Pvssy is an up-and-coming rapper most known for her Chi Raq (Freestyle). The rapper is not afraid of showing off her sexuality and the power of being a phenomenal woman.
Born in Chicago, Miss Pvssy grew up writing music as early as Elementary School. She spent the next few years developing her writing, sound and stage presence. Currently, Miss Pvssy is a steady performer on the Blow Pony circuit in Portland, Oregon and is busy preparing to new music.
Check out her tracks Chi Raq (Freestyle) and Just Ain’t Me (Bow Down Freestyle).
Follow Miss Pvssy on Instagram
Janis Joplin, kid's performer Fred Penner and Hayley Williams from Paramore are some of this week's Uncensored Visionary's musical influences. And after listening to Andrew Neal's music, you can definitely tell that his musical influences are eclectic. Andrew Neal, born in Virginia Beach to a large family, always knew he was going to be singer / songwriter. It was only a matter of time after numerous performing art schools and a move to LA, that he was destined to become a performer. Today, Andrew is working full-time, while actively pursuing his solo career. Andrew admits that his songs won't all be happy. Some of his songs are emotionally draining to write and will make his fans cry and be sad. With a combination of soul, rock, blues and funk, Andrew creates a somewhat musical blend that some may consider to be genre-less music.Learn about Andrew's musical influences, deep songwriting process and so much more on this week’s episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.Follow Andrew on Instagram.© Uncensored Visionary
Queer R&B dripping in sensuality & harmonies.Vincent Coleman is a soul singer from the Leimart Park (Los Angeles) area. He knew from the age of 3 / 4 that he was going to be a singer. At the age of 11, he added the songwriter skill to his repertoire.As a singer / songwriter, Vincent is currently exploring the landscape of lust vs. love. With songs like, "Eventually," "Little Eyes," and "HUNGRY, THIRSTY, LOVE" Vincent is well on his way to building a community of emotionally honest Booh Bears (?). The depth and brutal honestly of his songs creates a mood of sensual freedom.In addition to being a singer / songwriter, he recently released a book of poetry called, "(in)capable of love." where he navigates his family's relationship with his homosexuality. Learn more about this multi-faceted artist on the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ podcast.
Follow Vincent on Instagram and Twitter.
Raised in Southern California, Kidd knew from a very young age that he was going to be a creative. When he was 3 / 4 his grandfather gave him the opportunity to play with his camera, so by the time he was 5 / 6 his career field was pretty much set.Today, Kidd is part-time DJ, part-time photographer, part-time model and hopes to add videography and storytelling to his reportaire. Kidd is hoping to build a community behind the creation of art. Ultimately, Kidd's goal is to give queer people of color a space to express themselves and to bring their own ideas to the forefront. If you live in San Francisco, make sure to catch him on the ones-and-twos at Q Bar.Learn about Kidd's motives, creative process and so much more on this week’s episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Kidd on Instagram.
Dr. Lucy LaForge was not her destiny. She and her parents knew that Lucy was destined to be a musician. But it didn't always look that way from the outside. Lucy did what was expected of her by going to college and getting her undergraduate degree. However, the minute it was time to decide what was next for her, her musical instincts kicked in: she had to do music. And thus was born the Lucy and La Mer.
Today, Lucy and La Mer have performed sold out shows all over the world and continue to be a shining light in the LGBTQ community. Every year, the band hosts a LOVE IS GAY concert series to showcase queer artists. Lucy doesn't find other artists to be competition, she sees them as allies that should be supported. Like Lucy says, "Life is so much better when you're supporting each other." This is the kind of artist and person that Lucy is and that is why she is today's feature on Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Lucy and La Mer on Instagram and Twitter.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Pennsylvania, Myles Thatcher was always into dance. At the age of 13/14, he had to determine if he wanted to pursue classical ballet or not. He committed and by the age of 17, he had moved to New York City to train and eventually moved to San Francisco for the trainee program with the SF Ballet. After years of training, Myles became an official member of the SF Ballet.
Ballet connoisseurs have said that Myles is "far beyond his years" and in 2018, Myles choreographed critically acclaimed ballet 'Otherness.' 'Otherness,' which focuses on how we are forced to label ourselves, stood out not only because of its unique choreography and premise but also because it was soundtracked by music by Björk.
Today, Myles Thatcher is in the prime of his career as both a dancer and choreographer (don't ask him to choose though) for the SF Ballet. Learn about Myles' motivation, creative process and so much more on this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Myles Thatcher on Instagram and Twitter.
Shequida Hall (Gary Hall) never intended to be a drag queen. The original goal was to become an opera singer. Alas, after being tricked into drag and performing, Hall fell in love with the gig and alas almost 30 years later, she is still respected as one of the baddest to do it. Shequida is a playwright, singer, songwriter and performer with a five-octave range. Today, she is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to drag performers.
Shequida was born in Jamaica and was destined to be a performer. As a child, Shequida trained her voice and that hard work would later help her land a spot at Juilliard, studying under the critically acclaimed bass-baritone Simon Estes. Career highlights include playing the character Wendi Mercury on the daytime television show One Life to Live and starring in Daron Hagen’s Vera of Las Vegas for it’s 2003 world premiere. She’s also written, directed and starred in her own Off-Broadway show Opera for Dummies, which took her around the world and earned her a GLAAD award nomination.
Currently, Shequida hosts at Pieces (Monday), Hardware Bar (Thursday) and Bartschland Follies (Friday) in New York. In addition to hosting, Shequida also sporadically performs / tours her self-written and directed shows. Learn more about Shequida Hall’s incredible journey in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Shequida on Instagram and Twitter.
Corey Camperchioli, Jon Ali and Guelmo. What do those people have in common? Well, two of them have been on Uncensored Visionary. But they've all have had their photo taken by the prolific Matthew Dean Stewart. Whenever one scrolls through a gay Instagram timeline, there is a high probability that you'll see multiple head shots by Matthew.Born in Los Angeles, Matthew has always had the creative itch. In a past life, he was a musical theater performer. He soon discovered that the itch would be better suited in the form of photography. After committing to photography, somewhat full-time, Matthew has become a superstar within the realm of queer photography. Through collaboration (and just being hilarious), he has been able to build a social network of queer artists in the hopes of uplifting queer based brands and artists. Listen to this uplifting LGBTQ badass on this week's episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow Matthew on Instagram and visit his official website.
One day Guelmo Rosa realized that being an English teacher was not his calling. So he quit, went to art school and then decided to try his hand at being an artist in New York. Born in Puerto Rico, with pit stops in The Bronx, back to Puerto Rico and eventually landing in New York, Guelmo Rosa is a mixed media artist with a passion for design and collaboration. Now only a few years into his journey, Guelmo is well on his way to building a uniquely queer based art brand.
As a proud queer Puerto Rican, Guelmo is on a mission to show how strong Puerto Ricans are and how badass queer artists can be. Make sure to visit his website (check out his dick earrings) and support a fellow Visionary by purchasing / sharing his artwork and listening to his episode of Uncensored Visionary.
Follow Guelmo on Instagram and visit his art store / official website.
Jaimie Kelton was having fertility issues so she turned to the internet for support, but to her surprise, she didn't find any. Instead of curling into a ball, Jaimie decided to create her own platform where lesbians could speak about making babies and the subsequent difficulties of maintaining non-traditional families. When she was introduced to Robin Hopkins, she knew that Robin was the one to help her establish and create a community of lesbians with non-traditional families. And thus If These Ovaries Could Talk was born (well after hundreds of spreadsheets, meetings, contacts, etc.).The intention behind If These Ovaries Could Talk is to always learn and highlight and show the love that's in our community. They have not only achieved that goal, but surpassed it on their funny yet poignant podcast show. Take a peek into the journeys of Jaimie and Robin and their podcast If These Ovaries Could Talk.
Follow If These Ovaries Could Talk on Instagram and listen to their podcast here.
Thee Supaman is here to teach you some things. When he's not being a sexual health YouTube vlogger, he's a PrEP advocate and nurse recruiter. Additionally, he co-hosts a podcast called Here for It with fellow LGBTQ badass Ronald Matters. In his previous life, he was a part of the U.S. Army where he played an important role in the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
With those accomplishments, Thee Supaman is well on his way to becoming a prominent LGBTQ advocate / activist. If you want to know someone with strong convictions and extensive experience championing for the rights of the LGBTQ, you've come to the right place. Take a peek into the mind of a true trailblazer in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Thee Supaman on Instagram and listen to his podcast Here for It here.
Unapologetically FEMME.
Corey Camperchioli is going to take the world by storm with his short film FEMME. FEMME, however, is more than a short film. It’s something to celebrate as an identifier and a super power. Growing up, combined with the ‘No Femmes’ rhetoric from part of the gay community, Corey struggled with the concept of accepting his femininity, until he realized it’s what makes him unique. After coming to realize the strength in being feminine, he has been on a successful mission to empower those who identify as FEMME.
Long term, Corey hopes to turn FEMME into opportunities for a book (!), world wide traveling and speaking engagements. His ultimate goal is to get people to love themselves because of that FEMME label and not in spite of that FEMME label. Dive into his FEMME adventures in the latest episode of Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast.
Follow Corey on Instagram and visit his official website.
Breaking Bread – Using Food to Break Down Barriers
Adrian De Berardinis is a jack of all trades. He’s been a hair dresser and worked in restaurants as a chef. Today, many people know him as The Bear Naked Chef. As The Bear Naked Chef, Adrian has traveled the world teaching people how to cook on cruises, YouTube and on international television. Additionally, Adrian recently completed a stint as a chef for Michelle Obama on her ‘Becoming’ book tour.
Adrian is well on his way to becoming a media mogul and we can’t wait to see where he goes next! Make sure to listen to his intriguing Uncensored Visionary: A LGBTQ Podcast episode as we discuss cooking as an art form and community builder, his past lives, conversion therapy and more.
Follow Adrian on Instagram and visit his official website and YouTube page.
Doing it all by bypassing the conventional
Teddy Margas is an actor/comic/writer performing regularly all over the country. He hosts “The Mikey & Teddy Show” weekly in West Hollywood. He was the audience warm up comic on E!’s Fashion Police working hand in hand with Joan Rivers, Kathy Griffith and Margaret Cho. Teddy has guest starred on several television shows including FOX’s “Lethal Weapon”and his rave reviews as Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” has piqued his musical theater interest. He is currently producer on HEY QWEEN, a talk show for Drag Queens and the like, currently being shot for Canadian broadcast TV.
Follow Teddy on Instagram and Twitter
Visit Teddy’s official website
Technonerd, gadget geek, lexophile, music lover, LGBTQ+ activist, advocate for inclusion and diversity in STEM.
Barbara Belmont is a science teacher and President and Laboratory Director of American Research and Testing Inc. with a Masters in Analytical Chemistry and has been working in the science field for 15+ years. Her science interests include developing or enhancing experiments for the analytical chemistry classroom, to using analytical techniques for characterizing or investigating a chemical conundrum.
In addition to having two jobs she loves, Barbara is the treasurer for an organization called National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP). NOGLSTP’s mission is to empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by providing education, advocacy, professional development, networking, and peer support.
NOGLSTP educates all communities regarding scientific, technological, and medical concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.
Follow Barbara on Twitter.
Visit the NOGLSTP official website here.
Romi Faylo was born in Uzbekistan and is based in Jaffa, Israel. As a fashion designer he currently works for the fashion brand Wilde Vertigga.
Romi studied fashion design at Shenkar, College of Engineering, Design and Art. The common factor of his designs is the lack of gender, he doesn’t design clothes for women or men. He simply wants to design beautiful clothes.
Wild Vertigga is a conceptual brand that sanctifies asymmetry, not just as a design, but as a way of life. Asymmetry represents dynamism and occurrence, while symmetrical “straight” shapes represent staticness and fixation, so our first campaign is called "Rather Naked than Straight" with a small wink to the queer community. The brand offers several non-gender items, but the brand appeals to everyone, regardless of sexual preferences, anyone who identifies with the brand's agenda.
In addition to working for Wilde Vertigga, Romi founded, with a group of 3 people, a startup company called F.F.P. TECHNOLOGIES LTD. The project deals with the development of materials designed to spray on molds for the manufacture of seamless clothing in mass-production. Currently, they have a prototype and we are in the stage of fund raising for further development.
Follow Romi on Instagram. Follow Wild Vertigga on Instagram.© Uncensored Visionary - www.uncensoredvisionary.com/
Founder and owner of STER Entertainment, Eric Vera directs the network and brings his photographic eye from his project "Flight of Charleston" to help create the STER Entertainment brand. Listen to our conversation as we discuss FX's Pose, Jessie Ware, Ru Paul's drag race, growing up alone and more.Follow Eric on Instagram. Visit the official Ster Entertainment website and Twitter.© Uncensored Visionary - www.uncensoredvisionary.com/
Kyle Getz and Mike Johnson host LGBTQ podcast Gayish. Gayish is a gay & LGBT+ podcast that bridges the gap between sexuality and actuality. Mike and Kyle talk about gay stereotypes they fit into, ones they don’t, and everything in between.
Follow Gayish on Instagram and Twitter. Visit the official Gayish website here.
© Uncensored Visionary - www.uncensoredvisionary.com/
Adam Tabellija is an actor, singer, mermaid, daddy, lover and general badass. Based in New York and born in the Bay Area, Adam is a jack of all trades, having lived 9 different lives and been on many different career paths. Currently, he is traveling the globe as an actor in the play Priscilla Queen of the Desert. In addition to acting, he utilizes his background as a former bartender to host My Gay Bartender, short film videos teaching people how to make simple yet delicious drinks.
Follow Adam on Instagram. Follow his web series My Gay Bartender on Instagram.© Uncensored Visionary - www.uncensoredvisionary.com/
Using film as a catalyst to educate, empower and protest.
Jethro is a documentary filmmaker and video producer based in San Francisco, California. His first feature documentary film 50 Years of Fabulous had its world premiere as the opening film at QDocs Film Festival in Portland, Oregon on May 17, 2018. It screened at Frameline42 shortly after and is now touring the festival circuit around the world. Jethro is one of the fellows for the National MediaMaker 2016 Program at BAVC (Bay Area Video Coalition) for his film #MyNameIs, a documentary feature following a protest movement against Facebook's "real" name policy.
Follow Jethro on Instagram and visit his Official Website
Queering the Straight Male Gaze.
Mario Elias is a visual designer, photographer, and Art Historian, with a focus on art as a tool for Queer Expression. Focusing on narratives that give visibility to those who have been historically marginalized, overlooked, or overshadowed, Mario's work presents the Queer individual as a royal and otherworldly figure.
Follow Mario on Instagram and visit his Official Website
Educate. Explore. Empower.
These are the words that Chad Onyx and the rest of his fraternal brethren live by. Born in Virginia, as one of two children, Chad roamed around the United States until he finally landed in South California. From there he learned and built a brotherhood for gay and bisexual men of color to explore their interest in leather and kink. Through empowerment and education, Onyx facilitates a safe space for people to be themselves without judgment.
ONYX is a fraternal organization for gay and bisexual men of color. The Southwest (ONYX-SW) chapter is centered in the Los Angeles/San Diego/Palm Springs areas and Southwestern states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Full membership is open to gay and bisexual men of color and associate membership is open to men and women of any race or sexual persuasion.
Follow Chad & Onyx: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook
TBT to this incredible episode of #UncensoredVisionary. ---
Queen of Trans Rap.
Miss Pvssy is an up-and-coming rapper most known for her Chi Raq (Freestyle). The rapper is not afraid of showing off her sexuality and the power of being a phenomenal woman.
Born in Chicago, Miss Pvssy grew up writing music as early as Elementary School. She spent the next few years developing her writing, sound and stage presence. Currently, Miss Pvssy is a steady performer on the Blow Pony circuit in Portland, Oregon and is busy preparing to new music.
Check out her tracks Chi Raq (Freestyle) and Just Ain’t Me (Bow Down Freestyle).
Follow Miss Pvssy on Instagram
The man who can walk faster than most can run.
Tom Bosworth is originally from Kent and is now based in Leeds. Tom is Britain’s Number 1 race walker, Olympian, multiple world record holder, Commonwealth Games Silver medalist and 7 time British record holder. He trains full time, walk at speeds of up to 10mph/16kmph and was Britain’s first and only openly gay track and field athlete currently competing.
Follow Tom on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Visit his Official Website.
José Hernandez, known as Veco by many or @eseveco on Instagram is a 27 year old gay Mexican American from South Gate, CA. A lover of the arts, photography and fashion.
Currently navigating and experiencing all these new opportunities that have sprouted in the last year. Looking to make an impact in the fashion industry through inclusivity and visibility of queer brown people.
Follow José on Instagram
Sampson McCormick is an experience a down to earth comedic force of nature, and one of the most respected and sought after voices of diversity in Comedy for close to two decades. He’s appeared on MTV, BET, TV One, VICELAND, his highly lauded comedy special “That B*@%# Better Be Funny” and co-starred in 2017’s Academy nominated film “I Live Here”.
On National Coming Out Day 2018 (October 11th, 2018), Sampson McCormick became the first LGBTQ comic to ever perform at a Smithsonian museum when he performed at the National Museum of African-American History in Washington D.C.
His comedy offers riveting and fresh takes on race, religion, politics and sexuality—you know, all those things you aren’t suppose to talk about in polite company.
Follow Sampson on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Visit his Official Website.
Hi my name is Thomas Tucker and on October 17th I'm launching a podcast called Uncensored Visionary. The podcast will be weekly and each week I will interview and have a discussion with a bad ass member of the LGBTQ community. Throughout this season, we will take a deep dive into the lives of LGBTQ bad asses and not only discuss their backgrounds, careers and creative outlets, but we will also cover topics such as femininity vs masculinity, conversion therapy, cooking, the straight male gaze, nudity, art, furries and more. The goal of the podcast is to engage with one another so we can learn what makes us such an incredible community and to ultimately celebrate not only our differences but also our similarities.Make sure to tune into the first three episodes on October 17th featuring guests Comedian Sampson McCormick, Olympic Athlete Tom Bosworth and upcoming model/all around bad ass fashion icon Jose Hernandez. So let's start to engage, learn and celebrate shall we...