2023 is here and if you haven’t been listening to podcasts daily or even weekly over the last few years, what have you been doing with your life? Whether you’re listening to a podcast while on the treadmill, at work finishing a report, or driving home on the freeway, podcasts are a great source of laughter, information, and general background noise.
I used to wonder how in the world people listen to others sitting and talking until I found a podcast I loved. Now I have ten different ones I tune into weekly. With that said, here are 10 LGBTQ+ podcasts you should definitely start listening to this 2023.
1. Queer Money
Touting themselves as “the #1 gay podcast for [y]our financial needs”, Queer Money is hosted by husbands David Auten and John Schneider, two personal finance gurus. Both are published authors in the realm of personal finance and have climbed out of the crushing pit that is credit card debt.
When they realized they had $51,000 worth of credit card debt and couldn’t afford their weekend vacation in the mountains, let alone their dream vacation home, they decided to take action and responsibility for their personal finances. Now, they run a podcast helping other gay men (or anyone) deal with their finances and create a path to a fabulous life.
2. Getting Curious
With 18,400 ratings and an average of 4.9 stars, Jonathan Van Ness must be doing something right with his podcast, Getting Curious. You may have already heard of him thanks to his work on the Netflix series Queer Eye or the web series parody of Game of Thrones called Gay of Thrones.
His podcast is one hour every week where he brings on an expert and discusses different topics he’s curious about. If you’ve ever wondered about ice in Hawai’i, the diversity of the ancient Mediterranean, or the experience of queer people in Nazi Germany, then this podcast is a perfect fit for you as that’s just three episodes out of the 250+ available by the time you read this.
3. Food 4 Thot
Food 4 Thot describes themselves as a multirace mix of queer writers who talk about sex, relationships, race, identity, and more. If you were expecting it to be a culinary queer podcast, you’re unfortunately mistaken–they just like the pun. They’re currently on a hiatus, but that gives you time to catch up on their fifty episodes available on iHeart Radio.
4. Las Culturistas
Also on iHeart Radio, along with Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players network, Las Culturistas is a nearly seven-year long show hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. The show follows an interesting format where they invite guests on and start the discussion by asking, “What was the moment of culture that made you say ‘Culture is for me?’”
This, of course, leads to a discussion you’re not going to hear on other podcasts where guests typically rehash the same stories across multiple podcasts. It’s a great way to get insight into someone and bring up topics you normally wouldn’t cover. Their segment at the end of each show, where everyone gets sixty seconds to nitpick a part of pop culture they currently dislike, is great too.
5. Buffering the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans looking for an LGBTQ+ podcast have found the holy grail. Buffering the Vampire Slayer is hosted by Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo, lovers that turned amicable exes who remained friends and business partners. The show analyzes one episode of the hit show every week.
With four seasons down and three more to go, you definitely have time to catch up. Episodes occasionally feature guest stars from the show and even resulted in a spin-off podcast of the spin-off show, Angel. Listen to this podcast and Angel on Top to get a double dose of all things Buffy.
6. Queery
Comics seem to be making podcasts left and right these days, but host and comedian Cameron Esposito was making episodes of Queery long before that. Each episode features a new member of the LGBTQ+ community from various walks of life. Esposito has had fellow comics, actors, singers, and more star on her podcast.
This diverse cast, in many ways, leads to some interesting conversations about identity, the current cultural matrix we exist in, along with the idea of sexuality and gender. If you’re looking to laugh and think a little deeper about certain topics, Queery is for you.
7. Inside the Closet
Another highly rated podcast with 4.8 stars and 1,400 reviews, Inside the Closet features comedians Matteo Lane and Emma Willmann discussing everything you could think of, from gas station kombucha to unexpected intestinal distress at a TJ Maxx. They mainly discuss what it’s like to be a gay comic in today’s culture and anything related. They have some guest stars occasionally, but it’s mainly this dynamic duo just riffing off each other’s life stories and experiences.
8. LGBTQ&A
LGBTQ&A might have the most starstudded guest list we’ve seen on this list. As you might imagine based on the name, LGBTQ&A features notable members of the LGBTQ+ community and has host Jeffery Masters, run a laid-back Q&A of their life and experiences.
That said, they aim to go beyond your usual “this is how I came out” stories and dive deeper into the lives of their guests. With guest stars like Janelle Monáe, Pete Buttigieg, Greg Louganis, and Senator Tammy Baldwin, you’re bound to hear some inspiring messages, funny stories, and more.
9. We’re Having Gay Sex
A slightly more explicit podcast, We’re Having Gay Sex focuses on comedian Ashley Gavin as she leaves a life of monogamy for one that’s more open. The podcast centers on her experiences as well as those of her friends Kate Sisk and Gara Lonning. Add in guest stars from all walks of life talking about their own sexual experiences, gender identity, and spectrum of sexuality, and you’ve got a hit podcast listened to by thousands. Each episode runs a little more than an hour, features someone new, and is released every Monday to start your week strong.
10. One from the Vaults
Historians are notorious for having washed away the identities of LGBTQ+ people throughout history. One from the Vaults is an LGBTQ+ podcast that aims to discuss the lives and history of trans people during times when being trans wasn’t accepted by society. While others have been quick to point out people from Rome to the 1970s that were closeted or not so openly gay, fewer have delved into the history of trans people in the last century, let alone Roman times. This is definitely a podcast to check out if you’re a history buff with an interest in trans history.
Wrap Up
If your New Year’s Resolution is already too hard, make it an easy one and pick an LGBTQ+ podcast from this list to turn on once a week. There’s got to be something on this list you’d enjoy tuning in to. If you’re still undecided on podcasts, try to turn one on during your commute or at a time when you’d normally listen to music and give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen besides binging a whole backlog of episodes and anxiously waiting for the next episode week after week?