Episode 12

full
Published on:

18th Aug 2025

Appalachian Transcendentalism and Translucence

Correction to something Dash said: WYSO isn't affiliated with West Virginia Public Media, but is instead based in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

In this episode, we sit down with Lee Wade, creator of the podcast Translucent on West Virginia Public Radio. Lee shares the inspiration behind starting the show in the midst of rising anti-trans legislation, and how the name Translucent reflects his mission to shine light on trans stories that are too often overlooked.

Lee opens up about his journey as a Black trans person navigating advocacy, mentorship, and grassroots podcast production. He recounts powerful conversations from Translucent, including an emotional interview with a Republican trans woman about restrictive legislation, and a deeply personal exchange with his father following incarceration. Lee’s story highlights the importance of allyship, adaptation, and creating space for trans voices in media.

The episode begins with lighter moments—funny stories about cat fights and candid reflections on students cheating in online learning. We also discuss the ethics of AI, drawing connections to systemic issues like racism and environmental justice. The conversation flows into personal anecdotes about haircuts, tattoos, and cultural identity, exploring how barbershops and body art carry meaning in diverse communities.

Along the way, we spotlight Tudor’s Biscuit World, a beloved Appalachian restaurant known for hearty meals and community impact.

We close by encouraging listener engagement, introducing our new newsletter, and reminding everyone to follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Keywords: trans stories, Black trans voices, Translucent podcast, anti-trans legislation, allyship, Appalachian culture, online teaching challenges, AI ethics, barbershop culture, tattoo stories, Tudor’s Biscuit World, grassroots podcasting, West Virginia Public Radio

Transcript
Speaker:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: actually

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

got into a fight last night.

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We and Pita, the

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

like a real fight.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

Like a real fight.

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Like I dove in the floor

to get between 'em.

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gets really, Pita gets really

terror territorial about her food,

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we didn't eat all of her dinner

last night, so Pita jumped on it.

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And when Wenda jumped down to check out

her food again, she went for her throat.

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Like yeah,

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Oh my

God, What's going on with Wenda?

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Why isn't she finishing her meals?

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I don't know.

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This is something, usually she eats

everything on the plate, but then

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the, she stopped eating the, the brand

of food that we got her, so we got a

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different brand of food and she really

liked the steak and eggs of that one.

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And then one day she

turned her nose up at it.

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So we gave her the chicken liver that

came with the steak and eggs and she

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liked it, and then she ate half of it

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Hmm.

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Gotta gotta get it together, Wenda.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Maybe she's

just trying to watch her figure.

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I don't know.

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

Her girlish figure.

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, beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I had

to turn in yet another person for

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cheating academically this week.

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Why do people take classes and then

just google the answers to things

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and pretend like they don't do it?

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Like, no, I didn't copy

that from student doc.edu

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or whatever.

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When you, you could just Google

it and like three people turned

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in at stuff from the same essay.

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You know what I mean?

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Like it, it's crazy.

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And one person had a 51% turn it

in score and swore they had no idea

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how that stuff got in their paper.

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No idea.

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one had a 34%.

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This one, this one this week had a 34%

and it had full sentences lifted from,

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and it was only a one page paper and

34% of it was copied from an online so

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I used to

do, of course this you're teaching

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online so you can't really do this, but

I used to do a little presentation of

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like how easy it is for me to prove.

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Like I would take, if something

turned up, I would show them like,

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I copy and paste this, put it into

Google, and it tells me what you.

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Got this from, there's metadata.

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I know for a fact, um, I show them

how Turnitin works and you know,

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back then, anyway, it helped.

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The thing, the classes that I taught

people were most likely to do that

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in, were writing classes because they

were mad that they had to take 'em.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Right.

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: What

do I have to take this for?

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Why do I have to take English?

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Yeah.

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Well, why do I have to learn

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Because you

apparently can't string a sentence

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together without Googling it.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: And

AI is fun to play with, but you

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gotta be real careful, you know,

'cause it's wrong all of the time.

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it's fun to see what it'll spit out with

different things, especially the images.

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I have a lot of fun playing

with that, making things into

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different cartoons and books and.

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: they're, um.

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A good negative exemplar and the, the

research on the fact that they, it's not

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surprising that they're racist and ableist

and all that stuff because American

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society is racist and ableist and it,

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: source

material is, is gets polluted.

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It's like my

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

it only knows what we know.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

It's like my theory of

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: where

it's the pee in the pool, it's in

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

The pee in the pool.

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Yeah.

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And like AI is only going to, it only

has the things we say to draw from.

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But, so, you know, that is a,

that's a didactic on it of its own.

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Um, , there's like AI in this software.

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I was using, um, this, what's it called?

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Citation software.

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And I would put something in there

and I would say, say this back to

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me, like, does this make sense?

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Basically, like if it could summarize

it for me and it was what I meant for

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it to say, then I was like, okay, if

even AI knows what I'm saying, then

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I must be saying it pretty clearly.

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But the, the pictures and things, I

just feel too guilty because of the.

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The environmental impact, it's, it

reminds me exactly of when I was a

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kid and I thought that I personally

could, could stop global warming and

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the, and the ice caps from melting by

picking up litter in my trailer park.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I, you know,

I'm of the mindset that it really doesn't

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matter what I do because there are

famous people with their private jets

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and companies with their oil refineries

and et cetera, et cetera, and there's no

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way I could do anything close to, to what

they do, so I'm just gonna live my life.

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, I use way too many paper

towels and unabashedly

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: It is the,

well, this carbon footprint model, um,

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I know why we created it because it's

kind of like the BMI It is, it is a

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way to demonstrate a phenomenon, right.

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Just a thing.

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It is, it is not intended to be

applicable at the personal level.

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at the level of the individual, the same

as it is at the level of an organization.

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My personal carbon footprint is

not the same as Exxon or whatever.

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I know that for people like me who

have, who have OCD it's really easy

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for, for me to, to get, wrapped

up in what's right and wrong.

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Like, what's the right and wrong

decision for me to make in a moment.

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and so like that is really affecting

like this idea that, you know,

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smokey the bear is looking at me.

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Only you can stop global warming.

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I don't even, maybe smokey was

right about the forest fires thing.

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I don't know.

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Like it is more likely that one person

starts a forest fire than it is that one

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person contributes to global warming.

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beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: right.

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dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Well, normally

I would say we should spin the wheel

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of what have you, but we actually have

a, a first on Queernecks listeners.

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We have done something almost proper in

podcasting and we've invited a guest, so

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we're gonna have, Our little buddy, Lee

Wade from the show Translucent on West

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Virginia Public Radio on WYSO radio.

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Um, come and talk to us about

his project and he's gonna play

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wheel of what have you with us.

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Your podcast creates a space for

conversations that are really

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happening in mainstream media.

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What inspired you to start this podcast

and how did you land on the name?

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What motivated me to start the

project was during the time the

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last year in a, a little earlier at

the end of:

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a rise of anti-trans legislation.

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I go to a, to a

predominantly queer school.

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So there's, there was a lot of

talk about how this legislation is.

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Affecting the trans community and I,

I saw that as a perfect opportunity

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for me to start practicing, to use my

voice and also be an advocate for the

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trans community as a black trans person.

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When it came to choosing the name, I

was looking for a name that had the word

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trans in it, and I came across the word

translucent, and it just stuck out to me,

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like when I think of the word translucent.

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I just think about something shining, and

I did research on the word and translucent

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is to allow light to pass through.

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I felt like it was, uh,

the, uh, perfect choice.

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I think it's just the perfect name

for, for what it is you're doing.

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Do you want to say a little bit about.

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Whatever you're comfortable sharing

about, you know, where the project

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is located, where you're located,

what kind of positionality is

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bringing your, these stories to us.

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Yeah.

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So, uh, my name is Lee Wade.

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I use he, him pronouns.

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I'm a Antioch College grad.

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Translucent is recorded on

the campus of Antioch College.

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At the station, WYSO and translucent is

a collection of stories and interviews

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from transgender people all over,

but the focus is mainly on trans

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people here in the state of Ohio, but

we're working on expanding, getting

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stories outside of Ohio as well.

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For this to be your first show and

for you to be kind of out here as

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your identity, and then taking on

something like audio production

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and managing, interviewing folks.

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That's ambitious.

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It definitely hasn't been easy.

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I, I think my, my, both of my bosses

that I work with on this project.

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Chris Walter Will Davis translucent

wouldn't happen without them.

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Not to bash my own journalism

skills, but I think of myself,

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it wouldn't be as as effective.

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They've helped me so much with the

editing and delivery and post-production,

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finding people to interview, so it

is definitely been all hands on deck.

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You would have eventually, but

having support earlier just helped

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you out, you know, it helped

you get things get going sooner.

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Yeah.

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What we know about Driven folks is that

they will eventually find their voice.

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So the episode with you and your dad,

the, I found that really interesting.

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Did you go into that thinking

that he was gonna be as cool as he

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was, or were you a little scared?

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Or how did, how did that go down?

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The emotions were everywhere.

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My dad was incarcerated during my

first year of college for three

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years in, around the time that.

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He went into prison that same

month that he went to prison.

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I started hormonal replacement therapy.

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I came out to him as trans when

I was 15, so he already knew, but

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he didn't have any idea that I was

going to start taking testosterone or

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what those changes would look like.

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Mm.

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Yeah, over, over some time my dad got

the message that, that I had started

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the testosterone and he would ask me

questions over the phone when he would

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call, why is your voice changing?

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Like, are you sick?

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And I, oh yeah, I'm sick.

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I have cold, yeah, I had a cold for

18 months, so I, I thought I was being

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secretive, but when he came back home,

just so that the recording that I did.

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Which you guys heard is, is our, our first

conversation after he came back home and

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now it's just two weeks after he returned.

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So yeah, it was, it was,

it was kind of bold of me.

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I didn't know what to expect.

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I didn't know if he was

gonna be supportive.

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I knew whatever the answer would be.

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My dad was still gonna love me and

he was, he would probably have some,

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have a hard time adjusting, but

over time he would get used to it.

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Whenever I'll ask him

questions, his response.

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Just had me grinning from ear to ear

because I wasn't expecting him to say

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that on the, on the verge of tears.

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He was just so emotional with his

responses and I could tell that he was

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supportive and that that conversation

just kinda, you know, initiated us to.

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Get to know each other a little bit

more since he, he had been gone.

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He's been through something.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, for sure.

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Your life has been life and him.

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Mm-hmm.

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Listeners, I, I, I recommend, you

know, Lee's show, translucent,

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but I particularly recommend that

episode for a number of reasons.

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One, I'm just so happy for

you and so happy for him.

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But I think that there are a lot of.

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Parents or guardians or caregivers

or siblings or loved ones out there

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who've, who are afraid that they can't

rise to a challenge, like adapting

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to a loved one's transition and.

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They may preemptively overreact

or something like that.

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And I promise you, if you love

them, you'll surprise yourself.

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Because that really is like that

greases the wheels, the loved ducks.

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And 'cause my dad was the same thing.

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He told me, I'll never be

able to use those pronouns.

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I'll never be able to use a name.

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He said, I'll try, but

you know, it won't happen.

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You know me, I'm old and this and that.

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He's correct in my mom these days.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Exactly.

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That's, honestly, that's it.

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That's the same thought that I had.

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It was like he wouldn't, or like different

family members wouldn't come around.

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But yeah, like you said,

like dad and my twin sister.

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Those are the two that I

was scared to come out to.

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I thought they were detrimental,

but nowadays they're the

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ones like, no, it's Lee.

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No, it's he, him.

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When I talk to other trans people

about family and acceptance and things

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like that, I usually tell them this

transition that we're going through.

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It's, it's not only a transition for us,

it's a transition for the people that

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have known us our whole lives as well.

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So it's gonna be a adjustment and

people may not respond to you the

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way that that you want them to, but

just gently reminding them, it's what

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it takes for them to come around.

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Eventually, yeah.

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When I work with young trans people,

the this process or these processes,

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it's a lot of be there for them

if you can, but also take care of

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number one and that, that even making

those decisions on the daily or

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the minute sometimes is exhausting.

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You, you mentioned you go to a

college that is predominantly

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queer and were you were able to

participate in conversations about.

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This adjusting climate

as it was happening?

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I'm, I'm interested in that.

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I'm interested in how you all are feeling.

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Yeah, for sure.

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I mean, it's scary times right now, but

I think a large handful of the people

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that, that I go to school with, they're

also, most of them are also active and

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educating themselves and, um, others.

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Yeah, it's hard times

and we're talking about.

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How the legislation is affecting us,

these different bills and things like

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that, that we see popping up every

day and how access to stuff that

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we usually are able to get hormonal

replacement therapy to affirming care.

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There's conversations around that.

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But, um, I'd say a lot of, a lot

of my peers are motivated to, to

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speak out in whatever way that is.

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Whether if it's protesting or

writing an article about these type,

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these different things or, or even.

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Having conversations with their family

members who may not be as accepting

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or have a hard time wrapping their

head around Creating a podcast.

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Yeah, creating a podcast that

I'm so proud of you for that.

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By the way, about that though, what

are some like of your favorite insights

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or conversations you've had so far?

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You're still kind of new at it, but

you had some pretty cool conversations

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that I've been able to hear.

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Yeah, I, I appreciate that.

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And um, this right here is definitely

a cool conversation as well.

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Yeah, I'd say I spoke with a other

trans woman who's Republican.

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My boss sent some information to me

about her and encouraged me to reach

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out to her to get an interview with her.

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She wrote a letter to Governor Mike

DeWine back when Senate Bill 1 0 4

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yes, was being brought to Governor Mike

Dolan's desk, and that bill would require

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everyone going to a university or.

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Type of school to use restrooms outta

line with their gender identity.

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She's an instructor at a college and

so she wrote a letter to Governor

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Mike Deline about her perspective

on that and how that bill would,

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um, affect the trans community and.

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It was a very emotional interview.

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You can definitely hear her emotions

coming through when she was reading

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the letter that she wrote to him.

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I bring up that interview because just

hearing a trans person being a Republican,

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those two don't go hand in hand.

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It just made me think a little bit

differently about politics and how

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different generations of people think

about gender identity and how they're

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also doing the work to educate themselves.

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That interview definitely stuck with me.

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That's a good one.

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And when she began to get very emotional,

when speaking about how this would affect

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a young person who was already weighing

whether life was still worth living, just

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like why would you add that extra stress?

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There's a clip that I didn't put in to

the interview, but she was talking, or

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I, I think I may have included, but.

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She was basically talking about how

suicide rates would potentially go up with

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those being proposed, and that definitely

made me think more about making sure

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that trans youth are doing okay during

these times, whether that's creating

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some type of support group or something.

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Yet, I can't imagine how

trainee are feeling right now.

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I think about that a lot.

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We promised them a better world

than the one they're getting.

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Just need strong, brave

people to keep, to keep going.

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My boss sent me You all's podcast.

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I love how the conversation can start

off with one topic and if you guys

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bridge off to other stuff, you all

find a way to like be real and pull

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in comedy and it's so refreshing.

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To hear last week I was listening to,

to the first episode That, that you all

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recorded while I was cutting the grass.

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Well, thank you.

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Thank you.

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I wasn't asking you to flag it.

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No, it's all genuine.

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What prompted you two to start queer next?

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What does queer next mean to to you two?

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I appreciate that question.

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It's something I had been chewing on.

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I think the back of my

mind was thinking about it.

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I'm an Appalachian expat.

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I had to move away.

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From where I was at for medical

care access and just where I

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was in particular wasn't an easy

place for a trans person to be.

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And I've known Beck for 12, 13 years.

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So I just had this idea and

I knew that if it wasn't her,

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it probably wouldn't happen.

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I thought, you know, what I

would like right now is to hear

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somebody that sounds like me with.

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Some similar relatable experiences

accessible on the radio whenever

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I wanted and I couldn't find it.

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So I made it and first person I thought

of to help me with that was Beck.

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'cause every, we always laugh

and every time we hang out, every

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time we talk, all we do is laugh.

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So I wonder, I, I actually haven't

asked yet, what was it like to, for me

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message you and be like, Hey, do you

wanna start podcast called Queer Next?

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I'm on summer Break right

now, and I am, because I'm an

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instructor at a, at the university.

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And this is my first summer

getting paid while doing that.

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So I have been living the life, sleeping

in and reading and playing video games

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and being a teenager all over again.

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And so Dash emailed me and was like,

Hey, do you wanna start a podcast?

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And I was like, why not?

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I have to give Famous somehow.

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And this seems like the

perfect way to do it.

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So here we are.

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Some people are just, they

should shine too bright.

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I think a lot of people should be

on the air and don't realize it.

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And so I, I want also to just

make sure everybody knows that

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yeah, there's a learning curve.

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There's a little bit of a, a funds

exchange at the beginning you just, you

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just figure out a way to make it work

and then get your voice out there and.

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It started to feel like imperative

to have as many of those as we could.

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And then I saw that you started up

almost exactly the same time as we did,

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and so I was like, this is pretty cool.

352

:

Like there's more people out there

thinking that same way, I think.

353

:

You said.

354

:

What does Queer Next mean to us?

355

:

Honestly, for the most

part, it's self-care.

356

:

For me, it's something to look forward to.

357

:

It's something to love.

358

:

It's a play date with

my friend every week.

359

:

It's, it's a project that's mine.

360

:

Nobody can take it.

361

:

This, this isn't going, this

doesn't go to work with me.

362

:

This doesn't go to the,

to the DMV with me.

363

:

It doesn't follow me.

364

:

All the places I wish I didn't have to go.

365

:

It doesn't have to go

those places with me.

366

:

It's waiting for me when I come back.

367

:

For me, it's about being

able to go home a little bit.

368

:

I've talked about it on the podcast a

few times, but I lost all three of my

369

:

parents in a very short period of time.

370

:

And I had to go down there and

help clear out the house and get

371

:

rid of my, or shut down my dad's

business and do that kind of thing.

372

:

And then I had to move back up here

to go back to work, and I probably

373

:

won't be back in Appalachia if

I don't have anybody left there.

374

:

And being able to play with Dash is

a way for me to be able to go home.

375

:

I can hear the accent, I can, we

can talk about, you know, yard

376

:

sales and how fun those are.

377

:

There's just so many things that

we can do that makes me feel

378

:

like going home a little bit.

379

:

Speaking of, I think.

380

:

Why don't we give this wheel, what have

you, a spin here and see what wheel.

381

:

I don't wear my glasses, so I could

just make something up and tell y'all.

382

:

Ooh, we got music.

383

:

Ooh.

384

:

Yeah.

385

:

Which I've been thinking about a lot

because I don't know about you, Lee,

386

:

but we, I struggle with finding the

right aesthetic available for the show.

387

:

It's a kind of an in-between, like

you're not gonna find anything

388

:

that says queer neck on it.

389

:

So I'm like, what did

we listen to growing up?

390

:

'cause it was, yeah, there's some banjos.

391

:

It was a lot of steel guitars.

392

:

Steel guitars.

393

:

Upright basses, a lot of just

regular guitars where I grew up.

394

:

Something that has come up that comes

up a lot anytime in a conversation

395

:

about Appalachia is how diverse it is.

396

:

There's all kinds of music.

397

:

What's what's, what's some of

your favorite songs at the moment?

398

:

You know, I'm on a nineties

kick, so lately I've been really

399

:

jamming out to these, uh, nineties

playlists I've made on Spotify.

400

:

I actually will occasionally go, like,

what's my favorite song right now?

401

:

The answer I came up with was

Gigantic by Pixies, and I've

402

:

also been doing a lot of nirvana.

403

:

So apparently it's

nineties for me right now.

404

:

My wife is the connoisseur of music

in my, really in my family here.

405

:

And she's into people like Megan Thee

stallion and rap and that kind of thing.

406

:

And so I therefore

listen to a lot of that.

407

:

But I'm also a nineties person at

heart, and if I have my ways about

408

:

it, we're listen to it at what, I

guess it's an oldies station now.

409

:

If we're listening to the nineties.

410

:

That's wonderful.

411

:

Yeah.

412

:

So in your house, you,

you hear a, a mixed genre.

413

:

Yeah.

414

:

If it were up to me, I would just

listen to NPR Most of the time, you

415

:

know, growing up we are pre-internet.

416

:

I wasn't allowed to watch MTV

that was invented actually.

417

:

When was MTV first submitted?

418

:

I was, I believe it was 1982.

419

:

I think it's time for Red Dashes.

420

:

Google Back Road.

421

:

When did MTV start?

422

:

81.

423

:

So it was it.

424

:

Okay.

425

:

MTV started two months before I was born.

426

:

Do you know the first song that was

on on MTV Video Killed the Radio Star?

427

:

Yes.

428

:

Very good.

429

:

I actually learned that in

the class as an undergrad.

430

:

I love that song.

431

:

Do you know that song, Lee?

432

:

I don't.

433

:

It's great.

434

:

The very first music video ever played

on MTV was video killed the Radio Star.

435

:

It's a box, so it was

all radio, but I would.

436

:

I loved a metal, like heavy metal.

437

:

That was a revelation for me, like Ozzy

Osborne and that on the radio I would,

438

:

I had tapes and you could record off

the radio, but you had to sit and wait.

439

:

So I'd be, and I would know, like

they would do the top 10 or something

440

:

if there was a song I wanted.

441

:

Every time after commercial, I'd come back

and just in case it was a song I wanted.

442

:

'cause you gotta hit

record or you'll miss it.

443

:

So I was making Mix takes off the radio.

444

:

Oh wow.

445

:

What's your favorite song right now?

446

:

Right now my favorite song is

Close to You by Frank Ocean.

447

:

Do you ever get songs stuck in your head?

448

:

Like internal Echo.

449

:

I do, yes.

450

:

Yes.

451

:

I get the most annoying random

songs for, and they stay there

452

:

for like a month at a time.

453

:

Do you know the, the Eminem song you

make people or the Shake that ass song?

454

:

The, the one with triumphant mystical?

455

:

No, it's Eminem.

456

:

The one that he did is

Triumph the The Insult Comic.

457

:

It was, I ain't never

seen an ass like that.

458

:

That song I have, I have that in

my head for literally a month,

459

:

and every time I turned around I

was like, you make my peepee go.

460

:

But knowing, knowing, knowing, which

is actually funny because I'm the

461

:

biggest lesbian on the planet, right?

462

:

To get a song out, you

have to do something crazy.

463

:

You have to either find

a more annoying song.

464

:

Sometimes I've written

the lyrics out before.

465

:

I'll write the lyrics out to see

if I can get it outta my head.

466

:

I actually am a musician

too, which is Oh, cool.

467

:

Um, I used to do more musicing

before my hearing started to get as

468

:

bad as it is, but you don't have to

be able to hear, to be a musician.

469

:

Especially if you're not

trying to be a good one.

470

:

My best friend's mother was deaf

and she was the church pianist

471

:

at her church for 30 years.

472

:

Memorization.

473

:

Yep.

474

:

There's other things that you know,

you need to be able to hear, to do.

475

:

Like she was also a physician, so she

was like just an amazingly smart woman.

476

:

Just out here making, do I come from a

family of musicians who can do that thing

477

:

where they, they just decide to learn one

or walk past one and be like, I wonder

478

:

how this works, and figure it out by ear.

479

:

And so I have done that before, but

I am classically trained on guitar.

480

:

So that was my major for a short amount

of time in college, like two years.

481

:

What about like cruising song?

482

:

Like you're cruising around, right?

483

:

If you're driving around.

484

:

This was all we had to do where like,

we grew up, I don't know if it was

485

:

like this where you grew up, Lee.

486

:

And so you have your cruising playlist,

your CDs, your whatever, your mix tape.

487

:

It was very, it was as much about

having the windows down so everybody

488

:

else could hear what you were bumping

as what you were enjoying because

489

:

it was, this was performance, right?

490

:

You're like, yeah, yeah.

491

:

I got the new Dray cd.

492

:

Did you guys get the new dray cd?

493

:

'cause I got it.

494

:

I remember when I got the chronic,

I thought I was just everything

495

:

and I had to hide it from my mom.

496

:

I hid it under the

mattress of my water bitch.

497

:

For me, it was Weezer and the offspring.

498

:

And those kinds of bands I wasn't

driving yet when I listened to those.

499

:

I haven't heard of any of these

bands that you are mentioned, friend.

500

:

My friend brought up the fact that

today is the 32nd anniversary of,

501

:

oh my God, Becky, look at that butt.

502

:

33, 32 years since that

song came out on the radio.

503

:

And is that And Aconda, the

original was Sir Mixa lot.

504

:

For Mix a lot.

505

:

Yeah.

506

:

Yeah.

507

:

Baby got back and this song

was called Baby Got Back.

508

:

Yeah.

509

:

Yeah.

510

:

This song changed the

time space continuum.

511

:

The, there was a time where.

512

:

The song I think was playing concurrently

everywhere in the world all at once.

513

:

You just couldn't get away from

the song and the music video was

514

:

everywhere, and it was so good.

515

:

Everything about it was just perfect.

516

:

It had that pop culture, heroine type

of spike I saw, and it's something that

517

:

should never, ever occur at karaoke

and somebody always insist on trying.

518

:

You ever seen somebody try

to do this song at karaoke?

519

:

Yeah, I have not.

520

:

Oh my God, I saw it at work.

521

:

At Work, a white woman.

522

:

Is up on stage at a conference at like two

o'clock in the afternoon on a Thursday.

523

:

Yeah.

524

:

Drinking yet I was like

looking for the exit.

525

:

I was like, I can't be here for this.

526

:

There's a certain level

of like cringe and shame.

527

:

We just have to say goodbye.

528

:

That's what V alcohol is usually for.

529

:

We didn't listen to music in

the age of virality though.

530

:

Where did y'all get, you know,

when you like found a song

531

:

and you were like, this is it.

532

:

This is my personality for

the next week at least.

533

:

Where did that come from?

534

:

That's a good question.

535

:

Kind of similar to you.

536

:

I'm also a, a musician

and my dad is a drummer.

537

:

He played for a Slave, which was a funk

band in Dayton, Ohio for a little bit.

538

:

And the house music was, would blast,

uh, speakers in, in, um, every corner,

539

:

me and my dad are kind of similar

when there's a song that we like,

540

:

it's on repeat for a little bit.

541

:

I don't know.

542

:

I think when I know that a song is

going to be on my repeat list for the

543

:

next week, it has to make me feel a

certain way that another song hasn't,

544

:

whether if that's happy or like a

reflective, it's definitely on repeat it.

545

:

Our cultural products are a way, it's

like one of the ways we facilitate

546

:

feeling and emotion and stuff, and

there's a reason art makes us feel things.

547

:

There are times when I'll be thinking

like, I feel like I need to feel a

548

:

certain thing and I'm too whatever.

549

:

Too stressed too.

550

:

To end this zone that I need to escape

from, that I can't conjure myself.

551

:

I'll put on a song that I know will do

it for me or have a movie if I wanna cry.

552

:

I put on, this is a classified for me.

553

:

I watch the Wild Robot.

554

:

Oh, it's such a good choice.

555

:

Yes.

556

:

I can't.

557

:

Like, I don't make it through credits

before I'm crying because it's just a,

558

:

it's an incredible story about chosen

family and receiving the accommodations

559

:

we need to be successful as ourselves.

560

:

And like, I, I feel so seen by this silly.

561

:

Amazing movie.

562

:

I forgot who said this, but it's something

like, along the lines of music is the only

563

:

thing that can impact you emotionally.

564

:

It's not, that's not

very journalistic of me.

565

:

Okay.

566

:

Leo Tolstoy said, music is

the shorthand of emotion.

567

:

Yeah.

568

:

I, I thought I knew what

you were trying to say, but.

569

:

Um, I, again, you know, we're

talking about being researchers

570

:

and writers and folks.

571

:

I was like, let me get this together.

572

:

So I, I Google things before I will be

certain that I'm gonna be right about

573

:

it because I'm tired of looking stupid.

574

:

No, I saw that.

575

:

I have a habit of making

myself look stupid as shit.

576

:

I'm a professional at it.

577

:

So that, how much do we say about

where looking stupid can get you?

578

:

Yeah.

579

:

People who are afraid of looking stupid.

580

:

People who refuse to risk looking

stupid, don't get anything done.

581

:

Yeah.

582

:

I worked as a photographer for

years and we did a lot of babies.

583

:

And I would have to, you just

have to learn to make an idiot of

584

:

yourself in front of the grown people

because the whole point is to sell

585

:

the pictures of the baby smiling.

586

:

And once you've done that job, there's

no, I could be cringe as I wanna be.

587

:

I can.

588

:

I could go do all kinds of cringey

things and not even stress.

589

:

Well, Lee, I know you gotta get going.

590

:

It's been just awesome

getting to meet you.

591

:

And I'm just so.

592

:

Impressed and proud of the work

you're doing and just proud of you

593

:

and hope that other people see what

you're doing and feel inspired.

594

:

Hope you continue this journey

of learning and growing.

595

:

Is this a, you want to continue

audio production as a profession?

596

:

Oh yes, for sure.

597

:

I'm definitely motivated to continue

doing journalism, honing in on

598

:

those skills and things like, yeah,

graduated from Antioch with my.

599

:

BA in interdisciplinary arts and

creative practice with a focus in

600

:

audio journalism and broadcasting.

601

:

Just having conversations like

this with you guys definitely

602

:

encourages me to stay on that path.

603

:

Just hearing different people's stories

and how they resonate with translucent

604

:

definitely motivates me to keep trying

and growing and continue learning.

605

:

Yep.

606

:

You're doing great work and you're

just gonna continue to get better.

607

:

I appreciate that.

608

:

Thank you, thank you.

609

:

Thank you two for, uh, having

me on COR next and I know

610

:

our, you're our first visitor.

611

:

Yeah.

612

:

Yeah.

613

:

I'm definitely honored to be the first.

614

:

Tell the folks where they can

find you, where they can listen.

615

:

Are you on socials?

616

:

Anything like that?

617

:

Yeah.

618

:

So you can find.

619

:

Translucent on any podcast

streaming platform, including

620

:

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube.

621

:

And then you can also take a look

at the project on, on the webpage.

622

:

Hopefully we're planning on

doing some more digital things,

623

:

making some content tiktoks and.

624

:

Things like that.

625

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

What a nice young man.

626

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: He really is.

627

:

Yeah.

628

:

Uh, sometimes it's just nice to be

reminded that there is some hope

629

:

for the future, and I know that

there's a, there's times getting old.

630

:

You, you look at what young folks

are up to and Remember that people,

631

:

you were also looked at that way.

632

:

And then there's so many moments,

especially working with emerging

633

:

adults in higher ed where you just

get to be like, that is so cool.

634

:

Like you are just the coolest

thing, and I'm glad you're here

635

:

and I'm glad I'm walking the

earth with you at the same time.

636

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: the,

that's why I teach those moments.

637

:

That's exactly why I do it

638

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Mm-hmm.

639

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: see the light

bulbs go off and When you, you see that

640

:

they're internalizing the stuff that

you're talking about and, and doing

641

:

good with it, it's, it's so worthwhile.

642

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: For someone

who, you know, I'm not gonna have

643

:

kids, I mean, that would, some sort

of miracle would have to happen.

644

:

I mean, if, if I, if I had a kid, we

would have to name it like Bealzebub or

645

:

Damien or something like that, because

not something natural has occurred.

646

:

But I, I do understand it.

647

:

And the times when you're working

with just a younger person and you

648

:

do like, see that is first it's

gratifying because you're like, oh,

649

:

I'm not, somebody cares what I think.

650

:

That's cool.

651

:

Um, and then you get to see them

take something that maybe you have

652

:

given or provided or even just, um.

653

:

Came to with them and go off with it.

654

:

It's so cool.

655

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

Yeah, it's awesome.

656

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I do think

about their generation right now, though.

657

:

This isn't what we told

them they were gonna get.

658

:

I do you remember?

659

:

It gets better.

660

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Right?

661

:

And,

662

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

We really dropped the ball.

663

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: time American

culture has swung to the right, it has

664

:

always swung back to the left, right?

665

:

So here's hoping that we, that we

come back from, where we're headed.

666

:

history

667

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Well, and

things are getting absolutely bonkers,

668

:

The girls are fighting on social media.

669

:

Trump and, the, it's people are just

clowning more and more every day.

670

:

And I don't know what it means, but I,

I think that it's the right thing to do

671

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Hm.

672

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: when

everything is just this fucked

673

:

up and stupid, absolutely dunk

on every single one of them.

674

:

They don't, they deserve

less than that probably.

675

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I did see

an article that said the gay apps

676

:

like Grindr, if they don't stop it

soon, are gonna release the, the

677

:

information of who's on their roles from,

678

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah,

679

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

Congress, et cetera.

680

:

love to see

681

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I saw that.

682

:

Oh, fuck yeah, I saw that too.

683

:

Because you remember how every time

there's a Republican national convention

684

:

Grinder crashes, like they're just, and

they think we don't know, or do they,

685

:

do they just not care that we know?

686

:

I don't know.

687

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

they think, we don't know.

688

:

I, I think they're, that, shortsighted, to

put it nicely, I think they're that naive

689

:

or the ego, they just

690

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: or they,

691

:

they, uh, like they, they don't care that

we know, but I think they are probably

692

:

correct that their voters don't know.

693

:

How would their voters find out?

694

:

They would have to read things like they

would have to read media other than.

695

:

The punditry, we could do a whole thing

on, on what has happened to media because

696

:

of punditry, which is a really funny word.

697

:

well I feel like it's a good time to

hear from, um, this week's sponsor.

698

:

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699

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711

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712

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714

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715

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716

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717

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718

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719

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720

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721

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You sit in that chair between two

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722

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726

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729

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730

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731

:

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732

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733

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734

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740

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: That's awesome.

741

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: pattern

after my very own stylist, in Jellico.

742

:

Yeah.

743

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: had, I went

to my, whoever my mom would go to or

744

:

whatever, um, but when I got out on my

own, I couldn't really afford haircuts,

745

:

so that's how I discovered the $6 haircut.

746

:

And I got a

747

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah.

748

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: so bad one time.

749

:

Oh my God.

750

:

There weren't enough hats.

751

:

There were not enough hats to go around

for that time period of my life, but

752

:

to this day, I, I go to a salon, the,

the person that I wait six weeks to

753

:

get into her, you know, I pay $45 now

for a haircut because it is worth it,

754

:

because you don't wanna walk around

755

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah,

it's different when you're a kid, I

756

:

guess, and like sure, a bad haircut

can become your, your whole thing

757

:

for the rest of middle school, but

it's only the rest of middle school.

758

:

once you're an adult and you

have to go to work and you

759

:

definitely look like you just.

760

:

You've done been fucked over.

761

:

it's sits a little

different professionally.

762

:

I say that as someone who

cuts my own hair though.

763

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: yeah.

764

:

But your hair is like just

short and, you know what I mean?

765

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

It's just a fade.

766

:

Yeah.

767

:

I give myself the exact same

fade every, like, every few weeks

768

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Do you

like going to the barbershop?

769

:

I love going to a barbershop.

770

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah, I

like a barbershop, although, you know,

771

:

so often barbershops are supposed

to be these apolitical places.

772

:

They'll even sit you down and say,

they always say don't talk about

773

:

religion, politics, or trucks.

774

:

And they talk about all of them.

775

:

Like they just start and I'm

like, and even if they don't,

776

:

they ask me where I work.

777

:

Okay.

778

:

I work.

779

:

At a university, what do you do?

780

:

I'm, I'm a paid faggot.

781

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Living

782

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I had told so

many lies i'm the liberal menace that

783

:

you heard about because barbershops

do tend to be intensely conservative

784

:

places and so I've made the mistake of

being honest a couple times and it is

785

:

so much work to make them comfortable

enough to finish cutting your hair.

786

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: well I went

787

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Um,

788

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: experience.

789

:

Um, I went to a black barbershop and

the politics there are a lot different,

790

:

I think, than what you're describing.

791

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: yeah.

792

:

Yeah.

793

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

and I enjoyed it immensely.

794

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Well,

they don't have those here.

795

:

Um, but I did, when I lived in Kentucky, I

would go to the, to the Black Barbershop.

796

:

'cause they was, they would, they would

be like right next to each other, but

797

:

they'd be three of 'em on one block.

798

:

And I guess they, they

had their loyal customers.

799

:

'cause they would do, you know,

different, like they would do a

800

:

twist or some rows or they could,

they could do a certain kind of.

801

:

style and so it worked.

802

:

I was like, hell yeah.

803

:

This is awesome.

804

:

And, and it's like a fun place to be.

805

:

So,

806

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: When you go to

807

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: but yes.

808

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: to a

beautician and you have short hair

809

:

as a girl, they always wanna make

it more feminine, no matter what you

810

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Mm-hmm.

811

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

And no matter what you show

812

:

them, they wanna feminize it.

813

:

And I went to the barbershop and

they gave me exactly what I wanted.

814

:

I got a, I got a fade.

815

:

It looked great.

816

:

You know what I, I, I loved my

hair and I went every four weeks

817

:

and my hair looked great for the,

the year that I was down there.

818

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah,

819

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I totally, but

now I'm back with my girl at the salon.

820

:

She's really good.

821

:

She, she always takes care of me,

822

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: if you can find

some, they call 'em clear cuts, I guess.

823

:

So there's, there's salons

or barbers that are.

824

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: yeah.

825

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: More

versed in the, the spectrum

826

:

of, gendered hair presentation.

827

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: my, my check.

828

:

She's, uh, she's bi.

829

:

Um, she was married to a woman when

I first started going with her.

830

:

, And now she's with a dude.

831

:

I went and got my hair cut.

832

:

Um, it took me six weeks

to get back in with her.

833

:

Uh, and that was

834

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Yeah.

835

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

available appointment that she had.

836

:

Um, and she's always posting stuff

and she posts all kinds of rad hairdos

837

:

and, and colors and, you can tell that

she has a very interesting clientele.

838

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: We're,

um, I've booked an agency that will,

839

:

they're all, they're not all over.

840

:

They're in like 30 states.

841

:

Um, and they'll come and set up

for a day and give haircuts and.

842

:

They're, you can ask like,

okay, can you do textured hair?

843

:

Like I, I have a lot of students of color

here who don't have access to a barber,

844

:

and so they're gonna come a couple.

845

:

Right now it's just twice a semester.

846

:

Um, I, I hope that we fill up all the

slots and I can add a couple more.

847

:

'cause, you know, one, a haircut

every six weeks is a little rough

848

:

for some people, but it's so cool

to know that that service is there.

849

:

Like, there's people that'll do that.

850

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: that's awesome.

851

:

I'm getting a tattoo in a couple of weeks.

852

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: What,

853

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Yes.

854

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

is this your first one?

855

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: two.

856

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Oh, okay.

857

:

What, okay.

858

:

Do you want, do you wanna share

or you want it to be a surprise?

859

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: well, I, it's,

so I probably shouldn't be getting any

860

:

more tattoos, but I'm getting it anyway.

861

:

because I have issues with my legs,

but I'm not getting it on my legs.

862

:

See, so that's why I can still

863

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Okay.

864

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I'm getting

it on my arm and it's very basic.

865

:

It's gonna be my mom's handwriting

saying, I'm proud of you.

866

:

Love mom.

867

:

I have a note that she wrote,

868

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Oh,

869

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

me that says that, and

870

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

that is, that's fucking epic.

871

:

That's cool.

872

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: My wife is

873

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Um,

874

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

the moon phases somewhere.

875

:

I don't know exactly what her plan is.

876

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I don't, I

don't know if I've been having the itch.

877

:

Uh, I have two tattoos that I, I

knew exactly what I wanted and why

878

:

I wanted them, and so I got them.

879

:

And that hasn't happened again,

nothing has spoken to me and said,

880

:

you should get this on your body.

881

:

But I, it's like the thought has

begun to appear in my head again.

882

:

And so maybe something is, is

cooking back there and I don't know.

883

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I have a very

redneck tail of how I got my first one.

884

:

I was 15 years old and

it was the summertime.

885

:

It was a few months before my 16th

birthday, and I wanted to get my nose

886

:

pierced, and I asked my mom and she said,

887

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: mm-hmm.

888

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: not, but

I'll pay for a tattoo if you want one.

889

:

I was 15.

890

:

And so my, my brother-in-law took me to

this guy named Bubba Lou, and it was the

891

:

first time I was ever around marijuana.

892

:

And he had a, like a dentist

chair where he did his work.

893

:

Um, and there was a giant aquarium

full of snakes sitting next to me.

894

:

And that was really weird.

895

:

And so he gives me this book to look

through to choose something I, I had not.

896

:

I had not thought about a tattoo at

all, so I was not prepared for this

897

:

moment, but I wanted to seize it big

while mom was still saying yes, right?

898

:

So I looked through this book and I found

the only thing that wasn't a naked woman

899

:

or a pot leaf, or a demon or a skull

and crossbones, and it's a music note

900

:

with a comedy and tragedy faces on it.

901

:

I do not have anything to

do with music whatsoever.

902

:

So

903

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: is random.

904

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: random.

905

:

And then I have, um, a sun

on my thigh, on my outer leg.

906

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I am gonna,

even though we are have already kind of

907

:

talked about it, I'm gonna add, uh, body

art to the wheel, what have you, because

908

:

I got a bunch of stories about mine too.

909

:

And there's stories we can tell about

o other people we know too, probably.

910

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: And

I'm sure I'm not the only one

911

:

to have a bubble lu in my life.

912

:

I'm sure some of the listeners can

913

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

That's a cool name.

914

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Yeah.

915

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: well,

I would really love to hear about

916

:

a noun of Appalachian interest

917

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: good one this

918

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: if you,

if you have brought one with you.

919

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: the

nouns of Appalachian interest are a

920

:

person, place, or thing that is of

Appalachian interest, and this week

921

:

I'm doing a place Tudors Biscuit World.

922

:

Tudor's Biscuit World isn't just

a restaurant, it's an institution.

923

:

If Cracker Barrel is the folksy

postcard version of Appalachia,

924

:

Tudor's is the real deal.

925

:

It's where you go when you need

a biscuit, the size of a softball

926

:

and an atmosphere that feels

like your Aunt Brenda's kitchen.

927

:

If Aunt Brenda was running a

full scale breakfast side hustle

928

:

out the back of her kitchen.

929

:

the biscuits themselves, they

are legendary that these are

930

:

not delicate tea party biscuits.

931

:

These are biscuits that could

double its structural support beams

932

:

if your porch started sagging.

933

:

They've got names like the thundering

herd and the minor, which sound less like

934

:

the breakfast and more like a demolition

derby contender, and yet somehow both

935

:

come with eggs, meat, and enough cheese

to put a cardiologist on retainer.

936

:

And then there's the Mountaineer, which

was officially crowned the South's best

937

:

biscuit in an online poll by Garden

and Gun, A Southern Lifestyle magazine.

938

:

That's right.

939

:

Tudors didn't just win the hearts

of the locals, they took home

940

:

the crown for the whole south.

941

:

For the record, a mountaineer is a biscuit

with country ham, potato, egg, and cheese.

942

:

And tutors isn't just serving

food, they're serving community.

943

:

Walk in on any given morning and

you're likely to see the cross

944

:

section of all Appalachian life.

945

:

The church ladies in their floral skirts.

946

:

guys in camo straight from the deer camp.

947

:

Teenagers and hoodies, inhaling

cinnamon rolls before school.

948

:

And that one old man holding cord

at the corner table telling the same

949

:

story he's told every day since 1993.

950

:

It's the kind of place when you order

your biscuit and without even asking,

951

:

they slap a styrofoam bowl full of

fried apples and a large icy mountain

952

:

dew right in front of you because

they already know you want 'em.

953

:

Tudor's biscuit world

is more than breakfast.

954

:

It's a reminder that sometimes

the best meals aren't healthy,

955

:

organic or Michelin starred.

956

:

They're just made with a whole lot

of butter, a dash of pride and the

957

:

kind of love that comes from serving

the same families for generations.

958

:

And yes, you are going

to need a nap afterward.

959

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I have,

is this a chain or just one place?

960

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: Um,

they, they, I think they started in

961

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Whoa.

962

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

They're all over West Virginia.

963

:

they're starting to

spread out a little bit.

964

:

their food is There was a tutors in the

965

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I have never,

966

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: If you ever come

967

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

never even heard of it.

968

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: you ever

come across one, make sure you

969

:

stop because they are fantastic.

970

:

The one that I would get,

971

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Now I know.

972

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: I

got would, it had, um, potato,

973

:

bacon, and cheese on a biscuit.

974

:

Like a, it had a hash

brown bacon and cheese.

975

:

Oh, it's so good.

976

:

their fried apples

977

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: Oh dude,

these, the shaved ham melt biscuit and

978

:

this listeners, you gotta look this,

you gotta go to this website and click

979

:

on biscuits or just anything on the

menu because they are in it's mega

980

:

hd, zoomed in view, like I can see.

981

:

The grease glistening on the egg.

982

:

It's, it's filling my whole screen.

983

:

It's amazing.

984

:

It's torture.

985

:

I hate you.

986

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: It's my

wife's favorite place on on earth.

987

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012:

Where's the closest one?

988

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

Somewhere in southern Ohio for me.

989

:

I think there's one in Jackson.

990

:

Maybe they're starting

to pop up everywhere.

991

:

Like Big B coffee.

992

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: I

forgot about Big B Coffee.

993

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013:

Yeah, they're everywhere.

994

:

There's even one in my little hometown.

995

:

dash_1_08-14-2025_182012: There's no

Tudor's Biscuit World locations near you.

996

:

Primarily located in West Virginia,

Kentucky, Ohio, and Florida.

997

:

Well,

998

:

beck_1_08-14-2025_192013: that

is, but I mean they really were

999

:

voted the the South's best biscuit.

:

00:44:03,998 --> 00:44:07,178

There were like six rounds they had to

go through and it was an elimination

:

00:44:07,328 --> 00:44:07,688

-:

:

00:44:08,034 --> 00:44:09,264

-:

They beat out Bojangles.

:

00:44:09,264 --> 00:44:10,314

They beat out Hardee's.

:

00:44:10,314 --> 00:44:11,814

They beat out Bob Evans.

:

00:44:11,814 --> 00:44:12,384

They beat out

:

00:44:12,474 --> 00:44:13,434

-:

:

00:44:13,608 --> 00:44:15,528

And I thought Hardy's would be unbeatable.

:

00:44:15,558 --> 00:44:16,158

-:

:

00:44:16,158 --> 00:44:18,768

I just, Tudor's Biscuit

World is is obscene.

:

00:44:18,768 --> 00:44:19,488

It's so good.

:

00:44:20,559 --> 00:44:24,189

-:

I'll be back in the region sometime.

:

00:44:24,189 --> 00:44:27,189

somebody on YouTube said that they

would definitely go see us in an armpit

:

00:44:27,189 --> 00:44:29,619

bowling alley in, um, in Kentucky.

:

00:44:30,909 --> 00:44:32,589

I said, don't threaten

me with a good time.

:

00:44:32,936 --> 00:44:33,569

-:

:

00:44:33,569 --> 00:44:35,676

-:

I'll take this show on the road.

:

00:44:35,676 --> 00:44:35,886

-:

:

00:44:36,156 --> 00:44:36,906

-:

:

00:44:37,061 --> 00:44:37,271

-:

:

00:44:39,248 --> 00:44:41,768

-:

uh, and, and folks are still, you

:

00:44:41,768 --> 00:44:46,598

know, giving us, uh, some five star

ratings on, um, iTunes and Spotify.

:

00:44:46,598 --> 00:44:50,378

So if you can, if you haven't

done that yet, and find the, the

:

00:44:50,378 --> 00:44:51,998

time or the energy, Please do.

:

00:44:51,998 --> 00:44:53,138

It helps us out a lot.

:

00:44:53,228 --> 00:44:57,158

Uh, it suggests us on the algorithm

to other, to other listeners.

:

00:44:57,248 --> 00:45:01,028

And, uh, if you leave us a

little review that helps out too.

:

00:45:01,028 --> 00:45:03,068

And tell us something

interesting about yourself.

:

00:45:03,158 --> 00:45:04,178

-:

:

00:45:04,178 --> 00:45:05,318

-:

Yeah, we're lonely.

:

00:45:05,318 --> 00:45:07,838

We did this because we wanted

to hang out with people.

:

00:45:08,558 --> 00:45:11,048

-:

had our first guest on, so there's that.

:

00:45:11,048 --> 00:45:11,468

I mean, we're,

:

00:45:11,528 --> 00:45:12,128

-:

:

00:45:12,218 --> 00:45:13,458

-:

have a little more of that coming.

:

00:45:13,458 --> 00:45:16,638

-:

I mean, I know for a fact and you know too

:

00:45:16,638 --> 00:45:19,368

that there's people out there doing all

kinds of cool stuff all over Appalachia.

:

00:45:19,413 --> 00:45:20,793

-:

a few friends that I would love to

:

00:45:20,793 --> 00:45:23,743

have come hang out with us for a

little bit, doing some really cool,

:

00:45:23,803 --> 00:45:27,943

um, one, I have one friend doing

work in genealogy and archeology.

:

00:45:27,943 --> 00:45:32,533

She, um, she digs out garbage pits

around town, like from like the 18

:

00:45:32,533 --> 00:45:35,383

hundreds and things like that, and

she finds all kinds of cool glass and

:

00:45:35,383 --> 00:45:37,603

buttons and silverware and all kinds of

:

00:45:37,663 --> 00:45:38,153

-:

:

00:45:38,323 --> 00:45:38,693

-:

:

00:45:38,693 --> 00:45:42,953

and then I've got another friend,

um, he's a photographer and just

:

00:45:42,953 --> 00:45:44,833

his, his viewpoint is fantastic.

:

00:45:44,833 --> 00:45:45,523

and I, I would love to

:

00:45:45,643 --> 00:45:45,723

-:

:

00:45:45,793 --> 00:45:46,753

-:

some more exposure.

:

00:45:46,813 --> 00:45:49,033

Um, I think he'd have a good

time coming to hang out with

:

00:45:49,033 --> 00:45:50,563

us, so he taught me to shoot a

:

00:45:50,728 --> 00:45:51,298

-:

:

00:45:51,298 --> 00:45:51,988

-:

:

00:45:51,988 --> 00:45:54,088

-:

how you took care of all them babies?

:

00:45:54,782 --> 00:45:58,452

and you can also find us on

social media, on, um, Instagram

:

00:45:58,452 --> 00:45:59,702

and Threads at Queernecks.

:

00:45:59,702 --> 00:46:03,302

And we have, uh, a

newsletter now on Substack.

:

00:46:03,382 --> 00:46:07,402

We just say a little bit more about some

of the things we bring up and then some

:

00:46:07,402 --> 00:46:08,932

stuff probably that's totally unrelated.

:

00:46:09,112 --> 00:46:09,592

Who knows?

:

00:46:09,892 --> 00:46:10,882

You never know what you're gonna get.

:

00:46:10,882 --> 00:46:12,802

-:

Especially with my A DHD brain, so.

:

00:46:13,204 --> 00:46:14,614

-:

Well, they know that.

:

00:46:14,919 --> 00:46:17,919

well, uh, thanks for hanging

out with us for another week.

:

00:46:17,919 --> 00:46:22,149

Hope you enjoyed hearing from

Lee and go check out his show.

:

00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:26,769

just short, sweet little interviews

with interesting folks and some really

:

00:46:26,769 --> 00:46:30,429

powerful and emotional things that he's

doing exploring his own experience.

:

00:46:30,429 --> 00:46:34,419

so I think you can find him on all

the, the major apps he told us so.

:

00:46:34,549 --> 00:46:37,369

-:

NPR Translucent and it came right up

:

00:46:37,369 --> 00:46:37,789

-:

:

00:46:38,229 --> 00:46:38,824

-:

:

00:46:38,924 --> 00:46:39,494

-:

:

00:46:39,494 --> 00:46:39,974

Yep.

:

00:46:40,124 --> 00:46:41,384

Show him some support.

:

00:46:41,384 --> 00:46:42,854

We'll see you next time.

:

00:46:42,854 --> 00:46:44,084

Say hi to your mom and them.

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About the Podcast

QUEERNECKS
We're Queer Rednecks
We’re Queer Rednecks.
Queernecks is a podcast sharing authentic stories from the hills and hollers of Central Appalachia. We spotlight the voices of rural, remote, and working-class LGBTQ+ people who create their own spaces, joy, and community against the odds. Our conversations blend humor, storytelling, and cultural insight, while also tackling the realities of poverty, isolation, and resilience. Expect moments that make you laugh, think, and sometimes gasp—but always leave you with a deeper understanding of queer life outside big cities.
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