These Podcasts Prioritize Black Queer Persectives

By Shelli Nicole

There has been a lot of chat recently about all things podcasts. People are admitting how sick they are of every cis-white male ordering a mic, talking about the most nonsensical shit and somehow getting popular and annoying us all as we scroll our lives away on social media.

I firmly believe that anyone who orders a mic should fill out a form stating what their purposes are. I know that's not going to happen because I live in a country where you can buy a gun at Walmart with a McLovin ID, so, here I am, forced to sift through "Wherever I get my podcasts" for actual good shit.

For years I've had my favorites—The Read, The Friend Zone, The Bechdel Cast, and others—but recently I've been experiencing a lull. I have resorted to listening to the nostalgia-filled podcasts started by the cast of my comfort shows or those that I loved from my childhood, but I wanted something more.

I like my podcasts to feel like I'm at a kickback with friends. When I'm on the couch listening to friends have a conversation that I jump in and out of as I go grab the takeout from downstairs or run to refill my wine glass in the kitchen. It's another chance to connect and escape, and I want to do that with podcasts where the hosts and I have a commonality.

I've found a bit of that in shows like Vibe Check and We Said What We Said with Rickey and Denzel. Playful podcasts that are Black, queer, and sometimes get just deep enough. But I was still looking for folks who had an experience like mine and conversations that I could chime in on with an "OMG YESSSSS!!!" more than twice an episode. EnterBad Queersand Two Twos— two podcasts created by and featuring folks who aren't cis gay males.

Both podcasts have hosts who, well, aren't high femme dykes and it's—ugh I hate the word I'm about to use lol—refreshing. I dig being my high femme hottie self with perfectly pointed nails and enough blush-colored clothing items to rival Barbie in a muted version of her paradise, but so many podcasts with queer femmes are boring and constantly talk about the same thing just in a different order. They often rip apart their dating experiences with non-femme presenting queer women and enby folks, whine about femme invisibility, and then end the podcast fishing for compliments from those same guests and listeners. Also, they are all so incredibly and wildly caucasian.

Two Twos and Bad Queers just wanna talk, and they make you wanna listen.

Bad Queers has Shana and Kris and yeah maybe I'm a bit biased 'cos I've been on the show, but I was a fan long before I came on. So much of their podcast is their banter and their willingness to share personal experiences and moments from their week with their listeners. They are also HELLA keen on educating our community, from our verbiage to what's happening in our pop culture, to having folks on who talk about the laws and politics trying to erase or harm us.

They dip more into the personal by answering questions from readers about dating, starting families, finding friends, and any other dykey topic, and weave in their own stories as they answer, it lets listeners know they fucking care about the queer community. They have had guests like Jessamyn, Joshua Mackey, Brittani Nichols, and others come on and give their "Bad Queer Opinions" while they also hilariously give their takes on the realities of being Black lesbians who aren't femme.

Then we hop over to the UK with more of the bants on Two Twos with Nana and Ro, a podcast where they share their lives and views on dating, what's happening in pop culture, and what it's like to be Black, queer, and British. I started listening because as a Black, Queer, American I often think that there are so many places better for me to exist than here. While elements of that are true, listening to this podcast helped put some of those thoughts into perspective. Nana and Ro talk about things and as I listen, I recall similar experiences that I or folks I know have had.

It feels good to know that our experiences are universal, and not just our hardships but our fun shit too. They are always willing to learn and to reflect on moments in their queer lives where they didn't do better because they didn't know better. Relationships often come up in conversation and they talk a lot about how they have been treated by the femme folks they've been romantic with. It's important because so often only one side of the narrative (of the folks in femme/masc relationships/situationships) is heard and it's usually the femmes. Guests like Bellah, Darkwah, and Talia Darling have all been on the pod!

Another really dope connecter the two podcasts have—one-half of each duo is a parent. They don't consistently talk about being a parent but how fucking cool is it that they don't stray away from it either. Having conversations or answering questions as they come up about what it's like to be a Black masc queer parent in this wild fucking world.

These podcasts are breaking through in a world of queer babe podcasts where white lesbians and their voices try to drown out everyone else. They are fly, fun, and deserve your listens, shares, likes, and love. So put on your headphones or blast it while in the house and give them a listen. These folks actually deserve the mic so I'll excuse them from filling out all future forms, as long as they promise to keep bringing the bants and making Black queers everywhere laugh and vibe out for a few hours a week.

This article originally published on our sister publication, Pride.com.