Celebrating Pride in 2025
Protect the Dolls at ALL Costs
Since it’s June, there’s really only one way to kick this off: HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! 🌈✨
We’re living in a turbulent time for a lot of reasons (a conversation for another day), but we want to be super clear about one thing: this podcast is and always will be a safe space. A safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community, for people of color, for trans folks- protect the dolls at all costs! Hate has no place here. Not now, not ever. So, if you also belong to the queer community, we love you and we will fight for you. If you are an ally, thank you for being sensible and now get back to work. If you are neither… bye.
Instead of yapping about movies & tv in the newsletter this month, we wanted to spotlight a few incredible organizations doing the work every day to fight for the rights of the most vulnerable in our communities! If you have the time to sign a petition or have a few dollars to spare, please consider supporting these causes.
Center on Halsted is Chicago’s powerhouse LGBTQ+ community center, rooted in volunteer work since 1973 and now thriving in its eco-conscious, LEED-certified home in Lakeview. Every day, over 1,000 people walk through its doors to access everything from mental-health counseling, legal support, and HIV testing to athletic leagues, art galleries, youth mentorship, senior meals, and a buzzing tech hub. They've been a lifesaver for thousands, especially queer youth and trans folks, offering safe housing, leadership training, crisis support, and judgment-free zones since their clearinghouse days in the 70’s and their coffeehouse days in the '80s. They are ever evolving! As a research and policy leader, they partner with Northwestern and other institutions to shape LGBTQ+ health and well-being across the Midwest. Guided by CEO Joli Robinson, they’re championing racial equity and inclusive spaces, building a brighter future for all community members. From a meetinghouse to a coffeehouse to a full-spectrum resource hub, Center on Halsted pulses with pride, empowerment, and the promise of belonging.
Your support keeps this vital Chicago gem open and accessible. To help fund programs, counseling, meals, and safe spaces, donate now: https://www.centeronhalsted.org/donate
The Trevor Project is the leading nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth. Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Oscar-winning short film Trevor, the organization was born out of the simple but urgent need for a lifeline specifically for queer young people. What started as a single helpline has now grown into a nationwide network offering 24/7 support via phone, text, and chat, plus peer communities, education programs, and groundbreaking research. Every day, The Trevor Project connects with thousands of LGBTQ+ youth, offering hope, understanding, and a reminder that they are never alone. Their work is lifesaving, heart-healing, and joy-fueled- even in the darkest moments. Whether it’s answering a midnight text or fighting for policy change, they show up again and again for the community.
If you’re able, consider donating and being part of that joy and support. You can learn more and contribute here: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/donate/.
Point of Pride is a vibrant, trans-led nonprofit bursting with heart. They are dedicated to helping trans youth and adults access lifesaving, gender‑affirming care. Born out of the trans-owned clothing brand Point 5cc, it became its own powerhouse in 2016 and has since awarded nearly $3.7 million in direct financial aid and donated over 29,000 free binders and femme shapewear to folks in all 50 states and 127 countries around the world. Their suite of programs from surgery and HRT funds to electrolysis, Thrive microgrants, and essential garments meets people where they’re at. They lean into joy and affirmation as core values because healing and celebration can go hand in hand.
You can support this bright, powerful work of delivering hope, dignity, and care by donating at: https://www.pointofpride.org/donate/
New Episodes This Month!
Recommendations
What queer movies/tv do we love?
Heather: There are so many movies and tv shows that were vital in my journey of self-discovery! From my secret viewings of But I’m A Cheerleader and The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a teenager to my post-college attachments to Mae Martin’s Feel Good and the hidden gem that is I Am Not Okay With This, depictions of queer women and non-binary people have expanded my understanding of my own sexuality time and time again. My story reflects that of so many bi and queer women who simply assume they’re straight due to comphet and biphobia, coming into their own ‘late’. To me, identity is ever-evolving- if you let it be- and narratives in the media have an incredible ability to open our eyes to parts of ourselves yet undiscovered. Jane Schoenbrun’s masterpiece, I Saw The TV Glow, resonated with me greatly (it was my favorite film of 2024) due to its depiction of the mundane horror of an identity left unexplored. While Moulin Rouge does not feature a gay romance on paper, there is something so undeniably queer about that film. I recently rewatched it for the first time in years, and my middle school obsession with the movie came into sharp focus. The little gay girl inside of me was excited by the brash, often frenetic storytelling and campy approach to a fated romance. Of course, there is also the familiar bi experience of being attracted to both the male and female lead (Nicole Kidman is truly undeniable as Satine). There are so many more that I could recommend, and so many more that I want to exist as well. I want to see stories that reflect queer and trans people from every life stage and in every genre! Romantic films will always rate high for me, but we deserve queer sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, horror, hell - even westerns! I want complex characters and moments of joy and reflections of the communities that we live in.
Zoey: As I am a creature of habit, I have to kick it off with my current hyperfixation that is The Buccaneers! An Apple TV series that burst into my life and quite literally shattered me into a thousand glittering confetti pieces. From the swirling silk of the dresses to the electric, messy, all-consuming friendships to the soul-altering dialogue that feels like it was ripped straight from the secret diary of some ancient, universal Girlhood Oracle, this show lodged itself in my heart and has since refused to leave.
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before... and I’m fairly certain it’s unlike anything I’ll experience again.
I had the absolute joy of watching it week by week as it premiered, huddled on the couch with my girlfriend and friends, snacks in hand, hearts wide open, ready to jump up at any moment to scream at the TV (this was my superbowl!!!!). I still remember spotting the promo photos on Apple TV about a month before it dropped- one glance at the ruffled collars, faraway gazes, and soft golden lighting and I thought: Oh. This one’s for me. Somehow I knew it before the first note of the score ever played (thank you AVAWAVES).
And as the series unfolded, episode after episode, it only got better. This brings me to the queer storyline of it all: Mabel and Honoria, Manoria if you will. I’ve been tearfully queerbaited more times than I can count, by some of my favorite shows, no less. So to be able to say loudly, proudly, and with my whole chest that The Buccaneers doesn’t do that (and that I truly believe it never will) feels like such a gift. What begins as lingering glances between one of our bold American Buccaneers and the quiet English good girl quickly blooms into something more: stolen sips of champagne in the garden, soft touches in dimly lit cupboards, and full, breathtaking kisses in the pouring rain. It’s the kind of love story I didn’t even realize how much I needed to see until it was right there on my screen- undeniable, joyful, and real. It meant the absolute world to me. I will always, always be rooting for Manoria.
But if there’s one scene that completely wrecked me in the best way, it’s the conversation between Mabel and Lizzie. When Mabel finally gathers the courage to tell her sister who she really is, Lizzie doesn’t hesitate. Doesn’t flinch. She simply says: “You’re talking about love. How can love ever be wrong? If that’s what gives you butterflies, then that’s exactly who you’re supposed to be.” And yep, I cry every single time. Not everyone gets to have such immediate, unconditional support from family and friends. But seeing that kind of acceptance on screen gives me hope that maybe, more people will choose to react like Lizzie. After all… the only path to having the best eyebrows on television is clearly being an ally like her.
My honorable and very gay mentions that have shaped me thus far include: I Saw The TV Glow, Princess Cyd, The Magicians, The 100, Love Victor, Pose, Will & Harper, Moonlight, Ammonite, Booksmart, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Call Me By Your Name and so many others…
Seriously, I have to stop myself somewhere or next thing I know I’d have a novella on my hands.
What are we queer books do we love?
Heather: I have to start with Sarah Gailey’s dark and charming novel, When We Were Magic. They capture the teenage love giddiness so well and the opening line of the book is sure to hook you immediately. It is a love story and a friendship story and yes, there is magic! The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is my all time favorite book. It is a fantastical tale of secret worlds where poetry and storytelling are paramount and it includes a beautiful, joyful gay romance. I’d recommend it to anyone who dreams of stumbling upon a door that leads you to a magical place of myth and magic. I can’t forget Carmen Maria Machado’s innovative and creative memoir, In the Dream House. It is, at times, a tough read due to her exploration of an abusive relationship that she was in. However, if you are in a place to engage with it, you really should. The book explores Machado’s abusive relationship with an ex-partner through a variety of narrative tropes that allow the reader to go beyond an initial reaction to the traumatic story and apply those events more broadly to the culture that encourages them.
Zoey: I fear this may make me a bit of a cliché… but from the very second I saw the trailer for Call Me By Your Name, I knew two things with absolute certainty: One, this movie was going to emotionally obliterate me. And two, I needed to get my hands on the book immediately.
Reading it felt like holding a mirror to my own brain during every single queer crush I’ve ever had. The spiraling thoughts, the over-analysis of every word and gesture, the quiet longing that turns ordinary moments into tiny, sacred catastrophes… It was as if André Aciman had cracked open my heart and turned it into prose. Elio’s interior monologue- the hope, the fear, the ache of wanting something that feels both impossible and inevitable- felt so familiar.
And then there’s that final line. When Elio’s father quietly, lovingly asks him: “Is it better to speak, or to die?” (and later, “To feel nothing so as not to feel anything- what a waste.”) It floored me. That gentle push to love, even knowing it might hurt, that permission to feel deeply and unapologetically queer joy and queer heartbreak has stayed with me ever since.
This story was one of the first to put language to that part of myself, and it made me feel seen in a way I didn’t know I needed.
What queer music do we love?
Heather: I was introduced to Phoebe Bridgers by a very lovely woman on a first date and quickly fell in love… with the music. (It was a great date and she was wonderful, but I lived in Rogers Park and she lived by Sox Stadium. For the Chicago folks, you get it. Simply too far without cars!) Phoebe was my gateway into Lucy and Julian and Boygenius. I also had a huge Dodie moment during this era. She is still the sweetest wlw love song! I could go on and on- Doechii, Chappell Roan, MUNA, jasmine.4.t, girl in red, King Princess, Ethel Cain, Renee Rap. Yes, I am a bit of a stereotype! Live with it! And of course, I’d be remiss not to mention my ‘80’s music icons, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie.
Zoey: I have been truly blessed by the gods with the most musically gifted, loveliest girlfriend in the world and through her I’ve been introduced to so many incredible queer artists that my playlists will never be the same. One artist who has completely taken up permanent residence in my brain (rent-free, with no plans of ever leaving… and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way) is Maude Latour. I discovered her last year and she’s been the baseline track of my entire emotional landscape ever since. No one has ever spoken to my little overthinking, queer soul quite like her. I’ve officially entered the whirlpool… I’ve become a cosmic superstar girl… and I’m simply not coming back.
And while we’re talking about music that rewired my brain chemistry… I simply must gush about Katseye, the newly formed global girl group born from Netflix’s Pop Star Academy. Imagine the energy of childhood bedroom dance routines, glitter gel pens, and truly out of this world fabulous outfits, but make it international and backed by millions of dollars. Little Zoey would’ve been absolutely feral for them, and honestly, me now isn’t much different. Even better? In the past few months, a couple of members (Lara and Megan, my queens!) have come out publicly, and watching them live their truth with joy and pride has been such a bright spot in a time where the queer community continues to face so much noise and negativity. Their debut album Beautiful Chaos is exactly that: messy, sparkly, heartfelt, and on permanent loop at my house.
Other queer artists that live rent-free in my heart and playlists: Freddie Mercury (obviously!!!), Kevin Abstract, Lorde (Virgin review pending), MARIS, Girl in Red, Caroline Kingsbury, Chappell Roan, Elton John, boygenius, Tracy Chapman, and honestly… too many more to name without turning this post into a dissertation.
All to say, queer joy is loud, messy, sparkly, and always set to the best playlist (thank you Emma) and I feel so lucky to be dancing through it all.
Fabulous read! Love you shining the spotlight on the amazing organizations available to the LGBTQ+ community! Especially with the unfortunate administration we have to deal with!! ❤️
Great read as always Ladies! Been listening to Maude Latour too, great rec.