The Sewers of Paris

What kind of gay are you, and how many different kinds have you been? My guest this week is Michael, a San Francisco library-gay who’s also been a ballet gay, a nightclub gay, a rowing gay, and various other flavors with probably many more to come. Michael grew up around queer people, with progressive parents and a childhood passion for dancing in the Pennsylvania ballet, where he had some moments of personal awakenings involving dancers in sailor costumes. But he still wasn’t sure who he was, and so after coming out in college, he fled to the west coast to reinvent himself in Harvey Milk’s neighborhood. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 4. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

My guest this week has had a lot of families — some good, some bad. Shawntae Arnette dreamed of being a performer all their life, after seeing a documentary about the famous dancer Josephine Baker. But there were roadblocks to that dream, from unsupportive biological family, to a period of homelessness, to a chosen family that turned toxic. Drifting and aimless, Shawntae joined a job program and was surprised to discover not only a career, but a group of queers that felt like a true family — a family who got Shawntae on a track to becoming a parent and the performer they always dreamed of being. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 4. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

Do clothes cover you up, or reveal who you really are? My guest this week is Jordan Christianson, a Seattle artist and designer who creates incredible one-off costumes for many of your favorite Drag Race stars. He’s also a big nerd, whose work is influenced by the futuristic fashions of Star Trek and Dune, as well as giant anime robots and eye-catching classic cars. Jordan’s always used clothing to express himself, even when he was a strange shy kid who dressed like an Edward Gorey character, but it’s only in recent years that his clothes can bring out a side of himself that for a long time he’d lost touch with — a side that likes who he sees when he looks in the mirror. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 28. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

My guest this week had to figure out a lot on his own. After dropping out of high school and moving across the country at the age of 15, Gus Lanza had no idea how to finish school, how to find a career, or what he was meant to do in life. Figuring that stuff out involved a lot of listening to himself — and also finding others who could help him along the way. As time passed, a unique chosen family grew around him, from childhood friends to neighbors to his partner, a performer many of us would come to know as drag star BenDeLaCreme. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that Gus finally realized that his path ahead had been staring him right in the face. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 28. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure show that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

My guest this week has a single-minded determination when it comes to entertaining, parties, and filling everyone’s lives with joy. Freddy Molitch is a Seattle playwright and DJ who also goes by the name DJ King of Pants, and he’s on a mission to bring happiness to audiences through theater and music and very weird nightlife. He came of age in 90s Seattle, when grunge and disaffection were at their peak. Back then he explored the city’s strange counterculture, its blossoming music scene, and adventurous queer underground — and today, he’s become in integral part of all three. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 14 at 10am pacific. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy adventure show in which a band of drag performers on a narrative adventure. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

My guest this week is Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked among many other works. Though I’m sure you’re familiar with his book and the Broadway musical adaptation, you may not known the extent to which Gregory’s childhood was infused with elements of fairytale — from the fantasy novels he devoured, to the family tragedy that led to his time in an orphanage.  We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on December 14 at 10am pacific. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasting you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy adventure show in which a band of drag performers on a narrative adventure. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.

My guest this week is artist, animator, and globe-traveling adventurer Jackie Wu. He grew up in Hong Kong, playing video games with family and idolizing figures like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. As he grew older, he knew he needed to venture out into the world and explore, seeking treasure of a different kind. And that’s how a quiet, unassuming artist found himself traveling to the UK to reinvent himself, come out, and creating gender-bent Lara Croft cosplay while learning to scale cliff walls. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 30. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

My guest this week is Conor Olmstead, a photographer and video producer, and also my co-adventurer in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. In addition to being an accomplished nerd, Conor is also deeply imaginative, and has a gift not just for noticing beauty in the world around him, but also capturing it through a camera’s lens. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 30. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

My guest this week is my friend Cody Shipman, a graphic designer and artist here in Seattle whose work illustrates better than any I’ve ever seen why the Pacific Northwest feels like cozy home. Cody’s most famous piece depicts a bear and a lumberjack sitting down for tea together, and his other art features men cuddling in onesies, relaxing in steam rooms, and flirting in singlets. Cody’s also created artwork for my other podcast, Queens of Adventure, which features drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. For a long time he felt hesitant about blending his gay interests and his nerdy interests together. But it was when he finally brought them both together he found inspiration for some of his most rewarding work to date. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 16. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

My guest this week dreams of great big musical adventure. Liam Esler is the co-founder of Summerfall Studios, a game company that’s currently in development on a game called Chorus, which promises to be an adventure story that’s also an interactive musical. Currently crowdfunding for the game, Liam leaned heavily on prior experiences to develop the concept — he went to school for theater, but in his free time taught himself to modify video games to include queer content. Now he’s finally bringing those two sides of his past together. A big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. Thanks also to everyone who’s reviewed The Sewers of Paris on your podcast platform of choice.  And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on November 16. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

My guest this week has spent his life traveling the country to bear his soul, and now he’s settled down in the last place he ever expected — the town where he grew up. David Schmader is a writer and performer who wrote for The Stranger in Seattle by day, and who turned his articles into dramatic theatrical performances by night. He’s also the country’s foremost expert on Showgirls, and appears on the commentary track on the official DVD. These days he’s doing more writing than ever, and rediscovering the gay scene in a town that he left before he could fully appreciate it. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. Also I hope you’ll joins us for a great big adventure this Saturday. I’ll be livestreaming a game of Dungeons & Dragons with comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s happening Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle.

My guest this week is Devlyn Camp, creator of the wonderful podcast Mattachine, which tells the story of the work that preceded the modern queer liberation movement. Devlyn is surprisingly young for someone with so close a connection to the past. But with their historical storytelling, they’re able to pull off an impressive feat — creating new queer community by diving into old queer community. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.And I want to let you know about two livestreams coming up — the first is one of our regular fun friendly chit-chats, this Saturday, the 26th, at 9am pacific. But the second is a big to-do: I’ll be joined by comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest for a livestreamed game of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s our annual livestream to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. I hope you’ll join us on Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific time. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle2019

Hello, and welcome to The Sewers of Paris! Apologies for this episode posting a few days late — I’m on the road all this month, but I finally made it to a spot with wifi, and as we draw to the close of October, I wanted to bring you an episode from the Sewers of Paris vaults that asks the question — why is Halloween so gay? The topic is Hocus Pocus, Eerie Indiana, and Black Mirror. Back in 2015, I spoke with Jamie Mauer, who you may know as the Needs More Gay culture critic Rantasmo. He grew up loving unsettling stories, like a lot of gay men. For those of us who feel pressure to hide their true selves, horror and fantasy — and particularly Halloween — provide a chance to trade one mask for another, be someone new, and scare everyone else for a change.  We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. And if you’re in Minneapolis, I hope you’ll come to Queens of Adventure LIVE at Lush on October 23rd — it’s a fun comedy adventure show featuring drag queens playing Dungeons and Dragons, starring Utica Queen, Kamaree Williams, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. Tickets are on sale at QueensofAdventure.com.

My guest this week grew up surrounded by mysteries and clues, but of course he carried a few secrets of his own. Not just that he was gay, but also that his tastes didn’t quite match those of his friends. It took a long time for Jorge to accept that it’s OK to love the things you love, and in fact doing so means that you can finally find others who share your passions. It was a physical response to seeing Meryl Streep sing that finally convinced him that it was time to make some changes in his life. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend. Also BTW I’m in Chicago right now with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We just did our first live show at Hamburger Mary’s Attic and it was a huge blast — thanks to everyone who came out! The the second is coming up on October 16th starring Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. And then I’ll be in Minneapolis for two big events — I’ll be a guest of honor at Gaylaxicon, a queer sci-fi and fantasy convention. We’re doing a Queens of Adventure show there on October 19 with Utica Queen, Nocturna Lee Mission, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. And then on October 23 we’re doing another Queens of Adventure show in Minneapolis, this time at Lush with Utica, Jeanne, and Kamaree Williams.

My guest this week is Cam Clarke, who grew up in a showbiz family that’s been entertaining audiences since the early 30s. If you’re not familiar with his work as one of the the youngest members of the King Family Singers, you might know him as the voice of Leonardo on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or as Kaneda from Akira, or as Liquid Snake in Metal Gear. He’s been the voice of He-Man, Simba, Jen from the Dark Crystal, and hundreds of other roles. Cam’s always had a gift for voices and song — and not just with the SOUND of his voice, but with the words he’s found to express who he truly is. Cam was kind enough to invite me to his home for this interview, where we talked about growing up in a Mormon showbiz family, struggling to come out and find his place in the world, and why he he has a gorgeous collection of Barbie dolls. And a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the backer rewards. Also! I’m heading to Chicago in October with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’re doing two live shows at Hamburger Mary’s Attic — the first on October 9th with local Chicago queens Lucy Stoole, Fox E. Kim, and Joe Lewis; and the second on October 16th with Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.