Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties

This episode was first shared in 2023, and here's what I had to say about it:You know, in all of the time that we've been doing this show we've never featured a sauna... but that's about to change!Our very first sauna is ACI, which was in San Antonio, Texas. And, showing us around is the subversive queer rapper Chris Conde. Now, Chris was a military brat, and so they moved around a lot when they were a kid. But, as a young adult they decided they wanted some stability, and so chose to settle in San Antonio. And it was here that they let go of religion, got sober, and then came out of the closet... again (?).Oooh, and for those who don't know, saunas, or bathhouse as they are commonly named in America, are places where people go for relaxation and... sex... let's be honest - it's mostly for sex. Anyway, they've kind of fallen out of fashion since the rise of the apps, but they were a huge part of queer (predominately male) culture for decades.

Greatest hits episode! This conversation was first shared in 2023, and this is what I had to say about it: One of the things that I've noticed is fairly common in people who come out later in life is just how much of a hurry they are in to experience ALL of the queer shit they've missed out on...And that is what happened to this week's guest, podcaster and voice-over artist Phil Corin, who, upon realising that they may not be heterosexual was on a mission to make their way to the New York City lesbian bar Meow Mix (1996 - 2004). And once they got in to the bar? Well, the gloves were off, but you'll have to listen to the episode to find out the whole story...In this episode we chat all about coming out tactics, lesbian pulp fiction, and.... our complicated feelings about single-gender spaces... Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestWebsite: https://philcorin.com/⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philcorin/⁠

Greatest hits episode! This conversation was first shared in 2023, and this is what I had to say about it: So, you know I love me a story about someone running away to figure out who they are. And, this week we have a doozy. Naomi Mourra, who is Sydney’s only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness, comedian, first came to London in the late 90s when she was trying to reconcile the thoughts she was feeling about women-folk with the teachings of her religion. And, she got to explore at Soho's Candy Bar, a lesbian bar that first opened in 1996, but closed in 2014 due to rising rents in the area. Boo!We talk all about the magic of London, finding your bearings in a new city, and wooly jumpers... Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/naomimourra/⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/naomimourracomedy⁠

We're revisiting some of my favourite/most memorable/most impactful episodes throughout June!Sometimes I'm really taken aback by what an absolute privilege it is to do this job, and how people can be so open and honest with me. And I think it's a real honour that I get to help amplify the stories, and get the opportunity to really examine my own queerness and how that's shaped who I am.Maybe that's all a little bit too sentimental?Let's get on with what this show is about this week. I am joined by the British comedian, Jacob Truman, who sat down with me to talk about a small-town gay bar that was in the city where he went to University.The kicker? He never had the bravery to step foot in the place.So you've probably already guessed that this one's going to be heavy, but but I promise it's a good one.We talk all about making all of your decisions from a position of fear, being too scared to come out to your identical twin brother, and what it's like to glimpse through that sliver of a window at a life that you aren't brave enough to start for yourself.Do you have any memories of Christopher’s, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos!Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/jacobtruemanTikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/⁠⁠@jacobtrueman

It’s entirely possible that it’s just the contrarian in me, but I kind of love when I am talking to a guest who is like ‘been there, done that, do not want to go back’.Because, yes, I love hearing about queer nightlife, and how accessing those spaces helps you tap into something bigger than yourself, but it’s important not to over romanticise them. And, on top of that, it's always nice to be reminded that there are bigger and better things out there in the wild world.And I was reminded of just that when I sat down to talk to author Troy Ford, who is currently on the cusp of releasing his new book, Lamb, a book about two friends and their complicated relationship.And speaking of complicated relationships (see what I did there?), Troy had refreshing insights in to the queer world of San Francisco in the 90s, a space and time he had a complicated relationship with. As hard as he tried, he just couldn't connect with the scene and the people in it.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestWebsite: https://troyfordauthor.com/lamb/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtroyfordauthor/Newsletters: https://troyford.substack.com/ AND https://qstack.substack.com/

Ok, so this just might be the most obvious statement that I've ever made. And, that's really saying something, considering all of the clangers that I come out with...But... it's kind of incredible how much our family and our early years define us. Like, so much of who I am is because of who they are. And, vice versa, I suppose. But, there's something really interesting in the messages that we chose to internalise and how difficult those are to shake off. But, like, what would happen if we just did? If we just stopped believing all of those things about ourselves that we thought were innate or hard-wired or just who we are... What if they're not who we are?Ok, ok, that's too much navel gazing. Let me introduce you to this week's guest, who sent me down this thought path. He is Brian Gryhpon, a queer neurodelightful Canadian who is a photographer, tarot card reader, and poet. We got together to talk about his days in Toronto, and how he graduated from the bar scene to start going to Club Manatee, a club that operated in the 1970s.....Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestWebsite: http://digitalgryphon.com/text-lynx/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briangryphon

Have you ever decided that you were going to go celibate and swear off sex forever? Probably. It happens. Now, my follow up question - have you ever promised that you'd go celibate to... oh, i don't know, let's say,,,, thousands upon thousands of evangelical christians and then felt the weight of all of their expectations upon you whilst you're still trying to wrestle with your sexuality and identity?No, I didn't think so. Me either.But this week's guest, the sex and intimacy coach, porn star, and podcast host, Alex Gay did just that, promising the world that he would remain celibate. But that was all to come crashing down when he went to Washington, DC's club Town. Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestWebsite: https://alexxxgay.univer.se/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heyalexgayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyalexgay

Do you remember the person that you were before you first had your heart broken? How you moved through the world? How you approached relationships and falling in love?Do you ever miss that person?This week I caught up with comedian Glo Butler, and though we sat down to talk about the Fab Lounge, a lesbian bar in Washington DC, what we talked about was the people she met there and how they changed her outlook on life, love, and lesbian bars. Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/glo_inthecity/

This week's episode feels like a bit of a culmination of different thoughts that have been bubbling up from recent conversations on the show.First, there’s my realisation that I’m more of a sponge than an island — and I know that sounds cryptic, but it’s really not. It's just this idea that who we are is shaped as much by what’s going on around us as it is by what’s inside us.Then there’s been a lot of talk about people pleasing — that’s come up in a few conversations lately too.But don't worry, it’s not all existential crises! That’s only half of the conversation.The other half is a lovely chat with actor and founder of the 'Men Who Read' book club, Paul Cram, about the lost Minneapolis space Jet Set, where he and his friend Robert used to go religiously, embracing the opportunity to leave behind the rest of the world if only for the evening.Sound familiar? Yeah, me too.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestWebsite: http://www.iampaulcram.com/

This week it's the story of The Copa, a club that was found (across two different sites) in Flint, Michigan between the years of 1980-1995But, really, it's a love story. And the first scene in this love story just happened to be at The Copa. And, who is here to tell us all about it? Why, it's the self-proclaimed 'professional homosexual' Greg R Baird, who is a Global Lecturer on LGBTQIA+ Civil Rights, Allyship & Community.Greg is currently working on his memoir, and so was in a reflective mood when we sat down. And I learnt some really important things in this conversation, like how Greg learnt to masturbate, and how he managed to fit in his really tight trousers that he bought especially for his first night in the club. But, most importantly, I learnt about the power of unconditional love.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/greggerspeaks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greggerspeaksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GregRBairdWebsite: https://www.gregrbaird.com/

Subscribe to my newsletter Queer Word, where we explore and unpack a different queer word every week. You know how we talk about queer spaces as a place where you can just be yourself? And we talk about how liberating and exciting and freeing that is?Well, what if the opposite is also true? What if being someone else in a queer space is also really liberating? What if being someone else actually helps you to realise who you are? Ok, I seem to be tying myself up in knots here. So, instead of pondering that massive question, why don't I introduce you to this week's guest?If you are a fan of Drag Race, but you haven't yet watched any of the international versions of the franchise then let me recommend you go straight to Drag Race Philippines. And, in particular, season 3 because it's chaotic and ridiculous in all the best ways. And it's where I found this week's guest, the delightful Tita Baby. Tita and I caught up to talk about Bed, which was a club in the capital city of the Philipines, Manila. And, of course, we also talked about much, much more - her childhood growing up in a sheltered catholic family, never being picked to play basketball with the other boys, and her relationship with her bisexuality. I loved this conversation because Tita was so open and honest throughout. Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourtitababy/

Have you ever heard of the concept of a “gay age”?If not, here's the gist: the idea goes that we each have a gay age, which starts from the moment we come out. So, that means if I came out yesterday, I’d be zero. If you came out a decade ago you’re ten years old in gay years.It’s a really fascinating concept, but the more I sit with it, the more I find it to be a little problematic.But I won’t get into all that now (I'll actually be talking about it in this week's issue of my newsletter, Queer Word. If you haven't signed up yet, make sure you do before Friday!)Let me instead introduce you to this week’s guest, Koby Falks—an adult entertainer from Australia who started going out in the early 2000s at one of Melbourne’s most iconic queer clubs, The Market.It was in this space that he really got to step into his queerness—and no other place was this more true than on the dancefloor where he could feel free, open... and shirtless.If the whole “gay age” thing has piqued your interest, I’ll be writing about it in this week’s issue of Queer Word, my newsletter all about queer language and its history. If you haven’t already signed up, you’ll find all the details in the show notes—I’d love to hear your thoughts on the idea.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobyfalks/

Sometimes when you live in a small close-knit community there is nowhere to hide. No where to disappear to. It can feel like you're always on guard, always wearing the false smile and maintaining the pretence for everyone else around you. So, what would happen if you found somewhere that you knew no one else was going to be? Somewhere that you could totally relax, and just be yourself for an hour or two? How would that impact you? Well, we're about to find out, because this week's guest is comedian Sunny Laprade, who grew up in small town America , and found an abandoned building as a teen where she got to be away from the judgemental eyes of... well... everyone else in her life.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnylcomedy/

We talk a lot about — and when I say 'we,' I mean the wider queer community — how upsetting it is that queer bars and clubs are closing at an accelerated rate. But I think the bigger tragedy is the disappearance of queer cafés.And maybe it’s wrong to pit them against each other, but queer cafés offer that beautiful intermediate step. They’re not as full-on or intimidating as a bar or a club, and they’re places where you can just be. There’s no pressure to perform, no need to match the thump of a bassline — just you, your overpriced oat flat white, and the comforting hum of conversations that sound a little more like home.One of the absolute best queer cafés that ever existed — and I won't hear any counterarguments — was First Out Café in Central London. Before it closed in 2011 to make way for yet another railway construction project, it was a sanctuary. A place where you could nervously nurse a tea while pretending to read the free gay magazines that used to exist, all the while sneaking glances at the other queers who had found refuge there too.It’s also where today’s guest, drag king extraordinaire Mr Wesley Dykes, took his first tentative steps into queerdom. Growing up between Lagos and South London, Wesley navigated the complexities of identity, family expectations, and self-acceptance. And when that weight felt a little too heavy, First Out Café was there — offering a cup of tea and the reassuring presence of a community.Other episodes about First Out Cafe'The First Gay Place That I Went Inside...' - with Alex Iantaffi from Gender Stories PodcastFirst Out Cafe, London (with Ali Brumfitt)Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrwesleydykes/

I've always struggled with the word community, because it's something that I've desperately wanted - I've wanted to belong, and I've wanted to feel a part of something bigger than myself. But, at the same time, how do you measure those things? How do you know that you belong? What does that feel like, and how do you measure it? And, I think someone who has had a similar experience, and has always strived for community and belong is this week's guest, Steve Whiting. Steve is the founder of the online listings site Hey Queer London, which started off as an Instagram page sharing events and goings on for people in London to have a better idea of how to enjoy their city. At the end of 2024 Steve made the difficult decision to close Hey Queer London, and we caught up to talk about this lost digital space, and what it has meant for him over the years.Along the way we also discuss another famous lost-ish space, Twitter, guilty pop pleasures, and how your interactions with the queer scene change when you become sober.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/originalsteve/https://www.instagram.com/heyqueerldn/

There's a reason that the theme song to the Golden Girls hits so hard for me. And, I think it's because I've always valued friendships over all other types of relationships. There’s just something magical about having that person who eggs you on, pushes you out of your comfort zone, and encourages you to be bolder than you ever thought possible.So, I loved hearing about Norwegian drag king Erik Sjon’s first foray into dressing up—back when he and his friends would go full klub kid glam and dance the night away at Oslo’s Erskin. This was well before he became a drag king or performer; it was just about self-expression, community, and joy.We talked about what drew him to drag, the inspiration behind his character, and that one time he and his friends accidentally became go-go dancers (as you do!). Oh, and—true to form—I completely failed to pick up on the pun in Erik’s name. Did you get it? No worries if not—he’s just about to explain it.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/king.eriksjon/

So, usually we talk about a bar or a club or a coffee shop… or some kind of building, at least. But this week we're doing something a little bit different. We're talking about a set of steps. Yes, you heard that correctly. But, these weren’t just any set of steps. They were the legendary, and imaginatively titled, Steps that were found in Toronto's gay village. And to tell us all about them is the author, speaker, and DEI specialist Michael Bach, who may have recently escaped the cold, cold winters of Canada to live in Palm Springs, but nonetheless maintains that a huge chunk of his heart belongs to Toronto's gay village.We talk about coming out before you even know what gay is, using a fake ID to get in to the bar, and navigating being queer at a boy's boarding school. Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheMichaelBach/Website: https://www.michaelbach.com/

Coming out can be both thrilling and exhilarating… but also kind of dangerous.There’s something about that first rush of freedom that makes you feel invincible—like you can throw yourself into any and every experience, consequences be damned.Which brings us to this week’s guest—Brad Shreve. Now, you might already know Brad as an author and the host of multiple podcasts, including Going Hollywood, Queer We Are, and Queer Writers of Crime.He finally came out to himself in his 30s, when he was working in the travel industry, newly single, that he dove headfirst into queer life—taking in everything, the good and the bad. And, it was at Faultline, a bar in Los Angeles , where he first felt seen.Content warning: this episode touches on drug use, suicidal thoughts, and domestic violence. If you’re not in the right headspace to listen, please take care of yourself and come back when you’re ready.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribeSupport meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebradshreve/

Ugh, I can't believe that it's been almost five whole years since the Covid-19 pandemic came along and turned all of our lives upside down. Five. whole. years. Doesn't that make you feel old? I still don’t know if the pandemic changed my life for better or worse, but for this week’s guest, it was the unexpected catalyst that kick-started their drag career.This week, I’m joined by bearded drag queen Jackie Daniels, who shares how moving from small-town Armidale to the bright lights of Sydney, a special bond with her drag sister, and nights at The Green Park Hotel—a beloved gay bar in Darlinghurst that shut its doors in 2020—all shaped her journey.Oh, and of course, we get into the highs and lows of lockdown life!Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejackiedaniels/

This week's episode could very well be titled 'The Many Lovers of Frank Akinsete', because we somehow manage to cover off about half a dozen love affairs during our conversation!And if you’re a longtime listener ofLost Spaces you already know that we love a good detour here. Honestly, I think those are the best episodes, where we get to truly know a person and trace their many, many queer footsteps.This week’s guest is Frank Akinsete, a fashion stylist and consultant who’s been part of London’s queer scene since the70s, giving him a front-row seat to its evolution over the decades.Frank and I caught up to talk aboutThe Mews, a late-night, dingy little club with almost no digital footprint, but we also talk about The Embassy, and just what Soho in London was like in the 70s and beyond. And, on top of that, we dive into his coming-out story, his overprotective cat, and, of course, hismany lovers.For some context: for a long time, the heart of London’s gay scene was in Soho, particularly around Old Compton Street. But thanks to gentrification, that landscape has shifted, and the scene is much more fragmented now.Follow meInstagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter:https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠Support meBuy Me A Coffee:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow my guestInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/frankakinsete/Vintage Fashion Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/souledoutathouseofprovenance/

So, Mormonism doesn't have the best reputation on this show. And honestly, given their policies toward queer people, that's not exactly surprising. But, there are some people working within the religion trying to make it more inclusive and open-minded. One of these groups is Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship - or USGA - a support group that gave queer students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah a place to find community. And one of the people that went there religiously (see what I did there?) is AJ Romriell, a US-based writer who also happens to be the partner of former Lost Spaces guest Terrance O'Brien Henderson. We got together to talk about why that group was so vital for AJ, and particularly the significance of it being allowed to meet on campus... until suddenly, it wasn't. But I'll let AJ tell you more about that. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aj_romriell/ Website: https://www.ajromriell.com/

So, we're over 250 episodes in to this show, and on some days when I'm feeling particularly cocky I'm like 'oh, yeah, I think I've learnt everything there is to know about being queer', and then on other days I'm like 'actually, I know nothing about the human spirit and the resilience of queerness despite the odds.' (Ok, that was a little dramatic, but I think you get the gist of what I'm saying!). All of that is to say, that this week marks our first episode featuring a chubs and chasers space – a whole queer sub-community I knew practically nothing about until my guests graciously fielded all my eager (and perhaps ignorant) questions. And, who are these guests? Well, it's Dan and Don from The Big Fat Gay Podcast, who joined me to discuss Girth and Mirth, a social club that operated across the USA organising events for chubs and chasers. I loved this conversation because sometimes it's nice to have the chaos of three people to try and wrangle, but also because Dan and Don just brought such different perspectives to the table. Oooh, and if you're not familiar with chubs and chasers, don't worry – we break it all down in the first ten minutes of the conversation. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigfatgaypod/ Website: https://www.bigfatgaypod.com/

So if I were to tell you that this week's guest had just published a new book titled 'Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania Under the Mirror Ball'* you'd be expecting some spectacular stories of glamour and debauchery, right? Well, I'm pleased to say that author Frank DeCaro did not disappoint! We caught up to chat about the lost legendary Chicago space Dugan’s Bistro, a gay discotheque that was a cornerstone of his coming-of-age years, and Frank was so generous in sharing stories of friendships, wild nights, and finding himself in the midst of it all. What I really loved about this conversation is that Frank is just unapologetically himself, and from the sounds of it, his coming out was refreshingly joyous, exciting and celebratory, and it's really nice to be reminded that it can be that way. You know? Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankdecaroshow Website: http://www.frankdecaro.com/ Buy a copy of Frank's book Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania under the Mirror Ball: https://amzn.to/4g772Np (* this is an affiliate link, and I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you buy using this link)

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ We are back to our regular programming next week! But, for our final pod-swap I am sharing the conversation I had with Tim Lagman (registered sexologist, don't you know!) on his show Sex Ed With Tim. Tim was also a guest on Lost Spaces all the way back in 2021, and that conversation can be found ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Can't wait to get back to regular Lost Spaces episodes! See you next week. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠ Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠ Follow my guest Website: ⁠⁠https://www.sexedwithtim.com/ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sexedwithtim

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠⁠ This week we have ⁠Dennis Anyone⁠, hosted by Dennis Hensley, as our special podcast-swap episode! Dennis was also a guest on Lost Spaces all the way back in 2022, and that conversation is can be found ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Website: ⁠https://www.dennisanyone.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennischensley/

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter⁠ Share your 2025 plans/resolutions with me: k@lostspacespodcast.com Over the holidays I'm going to share episodes from other podcasts that I've guested on throughout 2024, talking about lost spaces, queerness, and the weirdness of life. This week we have The Queer Family Podcast, hosted by Jaimie Kelton! Jaimie was also a guest on Lost Spaces, and that conversation is can be found ⁠here⁠ Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Website: https://www.thequeerfamilypodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequeerfamilypodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ovariestalk/

Sign up for the Queer Word Newsletter Over the holidays I'm going to share episodes from other podcasts that I've guested on throughout 2024, talking about lost spaces, queerness, and the weirdness of life. First up we have Gender Identity Weekly, hosted by Amethysta Herrick. Amethysta was also a guest on Lost Spaces this year. If you want to go and listen to that conversation is can be found here Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: www.facebook.com/lostspacespod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Website: https://genderidentitytoday.com/ https://www.amethysta.io/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amethystaherrick

Lately I keep thinking about that phrase "the past is a foreign country", and how sometimes a space doesn’t have to disappear to feel lost to us. And I know that sounds like a bit of mumbo jumbo, but stay with me! Queer spaces are always evolving and changing, and if we don't evolve and change with them, or if we're not there at the time they are evolving, then we risk being left behind. Which brings us to this week's conversation, which happens to be one of my favourite types of stories - the big scary jump in to the unknown. And the person leading us through the story is performance artist and theatre maker Emma Frankland, who took the big scary jump when she moved to Brighton, England eight years ago. In our chat we talk about living on a boat, the visibility of Brighton's trans community, and finding community and solace at The Marlborough, a theatre-slash-performance space which still exists as a queer space, but has had a change of name and a lick of paint since Emma's glory days there. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyetarobot/ Website: https://www.emmafrankland.co.uk/

I've been getting increasingly sappy with you recently, and I'm not sure whether that's because I'm just getting softer in my older years, or if there's just an accumulation of gratitude that's bubbling to the surface, but... well, either way, just giving you the heads up that this intro is a bit sappy! So, what am I sappy about? Well, I just love the network of stories that this podcast is building and how there's an overlap between experiences, perspectives, and memories. And, I love that I'm able to have these conversations and form a real sense about cities that I've never been to and decades that I wasn't alive for all thanks to the stories that my guests share and how they navigated and responded to what was going on for them at the time. And I also love how one conversation can lead to another, which then leads to another. Which brings me to the city of Edmonton, Canada. A few weeks ago, I spoke with singer-songwriter D’orjay about The Roost, and during that conversation, they told me about another legendary space in the city—Flashback. It was dubbed the Studio 54 of the Prairies and recently became the subject of a documentary. So, of course I needed to go and find out more! That’s how I found Matthew Hays, who, along with his brother, made the documentary. We caught up to talk about sneaking into Flashback when he was underage, what it was like to revisit the past while making the film, and, of course, his favourite hobby at the time—husband hunting! Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashbackdocumentary/ Website: https://www.flashbackdocumentary.ca/

Sometimes when I'm putting this show together I like to imagine that someone has somehow found this show in 50 years time and are having a good ol' giggle at how quaint and ol'timey the things we are talking about are. And if you are one of these people from the future it's probably worth me telling you about a little thing called the Covid-19 pandemic. This was (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime event where a highly contagious disease was sweeping the globe and, so, we were all made to stay in our houses for a good chunk of time to slow down the spread - like, around two years. It was especially tough because we didn't know when it was going to end, and we kept having these false starts where we were told we were allowed out and then our governments were like 'oh, whoops, no, spoke too soon - get back in your houses!'. Anyway, I tell you all of this because this week's guest, actor/singer/cabaret artist Jens Radda, had just moved to the city of Melbourne, Australia, from Sydney when the pandemic broke out, and so it had a significant influence on how he settled in to the city, how he made friends, and how he filled his days. And the periods of 'freedom' (for want of a better word) that he got in between lockdowns were precious and exciting to him because he got to go to queer spaces like the Rainbow House Club. Other episodes about Melbourne "Drag And Gayness Requires Delusion" - with Lazy Susan from Death to Everyone Podcast "Drag Can Be Different Things For Different People" - with Zelda Moon from Death to Everyone Podcast The Market, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Australia (with Katie Underwood) Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jensradda Website: https://www.jensradda.com/

Although I can appreciate a lot of the things about getting older I wouldn't say that I'm totally super enthusiastic about it (especially the creaking joints!). So, it was kind of nice to talk to singer/songwriter D'orjay and get a different perspective on getting on in years. And, in fact, everything about this week conversation is just lovely. It's one of those looking-back-at-teenage-you and thinking both 'what the hell was wrong with you?' at the same time as 'oooh, you are such a special person', and I always find those conversations really affirming. Finding out about a teenage D'orjay who had just moved to Edmonton, Canada, and found a little corner of the city in the gay bar The Roost was just delightful. It's worth nothing that there are a couple of things that come up in this chat that are worth mentioning so you can keep up. - D’orjay is a trained shaman, so they share a bit about their practice One of their day jobs is delivering post, which makes an appearance too! Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/17degreesofdorjay Website: https://www.dorjay.ca/

Not many people can say they owe their entire career to their local gay bar, but for comedian Sam See, that’s exactly the case! His first brush with comedy happened while prepping for a talent show at Play Club in Singapore. Performing in front of a queer audience gave him the spark to pursue comedy full-time. We dug into what it was like growing up queer in Singapore, how his queerness shapes his comedy, and his experiences at an all-boys school (and yes, I think you know where that conversation goes!).... I really got a lot out of this conversation, mostly because Sam and I have such a different perspective on things, and so much of what he reflected really resonated with me, and I think you'll really enjoy his stone-cold pragmatism. If you haven’t already subscribed to my newsletter, Queer Word, you’re missing out! It’s where I promise to help you get a little queerer in under five minutes each week. This week, in Sam’s honour, I’ll be including some Singaporean queer slang, so make sure you sign up by Friday to catch it. Sign up here - https://queer-word.kit.com/3bf4af59cc Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsamsee/ Website: https://www.mrsamsee.com/

I would never wish the years of uncertainty, overthinking, and isolation on anyone navigating their queerness. But, there's something magical about the person who comes out at the other end of all that. And one of the best parts of Lost Spaces is getting to speak with people who have reached that place of self-assuredness, and who are so confident in who they are and the path they’re meant to be on. But for this week’s guest, Jane Postlethwaite, who is a stand-up comedian and host of All the Terrible Things: A Paranormal Queer Comedy Podcast, it was a pretty long road. She didn’t realise she was a lesbian until well into her 30s, And it was, in part, thanks to the warm, welcoming audience at the Indigo Club, a comedy night in Brighton, England, that she began to put the pieces together about her true self. Find out more in the episode. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@janedoescomedy⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/JaneDoesComedy⁠ Website: ⁠https://janepostlethwaitecomedy.com/⁠

I've just realised that, for a podcast that is for mostly about queer clubbing and nightlife, we don't actually talk all that much about drugs, drug-taking and the impact of that. That's not a good or a bad thing, per se. It's just a little odd. Which isn't to say that that is a huge part of this week's chat, but it struck me because, for this week’s guest, drugs were a key factor in helping her connect with others and, more importantly, with herself. And who is this mystery guest that I'm referring to? Why, it's Sinn Sage, who is an adult film star, and host of the Sage Advice podcast, where she interviews fellow performers about their experiences in the industry. We caught up to chat about The Masterdome, a club in San Bernardino, California, and along the way, we touched on everything from Sinn’s experience of coming out in high school, crushing on 90s film stars, and rebelling against your small-town conservative roots! Other episodes about lost Californian spaces ⁠'I'm In San Francisco And Everyone's Dying From Sex' - with Daniel Nardicio⁠ (about Cafe Flore) ⁠"Once I Get To College I'll Start Doing Gay Things..." - with Corey Sherman⁠ (about Faultline) ⁠"Platonic Queer Joy" - with Sina Grace⁠ (about Flaming Saddles) Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/sinnsage⁠ Onlyfans: ⁠https://onlyfans.com/sinnsage⁠

When I first moved to London I had this friend who I would go to bars and clubs with. And, he was totally, 100% a friend of convenience. In fact, the only reason we spent any time together is because neither of us had any other friends. But I always look back on that friendship with a great deal of affection — and I think that one of the gifts of being queer is that you end up making friends with people you'd never otherwise meet, and that can open up your world in surprising ways. It can push you to do things you wouldn't have otherwise done, like going to places that you wouldn't choose to go to. Which brings us to this week’s guest—Nick Baker is co-host of the Incomplete Geeks podcast, a show for all your gay geeky needs, from TV shows to comics. But many years ago he too was new to London and he too had a friendship of convenience, which led him to a club he wouldn’t have gone to on his own. At the time he was into the fizzy, frothy pop of mainstream gay places like G-A-Y and Heaven, but this friendship exposed him to the much cooler Ghetto (honestly, I'm not exaggerating when I say that - if you speak to queers of a certain age in London, Ghetto was THE place to be). Other episodes featuring lost London spaces 'The First Gay Place That I Went Inside...' - with Alex Iantaffi from Gender Stories Podcast "I'm Such A Cliched Gay Of A Certain Age" - with Ty Jeffries 'My Queerness Is My Strength' - with John Sizzle Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Incomplete Geeks website: https://incompletegeeks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incompletegeeks/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@incompletegeeks

You may have had some wild clubbing nights in your life, but were any ever as wild as obliviously walking around with a shit-stained t-shirt thinking that you were fabulous? No, probably not. But, that's exactly what this week's guest, Santana Sexmachine, managed to get up to in her lost space, Berlin's Greece-muller. (i hope I said that correctly. Sorry if you are German and I just slaughtered your language). Now, you might know Santana best from her time as a contestant on Sweden's Drag Race, but before this she was a plucky 23-year old who moved from her hometown of Stockholm to Berlin to run away and become a new person. And it's here where the adventure begins.... Other episodes with Drag Race alumni Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santanasexmachine/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@santanasexmachine

So, if we were to say that clubbing is a religion, then the club is the place of worship, the music is the hymn, and the DJ takes on the role of the Priest. But what about the go-go dancer? Where do they fit into this clunky, overused metaphor? Well, according to former go-go dancer, and current author and porn actor, Manuel Skye, the role of the go-go dancer is more than just eye candy—they’re the facilitators of connection. We sat down with Manuel to talk about Parking, a legendary Montreal, Canada club that became a key part of his life after he moved there from Quebec City in the ‘90s. For Manuel, it wasn’t just a place to dance or perform—it was a sanctuary for expression and liberation and he was gutted when Parking literally became parking, converted to a car park in the '00s. Other episodes about Montrealian lost queer spaces Tranna Wintour - Psychic City 'All These Gay Men With No Shirts On...' - with Van Hechter Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manuelskyejourney/ Buy Manuel's book: https://7skyesunder.com/

I think that I might have met my match. For the last few years I've been feeling as though I'm the person who talks the most about lost queer spaces, but journalist David Kennerley might actually be ahead of me. He loves queer nightlife so much that he's gone and written a whole book about the long-lost gay scene of '90s New York City. The book, Getting In: NYC Club Flyers from the Gay 1990s, includes flyers that he collected throughout the '90s from legendary spaces like the Palladium, Limelight, Splash, and Tunnel. But out of all of these lost spaces it was The Roxy that had his heart. We caught up to talk about his book, his early days in NYC, and his journey with his queerness. Grab a copy of Getting In: NYC Club Flyers from the Gay 1990s From From From Other episodes about NYC lost queer spaces Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmkennerley/ Website: www.GettingInClubBook.com

This week it's time to talk about love... Now, I know what you're thinking. Who am I to talk about love when all I seem to be interested in are firey, passionate, fleeting moments on a dancefloor? Well, yeah, you've probably got a point there.... So, it's a good job that this is a conversation podcast and I have a guest to show me the way! And who is that guest? Why it is the author Neil Laird, who is currently promoting his new book 'Prime Time Travelers: a satirical MM Adventure', to tell us all about when he met his husband at the long-gone Caribou Coffee Shop in Chicago's gay village (often referred to as Boystown). And you'll be pleased to hear that I demonstrate a smidgen of growth here, asking questions and trying to understand this love phenomenon and what it all means... (baby steps! I'm getting there!) Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ancientgayhistory/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gay_history

We get assigned a lot of roles in life depending on how we look, how tall we are, which family we're born in to... Sometimes living up to these roles can be a total breeze, but other times can be an incredibly daunting, terrifying task, and overcoming these isn't in any way straightforward. And so it's always really affirming when I get the chance to sit down and talk to someone who is on the other side of all of that and has taken the time to figure themselves out and be clear on what they want and what they don't, who they are and who they're not... (I'm making this person sound a bit like the Dalai Lama here). This week's guest is Matte Namer from the band The FMs. Matte joined me to talk about The Bushwick Boat, which was an actual boat that was moored in Brooklyn, New York City, and became a party boat for over a decade. Or, as Matte described it, 'the boat with no rules'. But, this conversation is about a lot more than a big ol' boat where people partied. After all, this is Lost Spaces, the podcast about how spaces and access to community shape who we are and who we become! As well as the boat we talk about navigating family dynamics, embracing your kinkiness and surviving your 20s. If you happen to be listening to this episode on Pocket Casts, did you know that they have just unleashed a new feature and you can now rate shows directly in the app? Rating is super easy: after enjoying a few episodes of a podcast, all you need to do is tap the podcast's artwork at the top of the screen to open its details, then hit 'rate', select a star rating and enter! (go here - https://pocketcasts.com/ratings) I would be chuffed if you could rate this show! Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_namer/

What do you do if you think the scene isn't a welcoming place for you? If you don't feel particularly excited to be in spaces that are pumping out Top 40 chart hits and offering jell-o shots for £1 a go? Well, you roll your sleeves up and you make your own night. And that's precisely what this week's guest did (with the help of some friends, of course). Before they were a 'self-proclaimed future award winning documentary filmmaker' Ames Pennington was discovering themself in Manchester, England, and found that the gay scene there wasn't really for them. So, before long they got going with their own club night, Disco Opposite Tesco (and, just quick side note - for those outside of the UK, Tesco is a large supermarket chain). We caught up to talk about DIsco Opposite Tesco, but along the way there's this great conversation about leaping before you look, and attacking the things that terrify you head on. For those in or around London who happen to be listening to this episode on the week it is released, Ames' new film TOPS is playing as part of the Queer Fringe Film Festival this Saturday 21st September at the Rio Cinema in Dalston - https://www.riocinema.org.uk/movie/tops-qa-fringe Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ames_pennington_ Website: https://www.amespennington.com/

I sometimes rail against this notion of 'chosen family', and I always assumed that the reason I did this was because somewhere in the back of my head I was just jealous of other people who happened to find that and make that happen for themselves because that's not been my experience. But, I had a bit of a moment of realisation in this week's conversation. I think the reason that the concept makes me feel a bit icky is because it's almost always spoken about as this wonderful thing that everyone should aspire to, when actually the only reason it exists is due to necessity. Chosen family are there to support you when your biological family fail you. And, yes, it's amazing, and yes, people are lucky to find these chosen families, but it's almost over-romanticised and made out to be the solution to all of your problems. Or, maybe it is that i'm just jealous. Who knows? Anyway, I had this epiphany when I was talking to this week's guest, the singer/songwriter J3M. We sat down to talk about The Barn, in Toronto, Canada, and along the way we talk about being in the grips of religion, running away to the big city, and the importance of his chosen family. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/j3msings⁠

We’re going to get really cheesy this week... You probably already know that I love me some cheesy, poetic imagery. And this week I may have stumbled upon the cheesiest thing that you ever did hear. Now, we've talked about the importance of the dancefloor in finding community and being oneself, but we haven't ever spoken to someone who attributes the dancefloor as THE place where the queer scene, and their position in the queer scene, suddenly started to make sense. But that’s about to change. This week I sat down with author Miah Jeffra, who was feeling kind of so-so and disconnected from the scene when he was just going to gay bars. It wasn’t until he went to the nightclub called Backstreet which was in Atlanta, Georgia, that the world started making sense and he got to find his brand of sexy. And, yes, you read that correctly - ‘brand of sexy’. It’ll make sense once you’ve listened to the episode. I promise. I hope. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/miahjeffra/⁠ Keywords LGBTQ+, gay, advice, 1990s, queer spaces, gay bars, gay clubs, joy, sense of belonging, dancing, crushes, deep connections, queer spaces, community, connection, self-expression, technology, younger generations, embodiment, self-acceptance

So, I will readily admit that I was a bit naive when it came to the world of leather pageantry. Obviously I knew that these leather competitions existed, and that they were loosely modelled on beauty pageants, but I kind of assumed that they weren't all that serious. I just thought that people showed up, had a bit of a laugh, took a few pictures and then went home. But, I was wrong. And, I quickly learnt that when I sat down to talk about lost London space The Hoist with life coach and former stand up comedian John Pendal. John also happens to be the International Mr Leather 2003, so you can rest assured he knows a thing or two about leather pageantry. As well as excessive instances of me saying 'wow' you can expect to hear about John's sex spreadsheet, the effort he put in to preparing for the different categories of the pageant, and how he discovered his neurodiversity many years later. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnpendal.coach/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: johnpendal.com Website: https://www.leatherlondonguide.com

The lyric to that very famous 80s TV theme song is 'sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name'. Whilst I think that's true I also think there are times where you want to go where nobody knows your name and where there's absolutely no risk of running in to anybody that you even vaguely know. It's that type of space that gave this week's guest - scholar, therapist and host of the Gender Studies podcast Alex Iantaffi - the courage to actually go through the front door and start to explore their queerness for the first time. And so, in this episode, Alex takes us back to the 90s and sits us down in a corner seat in London's First Out Cafe to show us the magical, open, friendly space that made them feel welcome. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/xtaffi Podcast: https://episodes.fm/1353717550

Are you one of those people that has a crystal clear memory of where they were and how they reacted when they found out about momentous moments in history? For instance, do you remember where you were on September 11? When you first heard of the Covid-19 outbreak? Most importantly, do you remember the first time you heard Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ being played in the club? Well, if that final momentous (momentous!) occasion resonates with you then i think you’ll get a kick out of this week’s chat with fashion designer (and contestant on the reality show Sew Fierce) Terrence O'Brian Henderson, who is taking us on a journey to Club Odyssey in Lexington, North Carolina. Terrence tells me how Club Odyssey helped him rediscover his love of dance, explore his gender expression, and learn to move past some of the negative preconceptions about queerness that were instilled in him growing up. We talked about the art of not giving a fuck, the dedication needed to learn Beyoncé choreography (it's really hard!), and the perils of wearing non-stretch pants while dropping it low (I think you know how that story ends). Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theblackbard

I was gutted, understandably, when I found out earlier this year that my favourite queer bar, The Glory, was going to close. But I also had a bunch of questions, as it wasn't closing for the same reason that so many others do (£££). In fact, the owners opened a brand new venue, The Divine, within days of The Glory closing its door. So I needed to find out more... Luckily, I got to sit down with one of the bar's owners, John Sizzle, just a few weeks after the space had closed to find out all the answers directly. Why did The Glory close? What was the decision? And, crucially, how difficult was that decision to make? Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnsizzle Key words: queer bar, business, LGBTQ+, HIV, coming out, queer scene, drag, bullying, uniqueness, resilience, queer venue, cozy spaces

If you were trying to seduce someone in the audience when you were performing at a piano bar or at karaoke... what song would you sing? I imagine you'd go for something slinky and sexy, right? Or maybe something bombastic and exuding confidence? Well, not, it turns out, if you are this week's guest, the singer and story teller Richard Skipper, who went a decidedly different route... But, I'm going to leave that mystery hanging, and you can find out what his go-to song was when you listen to the episode. This week we caught up to talk about the Five Oaks, a piano bar in New York City. Richard shares memories of the vibrant community that existed there in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as how the AIDS crisis and a serial killer tragically impacted the scene. London folks! Richard has a show at Crazy Coqs on August 5th 2024. In it he will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the stage show Hello Dolly, performing all of the hits and reflecting on the legacy of this iconic Broadway musical. More details can be found on the Crazy Coqs website. Follow me Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠ https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/richard.skipper.celebrates/

One of the things that I get asked a lot when people find out that I do this show is 'well, why are queer spaces important? bars and clubs close all the time, why should we care about them just because they're queer?'. And there are lots of answers to that, but the one that I keep coming back to is that they aren't just businesses - they're community hubs, they're late-night befriending services, and they are places where people get to explore and push themselves. And it was wonderful to be reminded of all of that in this week's conversation (which is our first ever episode focussed on a lost space in New Zealand!). I got to talk to Edward Cowley, who you may know by his drag alter-ego Buckwheat, about The Staircase, a legendary space (or, spaces, rather, as it moved to a few different venues over its time) in Auckland where Edward first started going when he was underage and before homosexuality was even legal in the country. It was here that he first found his tribe, started drag, and shook his thing on the dancefloor. In fact, he has such an affinity to the space that he even went on to be a co-owner - and, as co-owner he made sure that the space was more than just a business, but a community hub. Follow me Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/lostspacespod⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckwheat_drag_diva

It's time to talk all about the fine art of ho-ing. And who is going to guide us through this very important lesson? Why, it's Mehgan Sapphire, host of the Sapphire's Earplay podcast. Mehgan joined me to talk about her lost space, The Lexington, a San Franciscan lesbian bar that she went to when she was just a little baby gay in her college days. Along the way we discuss late night hook ups, the road to polyamory, and, of course, the importance of good hygiene... And once you've listened to this conversation make sure you also download this week's episode of Mehgan's show, Sapphire's Earplay, as we did a swap-a-roo and I am the guest on the latest episode! Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/msradiosapphire/

San Francisco in the 80s. If you know anything about queer history then you may already know that that wasn't the most joyous of times. And, yet, despite that... despite all that was happening in the world - heightened homophobia, and the really real fear of contracting HIV - people got on with their lives and they found and made joy. And that is exactly what happened for promoter and party producer Daniel Nardicio, who arrived there as a young man escaping small-town Ohio. For him San Francisco represents a period of self-discovery and self-actualisation, and there are lots of joyous memories from that time when he was finding his feet and his voice. We caught up to talk about his early days in the city, wiling away the hours at the lost space Cafe Flore with his best friend (who you may know as the cabaret superstar Justin Vivian Bond). It was a place where they could nurse a coffee, read books, and occasionally snoop through other people's diaries (but you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out more about that). Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: https://queer-word.beehiiv.com/subscribe Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the_danielnardicio/ Website: ⁠https://www.danielsbigideas.com/

One of the constant gifts of doing this show is the reminder of how privileged those of us who get to grow old are.  It’s easy to forget this in a world saturated with messages glorifying youth, but youth isn't always that great (sure, I still have crippling social anxiety, but I'm MUCH better at masking it now!).  So, getting the chance to talk to people who say, "I'm so glad I'm not the person I was at 20, 30, 40," is refreshing.  They still love the person they were, but they aren't in a hurry to go back to that time. This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with the artist and photographer Holly Revell.  Holly spent much of their 20s and 30s as a self-described "f*g hag", always ready to party surrounded by a gaggle of gays.  But, now, looking back, they appreciate that part of their life but recognise they've outgrown the person they were. We initially came together to talk about London's Black Cap, but our conversation went in many different directions.  You know it just goes that way sometimes, right? Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/qwsignup Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/hollyrevellphotography⁠ Website: https://www.hollyrevell.co.uk/

I don't know about you, but I really like the idea of being referred to as a gay elder at some point in the future. The only part about it that worries me is that I hope I'm not expected to suddenly be wise or level-headed or clever or anything... And though this week's guest, Eric Marcus from the Making Gay History podcast, might not like being referred to as a gay elder, he's certainly got the credentials to bear this title. You probably already know about the Making Gay History podcast, but just in case you didn't it's an oral history podcast that explores different parts of queer history, like the AIDS crisis or growing up gay in the 70s. In fact, the new season is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, by exploring the myth of what that's become, and sharing stories from people who were actually there.  But, anyway, before he was a podcast host and before he was a gay geezer he was a baby gay in New York City. And it was here that he had an adventure or two on the dancefloors of the gay bars in Manhattan. One of which was the wonderfully named Ice Palace, which we discuss in this conversation. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Queer Word newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/qwsignup Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Making Gay History Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/makinggayhistorypodcast/ Making Gay History Website: https://makinggayhistory.org/ Some of the topics we cover: Queer spaces and their impact on personal growth. Sexuality, identity, and coming out in the 1970s and 1980s. Sexual experiences and encounters in the 1970s. Manhattan, and its many gay clubs. Long-distance relationship experiences and crushes. Self-esteem, attractiveness, and relationships.

I think what's so magical about a place like London is the promise of what the city represents rather than what it can actually meaningfully offer people... And, that might sound like a strange distinction, but for me London was always the place that I was going to run away to in order to become the person that I was meant to be. And it was here that I was going to live out my dreams and have every success in the world. And, in some ways it didn't matter that all of those things didn't happen to me, because the magic of the city still drew me to it. For many it still holds this promise. In fact, it was this way for this week's guest, the artist Recognition. London gave him this vast city where he was anonymous and able to play around with his own concept of who he was. He did that through dating apps (of course), but also through queer sports clubs, and the many bars and nightclubs in the city. In our chat we talk about age-gap relationships, dark rooms, and taking your shirt off on the dancefloor of the lost space XXL... Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the Queer Word newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/qwsignup Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/recognition.art/ Website: https://www.recognition-art.com/

I love the kind of people that can go through a whole bunch of bullying, a whole bunch of othering, a whole bunch of shit in their life and still come out the other end and be like 'this is who I am, take it or leave it, I'm not changing for anyone'... And those are exactly the vibes that this week's guest, singer/songwriter Van Hechter, was putting down when we got together to talk about his lost space, KOX, which was in Montreal, Canada, and which he started going to whilst he was still in high school. Takeaways The KOX nightclub in Montreal was a significant place for the queer community in the 1990s. KOX provided a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere for people to express their true selves. Van Hechter reflects on his time in the closet and his relationships with both men and women. The catacombs at KOX offered a different vibe, attracting closeted men and providing a sense of secrecy and understanding. Van's experiences at KOX have influenced his current work as a performer, as he aims to recreate the feeling of acceptance and self-expression he found at the club. There was a fear of AIDS during that time Van Hechter had a conflicted relationship with his father after coming out, but eventually found forgiveness and acceptance. Self-acceptance and embracing one's uniqueness are important for personal growth and happiness. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanhechter

One of my favourite things about queer people is that they make shit happen.  Ok, ok, so that's a massive generalisation. And here's another one...   Straight people (apologies to any that are reading this) are not forced to put themselves out there and meet people and make new connections in the same way that queer people are. So they don't have to go through all the effort of plucking up the courage to go to bars and clubs on their own, and then talking to strangers and trying to appear charming. How exhausting! But, that is exactly what this week's guest, Colin Drucker from the drag race recap podcast Alright Mary, did in his early days in New York City way back in the mid-00s. Every weekend he would drink a cocktail or two at home, get on the subway, and made his way to his lost space, Splash, where adventures abounded.... Takeaways Moving to a new city can be both intimidating and exciting, requiring resilience and adaptability. Navigating the challenges of finding a job and a place to live in a big city requires resourcefulness and a willingness to take risks. Personal experiences and relationships can shape our perceptions and behaviors, even in the context of a new environment. Trying to please others and be seen as good enough can lead to exhaustion and inauthenticity. Using alcohol or drugs as a crutch to feel more comfortable in social situations can have negative consequences. The desire for connection and to be chosen can drive behavior in sexual encounters. Anxiety can have a significant impact on daily life and relationships. Finding healthy ways to manage anxiety, such as therapy or medication, is important. Colin reflects on his experiences at Splash, a gay nightclub in New York City, and the expectations he had for his life as a gay man. He shares his journey of letting go of societal expectations and finding new priorities. The conversation highlights the importance of resilience and the unpredictability of life's outcomes. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠ Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠ Follow my guest Alright Mary Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/alrightmarypod/ Colin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colindrucker_/

So, this week we’re doing something a little different. Rather than visit a lost space we’re setting out to answer the question ‘is the ancient art of cruising about to be lost?’. I know that's a fairly dramatic question, but there are a number of factors - like hook up apps and the over-gentrification of our cities - that seem to threaten these little discreet woodlands or private beaches from offering a secret place for people to meet and do the things that they do... Anyway, to help me answer this question I am joined by Marcus McCann, who is the writer of the book Park Cruising: What Happens When We Wander Off the Path. And, after writing a whole book about cruising I think he may know a thing or two about the subject. If you've ever wanted: tips on how to improve your cruising skills to know what the biggest lessons that come from mastering the art of cruising are understand the impact the pandemic had on people going out in nature then I think this is the episode for you! If you want to grab a copy of Marcus's book Park Cruising: What Happens When We Wander Off the Path then you can find it: ⁠Amazon UK⁠ ⁠Amazon USA⁠ Bookshop.org Full disclosure - if you buy using any of these links I will get a small commission. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠⁠ Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mmccnn/ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/mmccnn

LA. Los Angeles. City of Angels. It's not really known to be the easiest of towns to live in. But, i think that's part of what makes it so exciting, right? Not to completely plagiarise a popular song, but if you can make it there then... you know the rest... And this is what brought Karl Dunn, who has just released his first book How To Burn A Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn't Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did, to town. In amongst all the newness, and networking parties with fellow wannabes, there was a reliable, dependable small gay bar in Venice Beach called Roosterfish where Karl could escape the inanity of tinseltown and just be in a place where (here I am about to steal lyrics again) everybody knew his name.... If you want to grab a copy of Karl's new book 'How To Burn A Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn't Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did' then you can find it: Amazon UK Amazon USA Full disclosure - if you buy using any of these links I will get a small commission. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod⁠ Support me Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod⁠ Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/karldunn/⁠ Website: ⁠https://www.karldunn.com/⁠

So, if you're reading these show notes I'm going to go ahead and make the assumption that you know about the Pulse nightclub shooting that happened in Orlando in 2016. And I'm also going to assume that you've heard some of the stories from survivors and families of victims about the impact of that night. But, now that we're a few years on and people's attention has moved elsewhere what happens to those feelings that are sitting there for people that were impacted by that night? What if Pulse was your safe space? How do you move on whilst never forgetting the importance of that space? Well, for actor / writer JJ Ivey, who turned up to Pulse every Tuesday for karaoke night, there are still a mix of emotions. They're obviously really grateful for what that space facilitated for them, but they're still figuring out how to grieve it properly. What I appreciated most about this week's conversation is that JJ was really open about some of the messiness of their emotions and how they are continuing to make sense of something that will never make sense... Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjivey_actor/ Website: https://www.jjivey.com/ Takeaways Finding a supportive community and embracing one's true self can lead to personal growth and acceptance. The mean gay phase may stem from fear and the pressure to be perfect. It's important to be aware of our actions and considerate of others in public spaces. Pulse Orlando provided a welcoming and non-judgmental environment for JJ Ivey, marking a shift in their mean and sassy gay phase. Exploring drag allowed JJ to discover their non-binary identity and embrace different aspects of their gender expression. Finding a group of friends who accepted and supported their authentic self was crucial for JJ's personal growth and happiness. Gender euphoria, rather than dysphoria, can be a valid and important aspect of one's gender identity. Self-discovery is a lifelong journey, and it's never too late to learn more about yourself. Tragedies like the Pulse nightclub shooting can have a profound impact on individuals and communities, challenging their sense of safety and forcing them to confront their own mortality. It's important to embrace the good in people and build connections with others, even in the face of tragedy and uncertainty. Finding strength in community and supporting one another can help navigate the challenges and complexities of life.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how your life can just happen to you. And, if you're not careful you can wake up one day wondering how you ended up there. But then, there are times when we take the bull by the horns and throw caution to the wind (and all the other cliches that you can think of), even if we know we might fail. Anyway, I had a wonderful reminder of that strength and courage that we can summon this week when I spoke to the cabaret performer Rudy Jeevanjee. Rudy found, through the Cocoa Butter Club, (which hosted regular nights at lost London space Her Upstairs), his people AND his purpose. What more could you ask for? Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudyjeevanjee/ Takeaways Realising one's sexuality can happen at a young age, and it is important to create a safe and accepting environment for young people to explore their identities. Early sexual experiences can shape one's understanding of their sexuality and impact their journey to find inner peace. Navigating relationships and the gay scene can be challenging, and it is important to find spaces and connections that feel genuine and supportive. The clubbing scene can provide a sense of belonging and freedom for LGBTQ+ individuals, but it may also lack inclusivity and representation. Performing can be a transformative experience that allows individuals to express different aspects of their identity and gain confidence. Embrace and celebrate all parts of yourself, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. The queer scene has evolved and changed over time, and individuals may have different experiences and preferences within it.

I love hearing people's stories of places that are close to their hearts - places where they spent tonnes of time, met lots of wonderful people, and figured out things about themselves. But, you know what else I love? When people want to talk about places that they HATED! And hate is maybe too strong a word for this week's guest's experience, but I still enjoyed hearing about how the sticky floors and the dark, dank bar were just not up their alley. And who's alley were we not up? Well, it's Layne the Auctionista, who joined me to talk about Seven, the aforementioned dark bar that was found in London, Ontario, Canada. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow Layne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theauctionista/⁠ Website: https://auctionista.ca/⁠ Takeaways Coming out later in life can present unique challenges and opportunities for self-discovery and acceptance. Family acceptance and support are crucial in the coming out process. Finding community and connecting with others who share similar experiences is important for personal growth and a sense of belonging. Navigating lesbian spaces can be both empowering and challenging, with a range of experiences and representations. Transitioning to a non-binary identity can be a liberating and authentic expression of self. Authenticity and self-acceptance are key to finding happiness and love. Uncomfortable spaces can sometimes lead to significant personal growth. Lesbian stereotypes do not apply to everyone, and each relationship is unique.

So, if you were to ask me to overly generalise and boil down the types of experiences that guests on this show have had when first accessing a queer space I'd say they neatly fit in to two categories: 1) there are those who feel instantly at home and like they've arrived. 2) there are those who feel like an outsider, or a 'tourist' in the space. Sometimes that feeling of being an outsider goes away after a few visits when they get the chance to ease in to the space and better understand the culture. But sometimes they remain a tourist... which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Which brings us to this week's guest - author, screenwriter, and producer Abdi Nazemian - who never stopped feeling like a tourist, but still credits his lost space, Disco 2000 at The Limelight in New York City, with inspiring him to be passionate and brave and fun. We talk about the club kid scene in this episode, which was happening in NYC in the early 90s. I don't think you need to know much about the history of the scene to follow the conversation, but if you're so inclined I'd recommend reading this article to find out more (they even have their own Wikipedia page!) Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abdaddy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Abdaddy Website: https://www.abdinazemian.com/ Takeaways Arriving in New York City for college was a transformative experience for Abdi Nazemian, who felt a sense of freedom and self-expression in the city. Abdi's countercultural fashion sense and artistic interests set him apart in his boarding school, where he felt isolated and craved the vibrancy of a city like New York. The Club Kid scene in New York City in the 1990s provided a sense of community and liberation for Abdi, who found acceptance and a space to explore his identity. Abdi's journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with his sexuality was influenced by his experiences in the club scene and the challenges he faced in a conservative boarding school environment. The Club Kid scene had a profound impact on Abdi, inspiring him to create a new identity and embrace a sense of freedom and self-expression. The club kid scene provided a sense of liberation, creativity, and boldness for Abdi Nazemian. Creating a persona can be a survival necessity for queer individuals The process of self-creation in the Club Kid scene allowed Abdi to become the person he wanted to be. Being an outsider in different communities taught Abdi the importance of forgiveness and acceptance. Forgiveness requires acknowledging that blame may have been misplaced and finding peace. Blame, acceptance, and forgiveness are important aspects of personal growth and finding peace. Fear and shame associated with sexuality during the AIDS epidemic had a profound impact on queer individuals. Counterculture plays a significant role in shaping mainstream culture, and fresh ideas are essential in art and entertainment.

We seem to have, in the last few months, had a lot of religious guests, and through that we've had a lot of conversations about how religiosity can be in direct conflict with queerness, and all the issues that that can create. But what we haven't really talked about are the similarities between religion and queerness. And, to be fair, there probably aren't that many, but what stuck out for me in this week's conversation is that they both offer community and the promise of belonging. And that might not have specifically been what this week's guest, Dr Luke Wilson, was seeking in either, but that's what stood out for me in this conversation. Luke was an Evangelical Christian in his teens and 20s, and though that provided certainty in some aspects of his life, it also threw up a whole host of questions and points of conflict for him. And, it was at an unknown gay bar in Albuquerque, New Mexico (where he happened to be visiting for a conference) that he got a proper peek at what it might mean if he left religion behind and embraced his queerness. Find out more in this week's episode. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Takeaways Evangelicalism can have a profound impact on personal identity and sexuality, often leading to feelings of anger and frustration. Motivations for embracing evangelicalism can include the desire for community and the need to appease family members. Evangelical beliefs can be intellectually inconsistent and resistant to questioning. Transitioning away from a religious community can involve untangling one's life and finding new sources of support and community. Entering a gay bar for the first time can be an exhilarating and transformative experience, especially for individuals who have repressed their sexuality due to religious or societal pressures. Premeditation and repression often accompany the exploration of one's queerness, as individuals navigate the tension between their desires and their religious or moral beliefs. The queer community can provide a sense of belonging and authenticity that may be lacking in other areas of life, allowing individuals to embrace their true selves. Early encounters and experiences with same-sex attraction can be confusing and awkward, often leaving individuals with feelings of guilt and shame. Living authentically and allowing lived experiences to shape one's beliefs can lead to a more fulfilling and genuine life, even if it means challenging previously held religious or moral frameworks. The process of self-acceptance and embracing one's queer identity can be a profound and transformative experience. Finding a supportive community of like-minded individuals can be instrumental in navigating the challenges of coming out and living authentically. Religious upbringings can create internal conflicts and feelings of shame and guilt for queer individuals. Conversion therapy is a harmful and ineffective practice that can lead to further self-hatred and emotional distress.

Can you really call yourself queer if you don't have a weird love/hate relationship with your home town? Because even if you love the place that you're from and you had an idyllic childhood there's still that reckoning that you need to have with all of those feelings of isolation and anticipation judgement and scorn when you came to terms with your identity... and, sometimes even experiencing ACTUAL judgement and scorn. Which brings us to today's guest (not that I'm asking you to judge and scorn him, just that this experience of feeling unwanted in his hometown is something that is familiar to him). It's singer/songwriter Matt Fishel. Matt grew up in Nottingham, England in the 90s, and, in this weird pre-internet age (when it wasn't always easy to discover gay bars) he found himself at what he thought was the only gay bar in town, The Mill. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mattfishel Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mattfishel.com Takeaways Discovering one's sexuality at a young age can be a mix of happiness and depression, especially when unable to openly discuss it with others. Navigating through emotions and accepting one's sexuality is a personal journey that takes time and self-reflection. Coming out can be a challenging and traumatic experience, especially in a conservative and homophobic environment. Having a supportive network of friends is crucial in navigating the process of coming out. The timing and fears associated with coming out can vary for each individual. Validation and liberation are common feelings experienced after coming out. Media portrayals and societal expectations can create internal conflicts for individuals questioning their identity. Being gay in your teenage years can be a challenging and isolating experience, with the fear of being found out and the pressure to hide your true self. Finding gay spaces and opportunities to explore and practice your sexuality can be difficult, especially in smaller towns or communities. Media representation of healthy gay relationships was limited in the 90s, with many portrayals focusing on tragedy or stereotypes. Despite the challenges, discovering and embracing your sexuality can be a fascinating and liberating experience. Matt reflects on his journey of self-acceptance and offers advice to young LGBTQ+ individuals to embrace their identity and explore the world beyond their immediate surroundings.

How much of yourself do you bring to the spaces that you spend time in? How much of the different sides of yourself do you bring out when you are at work? At dinner with friends? Spending time with your family? Hanging out at the club? Do you dial back your queerness, do you push down your beliefs or censor your thoughts? Or, are you one of those people who is just 100% themselves no matter where they go? I think that there are merits to both approaches, so I'm not necessarily advocating one over the other. But, I find it fascinating to examine our behaviours and understand the reasons behind our approaches. And this is one of the conversations that I had with this week's guest, the host of the Queer News podcast, Anna DeShawn. Anna is a black, masc-of-centre lesbian, and when she was younger she felt that she had to dial up or dial down different parts of herself depending on where she was. But not, as it so happens, at her lost space - the lesbian bar Star Gaze in Chicago. Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/annadeshawn/⁠ Website: ⁠https://annadeshawn.com/⁠ Takeaways Finding community and representation is crucial for queer individuals to feel seen and validated. Navigating different spaces can be challenging, especially when aspects of one's identity are not fully accepted or understood. Creating safe and inclusive spaces, like Stargaze, is essential for fostering a sense of belonging and allowing individuals to be their authentic selves. Maintaining energy and confidence while taking up space requires self-care, grounding practices, and a supportive network. Figuring out adulthood is an ongoing process, and it often involves navigating financial responsibilities and finding a balance between personal and professional growth. Stargaze was a popular lesbian bar in Chicago that provided a space for the queer community to gather and be themselves. The closure of Stargaze left a void in the community, highlighting the need for dedicated lesbian spaces. Anna's journey of self-discovery and acceptance led her to embrace her black and queer identities and find balance between them. The Queer News Podcast is a platform for discussing important topics and issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

There's one question that gets asked in this week's episode that’s really stuck with me and that I continued to ponder even after we'd said our goodbyes and turned our microphones off... And that question is: how do you know when you have become the person that you’re supposed to be? By that I mean - at what point do you say 'yes this is the person I was supposed to be' rather than continue to strive and figure that out? Or, do you just kind of like make do with who you presently are and accept that that might change one day? And it's one of those annoying questions where there probably isn't an answer, so it's not worth expending any energy trying to figure it out, but if you have any suggestions do let me know! But for now, let’s focus on our guest for this week’s episode, Amethysta Herrick, writer and host of the Gender Identity Weekly podcast. Amethysta came out as a trans woman in 2022, but if you've ever come out then you know that it takes a lot of mental computation and processing to get to that point and it's usually something that you know about a long time before you're willing to share it with the wider world. But luckily for us we have queer spaces where it's safe to explore these things. And, one of the places that helped Amethysta explore and understand her identity was the Athens, Georgia bar Boneshakers, where, way back in the 90s, she got to try out an alternate identity - she named herself Selina after Catwoman's civilian name - and just got to flirt, hang out, and exist as herself. Do you have any memories of Boneshakers, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: www.facebook.com/lostspacespod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Find out more about Amethysta by listening to her podcast, Gender Identity Weekly, or by visiting her website (https://www.amethysta.io/) Takeaways Identity is a continuous process of becoming and evolving, and there is no fixed destination. The 90s were a time of both darkness and hope for Amethysta, as she navigated her gender transition and struggled with mental health. Living in Athens as a student was a formative experience for Amethysta, shaping her understanding of herself and her place in the world.

Have you ever shown up at the tail-end of a really exciting party just as everything was ending, and you get that overwhelming feeling of having had missed out on something big? Well, that's kinda what happened to illustrator and cartoonist Eric Kostiuk Williams. He had moved to Toronto in 2008, and took a few years to discover the corner of the scene that felt right for him - in his word, the 'art f*g' scene - but just as he was finding his feet he could feel that the scene was shifting and moving on, meaning that he always feels that he missed out on many magical nights in his lost space, The Beaver. But that's not to say that he still didn't have a good time! We caught up to talk about his new book, 2am Eternal, which documents 10 years of Toronto nightlife flyers that he illustrated - along the way we talk about when and how to leave the party, Eric's relationship with the word 'queer', and letting go of your twink-dom. Do you have any memories of The Beaver, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eric.k.w/ Website: https://www.kostiukwilliams.com/ Takeaways The term 'twink' can have different connotations and meanings, ranging from derogatory to enviable, depending on the context and individual perspectives. The experience of coming out and embracing one's identity can vary greatly, and it is important to respect each person's unique journey. Toronto offers a vibrant and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community, with thriving creative and queer communities that provide a sense of belonging and support. Finding one's community and personal growth often involves exploring different spaces, connecting with like-minded individuals, and embracing self-expression. The terms 'gay' and 'queer' have different connotations and can represent different aspects of identity and community. Creating posters for queer parties requires understanding the vibe and atmosphere of the event and collaborating with the organizers. Generational shifts and the passage of time can bring changes to the queer scene, but new experiences and connections can still be found. The Beaver played a significant role in creating a vibrant queer scene in Toronto. Being part of a scene involves both a sense of community and practical considerations. Knowing when to exit a party or scene is important for personal well-being. The closure of The Beaver highlights the loss of unique spaces in Toronto. Lessons from The Beaver include embracing oneself and appreciating the value of personal experiences.

So, it's well documented on this show that queer spaces are good for many things - they're for dancing, socialising, drinking, falling down, getting back up, losing yourself, finding yourself in the arms of some strange men at 2am in the morning... BUT, they are also for organising and activism, and I think that's something we don't talk about enough on this show. That's all about to change. This week we are joined by activist Dr Syrus Marcus Ware, who joined me to talk about The Red Spot, in Toronto, Canada. This was a space where he unwound, met and connected with many fellow organisers, and planned protests and marches in the late 90s... Oh, yes, you read correctly! We are headed back to the 90s, and our conversation starts with the most 90s conversation ever, where Syrus explains all about how answering machines and pagers worked! Do you have any memories of The Red Spot, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! Follow me Instagram: www.instagram.com/lostspacespod Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/lostspacespod⁠ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostspacespod Support me Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lostspacespod Follow my guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syrusmarcus Twitter: https://twitter.com/syrusmarcusware Website: https://www.syrusmarcusware.com/ Takeaways The Red Spot was a significant space for activism and organising in Toronto, providing a home for marginalised communities. Experiencing anti-blackness in LGBTQ+ spaces highlights the need for intersectional activism and the importance of creating inclusive and welcoming environments. Coming out as trans is a personal journey that can be supported by community and activism. The Red Spot was a significant community space for queer and trans individuals in Toronto, providing a cozy and inclusive atmosphere. The closure of the Red Spot raised concerns about the loss of a safe and accessible gathering place for the community The Red Spot taught valuable lessons about the power of community organising, the value of accessibility, and the impact of artistic practice in activism.

I know there's always the risk with this show of completely romanticising queer spaces as these glistening oasis' of tolerance and acceptance. But, that's really not the case - despite how wonderful and freeing they can be, they can also be a bit shitty and exclusionary. And I was reminded of that this week when I sat down to talk to talk to Andrew Gurza, who is a disability awareness consultant and activist, as well as being the host of the Disability After Dark podcast. We caught up to discuss The Edge, which was a gay bar in Ottawa, Canada, and held so much promise for Andrew but pretty much failed to deliver. But, that's not to say that this is a totally depressing episode. That Andrew is one horny guy, and he seems to have mastered the art of turning every conversation into one about blow jobs, so penises and giggling come up a lot, as well as the despair we both feel about mainstream gay male culture! So, in other words - something for everyone (?)! Do you have any memories of The Edge, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Andrew by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/andrewgurza6/) or visiting his website (https://www.andrewgurza.com/). Finally, make sure you listen to his podcast Disability After Dark! Takeaways Queer spaces, such as clubs, can be inaccessible and unwelcoming to disabled individuals, highlighting the need for greater accessibility education. Ableism and ignorance towards disability are prevalent in society, including within the queer community. It is important to confront ableism and educate others about disability, but it can be exhausting and disappointing when met with resistance or indifference. Rejection and disappointment are common experiences in dating and relationships, but it is important to prioritise self-worth and not settle for mistreatment. Intersectionality is crucial in understanding the experiences of queer and disabled individuals. Unpacking biases and stereotypes is necessary for creating more inclusive and accepting queer spaces. There is a need for greater accessibility in queer spaces, and fundraising efforts should be directed towards making these spaces inclusive for all. The fear of disability within the queer community hinders meaningful connections and perpetuates ableism. Enforcement of accessibility laws is essential to ensure equal access for disabled individuals. The concept of community is complex, and it is important to recognise and address the divisions and challenges within different queer communities. Resilience and self-discovery are key in navigating the complexities of identity and finding a sense of belonging. Being the only one with a particular identity can be powerful, but it also highlights the need for greater representation and inclusivity.

I have a fairly straightforward relationship with religion in that... well, I don't have one. I wasn't brought up religious, I've never dabbled in religiousity, and it's never seemed to be something that particularly drew me in. Where it's a bit more fuzzy for me is when talking about the intersection between queerness and religiousness. It'll come as no surprise to you when I say that most religions take a fairly strong stance when it comes to queerness (and that stance isn't one of embrace and love). And, so, I was always so baffled by people who were both religious and queer, and how they found ways to balance both of those identities. I thought they were in denial or trying to please everyone or trying to be a 'respectable' gay. But, my views have changed - as I get older I can understand how useful religion can be (and, on top of that, it's kind of none of my business if someone else wants to be religious). I'm telling you all of this because this week I had a really interesting conversation with Crystal Cheatham, who is the founder and CEO of the OurBible app, an app for progressive Christians that she developed when she got fed-up of the homophobic BS she was encountering on other mainstream apps. We caught up to talk about the lesbian bar Sisters, which was in Philadelphia, USA, that she started going to when she was but a little gay-by. And, I think you're going to enjoy this conversation. I personally got a lot of insight, and a new perspective, on how to hold religious views alongside your rampant queerness (!). Do you have any memories of Sisters?, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Crystal by following her on X (https://twitter.com/crystalcheatham) or visiting her website (https://www.crystalcheatham.me/)/ Or, if it tickles your fancy why not download the Our Bible app, which is a community space for people who identify as spiritual but not religious, progressive Christian, or nothing at all. Key takeaways Lesbian bars can be lively and sometimes chaotic spaces, where unexpected and outrageous things can happen. Moving to a new city can provide opportunities for self-discovery and exploration of one's identity. Reconciling faith and sexuality can be a challenging process, but there are affirming religious spaces available. Fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and challenging conservative ideologies can be fuelled by anger and a desire for change. The first experiences of attraction to women can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, but they can also lead to meaningful connections. The closure of Sisters, a lesbian bar in Philadelphia, had a significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community, resulting in the loss of a cultural hub and safe space. Crystal's journey with religion and spirituality led her to create an inclusive app (OurBible) that reflects her own beliefs and experiences. Family acceptance and support are crucial for LGBTQ+ individuals, and while some family members may struggle with acceptance, it is important to prioritise self-care and set boundaries. Self-discovery and personal growth are essential for embracing one's sexuality and spirituality, and it is important to live in the present moment and not worry about others' opinions.

We talk in this episode a little about Lamya's new memoir, Hijab Butch Blues. If you're interested in snagging yourself a copy why not take a look at my Bookshop store? https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13642/9781785788499 Books! Is there anything more inviting and accepting than a good book - one that seems to know you better than you know yourself? Books were my best friend when I was growing up, and they seemed to always provide comfort and solace from whatever shit was happening elsewhere in my life (which was usually the horror of high school). And there's something so magical about going to a library or going to a book shop and just being surrounded by the possibilities and the universes that were inside. And, I have a hunch I'm not the only one who thinks this way - in fact, this week I'm joined by author Lamya H, who found themselves drawn to the queer, trans and sex worker run bookshop Bluestockings when they were a fresh transplant to NYC. (And, for clarity's sake, it's worth saying that Bluestockings still exists, but it's no longer at its original location on Allen St, which is where Lamya first found it) Do you have any memories of Bluestockings, or a queer space from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Lamya H by following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lamyaisangry) or visiting their website (https://www.lamyah.com/)

It's time to put on your skinny jeans, dig out your studded belt, and apply about a week's worth of black eyeliner, because this week.... we're going emo! Now, if you’re listening to this episode 300 years from now and you’re like ‘what the heck is emo’ let me break it down for you... According to dictionary.com emo is 'a style of rock music resembling punk but having more complex arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects'. And, as with every good genre of music there is a scene, a style of dress, and a way of thinking... But, enough of my thinly disguised judgement - this week comedian and podcaster Matt Hey is taking us to Hot Damn, an emo night in Sydney, Australia, in, of course, the most emo of decades - the 00s. And, legitimately, Hot Damn sounds like it was the place to be - different rooms playing different music, live bands, and every month there was a themed party (think 'Spring Break', 'School Graduation') and they would have novelty pop-ups like kissing booths and a mechanical bull in the shape of a giant penis. Growing up on the Central Coast (which is about 1 - 1.5 hours outside of Sydney), the club helped Matt normalise being different and seeing people there just not giving a fuck was liberating. But, listen to the whole episode to find out the full story... Do you have any memories of Hot Damn, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Matt by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alrighthey) or listen to his podcast High Scrollers!

This study was published at the beginning of 2024, and it talks about the key role of Aunties and 'othermothers' in supporting queer children to flourish by providing emotional and practical support. Admittedly, it's probably one of those studies that confirms what everyone else has known for years, but it's particularly interesting to me because I didn't grow up with any adult female figures in my life other than my mother (and teachers at school, I suppose, but there's a distance and a power dynamic that means that isn't quite the same). So, in order to explore this more (and ask all the stupid questions that are bouncing around in my head) I sat down with writer Barrak Alzaid, who told me all about his grandmother, Mama Latifa, whose house acted as a safe haven and magical space for Barrak when he was growing up in 1980s and 90s Kuwait. Along the way we talk about different cultural understandings of the coming out journey, what happens when that coming out journey doesn't go according to plan, and which of the characters from the 80s cartoon Thundercats is the most shaggable.... Do you have any memories from queer spaces that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod). Find out more about Barrak by visiting his website (https://barrakalzaid.com/) or follow him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/barrakstar) or X (https://twitter.com/barrakstar) Key takeaways Mama Latifa's house played a significant role in Barrak's understanding of their identity, providing a safe and empowering environment. The Western concept of coming out does not neatly align with the societal expectations in Kuwait, where discussions about sexuality are often avoided. Barrak's relationship with their mother has evolved over time, with open dialogue and understanding. The limitations and challenges faced by queer individuals in Kuwait highlight the importance of safe spaces and the need for acceptance and support. Creating safe and liberatory spaces can have a profound impact on individuals' personal growth and self-expression. Family meals and gatherings can foster a sense of togetherness and provide a space for individuals to be themselves. Having a supportive and accepting environment can help individuals develop a strong sense of self-assuredness. The freedom to play and consume subversive media can contribute to personal growth and self-expression.

So it's fairly well established that I think queer spaces are really significant and an important way to explore your identity and dip your big toe into the queer lake of fabulosity. But, what we don't talk a lot about on this show is the importance of queer performance spaces, where people who are just starting out - singers, comedians, jugglers - have the chance to perform in front of an understanding audience (even if they do occasionally heckle and objectify you - somehow it's ok when it's a queer audience!). Anyway, that was my way of introducing this week's guest, comedian extraordinaire, Natali Caro, who found a queer comedy night at Giant Dwarf in Sydney early on in their career, and says that it helped them to be brave and try different things that helped them step into their comedic excellence. So much so, in fact, that it inspired them to set up their own night - Gag - that we will find out more about during this episode. Do you have any memories of Giant Dwarf, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod). Find out more about Natali by following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nati_daddy_/) Takeaways Performing to a queer audience is often more rewarding and understanding than performing to a non-queer audience. Comedy can be a powerful tool for self-expression and reaching people with important messages. Overcoming shyness and pursuing comedy can be a transformative experience. The first solo performance can be nerve-wracking but can also lead to personal growth and confidence. Queer comedy festivals provide opportunities for performers to showcase their work in a supportive and inclusive environment. Inclusive comedy spaces are important for marginalised communities who often feel excluded from mainstream comedy. Queer clubbing can be challenging for individuals who don't feel like they fit into the traditional party scene or who prefer non-clubbing related entertainment. Creating an inclusive space requires intentional programming, representation, and a welcoming atmosphere set by the host or organiser. The intangible element of 'vibes' plays a role in the overall experience of a comedy night or event. Measuring self-worth based on output can be detrimental and it's important to let go of the need for validation. Living in a cave may sound appealing at times, but human connection and applause can bring joy and fulfillment!

Now, you might want to sit down or take a deep breath before you read this episode description, but.... it's possible that I've managed to find someone wracked with more self-doubt than me! Now, i hope you haven’t spit out your coffee or come over all faint, but I can confirm it is absolutely true. And who is that person? Well, it’s host of The Winning Side podcast Jord Hailwood, who joined me to talk about his university days in Oxford and how special being able to go to his lost space The Plush Lounge was for him. (Oh, but, just to avoid any confusion - as of 2024 The Plush Lounge is still very much ongoing, and bills itself as Oxford's premier LGBTQ+ party space! The reason that we're discussing it in this episode is because when Jord first started university it was being held at a different venue - a different physical space - which it moved away from in 2019). Do you have any memories of The Plush Lounge, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jord by listening to his podcast The Winning Side, or following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jordanhailwood/)

On this week's show I'm starting to question whether I should be getting in to the world of kink or not. And, who is enticing me over to the kinky side? Why, it's podcaster and well-known kinkster Auntie Vice, who tells me all about what drew her to the world of kink, as well as what was so special about her lost space, Wicked Grounds in San Francisco, USA.  Find out more about Auntie Vice by listening to the Fat Girls on Top podcast, following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/auntievice) or visiting her website (www.auntievice.com) You can also reach out to me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) - I'd love to hear from you!

More new podcast recommendations this week! This week I'm sharing an episode of The Queer Family Podcast, a show all about queer families. Every episode is a chat between host Jaimie and different guests who have been through the process of starting their own family, and I've learnt so much from listening about how varied everyone's journey is. This particular episode is a chat with Richard and Carlos, (aka @therealdadsofnewyork), who chat about their experiences of fostering and adopting. The thing I love in particular about this conversation is that very specific energy between a couple (you know what I'm talking about!).

Ahoy! I'm taking a few weeks off over the festive period to recharge (and eat too many mince pies). But, rather than leaving you languishing out there in podcast land without any fresh content I thought I would share some of my favourite episodes from past guests' own podcasts. And, the first show that I'm sharing is..... This Queer Book Saved My Life! This show is hosted by JP Der Boghossian, who appeared in the Lost Spaces episode "Every Bachelorette Party Seems To Be At A Queer Bar Now" waaaaay back in August 2022. I wanted to share this episode because: JP is a total sweetheart and I think you'll love his interview style The episode, a conversation with Maya Williams, the Poet Laureate of Portland, Maine, covers a book that is often the focus of book-banning campaigns - The Colour Purple. I am baffled by all this book banning malarkey, and I want to hear your views on it!

Sometimes on this show we talk about spaces that my guest went to religiously, and they have stories from years of partying and socialising. And sometimes, like with this episode, we go to spaces that my guest only went to once. Despite that, it was still hugely influential to them. And, so, although we don't know the name of this week's bar, or exactly what town it was in, we DO know that it was in Arizona, that it was a country bar, and that it had a huge impact on my guest, David F M Vaughn from the queer parenting podcast Gaytriarchs. We talk all about the overlap between queerness and southernness, the beauty of an unpretentious bar, and the fear of going to queer spaces on your own (and being judged horribly!). Do you have any inkling of what this week's mystery bar could be, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about David by having a listen to Gaytriarchs wherever you find podcasts, or by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/davidfmvaughn).

What do you do when Malcolm McLaren, that hugely influential promoter and manager for punk rock bands like Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow, tells you that he thinks you should move to New York City? Well, you pack your bags and get moving! That’s exactly what this week’s guest did, packing his bags and moving with his best friend Lauren after the two got talking to Mr McLaren at a party they attended in their home state, California. Moving from San Diego in the autumn of 1985, the two were plunged in to the exciting NYC nightlife scene immediately, attending the lost space Boy Bar on their very first night. And Boy Bar came to be a pretty big deal in Miss Guy's life - but, I'll let her tell you about that. This is a really great conversation, and another reminder after the conversation a few weeks ago with Sherry Vine of a time when New York City nightlife was vital and throbbing and the centre of the universe... Do you have any memories of Boy Bar, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Miss Guy by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/missguynyc/) or visiting his website (www.missguy.com)

What do you do when you're a drag queen who wants to get more gigs? Well, that's simple - you create you own night! Easy, right? But we're not talking about just any old drag queen. We are talking about someone who, dare I say, loves a checklist almost as much as I do (I know, can you believe it?). Zelda Moon is the co-host of the Death to Everyone podcast (and we've already met her co-host Lazy Susan in last week's episode), and she is also a huge lover of K-Pop and J-Pop music. And, so, she got the bright idea, early in her drag career, to throw a night celebrating this music, which she called Genki (and which was held at Melbourne's Hugs and Kisses). And that's when the fun began! Listen to the full episode to find out more. Do you have any memories of Genki at Hugs n Kisses, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Zelda by listening to her podcast with Lazy Susan (who was last week's guest!), Death to Everyone, or you can also follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/zeldamoon/). Oooh, and if you want to get a better feel for what Genki was like check out the Genki Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/genkiparty/) If you liked this episode I'd really appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on your podcast platform, or just tell people that you think might be interested! I am K Anderson, and you've been listening to Lost Spaces

Who doesn't love a bit of competition? I'm rarely happier than when there are dreams to crush, plans to thwart and hearts to break. But, enough about me. Instead, let's talk about this week's guest, Australian drag queen and co-host of the Death to Everyone podcast, Lazy Susan, who found herself getting a bit competitive herself taking part in a drag competition at the Melbourne drag bar The Greyhound. And, it was through this that she fell in love with the space and the cast of characters who worked and socialised there. Do you have any memories of The Greyhound, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Lazy Susan by listening to her podcast with Zelda Moon, Death to Everyone, or you can also follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ms lazysusan/).

So, if you are a long time listener of this show you will probably know that I am on a bit of a quest to stamp out the use of the word 'normal', because it find it is just a really unhelpful descriptor, and it's so subjective - like, what's normal for me may not be normal for you. Anyway, I say all of this because I need to formally apologise to this week's guest for telling him off whenever he used that word in our conversation. My guest is Stephen Griffiths, co-host of the Are the Gays Ok? podcast, and he came on to talk about moving to Bangkok in his early 20s as a way of escaping his life... and it was here, at Telephone Bar and other clubs in the gay district, that he got the opportunity to try on being gay... and recognise that it, too, is normal. Do you have any memories of Telephone Bar, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Stephen by listening to his podcast Are The Gays Ok?, a show all about queer mental health. You can also find out more about him by visiting his website https://www.swgcounselling.co.uk/, where you can find out about his counselling services.

Picture it. It's an evening sometime in 2012. You've met up with a guy from one of the apps (Grindr or Scruff or something). He takes you to dinner, and then he takes you to a bar, and then in that bar you have your very first kiss. How does that feel? Well, we're going to find out from writer/director/filmmaker Corey Sherman, who got a little smoochy at lost LA space Faultline. And, that's where we start our conversation - finding out about how that first kiss felt. Do you have any memories of Faultline, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Corey by visiting his website (https://coreyshermanfilms.com/), and you can also find him on X (https://twitter.com/corsherm). And he's also just released a new film, Big Boys, a queer coming-of-age film about a teenage boy’s unexpected crush- find out more about it at https://www.bigboysfilm.com/

Sometimes being in a new location, surrounded by strangers and new-ness, is just the thing that you need to give you the bravery to embrace new things... And, that's exactly what happened for singer/songwriter Mya Byrne, who moved to San Francisco in 2015 to give herself a change of scenery. Along the way threw herself head first in to exciting new things (which we'll find out more about in this here very episode!). We got together to talk about The Stud, and we DID talk about The Stud - I promise you! - but, we also talked about much more than that. In particular, we talked a lot about the leather scene in San Fran, and how that's morphed and changed in the last decade. Do you have any memories of The Stud, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mya why not follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/myabyrne/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/myabyrnemusic/) and X (https://twitter.com/MsMyaByrne).

I recognise that it's a total romanticisation, but I have a really soft spot for small-town gay bars. I love that they are inclusive (even if it is by necessity rather than design) and I love what they represent - a safe haven nestled in to a place that may not feel all that safe otherwise... This week we're headed to the lost small town gay bar Rumours, which was found in upstate New York. And our guest is singer/songwriter, teacher, facilitator, and Director of Marketing and Communications of the Easton Mountain Retreat Centre, Freddy Freeman. He shares what it's like growing up in a small town, the cliques that can sometimes form in bear communities, and one of my favourite topics ever - the process of figuring out where you fit in... Do you have any memories of Rumours, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Freddy by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/goldenheartbear).

If you've ever wondered what 90s New York City was like, then today's episode is the one for you. Before mass gentrification, before eye-watering rent hikes, and before all the personality was stamped out of it, queer night clubbing in the Big Apple was anarchic, unhinged, and magical. And the person that told me this is this week's guest, Sherry Vine - drag superstar, singer-songwriter, and host of The Sherry Vine Variety Show (available to stream now on OutTV and FrootTV), who was right there smack dab in the middle of it all. We talk about moving to NYC, getting started in drag, and Sherry gives a flavour of that anarchic magic that used to be on every street corner... Do you have any memories of sleazy, sleazy NYC, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Sherry by watching her tv show The Sherry Vine Variety Show on OutTV in North America or FrootTV in the UK. You can also find her via her website (https://www.sherryvine.com/), or following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/misssherryvine/) or YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/misssherryvine).

So, we talk a lot on this show about new, fresh, exciting love (or, let's be honest, lust!), and how magnificent and all-consuming that can be. But, we don't often talk about that wonderful long-term love - you know the kind where you can be cranky and know the other person won't get offended. Or when you know each other so well that you can finish off each other's sentences? Ahhh.... Anyway, all of that is to say that this week I'm joined by Charles and Martha from the Full Circle Podcast, who joined me to talk about The Venture Inn in Philadelphia. We jump straight in to their meeting story, and then weave a path from there to their experiences of enjoying the scene together, and how the pandemic had a significant (but wonderful) impact on them. Do you have any memories of The Venture Inn, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Charles and Martha by listening to their podcast Full Circle, or following them on socials - they're on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fullcirclethepod/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FullCircleThePod) and Threads (https://www.threads.net/@fullcirclethepod).

Have you ever fallen in love with your best friend? Because - spoiler alert - it's a terrible, terrible idea. Or, at least it is for most people. Anyway, my guest this week, singer-songwriter Benjamin Koll happened to do just that, falling in love with his childhood friend, no less. And so by the time he managed to overcome that, and realise that he needed to move on, he was chomping at the bit to explore the queer scene. And it sounds to me from our conversation that he landed in just the right place - a welcoming bar in Valencia, Spain, which was called Central. We caught up to talk about Central and why it was so important to him. Along the way, we also talked about the growing visibility of the bear community, and what it's like to follow your passion. Do you have any memories of Central, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Benjamin by visiting his website (https://www.benjaminkoll.com/), or following him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/benjaminkollofficial/), or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/benjaminkollmusic) or YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/BenjaminKoll).

So when I talk about the importance of queer spaces I'm usually thinking about the fact that they give people opportunities to find others and connect, as well as exploring their identity in a safe space. But there's this whole other layer that I don't think about much. And, that is the fact that, for performers these spaces are (on top of everything else) where they get to dream and craft and create and fuck up with a safe and understanding audience. And this week's conversation was a great reminder of this. For this chat I'm joined by the cabaret geek himself, Paulus, who took a break from his latest show Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood to talk me about London's Madame JoJos. It was here that he got his big break as a drag queen, and though drag is no longer his bread and butter the place remains important to him because of the magic within the walls. We talk about the thanklessness of drag, building a chosen family, and how sometimes all you need is a wonderful middle-aged woman to tell you what you should do next. Do you have any memories of Madame JoJos, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Paulus by visiting his website (https://thecabaretgeek.com/), or following him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thecabaretgeek/), or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thecabaretgeek/).

So, if you ask me reality TV, as awful and cringey and addictive and delicious as it is, has been monumental in increasing queer visibility in tv and film. Back in the late 90s/early 00s when reality tv was in its infancy, there were a lot of gay ‘characters’ (for want of a better term) that were cast on these shows as (I think) a bit of a shock tactic… And what TV executives maybe didn't anticipate was that audiences warmed to these people, and were rooting for them, and actively invested in their success. And, as a result, that made the aforementioned TV Execs a little less scared about including queer characters in other shows... Which brings us to today’s guest. Now, everything I've just said definitely applies to this man. He was the very first winner of the reality TV juggernaut ‘Survivor’ all the way back in the year 2000. He became an overnight star because of his antics on the island, which included his comfort with being naked. But, long before he found fame he was a bartender at Lost and Found, a gay bar that was found in Washington DC. We got together to talk all about the bar, and along the way we discuss body image, THAT tv show, and being on the hunt for ‘guile’. Do you have any memories of Lost and Found, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Richard by visiting his website (https://www.richhatch.com/), or following him across socials - Twitter (https://twitter.com/HatchRichard), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hatch_rich), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/RichHatch) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/richardhatchofficialpage)

Sometimes I feel a bit dumb (or maybe just a bit sheepish) about some of the revelations I have through doing this show, especially since we're so close to 200 episodes (eek!) and I feel like I should know it all by now... But, then, on the other hand, the fact that I'm still learning so much is part of the reason that I'm so excited to share these stories with you. And this week the thing that resonated the most is the idea that when things are at their absolute worst also happens to be the time when being in a sweaty nightclub is actually the most fulfilling.... This week I was lucky enough to sit down with comedian and podcaster Sheria Mattis, and it helped me refocus on the importance of clubbing and nightlife and release. In those times of my life when things have felt so difficult and knotty and hard, being out and shocking my senses was the best way for me to recalibrate,. Oh, and before you listen to this episode - if you don't know who she is already you should probably google Rachel Maddow, because... well, we talk about her quite a lot and it's useful if you know what she looks like! Do you have any memories of Rock N Rollerskate, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Sheria by listening to her podcast, Semi-Woke - a show where Sheria brainwashes her co-host Pranav with one woke concept a week with the ultimate end goal of turning him gay. I mean, what's not to love? Or, why not follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sheriamattiscomedy) or on Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/sheriadidthat)

You know how they say that no matter who you fall in love with during the course of your life you'll always compare everyone to your first true love? Well, I think that's also true of nightclubs. Which I know sounds a little wacky, but I wholeheartedly believe that there's something really magical about your first place. This week I sat down with Digo and Caleb from the podcast Ants Humans Stars to find out about Digo's lost space, Mars Bar, which was in Richmond, Virginia. You can quickly see why he loved this place.- it was one of those dive bars that had an especially cheesy 80s night every week. And, it came at just the right time in his life - he'd just dropped out of college, fled to the nearest city, and was trying to fall in love (or, as he puts it, he was chasing D)... I loved this conversation because of the reminder of the importance and pull of the dancefloor. Do you have any memories of Mars Bar, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Caleb and Digo by listening to their podcast, Ants Humans Stars. You can also visit their website (https://www.antshumansstars.com/), or following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/antshumansstars/) or YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@antshumansstarspodcast)

You know how sometimes these conversations are only very, very, very tenuously linked to a queer space, and in the intro I try and come up with some justification for why we didn't talk that much about it to prepare you for the episode ahead? Well, dear listener, this week I'm not even going to try to insult your intelligence by pretending that we talked about a queer space, cause we didn't. I failed you. BUT, that's not to say that it's not a great conversation! I was lucky enough to sit down with Jaimie Kelton, actor, voiceover artist, author and host of the Queer Family podcast. And in our conversation we talk all about what it's like to grow up in one of the gayest cities in the world, San Francisco, but still battle with coming to terms with your own sexuality, how to shed the idea of yourself being a 'good girl', and why the stereotype of the u-haul lesbian is so damn persistent... Do you have any memories of queer spaces that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jaimie by listening to the Queer Family Podcast, visiting her website (⁠https://www.thequeerfamilypodcast.com/⁠), or following the show on Facebook ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ovariestalk/⁠), Instagram (⁠https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/⁠) or TikTok (⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thequeerfamilypodcast⁠)

I am kind of intrigued by this phenomenon of queer men feeling more comfortable in a lesbian bar than in any other space. And, there's no one reason, obviously, but it seems like a lot of it comes down to the lack of pretence and lack of attitude that you can find in the good ol' fashioned lesbian bar. Which brings us to this week's conversation - we're heading back to the city I grew up in, Adelaide, to visit the lesbian bar Bean's Bar. My guest is Marcus Hamence, who is a bit of a man about town in Adelaide. He's an interior designer, events promoter and he writes a column for the local newspaper. When he first came out (and he came out to his parents following a Tina Turner concert, which is probably one of the best coming out stories ever!), he found that the first club he went to was a bit too intense, and felt more able to be himself and to explore his identity in a room full of lesbians! Do you have any memories of Bean's Bar, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Markus by visiting his website (https://markushamence.com/), or following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/markushamence/).

Out of all of the musicals you could possibly blame for making you gay, I would have guessed that Les Miserables would be somewhere near the bottom of the list. But not, it turns out, if you are radio presenter, author, and host of the Coming Out Stories podcast Emma Goswell, who had her queer awakening with thanks to the story about a French peasant and his quest for redemption in 19th century France... Hmm... We caught up to talk about the Manchester in the 90s, and in particular the lesbian bar Follies, which sounds like one of those delightfully bizarre places that has a little bit for everybody (including those who just want a nice cup of tea and a sit down!). Before we get in to it, and in order to set the context for the beginning of the episode, we start off by discussing the strange rivalry in England between the North and the South of the country. I'm pretty sure every country has their own version of this, but worth stating that the North is seen as more down to earth whilst the South is seen as snobby and hoighty. Total oversimplification, but hopefully that's enough to get us going. Do you have any memories of Follies, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Emma by listening to either of her podcasts - Coming Out Stories, which is all about coming out stories, and Effin Hormones, which is a show all about the perimenopause. You can also follow her on X (www.twitter.com/emmagoswell).

Ok, this might be a weird thing for me to admit... but, before this week's conversation, although I knew what polyamory was I hadn't really thought about the fact that there is a whole subculture around it, and that includes slang terms and specific inter-relational concepts... But, of course there is! That's just what human beings do! So, this was a useful conversation for me to help expand my vocabulary and think a bit differently.. And, who enlightened me? Well, it's Canadian stand up comedian Rush Kazi, who joined me to share stories about Zelda's, a diner that was in Toronto's gaybourhood in the 90s and 00s. Along the way we talk about biphobia, the bestest way to prevent UTIs, and how to dump 15 people simultaneously via text message. Do you have any memories of Zelda's, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Rush by visiting their website (https://www.rushkazi.com/), or following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rushkazi/) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RushZillaComedy)

Sometimes I'm really taken aback by what an absolute privilege it is to do this job, and how people can be so open and honest with me. And I think it's a real honour that I get to help amplify the stories, and get the opportunity to really examine my own queerness and how that's shaped who I am. Maybe that's all a little bit too sentimental? Let's get on with what this show is about this week. I am joined by the British comedian, Jacob Truman, who sat down with me to talk about a small-town gay bar that was in the city where he went to University. The kicker? He never had the bravery to step foot in the place. So you've probably already guessed that this one's going to be heavy, but but I promise it's a good one. We talk all about making all of your decisions from a position of fear, being too scared to come out to your identical twin brother, and what it's like to glimpse through that sliver of a window at a life that you aren't brave enough to start for yourself. Do you have any memories of Christopher’s, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jacob by visiting his Instagram and TikTok (@jacobtrueman)

This week we are headed to Stonewall! Only not THAT Stonewall (sorry if I got your hopes up)... No, instead of the bright lights of New York city we are headed to small town Oklahoma, to visit the Stonewall Tavern in a town named Stillwater. And whilst this bar wasn't technically a gay bar, it did create a safe environment and give people space to be themselves and figure out who they are. And one of the people who went there is Anthony Criswell, who is one of the hosts of the Beards and Sundries podcast alongside his husband Joe and their friend Jay (who you may remember from a recent episode of the show!). One of the things that I love most about this conversation is that Anthony is a recovering people pleaser, and he gives us some advice on how to assert yourself in your relationships (which I, of course, immediately start to overthink and over-examine, but, hey, that's what you've come to expect from this show, right?). Do you have any memories of Stonewall Tavern, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Anthony by listening to his show, Beards and Sundries, wherever you find podcasts. And, you can also follow the show on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beardsandsundries

Before anything else I need to give a huge apology to this week's guest. When we were originally arranging to talk I was very strict with him and firmly said that we could only talk about one lost space and not, as he wanted, talk about the entire shifting queer scene in Toronto.... But... well... you can probably guess when happened when we got together to chat. We went ALL over the place (which is a good thing! The chat is A+)! So, although we originally got together to talk about Toronto's 'The Steady', (which you might remember as I was lucky enough to interview the venue's owner, Keaton Kash last year), the conversation takes in a number of other spaces and nights. We talk about dates that never end, throwing the perfect bachelorette party, and being so conscientious that you take the time to come out to everyone in your life individually... Do you have any memories of The Steady, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Johnnie by visiting his website (https://johnniemcnamarawalker.com/), or following them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/johnniemcnamarawalker) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/handsomejohnnie). If you liked this episode I'd really appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on your podcast platform, or just tell people that you think might be interested! I am K Anderson, and you've been listening to Lost Spaces

So, I had a bit of an a-ha moment fairly early in to this week's conversation, and it's something that I've been wrestling with and trying to reconcile ever since. For most of my childhood I had to just suck it up and accept that things were a bit shitty, because in the back of my mind I told myself that one day it would all be better. And, so, I ended up tolerating a lot of bad behaviour directed towards me. And, I've started to realise recently that I've brought that mindset in to my adult life, and have continued to tolerate shitty things far beyond what is reasonable. Anyway, that is all to say that I got a lot out of this conversation... And who helped provide that a-ha moment? Why, it's none other than comedian Jeena Bloom. Now, Jeena wanted to talk about queer spaces that she'd never even been to, but which existed in her small-town Florida 90s childhood as these almost fabled places that everyone in town knew as the gay and lesbian bar. She shares why those places were special to her even though she never set foot in them. We also talk all about mid-life crises, sugar daddies, and being meant for the big city. Do you have any memories of Dockside, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jeena by visiting her website (https://www.jeenabloom.com/), or following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jeenabloom/), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/jeenabloom).

Straight people are great. Well, most straight people are. Or... some straight people are? Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that despite the fact that straight people are ok (-ish) sometimes you just need a good ol' queer friend to help show you the world. And, when most of your friends are straight people you can just end up going to where they want to go and do the things that they want to do. And this can kind of get in the way of you developing in to the queer creature you're meant to be. This is partly what happened to this week's guest, Brian Rowe, the host of A Piece of Pie: The Queer Film Podcast. Brian moved to Chicago from small-town Illinois in the late 90s, and quickly found himself gingerly stepping his big toe in to Spin, a lost space that is so legendary we've already featured it twice on this podcast (once with Alexis P Bevels, and once with BB Kyle). In this episode we talk all about our quest to find identity, the difficulty of making friends, and what kind of sex we think MAGA supporters deserve (but, you probably already know the answer to that). Small town Illinois, moving to the big city, and Looking for identity, trying to make friends, navigating bad dates how straight friends are lovely but sometimes hold you back from getting down —————- Do you have any memories of Spin, or maybe a lost space from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Make sure you listen to Piece of Pie, wherever you stream podcasts. You can also follow the show on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pieceofpiepod/) If you liked this episode I'd really appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on your podcast platform, or just tell people that you think might be interested! I am K Anderson, and you've been listening to Lost Spaces

We talk a lot on this show about the very, very first time that people went to queer spaces, and all of the wonder and dread that comes with that… But, there’s another time that we don’t celebrate enough (and which I think might actually be better), and that is going out in your late 20s… For most people this is a time when you’re a little more settled, a bit less desperate (let's be honest), and you’ve started to ease into yourself and who you are… Which brings us to this week’s episode… Filip Jeremic is a Canadian Comedian and Writer who moved to New York after finishing theatre school in Toronto in 2014. It was here that he lived that 'struggling artist' life, replete with skanky share-houses, taking any old job he could just to stay afloat, and dating older men so that they could buy him dinner .. We caught up to talk about The Rusty Knot in NYC, which technically wasn’t a queer space, but became one on a particular day of the week (which you'll learn about when we get in to the chat). We talk about the joys of day drinking, the thrills of NYC, and I get slightly panicky and moralistic about free alcohol for some reason... Do you have any memories of The Rusty Knot, or maybe a bar or a club from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Filip by visiting his website, http://www.filipjeremic.com/, or following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/misterfilip).

What do you do when you live in a small town that has no queer presence? Well, you go right ahead and create that presence yourself! At least that's what you'd do if you were this week's guest, the writer of the soon to be released 'Tyranny of the Fey', Terry Bartley. Now, Terry comes from a tiny tiny tiny town called Danville in West Virginia, USA. Just how tiny is it? Well, the population is a mere 600 people! After coming in to a little bit of money Terry decided that he would open his own comic book shop, Spoiler Warning. And, whilst not exclusively queer, he went out of his way to make sure that the space was inclusive, which even included hosting a Pride event right there in that little town. We talk all about falling out of love with religion, realising that not everyone feels the way you do, and being a role model in your community. Let's find out more.... Do you have any memories of Spoiler Warning, or maybe a queer utopia from your own small town that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Terry by visiting his website, https://www.terrybartleywriter.com/, or following him on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@terrlet) or pre-order his new book 'Tyranny of the Fey'! Or, listen to his podcast, “Most Writers are Fans,” which is all about the intersection between writing and fandom.

One of the things that I've noticed is fairly common in people who come out later in life is just how much of a hurry they are in to experience ALL of the queer shit they've missed out on... And that is what happened to this week's guest, podcaster and voice-over artist Phil Corin, who, upon realising that they may not be heterosexual was on a mission to make their way to the New York City lesbian bar Meow Mix (1996 - 2004). And once they got in to the bar? Well, the gloves were off, but you'll have to listen to the episode to find out the whole story... In this episode we chat all about coming out tactics, lesbian pulp fiction, and.... our complicated feelings about single-gender spaces... Do you have any memories of Meow Mix, or maybe a bar or a club from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Phil by visiting their website, https://philcorin.com/, or following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/philcorin/). Phil also hosts the Transition of Style podcast, and co-hosts the I'm From Driftwood podcast, so make sure you go and check those out.

So, this might be the saddest episode we've ever had... And, I don't say that in a sensationalist way! I mean it legitimately. So, if you're not in the right headspace to listen to a sad chat then maybe come back to this episode another time. But, for those of you who are in the mood for a little contemplation let me tell you all about my guest, Robert Black. Robert is probably best known as being a porn star, and in fact is this year celebrating 25 years in the business! But he's also much more than that, obviously, and in the last few years he's launched his own podcast, Sexual Heroes, and youtube channel which gives practical tips about self-care and sex for queer men. But today we are going back in time to when he was but a young 18 year old going out on the scene for the first time. And, the bar he went to, Casa Lido in Trenton, New Jersey, quickly became his second home. It was here that so many important life events happened for him, helping him figure out who he was and what he wanted from life... So, I've already said it's a sad chat. But, there's always light and shade in these things - during the chat we talk all about this concept of chosen family and what that means to each of us, the joy of the dancefloor, and I get a bit of a flirting lesson from Robert... Do you have any memories of Casa Lido, or maybe a queer coffee shop from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Robert by visiting his website (https://www.robertblack.one/), or following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/robertblackxxx). Or, why not check out the Sexual Heroes podcast and Robert's youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@robertblackvideos) which includes wellness and sex tips for men.

I'm still thinking a lot about this week's conversation. And, in particular, it's made me think about the things I do in my life just to live up to other people's expectations of who I should be. And I'm trying to unpick that and understand it better... But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's get in to the episode.... This week I'm chatting to the burlesque artiste, the-prodigal-titty-of-the-Motor-City, Lottie Ellington. She's originally from Detroit, but found herself living in Richmond, Virginia for a while. At this time, the queer scene was not always so welcoming - very white, cis-male heavy, and anyone who doesn't fit in the box was made to feel very unwelcome - and, so, Lottie didn't really bother to explore the scene... But then she signed up for burlesque classes at Dogtown Dance Studios, and she found - first of all, that she loves performing burlesque, and second of all, a whole group of queer, like minded people at the studio... and that is why it's her lost space... We talk all about Lottie's infatuation with Wonder Woman (the OG Lynda Carter version!), how some people find it difficult to separate the performer from the person, and the pressure that we feel to live up to other people's expectations... Do you have any memories of Dogtown Dance Studio, or maybe a queer coffee shop from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Lottie by visiting her website, https://www.lottieellington.com/, or following her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lottie.ellington), Twitter (https://twitter.com/lottieellington), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lottieellington/) or TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@lottieellington)

So, I'm just going to come right out and say it - school kind of sucked.  And, it's bad enough when you have that gnawing suspicion that you don't fit in, but the real kicker is when other kids start to notice this too, and they think that the most appropriate response is... to go out of their way and make your life misery...  I was never really popular, and so I just learnt to keep my head down and survive the experience. But, for this week's guest, Wil Fisher who is the host of the podcast Queerly Beloved, the experience was different. He went from being one of the most popular kids to being a social pariah overnight.  How would you even begin to get your head around that? But, in a weird way, being an outcast gave him an opportunity to evaluate things he may not have otherwise done, and that time alone let him figure some things out about himself... And, it was at the San Diego queer cafe Euphoria that he got to *ahem* practice that all a little more...  We talk about running in to your teacher in a queer space, listening to Gregorian chants on your first date (how romantic!), and coming out to your dad all thanks to Dolly Parton.... Do you have any memories of Euphoria, or maybe a queer coffee shop from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Wil by listening to his podcast Queerly Beloved, or following him on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/wilfish99/⁠

You know, in all of the time that we've been doing this show we've never featured a sauna... but that's about to change! Our very first sauna is ACI, which was in San Antonio, Texas. And, showing us around is the subversive queer rapper Chris Conde. Now, Chris was a military brat, and so they moved around a lot when they were a kid. But, as a young adult they decided they wanted some stability, and so chose to settle in San Antonio. And it was here that they let go of religion, got sober, and then came out of the closet... again (?). Oooh, and for those who don't know, saunas, or bathhouse as they are commonly named in America, are places where people go for relaxation and... sex... let's be honest - it's mostly for sex. Anyway, they've kind of fallen out of fashion since the rise of the apps, but they were a huge part of queer (predominately male) culture for decades. Do you have any memories of ACI, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Chris by going and streaming their music, or following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chriscondetherapper/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/chrisconde) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/chriscondetherapper)

You know that cliche about being in a crowded room but still feeling all alone? Sometimes I think the person that came up with that imagery was talking about being on a dancefloor in a gay bar. Cause, yeah, there's so much to celebrate there - a room full of people who get to be themselves for the evening. But, there can also be a feeling of disconnect or outsider-ness... And, even though that's probably all inside your head, it's still a very real feeling in the moment. I got to explore this, and other things, in this week's chat with Manish Mathur, who is the host of 'It Pod To Be You' a movie review podcast that is all about romantic films! We got together to talk about the New York bar Rush, and along the way we chat about the perils or appearing straight, narrow-minded gay men, and what it feels like to always be the fifth wheel! Do you have any memories of Rush, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Manish by listening to It Pod to be You, or following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vertigay314)

So, this week we're going to do something a little different... It's our first ever episode celebrating the Eurovision Song Contest. And, before you say it - yes, technically Eurovision isn't a queer event. But, I mean... have you ever watched it? it's pretty bloody queer... And, to celebrate the 2023 competition I sat down to chat to Rob Holley, the Head of Content for the Eurovision Song Contest. Only we didn't talk about the contest itself - we chatted about #EurovisionAgain, an online watch-party of past competitions that Rob set up during those grim early days of the Covid-19 pandemic after discovering that 2020's competition was cancelled. I know that's a little bit different to our usual show, cause it's focussing on an online space rather than a physical space, but what struck me most during this conversation is how many similarities there are between #EurovisionAgain and queer bars - in particular this sense of community and belonging... which I think is pretty damn special, and certainly worth celebrating... We talk all about those early days of lockdown (which, honestly, I seem to have wilfully forgotten), what it was like for Rob to watch the meteoric success of his baby project, and, how #EurovisionAgain led him to snag his dream job with the EBU - the European Broadcasting Union. Do you have any memories of #EurovisionAgain, or any other online events that brought you joy during the pandemic? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Rob by following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/robholley). Or, if you want to know more about #EurovisionAgain go and look at that fancy wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EurovisionAgain

You must be exhausted because you've been running through my mind all day.... Ooooh yeah! This week on the show we're talking all about pick up lines... the cringier the better! What started off as a conversation about expectations versus the reality of flirting in a gay bar quickly turned in to a back-and-forth of cheesy pick-up lines! And, who is flirting with me? Why, it's Jay Roudybush from the Beards and Sundries podcast, who has come on the show to tell us all about Fantasy in Wichita, Kansas. We chat about religious parents, internalised homophobia, and staying-up-all-night-overthinking-every-moment-of-the-day-before.... Sound familiar? Do you have any memories of Fantasy's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jay by listening to his show, Beards and Sundries, wherever you find podcasts. And, you can also follow the show on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beardsandsundries

So, I have something to admit. I have not been dancing in a really long time. And, when I say dancing I mean sweaty, throbbing, disgustingly sticky kind of dancing. And, I kind of miss it... I got a nice reminder of how important it used to be in my life when I caught up with Alex Marcus, the Podcast Director of The Pop Break, a digital pop culture and entertainment online magazine, for this week's show. Alex is from New Jersey, but made the move to New York City when he went to college in the mid-naughties, and this gave him an opportunity to spread his wings and explore his queerness a little more... And what better place to do that than on the sweaty dancefloor of Splash nightclub, a sprawling two-floor gay bar in Manhattan that closed in 2013? We talk all about the weird hobbies we adopt to 'pass' as straight, being the token gay, and what it's like to lose yourself in a crowd. Do you have any memories of Splash, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Alex by following him on Twitter and Letterboxd @MediaThinkings. And make sure you also visit thepopbreak.com for all of your pop culture and entertainment needs!

It seems hard to believe, but in the early days of the internet there were these things called internet cafes, where you would go, pay some money, and then have access to a computer with the internet for a set period of time. And this was at a time when the internet wasn't on every phone and every TV and every watch. In fact, lots of families didn't even have computers in their houses... Wild, right? The reason I'm telling you this is because the internet cafe was, for many queer kids, HUGE. This was somewhere you could go, find a quiet corner, and then discover a world that was, up until that time, a mystery to you... And that's what happened for Macedonian drag queen Ronda Vu, who used chat rooms to find other gay people and take those tentative first steps in to being the queerdo that she is today. And, it was thanks to these friendships that she found Bonnie, a gay bar that was found in the capital city of Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Do you have any memories of Bonnie, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Ronda by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ms.rondavu).

I'm often guilty of romanticising small town queer bars, but I just think there's something really magical about everyone being in the same space and not segregating and splitting off in to different sub-communities like leather and lesbian and bears (oh my!)... But, there are also downsides to this... being in a small city or town can get in the way of you having the freedom to explore who you really are... And, this very thing happened for week's guest, Pepper (who you may know as a finalist in the drag competition tv series Call Me Mother), who started feeling a bit boxed in when people celebrated her drag character but weren't so interested in her non-drag self. We caught up to talk about The Roost, a legendary bar in the Canadian city of Edmonton. Along the way we chat about what we lose when the LGBTQ+ community gains wider acceptance, learning to be certain of who you are, and, the magic of the 1990s... Do you have any memories of The Roost, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Pepper by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thepepper.1) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thepepper1).

So, you've probably picked up from listening to this show that I have mixed feelings when it comes to the concept of 'representation'. I still can't quite articulate why I'm a bit iffy about it, but I think it's something about the commodification of the term. Like, yes, I agree that it's important, but it seems to have been hijacked and monetised by people, which I think is a bit icky... But, you're not here for my half-baked ponderings.. you're here to listen to a chat about a lost space. So, why am I going on and on about it? Well, it's because, within this episode, I think there's a really good example of why representation is hugely important. It was through seeing other drag kings that this episode's guest, German drag king Maria Moschus, was born. And it was a trip to Buenos Aires, where Maria's alter-ego Taiina went for an internship in 2019, where the character got to grow and develop at Carrera de Reyes, a drag king night that ran from 2019-2022. We talk all about that night, the magic and the chaos of being in a new city, and how not to feel stifled by drag stereotypes... Do you have any memories of Carrera de Reyes, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Maria by following them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mariamoschus/). Whilst you're there go and scroll through the photos from Carerra de Reyes' Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/carreradereyesok)

Ok, be totally honest with me - have you ever hooked up with a work colleague? Or, actually, the question I'm more interested in is - have you ever known about a work-place hook up that hasn't ended catastrophically? Well, if you haven't guessed already by the way I framed those questions - this week we are finding out all about a doomed hook up that our guest, Twitch streamer extraordinare, BBKyle had when he was working at Spin, a bar in Chicago's queer neighbourhood Boystown. But, that's definitely not all that we talk about... Though he is now based in Tennessee, BBKyle says that he loved his time at Spin so much that he would still be working there today if it hadn't closed... now, that's some bar! We talk about how he ended up in Chicago, what queer spaces offer that other spaces don't, and how being forced to wear a uniform of nothing but booty shorts helped Kyle learn how to love himself... Do you have any memories of Spin, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about BBKyle by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bbkyle.twitch), Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/BBKyle), Twitter (https://twitter.com/BadGayPodcast). Or just visit his website BBKyle.com

This podcast started at the end of 2019, and had been running for a few months when... well, you remember what happened in 2020, right? And, for the longest time... I kind of wanted this show to make no mention of the pandemic or Covid-19 or any of the shit going on in the world. I wanted it to be an escape, and an opportunity to think about something else for the people that were listening. But, maybe (and just maybe) I'm finally ready to talk about the pandemic.... One of the wonderful things that happened in that time was this explosion of online drag shows, where performers found new ways to continue entertaining people when they weren't able to do so in bars and clubs. And, it's one of these ongoing drag shows, Dragoslavia, that we are going to learn all about on today's show. Dragoslavia is the brainchild of Slovenia-based drag queen Mentalika, who set it up as a way of bringing together queens from Balkan countries. We met to talk about her reasons for setting up the show, logistical nightmares, and what it's like to set up a drag house before you've decided who your drag character is. Do you have any memories of Dragoslavia, or any other online drag shows or parties that happened during the pandemic? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mentalika by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mentalika_/). And, if you want to find out more about Dragoslavia, including details of who performed at each show, check out the Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/dragoslavia/

This week it's our first ever trip to Japan! And we're not going to just any old bar, we're going to a hostess club...  Hostess (and host) clubs are fairly unique to Japan, so if you've not heard of them before the long and short of it is that they are a type of cabaret bar that provides entertainment, but also employs people to provide attentive conversation and a little bit of flirting to their customers (kind of like giving the boyfriend or girlfriend experience).  And, showing us around is Tiffany Rossdale, self proclaimed mega-socialite of Tokyo's nightlife scene and host of the Breakfast with Tiffany podcast.  Tiffany first moved to Japan from the Philippines in the late 90s, to live with her mum, who had moved there a few years prior.  Before long, she had started her journey towards nightlife queendom working as a hostess at Mr Lady, a hostess bar made up predominantly of Trans Filipino women.  This is a really great chat - we get to find out all about what is involved in being a hostess, what Tiffany learnt from the women she worked with, and we even get surprisingly deep talking about our parents...  Do you have any memories of Mister Lady, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Tiffany by following her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTiffanyRossdale) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyrossdaleofficial), or by visiting her website (https://www.tiffanyrossdale.com/)

So, you may have heard the joke before that watching Drag Race in a bar is the gays equivalent of watching football or rugby in a bar. And, yes, ok, it's a basic, basic stereotype...but... well... maybe there's a smidgen of truth in it? (Just a smidgen, mind you...!) This week I'm joined by the comic book legend Sina Grace, who has written and/or drawn queer superheroes like Ice-Man, and his own Rockstar and Softboy, to talk about his experience in finding what he calls 'platonic queer joy' at the West Hollywood bar Flaming Saddles... Now, i don't think he'd mind me saying that this wasn't his usual type of haunt. No, he prefers the leather bars and places that are a little less twinky, but it was through their weekly screening of Ru Paul's Drag Race that he got to experience community and soak up that camaraderie...  Ooh, and some terminology that we use in this episode: Side - which means your sexual preference does not include penetrative sex  Pup play - a sexual act that involves role-playing as a dog and the dog's master Do you have any memories of Flaming Saddles, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Sina by following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SinaGrace) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sinagrace/), or visit his website http://sinagrace.com/. 

You know, it's been a while since we've had a really rambly, all-over-the-shop conversation on this show.... and, the reason that I mention this fact is because this week we've got ourselves a rambly, all-over-the-shop conversation... But that's not a bad thing!  In fact, I loved this conversation that I had with John, who is the man behind the drag character Taylor Trash.  Taylor is the host of the drag web-series competition The Gold Rush, which is just about to launch Season 3 on YouTube. So, I thought it was a good time to sit down and learn all about one of her most treasured lost spaces, London's Ghetto (which is also one of my favourite lost spaces)...  Only, it didn't quite go according to plan, and we ramble a good bit of the episode.  But, it's all good stuff, cause we get to learn about John coming out to his dad (not once, but twice!), his early days flirting with drag, and why community is so important to him.  Do you have any memories of Ghetto, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Taylor on Twitter (https://twitter.com/MissTaylorTrash), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/misstaylortrash/), or do yourself a favour and subscribe to her YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TrashTVOfficial) so you're all ready to watch the third series of The Gold Rush when it launches!

So, if you've ever listened to this show and thought to yourself 'queer clubbing is not as good as all these people seem to be remembering' then:  Firstly, maybe this show isn't for you....  Secondly, you'll be glad you stuck it out because this week we're doing something different! Yup, we're complaining about how rubbish queer clubbing is! And, who is joining me to be a big ol' grump? Well, it's the singer/actor and writer of the book 'Cancer, Musical Theatre, & Other Chronic Illnesses' Edward Miskie! Edward first moved to New York City in the mid-00s, and tried to embrace queer nightlife, including lost spaces like Splash and Vlada, but ultimately decided.... well, he'd really rather not. Along the way he became a sole survivor of a rare Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which, as you can imagine, went right ahead and turned his life upside down. We talked all about the terrible life lessons we learnt from Sex and the City, how a cancer diagnosis changes your perception, and all the many, many things that are wrong with the queer scene... Do you have any memories of terrible, terrible queer clubbing that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Edward by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/edwardmiskie/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/edwardmiskie), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@edwardmiskie)

So, one of the things about drag that i'm really fascinated by is the decision-making process behind crafting a drag character...  Because, to me, deciding on who your drag character is - what they like, how they talk, how they present to the world - is a big commitment... almost like a marriage maybe?  And, by that I mean you are committing to another person (or, ok, character) that will forever be associated with you. Because of this you've kind of got to make sure you think it through.... But, then, I guess, you run the risk of OVERTHINKING it (my signature move!).... To find out a little more about this I sat down to pick the brains of Ty Jeffries, the man behind the drag character Miss Hope Springs (an old-school, glamourous chanteuse).... We got together to talk about Madame JoJos, a legendary nightclub in London's Soho that closed in 2014 after being open continuously since the 60s... So, of course we talk all about the gentrification of Soho, the evolution of drag, and... what it's like to be a horny teenager on the train... Oh, and I should also say that there is a mention of Polari in this conversation, which is a slang language used by predominately gay men in the UK up until about the 60s when it started to fall out of favour... Do you have any memories of Madame JoJo's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Ty by following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/TyJeffriesPiano), visiting his website (https://www.tyjeffries.com/), or visiting Miss Hope Springs' website (https://www.misshopesprings.com/)

When you’ve never been to a leather bar it’s easy to view them as seedy and debaucherous and a little scary... and, yeah, ok, they are all of those things - but they’re also surprisingly quite wholesome!  Well, maybe not wholesome, but they definitely offer a more down-to-earth and judgement-free alternative to the more mainstream queer spaces that you often find in big cities… And one of the lost leather bars with the absolute best name ever? Why, it's Chicago's Manhole! This week I am joined by singer/songwriter Homer Marrs, who first moved to Chicago at the turn of the century to study improv comedy, and slowly but surely spread his wings in the city's queer scene. With one or two 'hard lessons' along the way... Do you have any memories of ManHole, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Homer by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/homermarrs), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/HomerMarrs)

This week I learnt a new word, and that word is.... thelephobia... which, if you didn't know already, is the fear of nipples... And why is that important? Well, it just so happens that this week's guest, Dr Joshua Lobb - who is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong (and our first ever doctor on this show!) - happens to have a fear of nipples. But, not just any nipples. REALLY big nipples... The kind you would find on the bartenders who worked at Sydney's The Albury Hotel (which is, coincidentally, the lost space we talked about on this week's show!). We talk all about gay fashions, being intimidated by a certain type of coolness, and.... friendly groping? Do you have any memories of The Albury Hotel, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Make sure you read Joshua's book 'The Flight of Birds: a novel in twelve stories', which is available now! http://purl.library.usyd.edu.au/sup/9781743325834

If you love a good ol' fashioned leaving-my-hometown-to-find-myself story, then this week we've got a doozy. Naomi Mourra, (who happens to be Sydney’s only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness, comedian), first came to London in the late 90s when she was trying to reconcile the thoughts she was feeling about women-folk with the teachings of her religion. And, it was in London that she got to explore Soho's Candy Bar, a lesbian bar that first opened in 1996, but closed in 2014 due to rising rents in the area. Boo! We talk all about the magic of London, finding your bearings in a new city, and wooly jumpers... Do you have any memories of The Candy Bar, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Naomi by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/naomimourra/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/naomimourracomedy)

So, when you are an army brat you get to move around a lot. You get to see lots of different parts of the world, or lots of different parts of the country that you're in.  This is kind of a gift, but also kind of not a gift....  Because, you don't always feel grounded and like you belong. But, it's also easier to pick up and change scenes because you have so much experience of it already.  But, how do you know when the time is right to settle down?  Like. what sign do you need to be sure? Well, for this week's guest, the co-host of the With a Gay Twist podcast Mason Dixon, it was when he went ahead and fell in love!  And, where did he meet the apple of his eye? Well, it was at 140 Alex, a bar in Rochester, New York, and he is going to tell us all about it.   We talk all about being the outcast, packing up your drag gear (and your dreams!), and, I get some advice on what to do with your shirt after you've taken it off to shimmy on the dancefloor...  Do you have any memories of 140 Alex, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mason by listening to the With a Gay Twist podcast, or visiting their website https://www.withagaytwist.com/

You know how sometimes you go in to a space, and you instantly feel at home? Like, none of that awkwardness whilst you get your bearings - everyone is friendly and open and you feel totally comfortable. And, when you find those places you want to make sure that you go back time and again and soak up those good vibes. Right? RIGHT? Well, not so much for this week's guest, the award winning writer Marlee Jane Ward, who went to Sydney's Club Kooky only the once after being taken there when she first moved to the city way back in 2001.  Why did she not go back? Well, you'll have to listen to the episode to find out! We talk all about how to be unapologetically yourself, running away from home without a plan, and Y2K fashions... Do you have any memories of Club Kooky, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Marlee by visiting her website https://www.marleejaneward.com/ , and, if you enjoy a bit of dystopian fiction check out her young adult award-winning Orphancorp Series.

We've talked on this show before about the pressure (whether real or imagined) that you can feel when your sibling or someone else in your family comes out before you. In past examples on this show we've only ever been talking about one person in the family... but, on today's episode we're finding out from children's author Will Kostakis what it's like being one of three gay brothers... and, by the sounds of it, they all had different journeys (i hate myself for using that word. sorry). Snd, that's not all we talk about. we have a really interesting conversation about using writing to process and understand your world, getting comfortable in your own skin, and standing in the shadows of the corner of the queer bar hoping beyond hope that no one notices you... . Do you have any memories of The Midnight Shift, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Will by visiting his website https://willkostakis.com/, or follow him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/willkostakis/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/willkostakis)

If you've ever lost yourself, found yourself, shaken off your inhibitions, and/or forged community on a dancefloor, then I think you're going to enjoy this week's episode.  I was lucky enough to talk to Trevor Campbell, the host of the You Made Me Queer podcast, about Toronto's lost space The Gladstone, and it's mid-week dance party Hump Day Bump where Trevor was found cutting a rug many a night in the 00s.  We talk all about accepting the freak you are, figuring out when to put aside your dreams, and weird-things-that-people-say-that-they-think-are-compliments-but-which-just-completely-fuck-with-your-head... ugh. Do you have any memories of The Gladstone, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Trevor by listening to the You Made me Queer podcast, wherever you find podcasts, or giving him a wee follow on https://www.instagram.com/youmademequeer and https://twitter.com/youmademequeer

This week we are joined by C.J. Johnson from the true crime podcast, Beyond the Rainbow, who is taking us to the Lavender Heights area of Sacramento, California, to visit the lesbian bar The Buffalo Club.  And, along the way we find out about CJ's coming out, her lesbian grandma, and her weakness for blondes.... Do you have any memories of The Buffalo Club, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about CJ by listening to the Beyond the Rainbow podcast, wherever you find podcasts, or visiting her website https://beyondtherainbowpodcast.com/

So, we've done bars, we've done clubs, we've done bookshops and youth groups and websites... but, in all the time we've been doing this show we've never ever featured a queer squat... but all of that is about to change! In the early 00s today's guest, the sex, lust & flirt trainer Joey Juschka, moved to London to help set up a queer squat. And, if you've ever wondered about the how and why of squatting then I think you'll learn a lot from this chat. But, on top of that, and i think the thing that was most interesting for me here, if you've ever lived in a share house and understand the strange dynamics that are constantly at play then I think this is going to resonate.  Do you have any memories about a queer space that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Joey by visiting their website - https://joeyjuschka.com/

Do you like to go out and get properly, properly messy? Do you have a go-to place where you can just let loose and have a rollicking good time without fear of judgement or reprimand? If you answered yes then I think you might enjoy hearing about this week's bar, Badlands, which was in the heart of San Francisco's Castro district. Although our guest, Neil Higgins (from FMKLit Podcast) only went to the bar once he certainly knows a thing or two about getting messy.  We talk about finding where it is that you fit in, how to respond to handsome men crying on the footpath, and crappy cartoons from the 80s! Do you have any memories of Badlands, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) And, also, make sure you listen to Neil's show FMKLit, where every episode Neil and his co-host Claire read two romance books; one queer and one straight. Then they play fuck, marry, kill with the characters. They can also be found on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fmklitpod/

This week's guest, comedian Arielle Isaac Norman, may have only gone to her lost space 'Bout Time II', a handful of times in her life, but that doesn't mean she wasn't impacted when she discovered that the bar closed at the start of the pandemic in 2020 of all that she had lost. We start off talking about when Arielle moved to Austin (which is where the bar was), in 2015, and then go in to brainstorming drag king names, being a serial relationship hopper, and I get some tips on how to initiate a threesome on the dancefloor... Do you have any memories of Bout Time II, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Arielle  by following her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DemiBinarielle) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ellendegenderless/) or listen to her podcast Gender Fluids.

This week's space has no name... All we know is that it was a rest-stop between the cities of Salt Lake City and Provo, in Utah, USA.  And, well, if you know anything about cruising then you've probably already guessed that it was a cruising spot, but, without overly intellectualising it, cruising spots are so much more than just cruising spots. And, in a very homophobic part of the USA this was one of the only places where queer men could go and feel that they could express a part of themselves that they had suppressed... And, who went there? Well, it is former Rupaul's Drag Race contestant Tempest DuJour, who grew up in Utah and in the Mormon faith, and had the space as an outlet whilst she was grappling with her sexuality and identity. We talk all about her experiences with the Mormon church, coming out at 30 and.... a rascal of a man who had cherry smelling balls.... Do you have any memories of clubbing from your local queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Tempest by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tempestdujour/)

It's equal parts thrilling and terrifying to uproot your life and plonk it back down in a brand new country and I have such admiration for anyone who does it...  This week's guest, Ben, did this when he left the US in the 2010s to start life again in Bangkok, Thailand as a language teacher. He ended up spending 9 years there before moving back to the US recently.  And, in that time, he went through a wonderful learning curve that was backdropped by the city's queer scene.  He was kind enough to sit down with us and share a few of his stories, which include navigating the dating scene, going googly eyed for one or two strangers, and meeting the love of his life....  Do you have any memories of Telephone Bar, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Ben by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/language.fan)

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * In the three years of this show we've never sat down to talk to someone who actually owned and operated a queer space. But, that's all changing today, as we get to pick the brain of Keaton Kash, current host of the Mod Love podcast, and former owner of Toronto's The Steady.  Now, I don't know if I should be saying that this is a cautionary tale, but there are definitely some important lessons about going in to business to glean from this chat. Keaton tells us all about business partners, business loans, and business woes. But there’s also a lot of pride that comes through about what he built, and how it helped him to feel more a part of his community… so, don’t worry - not all doom and gloom! Do you have any memories of The Steady, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Visit clubftm.com to find out more about Mod Club, the community that Keaton is building with information and resources for trans guys! And you can also find him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/modclubftm), or listen to Mod Love wherever you find podcasts. Ooh, and The Steady still has a presence online! Go to https://www.instagram.com/thesteadycafe to find out more! 

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * On this week's show we're talking to Lil Miss Hot Mess, who is as fun to talk to as her name is to say! Coming up in the San Francisco scene, Lil Miss got started at the legendary T-Shack, a night held at The Stud, which unfortunately we lost at the beginning of the pandemic. And, yes, you can rest assured that you'll be getting me patented dumb questions throughout this conversation about all of the traditions and weird things that happen in the drag scene, and this time I find out a lot about the dynamics between drag mothers and drag daughters. Remember - I ask the dumb questions so you don't have to! At the time of chatting Lil Miss had just been caught in some controversy when a Floridian politician used images of her reading to children as part of Drag Queen Story Hour to drum up some hatred, and, presumably votes. And, that comes up briefly in the conversation. If you want to know more there's a piece in NBC News here - https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/drag-queen-featured-marco-rubio-campaign-ad-speaks-rcna51067 Do you have any memories of The Stud, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Lil Miss Hot Mess on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lilmisshotmess), or visit her website - https://www.lilmisshotmess.com

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * This week we are talking all about L-O-V-E love... And, yeah, I know, this isn't the content that you're used to from me, so I totally understand if you feel a bit confused and queasy right now, but I promise you that there's a good ol' dollop of cynicism peppered throughout the conversation. That is not going anywhere! My guests this week are Tony and Marko, a real-life married couple, who are the co-hosts of the Relationsh!t Podcast.  And, their story begins at a gay bar. Georgie's Alibi, a bar in St Petersburg, Florida, is where they first met in the year 2009.  We talk about dating disasters, possessiveness, and... ugh... the nesting phase! Do you have any memories of Georgie's Alibi, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Marko and Tony by listening to Relationsh!t wherever you find podcasts, or follow them all over socials -  https://www.instagram.com/podrelationshit/  https://www.instagram.com/thecritellis/  https://twitter.com/podrelationshit  https://www.facebook.com/podrelationshit

As much as this show celebrates queer spaces and ‘the scene’, i think there’s also always been a bit of a recognition that it's not perfect — it can be exhausting trying to fit in, trying to find people that you like, and trying to just be.  But, sometimes... just sometimes... you find the space where you feel that you're meant to be and it can feel like coming home.  This week we are joined by Scott Flashheart, from the Probably True podcast, who long-time listeners will remember has been on the show before! This time we're talking about the George and Dragon, a bar in London that closed in 2015. But, long before it closed, Scott says that the place helped them to feel like he had found his people.  We talk about the elements of the 'right kind of gay', looking for your tribe, and knowing when it's time to leave the party. Do you have any memories of the George and Dragon, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Scott on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/scottlovescake/ and Twitter (https://twitter.com/scottflashheart), or listen to Probably True wherever you find podcasts!

Most of the spaces that we talk about on this show closed because they were no longer making a profit or the owner just decided that they wanted a change... But, we've never talked about a space that stopped existing because it was knocked down by a TORNADO!  Until now, that is... This week's guest is singer-songwriter Dylan Rice, who grew up in Salt Lake City, and used to go to The Sun Tavern, a space that first opened in the 70s and was one of the only safe spaces for queer people in the conservative US state of Utah. We talked about mormons (cause, of course we're going to talk about mormons - he's from Salt Lake City!), developing crushes on teachers, and leaning in to the ridiculousness of flirting...  Do you have any memories of The Sun Tavern, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Dylan by following him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dylanricemusic/ , or listen to some of his songs (available on all the major streaming platforms, and at the YouTube links below. Fits and Fevers (latest album) - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ntBXDEnITZNVNut5FVAC-CLEk6qwBLSyE Check out the song about SoMa leather bars in SF: “Throes” https://youtu.be/Osdgd2gZGiU If you liked this episode I'd really appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on your podcast platform, or just tell people that you think might be interested!

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * Are you still friends with the people that you used to go clubbing with? Do you keep in touch with them, or just facebook stalk them late at night when the image of their face pops in to your head?  Do you know what they've been up to since you knew them, and have any of them gone on to do great or not-so-great things...? Well, whatever it is it's probably not going to be as scandalous as the actions of the friend of this week's guest!  And, who is that guest? Well, it's the genderqueer multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and podcaster John Moletress.  John started to go out on Philadelphia's gay scene when they were just 16, and found a core group of people with who they would go to clubs like the lost space Shampoo.  We caught up to talk all about 90s fashion, the etiquette of after parties, and getting frisky with the boy next door...  Do you have any memories of Shampoo, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about John by following them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kraftwitch/, or visiting their website http://kraftwitch.com/.. You can also find their podcast 'I Miss You', which is a set of conversations between John and people that they had lost contact with, wherever you find podcasts... 

I learn so much doing this podcast, and getting the insight in to the scene in different countries and cities has been so illuminating to me.  As you probably know one of my favourite things to talk about - one of the things that fascinates me most - is the evolution of language, and concepts and how they're applied and how they're enforced within different communities. And, one of the most fascinating (and, constantly, constantly changing) concepts that keeps getting discussed is this one of butch and femme within the lesbian community.  As an outsider it seems that, at certain points in time, there has been a stringent, unwavering commitment to upholding the roles of butch and femme, with relationship roles and dynamics adhering to this heteronormative standard, and then, at other times, there seems to be a complete and utter rejection of those roles and the expectations that come with them. Why am I telling you this?  Well, this week we are headed to the small US city of Spokane, and visiting their lost lesbian bar, JS Pumps. And, to tell us all about it is TikToker and host of the podcast Lesbian Speaking, Li Isaacs, who first went there when she came out in the late 80s. We talk about her experience of being dubbed butch and what that meant for her dating life.  Do you have any memories of JS Pumps, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Li by listening to her podcast Lesbian Speaking, or following her on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lesbianspeaking

Normally when I sit down to talk to my guests we have a bit of chit-chat to break the ice and ease us in before we get going.  But, occasionally, the chit-chat turns in to something very interesting and I have to scrabble to press record whilst making sure we don't lose the rhythm of the conversation. Which is what you will find with the start of this week's episode, where Mike, one half of the presenters of the Gayish podcast started to tell me about going out to the gay bar R Place in Seattle with his then wife...  And, if the conversation is getting good before you've even started recording then you know you're in for a good episode! I talk with Mike, and his co-host Kyle, all about how they first met, how to spot a Seattle gay, and we reminisce about standing on the pavement at the end of the night after you've been kicked out of the pub scouring around for someone to go home with.... Do you have any memories of R Place, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mike and Kyle by visiting their website https://www.gayishpodcast.com/, following them on Twitter https://twitter.com/gayishpodcast or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gayishpodcast/, or listening to their show wherever you find podcasts!

If you love episodes where I gasp a lot, you're going to love this week's show! Now, I know you're not going to believe me when I say this, but the whole concept of cruising in bathrooms is totally foreign to me, and something that I thought it was high time I got a little lesson on.  So, luckily for me, Mat Hawley, from Mat Tales Podcast, dropped by to talk me through the basics.  And, I'm in good hands. His show, Mat Tales: 40 Years of Gay Adventures, is a show where he shares stories of his sexual experiences over the last 40 years... And, if he doesn't know about it then it's probably not worth knowing! We talk all about growing up in a small town, the fine art of fuck buddies, and learning to amalgamate both the vanilla and slutty sides of yourself. Do you have any memories of cruising, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mat Tales by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mattalesgayadventures), visiting his website (https://www.mattales.com/), or.... just listening to his show wherever you stream podcasts!

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * One of the things I love doing most about this show is, obviously, getting the chance to learn about different people's experiences and circumstances.  But, within that, there's often a really nice reminder of how nobody's journey is the same.  There are so many ways to come out, there are so many ways to fall in love, and there are all of these different ways in which a space can be important to you.  Some of my guests have only been to a space once, some went religiously over a period of years (or decades)... and, then, there are some people who had breaks in-between, going at different periods of their life. One such person is the Canadian writer, artist, historian, and host of the trans history podcast 'One From The Vaults', Morgan M Page. Morgan first went to Goodhandy's in Toronto as a fresh-faced 19 year old, but then had a few different periods where the space wove in and out of her life, each time offering something different... We caught up to talk about call centre scams, conspiracy theories, and having warm and fuzzy feelings for someone who is supposed to be a friend... Do you have any memories of Goodhandy's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Morgan by visiting her website www.odofemi.com

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! * Picture it. It's 1989.  Maud's, one of the only lesbian bars in San Francisco, is about to close down permanently.  And, in its last few days a plucky film crew sets up to document the final days of the bar, celebrate the women who went there, and mark the importance of such a space. I know this is a really naive thing to say, but it blows my mind that as a community we were having these conversations about the importance of queer spaces and their preservation of our culture over 30 years ago! And we're still having them!  The resulting documentary from these few days of filming, 'Last Call at Maud's' is a fascinating insight into not only the lesbian bar scene, but where we were culturally at that time. So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, i was lucky enough to sit down with the film-makers Paris Poirier and Karen Kiss, to talk about them making the film, the reaction to it, and..... what San Francisco life was like back in the 70s and 80s.... Do you have any memories of Maud's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Last Call at Maud's by visiting the website http://lastcallatmauds.com/

* This episode is sponsored by Spaces, the new group chat app for queer communities - find out more at https://www.queerspaces.com/ (and, come join the Lost Queer Spaces Space after you've set up your profile! *  You know how when you were a baby gay and you had to someone pluck up every single shred of courage within you in order to make that first visit to your local queer bar, and how you had to go through the emotional acrobats just to make that first step through the front door? Well.... my guest this week DIDN'T have that experience at all!  In fact, bucking all trends and being in a long-term relationship that started when he was 16... Which means he was introduced to clubbing by his boyfriend, and didn't have to do all of that awkward small talk and flirting with strangers that made the rest of us want to shrivel up and disappear in to the beer-soaked carpet...  So that means that this week's guest, Jonathan Marotto, from the Yaaas Bro podcast, has a really different perspective on his early days of clubbing and how they shaped him.  We caught up to talk about the Miami under-age club 'Diskotekka', and along the way we discuss how Lady Gaga helped with his coming out, breaking up, getting back together, and then breaking up again.... and I get some tips on how to convince your classmates that you're totally, totally 'masc'...  Do you have any memories of Diskoteka, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jonathan by visiting  his website https://www.yaaasbro.com/,  or follow him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yaaas.bro/

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * One of the perverse things about doing this podcast is that when I'm talking to a potential guest and they say that all of the bars that were ever significant in their life are still open, instead of me responding 'Yay! That's great news! Queer spaces are thriving', I'm like 'Damn! Now we have nothing to talk about!'   Anyway, that's a long way of saying that that is exactly what happened when I first got in touch with this week's guest. J.P. Der Boghossian, the founder of Queer Armenian Library and the host of the podcast This Queer Book Saved My Life.  The bar that he first went to when he started going out, Sidetrack in Northern Michigan, is still open.  But, after a bit of back and forth we realised that one of the other spaces that he frequented at that time, the magical world of AOL chatrooms, no longer exist! So, we're taking a trip back to the late 90s, in the very early days of the internet, to talk to random strangers and take grainy pictures of ourselves with our shitty webcams!  Do you have any memories of AOL chat rooms, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about J.P. by visiting his website https://jpderboghossian.com/, the Queer Armenian Library https://queerarmenianlibrary.com/ website or the podcast This Queer Book Saved My Life https://thisqueerbook.com/

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * So, you're new to a city... You know no-one... The job you moved for has since disappeared, and you've got to start from scratch... Where do you go to meet people? How do you make new friends? Well, how about... Facebook? (You thought i was going to say your local gay bar, didn't you?) For this week's guest, Maurice Smith from Category Is... Podcast, it was Facebook where he first made connections after he moved to Philadelphia in the late 00s. But, when it was time to meet them in real life? That's where Bump came in to play. We chat all about renaming the gaybourhood, learning to overcome shyness, and, I learn a new word - meetcute! Wanna know what it means? Well, you'll have to listen to the episode to find out.... Do you have any memories of Bump?, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Maurice by following Category Is... on twitter (https://twitter.com/CategoryIsPod), or listen to the show wherever you stream podcasts!

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * It's no secret that there's an addiction issue in the queer community, with those identifying as LGBTQ+ more likely to experience an addiction.  And there are different theories about why this is - LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience early emotional trauma, which means they're more likely to experience a mental health problem, and there can also be additional barriers to accessing support. But, one of the big reasons, and one of the things I'm sure you've heard before, is that our community spaces are often centred on drinking and drug-taking, which means there's an added exposure and, some would say, pressure.  Which brings us to today's guest - Dillan Gay (yes, that is his actual surname!), is the co-host of The Sober Gay, a podcast about being sober in the LGBTQIA+ community. In our chat we talk a lot about his alcohol addiction, how queer spaces intersected with that, and his experiences with recovery...  But, that makes it sound like this is a really heavy episode - it's not! Although we cover a lot of serious topics in our chat there are giggles aplenty! I promise! Do you have any memories of Stonewall?, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about The Sober Gay podcast by visiting the website https://www.thesobergay.com/, following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thesobergaypodcast/), or, of course, listen to the show wherever you stream podcasts! 

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * This week we're doing something a little different - we're not going to a bar, a club, or even a community group. We're embracing summer and headed to a lost queer beach!  The Belmont Rocks were large limestone rocks on the lakefront of Lake Michigan, Chicago, that served as a gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community for decades, but were removed in 2003 due to erosion.  I caught up with the writer Owen Keehnen, who runs 'A Place for Us', a facebook page that gathers people's memories of Belmont Rocks, to discuss his early days in Chicago in the 80s (when his dream job was to work at Ripley's Believe It or Not), coming out during the AIDS crisis, and why it was so important to him to have access to this space. Do you have any memories of The Belmont Rocks?, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Owen by visiting his website www.owenkeehnen.com, following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/owenkeehnen), or follow the facebook page 'A Place for Us' - https://www.facebook.com/A-Place-for-Us-LGBTQ-Life-at-the-Belmont-Rocks-1962452347335386/

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * Coming out later in life brings a whole different set of challenges and questions about identity, community and where you fit in to all of that.  This week I was lucky enough to sit down and talk to writer and podcaster Nicholas McInerny, who is the host of Rainbow Dads, a podcast that shares the stories of gay and bisexual dads, most of whom have come out later in life.  But, we're not here to talk about them - we're here to find out about Nicholas, and his experiences navigating the gay scene after coming out.  We talk all about the magic of Burning Man festival, the iconic London club night XXL, and one of my favourite topics ever - embarrassing sexual encounters! Do you have any memories of XXL, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Nicholas by following him on Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/NMcInerny), or listen to the Rainbow Dads podcast wherever you stream podcasts

*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod * So, my American guests often talk about go-go dancing as though it's this super common thing, and I always feel a bit too dumb to ask too many follow up questions. But, this week I put all of that aside and asked EVERY. SINGLE. DUMB question there is to ask about the art of go-go. And I was in good hands because this week's guest, Steve V Rodriguez from the Talk About Gay Sex podcast, used to be a go-go dancer in the 90s. We caught up to talk about N Touch, the San Franciscan bar where he first shaked his booty. A,nd along the way we talk about jockstraps vs thongs, playing it straight in Hollywood, and having sex with your favourite porn star.... Do you have any memories of N Touch, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Steve's podcast Talk About Gay Sex by listening to the show wherever you find podcasts, or following them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TAGSPODCAST) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tagspodcast/)

Cast your mind back to the year 1999 - we were all worried about the Y2K bug, there's this new cartoon called Spongebob Squarepants, and the queer folk punk duo Bitch and Animal release their debut album 'What's That Smell?'. One of the songs on the album, 'Drag King Bar', documents the band's misadventures at a night called Club Casanova, which was a weekly drag king night held at Velvet in New York City. I was lucky enough to nab some time with Bitch, who is in the midst of touring her latest record 'Bitchcraft', to find out about that bar and the make out session with drag King Murray Hill that inspired the song. Along the way we talk about how Bitch and Animal were first discovered by legendary singer/songwriter Ani Difranco, a roommate from hell, and what it's like having a pretty much ungoogleable name... Do you have any memories of Club Casanova, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Bitch by following her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/bitchmusic) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bitchmusic/) of facebook (https://www.facebook.com/b.tchmusic)... AND, make sure you check our her most recent album, Bitchcraft, which I LOVE!

Sweet, sweet love....  Usually on this show when a guest brings up affairs of the heart i’m like ‘ugh, let’s move on…’, but this week I didn't. Maybe it’s the summer weather, maybe I’m mellowing in my old age, but this time i leant right in and learnt all about a significant relationship in social justice singer-songwriter Crys Matthew’s life. And, that relationship would not have happened were it not for the lesbian bar Phase 1 in Washington, DC. We talk all about the evolving nature of language (one of my favourite topics, as you know!), listening to your gut, and why lesbian bars are still important....  Do you have any memories of Phase 1, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Crys by following her on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/crysmatthews) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/crysmatthews/)... AND, make sure you check our her most recent album, Changemakers, which is OUT NOW!  

You know how I always get overexcited when I learn a new word or phrase on this show?  Well, this week I was lucky enough to learn some gay Arabic terms when I sat down to talk to Intesar Toufic about growing up gay in Lebanon.  Intesar is an author, stand-up comedian, and patrona of a multinational phone-sex ring. He first started going to Acid, a club that was found in the capital Beirut, when he was in university and had just started to meet other people like him. We talk all about community and what it means to belong at the same time as not belonging, how the club operated in a country where it's illegal to be gay, and - what could possibly be my new favourite saying - the malice of gays. Do you have any memories of Acid, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Intesar by following him on Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/ClassyBoomBoom) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/scandalousArab)... AND, go have a read of an excerpt from Toufi's book 'The Glorious Prince'  https://newsmutproject.tumblr.com/post/631935496605630464/intesar-toufic-on-excerpt-from-the-glorious/amp

Mitzi MacIntosh is the drag persona of the artist Graeme Browning (oh, yeah, and she also happens to be queer Sydney royalty). Graeme moved to Sydney, from Canberra, in the late 80s and quickly established himself as a powerhouse performer, full of the typical down-to-Earth Australian wit and adorned with the most fantastic costumes. It was in the Imperial Hotel, which at the time was owned by Dawn O'Donnell, that Mitzi got the opportunity to really create big, bold exciting drag shows with her contemporaries and that's when she fell in love with this space. This is a really fun episode. We talk all about how Graeme met his husband (at The Imperial, no less!), the power he found in community, and we also get a little educational - teaching you Aussie slang like root and thongs... Do you have any memories of The Imperial Hotel, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mitzi by following them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Mitzi_Macintosh)

The golden age of cruising... No one has quite pinpointed the exact years of this magical era, but the 70s were definitely a part of it. It was post-Stonewall, so there was a new kind of hope and enthusiasm, and it was pre-AIDs and HIV, which meant there was less shame attached to sex.  And, it was at the tail end of the 70s that this week's guest, the award winning filmmaker Glenn Gaylord first moved to LA from Ohio. At this point he was too young to go to the clubs, but too horny to stay home, and so he found himself gravitating towards the gay bookshop Drake's. There was tonnes of cruising that happened inside Drake's, but there was also a LOT that happened on the streets surrounding the business... Like, a lot a lot... like, hard to believe how much sex was happening. But, don't take my word for it! Let's hear from Glenn.  Do you have any memories of Drake's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Glenn by following him on IG (https://www.instagram.com/glebborama/), or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/glenngaylord)

This thing about fancying straight people... like, I don't get it... is it because they're unobtainable? Is it because we're socialised in a heteronormative society that conditions us to see more value in straightness? Is it because we just really hate ourselves?  I don't know... But, luckily I have recovering straight-luster-afterer Mark Perez, co-host of the Star Wars appreciating Pink Milk podcast, to help fill me in.   We talk all about Club St. John, a bar in San Jose, California, that Mark started going to in the early 90s. Expect to hear about trashy 80s soap operas, how exhausting it is to pretend to be someone you're not, and those pesky straight people...  Do you have any memories of Club St John, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Mark by following him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/iameldiablito). And, if you love Star Wars, then you're going to the love the Pink Milk podcast, which you can find wherever you stream podcasts. 

A few episodes ago I spoke to the wonderful singer/songwriter Chris Pureka (and, if you haven't heard that chat yet go back and give it a wee listen - I'll still be here when you get back!).  After we spoke Chris suggested that I get in touch with their friend, the artist Samantha Nye. Samantha's work is all about a fantasy history and a fantasy future of queer/lesbian pleasure utopias made from references of 1960s pop culture, and so she has lots to say about the importance of spaces in forming and expressing your identity.  And, she's taking us back to the late 90s, when Samantha was a little baby-dyke and had just been invited to her first lesbian bar by someone she spoke to in an AOL chatroom (could anything be more late-90s than that?).  We talk about representation, the difference between the gay scene and the lesbian scene, and a special surprise that Samantha got from her dad in a mystery lesbian bar that we need your help finding!   So, listen on to find out more...  Do you have any memories of Partners, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Do you have any idea what the bar in Dania Beach is? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Samantha and her wonderful art at https://samanthanye.com/, or follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samantha_nye_studio/).

So, gentrification is a bit of a dirty word around here, and you'll no doubt have heard me talk to at least one of my guests about how gentrification pushes out the queers and the misfits from areas where they once thrived. One of the places in the world that has been totally transformed by gentrification is King's Cross in Sydney, Australia. When I was growing up as a little queer boy in Adelaide, King's Cross was known as a place of debauchery and sin, most famous for the strip bars and prostitution. Now the place has been completely transformed, full of yummy mummies and expensive coffee shops.  Back in the 90s this week's guest, (with also happens to be Australia's first lady of striptease), Imogen Kelly, first started stripping at Stripperama, one of the clubs on the main strip. She's written a book about those times, and we caught up to discuss what King's Cross was like in those days, living during the HIV and heroin epidemic, police corruption, and the woman she fell in love with.... Do you have any memories of Stripperama, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Imogen by visiting www.imogenkelly.com.au, or following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theimogenkelly).

Usually on this show we talk to someone about a very specific time in their life when they went to a particular venue. What we don't do that often is look at the same venue at different time periods, and reflect on the journey and the growth that the person experienced in the intervening years...  But, today, James O'Hagan, writer, activist and co-host of the Drag Race recap podcast Sissy That Pod visits to tell us all about two periods in his life going to Break for the Border, a bar in Ireland's capital, Dublin. We hear about his first attempts at going out as a scared wee thing in his early 20s, and then coming back in his late 20s to have a totally different experience (and outlook on life).  Oooh, also, if you like odd little analogies that are inserted seemingly randomly in to conversations then you're going to love this conversation!  Do you have any memories of Break for the Border, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about James by following him on IG (https://www.instagram.com/jameso_hagan/), listening to Sissy that Pod wherever you find podcasts, or following Sissy that Pod on IG (https://www.instagram.com/sissythatpod/)

Have you every had that experience of being 'fresh meat'?  When you walk in to a bar and receive all the attention of everyone who is in there?  Well, this week's chat threw me back in time to the (admittedly very few) occasions when that's happened to me, and how glorious and all-powerful I felt in those moments!  And, who reminded me of those heady days? Well, it's Bryan, the co-host of Pink Milk Podcast, a show that views Star Wars (and its many properties) through a queer lens.  Bryan currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his husband Tom and three kids. But, when he was a plucky (and some might say naive) 18-year old, Bryan packed up all his things and moved from to Austin, Texas, which was kind of an elaborate plan to avoid coming out.  We talk all about the first club that he went to there, The Forum, and, along the way we discuss the perils of heteronormativity, tip-toeing around your parents, and the pluckiness of youth....  Do you have any memories of The Forum, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Bryan and his podcast Pink Milk on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ServingPinkMilk) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/servingpinkmilk/)

Very early on in the life of this podcast I had Boogaloo Stu on to talk about the cult London club night Shinky Shonky. And, in lots of ways, that was the episode that helped show me that the concept of Lost Spaces was going to work because suddenly people who used to go to Shinky Shonky were talking about the episode on social media and celebrating all of the good times that they had there.  So, I wanted to bring Stu back on the show to talk about the final years of the night, when it had moved from central London to The Oak Bar in Stoke Newington, North London. I also wanted to find out why the night eventually ended. I had lofty ideas that the conversation would be about how scenes evolve and change, and how things go from being in fashion to out of fashion... but, Stu couldn't quite remember any of the details of that time, so it's more of a fun chat of some of the adventures and misadventures that happened because of the night, and what the ingredients were that made the night so special.  There's also a really interesting conversation about what constitutes 'drag' in 2022. Is Boogaloo Stu, a man dressed as another man, with a big blonde quiff and a polyester thong, drag? Or is it just a man in a wig and unhygienic underwear?  These, and other cutting edge questions, are asked, and not quite answered on this week's show! Do you have any memories of Shinky Shonky, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Boogaloo Stu by visiting his website www.boogaloostu.co.uk, or follow him on Instagram (www.instagram.com/boogaloostu) 

There's a really interesting conversation in this week's episode about the 'we're all in this together' mentality that queers in small towns have, supporting queer spaces even if they don't particularly enjoy the music or the events held there.   And, to show us the way is singer/songwriter Chris Pureka, who took time from promoting their new EP, The Longest Year, to talk all about Diva's, the only queer bar in the small college town of Northampton, Massachusetts. In our chat we talk all about post-university uncertainty, the loss of mass-cultural milestones, and how truly terrible they think that the original The L Word tv show was... Do you have any memories of Diva's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Chris at https://www.chrispureka.com/ or follow them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/chrispureka) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chrispureka/)

So, I'm kinda fascinated with gay country and western bars, where people dress up in their finest cowperson garb, and square dance, two-step and mosey on down... This isn't something that I think is a thing in the UK, so it's just been a curiosity to me until now.  But, luckily for me, Dennis Hensley - writer, performer and host of the podcast 'Dennis Anyone?' took the time to tell me all about the etiquette, the ceremony, and the vibe that you'd find at Oil Can Harry's, a country and western bar in LA, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic.  Along the way Dennis tells me all about his experiences fumbling with men-folk, feeling lonely at the club,, and how it felt the first time he saw two men dancing cheek to cheek. Do you have any memories of Oil Can Harry's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Dennis and his podcast at http://www.dennisanyone.net/, or follow him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/HensleyDennis).

I got an e-mail from this week's guest saying that he'd like to be on the show. He pitched himself with something along the lines of 'I know you like talking about sex, so I think you'll be really interested in my stories!'. After feeling very judged and a smidgen shamed I responded immediately to book him! And, so that is how Dave Quantic came on to tell me all about lost LA spaces Spike and Cuffs. And he knows what he's talking about when it comes to sex and sexuality! Dave is the creator of Fruitbowl - an oral history podcast about queer sex and lives where he talks to people about their personal journeys.  We chat all about the magic of a scuzzy dive bar, the pains of removing body hair, and Dave tries to help me figure out what my kink should be....   Do you have any memories of Spike or Cuffs, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about the Fruitbowl Podcast at https://www.fruitbowlpodcast.com/, or follow on Twitter (https://twitter.com/fruitbowlpod) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fruitbowlpodcast/)

It's the crossover episode that none of you asked for (but I promise you're going to love it!)! If you follow me on social media (and, if you don't, why not? @lostspacespod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook), you will have seen earlier this week that I was a guest on the NotStalgia podcast. Now, this is a really cool show, where hosts Jess and Eric discuss an original film and then they discuss its remake, and contrast and compare the two... The episode that I was on was a discussion about 'Boys in the Band', that classic queer film that was recently remade for Netflix.  So, why am I telling you this when all you want to do is hear about a lost queer space? Well, today's episode return the favour! I was lucky enough to be joined by Eric La Febre, one of the hosts of the NotStalgia show, who came on to reminisce about the lost San Franciscan punk gay bar Lucky Thirteen.  Along the way I learn a lot about the fine art of cruising,  we talk all about sloppy snogging in nightclub toilets, and we have a really interesting conversation about the idea versus the reality of community.... Do you have any memories of the Lucky Thirteen, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Eric on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/elafebre/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ericthefever). Also, make sure to listen to NotStalgia wherever you find podcasts, and give them a wee follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/notstalgia.pod/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/NOTstalgia_pod) too (although, to be honest, they're a bit rubbish at keeping their twitter updated)!

Jeffrey Masters is the creator and host of the long-running interview podcast, LGBTQ&A (recommended by The New York Times!). Here he has interviewed such guests as John Cameron Mitchell, Laverne Cox, and Melissa Etheridge, and over 200 others.  Back when he was a baby-gay, and after an earlier three-month stint over summer holidays, he packed his bags and plonked himself down in LA, where he lived for several years. it was here that he was exposed to the magical world of West Hollywood, which is like a gay Disneyland (and, depending on who you are, you either got excited or winced at that description, which is pretty much the perfect response). We caught up to talk about the bar Eleven, the obliviousness of some human beings, and the shallowness of LA.  Do you have any memories of the West Hollywood, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Jeffrey on Twitter as either his personal account www.twitter.com/jeffmasters1 or his podcast account www.twitter.com/lgbtqpod... and listen to the LGBTQ&A podcast wherever you stream podcasts!

This week we're welcoming back an old guest - Craig Law is a DJ and the host of the #InTheMix show on Gaydio, the world's biggest LGBT radio station.  The last time he was here he told me all about his early days of gay clubbing in his hometown Swansea, Wales. This time around we're visiting Manchester's gay village and the lost club Kiki, whose tagline was "A grown-up club for those who grew up clubbing"  Now, if you've ever listened to this show before you know that we do tend to sometimes maybe occasionally perhaps veer off topic, and this week I fear we may have outdone ourselves... So, as well as me learning about Craig's days drowning in paperwork as a defence paralegal, and how DJ-ing and the queer scene saved him, we also discuss... in no particular order....  the logistics of hooking up with strangers when you're staying in a hotel with key cards and security guards, getting your friends to set you up with their friends, bottom-shaming, the concept of camp, and my new business idea for pee-shyness coaching... Do you have any memories of Kiki, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) And, whilst you're at it - go and give Craig some love. You can listen to his mixes (www.mixcloud.com/djcraiglaw) and follow him on twitter (www.twitter.com/djcraiglaw)

This week I am talking to Seth... no last name, just Seth... who is the former co-host of the Thanks for Coming! podcast, which recapped episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race whilst also covering queer pop culture. Alas, the show ended earlier in 2022.  Having lived in LA for a few years, Seth moved back to his college town of Bloomington, Indiana (where he had that weird experience of everything being exactly the same but also kind of different) and took the time and space to figure out his next moves. It was at this time that the gay bar Uncle Elizabeth's became so important to him, and gave him the space to become more confident in his queerness.  For some reason I try to bully Seth in to becoming a drag queen AND have sex in public during this episode... I'm not really sure why i felt the need to do that, but... well.. yeah... I sure was determined...  Let's find out how successful I was! Do you have any memories of Uncle Elizabeth's, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Seth on Twitter at https://twitter.com/homosethual, or listen to old episodes of Thanks for Coming wherever you listen to podcasts.

We’ve heard a few times on this show about the healing power of drag, and how important it has been on different guests journeys of self-discovery and recalibration... but that’s always been from the perspective of drag artists, and not the audience who find escape in their art.... Well, that's all about to change. On this week's episode we are talking to Jaimie Sherling, who has recently published her book 'From Queens to Queens: How the Madison Drag Community Saved My Life', which is all about her experience as a breast cancer survivor, and how the magic that she found in her local drag scene helped her to stay strong...  Jaimie tells me all about the drag scene in Wisconsin's capital Madison (which, much to my dismay, has nothing at all to do with the schlocky 90s romance The Bridges Over Madison County), and in particular Five Nightclub, a club that is still open and which Jaimie is a big fan of, and Prism/Plan B, a gay bar that closed in 2019, and which Jaimie is less keen on... We talk all about the magic of drag, relationship breakdown, and having sexy time with your AirBnB guest.... Do you have any memories of the Prism, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Jaimie by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jaimiesherling/). You can also find her new book, From Queens to QUEENS, wherever you buy books online (more info here - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59001288-from-queens-to-queens)

The longer I do this podcast the more I'm learning about a real and very serious affliction on our community - and that is 'lesbian drama'... a few guests have now talked to me about this phenomenon, and at first I brushed it off, but the more I heard about it the more I wanted to know... Now, if you google 'lesbian drama' you'll probably find a list of films to watch on Netflix, but dig a little deeper and you'll find the Urbandictionary.com (ah, Urbandictionary!) definition, which is: "Drama caused by lesbians in their community because they don't know how to behave like adults" Now, it's probably a little more nuanced than that, but that gives us a bit of a flavour of what we'll be covering in today's episode! I'm delighted to be joined by the TV presenter, actor and media personality Sade Giliberti, who is taking Lost Spaces on its very first trip to South Africa.  We caught up to talk all about the Johannnesburg bar Ramp Divas, and, in the course of our conversation, I got to find out all about Sade's past life as a child beauty queen, what it felt like to be outed in the press, and, of course, navigating that tricky, tricky lesbian drama....  Do you have any memories of the Ramp Divas, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Sade on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sadegiliberti) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/sadegiliberti).

Lee Sean Huang is Taiwanese American designer, educator and podcaster. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and had what he describes as a typical middle American upbringing.  In the late 90s, as a teenager, he spent two summers in Paris, France on a study abroad programme. It was here that he got an opportunity to explore his identity and figure out who he was.  And one of the gay bars where he got to do that? The wonderfully named Le Queen.   We talk all about being relegated to sidekick role by a boy you fancy, random encounters with men whose language you don't speak, and kinda accidentally taking part in a foursome...   Do you have any memories of Le Queen, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Lee-Sean by following him on Instagram (www.instagram.com/leesean) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/leesean), and find his podcast, AIGA Design Podcasts, on all good podcast catchers. 

Amelia is the co-host of the podcast Pitney and Amelia's Bitchen Boutique - they may be awful, but they’re right!  (Actually, i don’t know if i agree that they are awful or right, bit it’s how they describe themselves on their show so we’re just gonna go with it....) We caught up to talk about the Austin, Texas club The Crossing.  Now, this is one of those situations where, because the club existed before the internet did, there is NOTHING about this venue online. Which is kind of weird when you think about all the crap that IS online, but also a bit of a reminder of the importance of this project to document our memories...  We talk about letting go of toxic friends, the flouncing, bouncing flaccid dick dance of male strippers, and - one of my all-time favourite subjects - the universal appeal of scuzzy, grotty, dirty nightclubs....  Do you have any memories of The Crossing, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Listen to Pitney and Amelia's Bitchen Boutique wherever you find podcasts, and follow them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/bitchenboutique) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitneyandamelia/)

Doug Crossley is an award-winning writer and artist based in the UK (and - spoiler alert - he also recently won a baking episode of Kirstie's Handmade Christmas which was on Channel 4 over the festive period!). He moved to London in the early 00s to study musical theatre at the infamous BRIT school, and came with a set of preconceptions about the big city and how his life would be there.  We caught up to talk about Popstarz, London's legendary weekly indie rock night that started in the 90s. Along the way we discuss teenage insecurities, showing up to work hungover, and Doug tells me all about the one that got away....  Do you have any memories of Popstarz, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Doug at his website (https://thedougiestore.com/) on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thedougiestore) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thedougiestore/)

Having been an in-demand DJ for the better part of the last 20 years there were a lot of queer spaces that I could have talked about with DJ Dan Murphy,  but we decided to go with the venue that gave him his big start all those years ago...  And so we're headed back to the early 2000s to talk about Arq, the legendary superclub at the tip of Sydney's queer district of Oxford Street.  At this time in his life he had just returned from living in London, where he sold t-shirts and lollipops at Heaven nightclub, and moved to Sydney from his native Brisbane for adventure and purpose.  We talk all about making queer friends as an adult, Dan remembers a time when you could go out clubbing every night of the week, and I get to use the Australian phrase 'dud root', which excited me no end but didn't seem to impress Dan that much...  Do you have any memories of Arq, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Dan on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DJDanMurphy) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/DJDanMurphy/) If you liked this episode I'd really appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on your podcast platform, or just tell people that you think might be interested!

Have you ever had someone try to coax you out of the closet by asking the seemingly innocent question 'is there anything you want to tell me?'?  Do you remember the anguish and pain of simply muttering the 3 or 4 words needed to just confirm their suspicions?  Well, if you have, I have a feeling you'll love this week's episode.  I'm talking to comedy writer and actor Lisa Haas about her very first trip to the lesbian bar Three Sisters in Denver, Colorado in the 80s.  We talk about how depressing a lesbian bar can be on Christmas eve, the awkwardness of coming out support groups, and what signal your sister might be trying to send you when she offers to buy you a plaid shirt!  Do you have any memories of Three Sisters, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Listen to Lisa's podcast 'IN HEAT: A Lesbian Comedy' wherever you stream podcasts, and follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lisahaasactor/)

There's nothing quite like a small town gay bar. This week we're catching up with Martin J Dixon, a stand-up comedian who is really into soft core porn and hard core hand holding. He lived in Truro between the ages of 16 and 18, having moved there to live with his grandparents and finish high school. It was here that he snuck in to Eclipse, and had his first gay bar experience. During our conversation we veer all over the shop, and discuss what we think is the appropriate Grindr etiquette, what we even mean when we talk about the queer community, and what kind of decisions amorphous spiritual blobs would make about our lives... But before we get in to that we talk about Martin's very first night at the bar as an unsure 16 year old... he's snuck in with friends from his college, the lights are low, and Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino and Crystal Waters is playing. All of a sudden a stranger hops in to Martin's lap... Listen to the episode to find out what happened next... Do you have any memories of the Jack Horner, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Martin on Twitter (www.twitter.com/martinjdixon)

Self confessed pop culture expert Charlie Sayce, creator of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Fans, and host of God Save the Queens, a drag race review show on Glitterbeam Radio, is this week's guest.  And he's taking us on a trip back in time to his uni days in Worthing, a small seaside town in the south of England. It was here that he found the only gay bar in town, the Jack Horner. Despite it looking like a generic old man pub they played Britney Spears, had dodgy karaoke nights, and gave him an opportunity to explore his identity.  Do you have any memories of the Jack Horner, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Charlie on Twitter as either his personal account (https://twitter.com/IAmCharlieSayce) or the account for RPDR UK Fans  (https://twitter.com/rpdrukfans). 

1 December is World Aids Day, an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.  To mark this day on this week's show I'm joined by De'Vannon Hubert, podcaster and author of 'Sex, Drugs, and Jesus', a memoir about his struggles with his HIV+ diagnosis, drug addiction, homelessness, and rejection from his church for his sexuality. And the venue we're discussing is F-Bar in Houston, Texas, a place that holds bittersweet memories for De'Vannon - it was here that he celebrated, danced, and made friends and chosen family. But it was also here that he received the phone call telling him that he'd contracted HIV.  Do you have any memories of F Bar, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about De'Vannon at his website - (https://www.sexdrugsandjesus.com/) , or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/TabooTopix) 

So, if you've ever listened to this show before you'll know that I often talk to my guests about straight people in queer spaces... and, for the most part people are not exactly against the idea, but fear that it can compromise the integrity of a space, or... just make it a bit more boring... Well, this week's guest, Gretchen Phillips, has an entirely different view, and wants to see a world where there is more integration, and more 'reaching across the aisle', as she puts it... Gretchen is an influential singer-songwriter, who currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, but spent a good proportion of her life in Austin, Texas, where she was involved in cult bands Meat Joy, Girls in the Nose, and Two Nice Girls.  It was with Two Nice Girls that she released her best known compositions, 'The Queer Song', and 'I Spent My Last $10 (on Birth Control and Beer)', a song which sends up heterosexual relationships. We got together to talk about Chances, a lesbian bar in Austin that Gretchen started visiting in the 80s, and the space where she first laid eyes on her partner of 30 years....  Do you have any memories of Chances, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Gretchen at her website - http://gretchen-phillips.com/

This week's guest is Reese Williams, host of the Not Another Drag Race Podcast.  If you follow me on social media you'll have seen this week that I was the guest on his show, spouting my ill-informed opinions about last week's episode of Drag Race UK, and now it's time to return the favour! Reese grew up in Melbourne's outer suburbs and still remembers the long train ride he'd take to come in to the city and explore queer nightlife... The place that's left the strongest impression on him is The Greyhound Hotel (or, as it came to be known, The GH), which was in the seaside area of St Kilda, and which was closed in 2017 to make way for some luxury flats (sound familiar?). We talk all about taking your straight female friends out dancing, seeing drag for the first time, and we even have a little lesson in Aussie slang! Do you have any memories of The Greyhound, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Follow Reese on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/notanotherdragracepod/ and https://www.instagram.com/reesieboi/

Michael Ryan, who leads the Gay Bars That Are Gone walking tour in NYC, and loves queer spaces as much as I do, is this week's guest. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, he first moved to New York for college, and although he quickly threw himself in to the scene, he wasn't sure what kind of gay he wanted to be... It wasn't until he found Splash, one of those old school gay bars that was bold, trashy and, invariably, the place you'd end up at the end of the night, that he found his tribe... And that tribe was the people that went to Musical Mondays, a night that celebrated all things musical theatre.... And, if you've listened to the show before you know that I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to musicals, but through this conversation I feel as though I'm starting to understand the appeal a little bit more...  If you're listening to this on Spotify I'm experimenting a little with their new interactive features - I've set up a simple question - 'What is your favourite musical of all time?' - so if you can have a look at the episode there and answer the question that'd make me super excited.... and I'll be your best friend FOREVER if you say Grease 2! Do you have any memories of Splash, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Michael at his website https://michaelryanlovesplaces.com/, or follow him on IG https://www.instagram.com/michaeljamesryan/ and https://www.instagram.com/gaybarsthataregone/ If you're in NYC and you want to go on Michael's walking tour you can book through Bowery Boys Walks - https://www.boweryboyswalks.com/walking-tours/gay-bars-that-are-gone-tour/

The story behind how this week's conversation happened is almost as good as the interview itself! So, you may know this already, but I’m a big fan of Grease 2, which I think is a far superior film to Grease.  Having heard me rant about it on a previous episode of the show (see 'Queer as Punk' with Demi Wylde) a follower on twitter, @rnfrw, who is also a long time listener of the show (hello!) reached out to disagree, and we had a little bit of a back and forth about it.  This got me thinking about Grease, which led me to wikipedia, and then I fell in to a bit of a wiki-hole and now I have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the two films… But, one of the things that I didn’t know before I fell in to this wiki-hole, is what happened to the singer behind my absolute favourite song from the soundtrack to the Grease movie, which is obviously ‘It’s Raining on Prom Night’.  And my internet sleuthing led me to the singer/songwriter Cidny Bullens.... Cidny has had a long and fascinating career, and made the brave decision to transition in 2010 in his early 60s… We had a really great conversation about his life, but I have to admit that we’re kind of stretching the theme somewhat, and rather than talk about one physical space we are talking about the spaces that were created on the 1975 Elton John West of the Rockies Tour. Cidny was a back up singer on this tour, and is currently in the process of writing his memoir, so had a tonne of stories and insights to share about that experience and creating magic in front of an audience every evening.... Do you have any memories of clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Cidny at his website (https://www.cidnybullens.com/), or on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cidbullens/), or Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/cidnybullens/)

One of the big perks of doing this show is that I get to reach out to people I admire with the flimsy excuse that I want to interview them for my podcast, and then get the opportunity to talk one-to-one with them for a few hours... And, this week's guest is very special. Regina Gently, who you may also know as Gentleman Reg, is  a singer, songwriter and drag performer from Canada, who has worked alongside Broken Social Scene, The Hidden Cameras, and Owen Pallett. And, as Reg she even appeared in John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus.  And this is a bit of a record for Lost Spaces, as this is the third time we've featured The Beaver, a dive bar set up by the visionary Will Munro in Toronto's West End that closed in 2020.  In the late 00s he was working at the bar, and it's where he first fell in love with drag, which is where Regina comes in to the picture...  We talk all about getting in to drag relatively late in life, transitioning from indie rock to dance music, and I continue my age old tradition of discussing Celine Dion with Canadian guests... Do you have any memories of The Beaver, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Regina on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/reginagently/), Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/reginagently/) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/reginagently/)

So, this week is a big week. We've made it to 100 episodes. This is the 100th episode. That's weird, right? Whod've thought we'd make it this far? 100 whole episodes, and we've never been to the city where I grew up.... Adelaide. But, that's all about to change today!  I got to sit down with the comedian Lori Bell to talk all about her experiences on Adelaide's queer scene (all two venues!)... We talk all about first times, blow jobs on the dance floor, and I find out what the difference is between regular bingo and gay bingo....  Do you have any memories of Mars Bar or Edinburgh Castle, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Lori at her website - https://www.loribellcomedy.com, and follow her on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/loribellcomedy/

We're headed back to the lesbian bar! My guest on this week's show, Bobby Macumber, is a comedian, MC and radio host from Melbourne.  We caught up to talk about The Glasshouse, one of Melbourne's only lesbian bars, which opened in 1991, and closed in 2011.  The Glasshouse was the very first queer bar that Bobby went to with her cricket teammates back when she was a closeted 23 year old... In this episode we talk all about the joys of karaoke, falling in love with straight women, and coming out to your parents via e-mail...  Do you have any memories of The Glasshouse, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Bobby at her website - www.bobbymacumber.com, and follow her on twitter (www.twitter.com/bobbymacumber) and instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bobby_macumber/)

Big Hair. Oil Rigs. BBQs. Beyonce... Yes, this week we're off to Texas! And our tour guide is actor, producer and director Emerson Collins. He's taking us back in time to The Village Station in Dallas, which was the very first gay bar he ever went to. Though he can't remember the songs he heard that night, what he was wearing, or what performances he saw, he does remember how it felt... The excitement, dread and anticipation of a better future for himself. We talk all about growing up as a Southern Baptist, how to lie convincingly, and being a theatre gay. Do you have any memories of The Village Station, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Emerson at his website - https://www.emersoncollins.com/ ... And follow him on instagram  (https://www.instagram.com/emersoncollins) and twitter (https://twitter.com/ActuallyEmerson)

Hayden Winston is a Black, bisexual novelist, poet and activist whose work draws on his experiences as a QPOC and the child of West Indian immigrants.   Though he currently lives in Sacramento with his husband Tom, he was born and raised in and around Los Angeles. It was here, in West Hollywood, that he started to explore the queer scene at the 18-and-up night Tiger Heat.  And Tiger Heat was held at the West Hollywood institution Rage, a nightclub that was open for 37 years, closing in 2020.  In this episode we talk all about sounding, gender reveal parties, and having skeezy strangers run their fingers through your chest hair. Do you have any memories of Rage, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Make sure you also find out more about Hayden at his website https://haydenwinston.com/. He has also recently published a queer coming of age novel, titled Wildflowers (https://ninestarpress.com/product/wildflowers/).

Simona Castricum is a musician, DJ and producer based in Melbourne, Australia. We caught up to talk about Hugs and Kisses, a night that ran in the 2010s and took advantage of the looser licensing laws that applied to the venue it was based in, which created this wonderful, hedonistic atmosphere reminiscent of the early rave scene.  We talked a lot about being safe on the scene and how to create that culture, becoming yourself, and drinking in the street.  Oh, and I need to let you know that Simona is probably THE most Australian person that I've ever spoken to, and uses a whole heap of colloquial language, so you may want to familiarise yourself with the terms cooked, hoon, sick, goon and pingers before you listen to the episode! But, then again, it's kind of fun guessing as you go along so I'll leave that decision up to you.  Do you have any memories of Hugs and Kisses, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Simona at her website https://simonacastricum.com/, and on https://www.instagram.com/simonacastricum/

Barb Snelgrove is a radio presenter, inductee in the Canadian Queer Hall of Fame, and owner of megamouthmedia, a boutique media relations firm.  She is also a life-long Vancouverite, and has seen the queer scene shift and change since she first started going out as an underage teen. We first caught up to talk about a bar called The Odyssey, but... well... you already know what I'm going to say... we ended up going a little off-piste.   But, don't worry, cause it's all still gold. We talked all about the evolving Vancouver scene, our mixed feelings about hen parties in queer spaces, and Barb kindly informs me what a gurgle room is.... The venues we discuss in this episode are: The Odyssey, The Quadra, The Gandy Dancer, The Playpen Central, The Playpen South (which had a Gurgle room!), The Shaggy Horse... Do you have any memories from Vancouver clubbing or your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod) Find out more about Barb on Facebook (www.facebook.com/megamouthmedia), Instagram (www.instagram.com/megamouthmedia) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/megamouthmedia)

Alistair Barton is the host of Picking at Perfection, a podcast that aims to explore and break down perfectionist expectations.  And this week we're doing something a little bit different - instead of visiting a club we're going to a youth group. Alistair says that the youth group he went to as a teenager gave him a safe space to explore his identity with a group of young people that were outside of his school and outside of all the expectations and pressure that he felt there.  But it wasn't all arts, crafts and ping pong! We caught up to talk about the group, growing up in the suburbs, and his number one teenage crush, Hot Gay Joey. Do you have any memories from your queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod Find out more about Alistair via the Picking at Perfection website - https://www.pickingatperfection.com/, or follow him on Instagram @pickingatperfection

Michael Dumlao is an artist, activist and the author of 'The Wisdom of Guncles', a new book that celebrates the role of gay uncles and highlights the diverse perspectives and lived experiences they have to offer their families.  Born in the Philippines, he spent his childhood in Sydney, Australia, and then California before moving to Washington, D.C. in his early 20s.  It was here that he made his home, finding his chosen family and laying down roots. We caught up to talk about his early days in the city, going to the lost superclub Velvet Nation, getting hand jobs at foam parties, and *gasp* dating Republicans...  Do you have any memories from Velvet Nation, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod Find out more about Michael by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/michaeldumlao/), and make sure to check out his new book 'The Wisdom of Guncles' - https://tinyurl.com/michaeldumlao

Erika and Paul are the co-hosts of That Aged Well, a podcast that examines 80s/90s pop culture through a modern lens. The two have been friends for over 20 years, and were finishing each other's sentences, and volleying back and forth throughout our conversation about their lost space. And, you'll be pleased to hear, there was a higher-than-average amount of giggles and guffaws. We met to discuss Vlada, a vodka bar in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, which was the place to be for a short time in the mid-00s (and, just as a little piece of trivia, I am in love with the fact that the owner of the bar was named Vlada Von Shats). But, you know, as is custom with this show we also talked about a bunch of other crap. Expect to hear flirting tips, advice for how to avoid audience participation, and how to spot the signs that you’ve joined a cult.  Do you have any memories from Vlada, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod Find out more about That Aged Well by listening to their show (obviously), and visiting their website https://www.thatagedwell.com/, or follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatagedwell/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/thatagedwellpod) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ThatAgedWell/)

Actor Kevin Steinberg moved to San Francisco in the mid-90s after a particularly memorable trip to Burning Man festival (I'll let him tell you all about that), and quickly built a life for himself working as a living sculpture and a go-go dancer. And it was at Club Universe, a queer nightclub in SoMa that was open from 1994 to 2002, where he first donned his skimpy shorts and worked the podium. Do you have any memories from Club Universe, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod Kevin is about to launch his own podcast, Frankly Kev, so make sure you keep your ears pricked for that. And, in the meantime follow him on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kevinpsteinberg/ 

This week we are catching up with Pandora Boxx, drag queen superstar and contestant on Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 2, as well as All Stars 1 and 6. And we are going to find out all about her early days in drag. Back in the 90s she was one of the top performers at Club Marcella, a drag bar in Rochester, NY, that rode on the crest of the wave of that decades drag explosion (think Ru Paul's 'Supermodel of the World' and 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert') and courted a mostly straight clientele. We talk about falling in love with straight men, embracing her inner slut, and the pettiest fight that she ever got in to with a fellow queen... Do you have any memories from Club Marcella, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod For more on Pandora check out her website https://pandoraboxx.com/ (with two x's!), and follow her on Instagram as @pandoraboxx and on Twitter as @thepandoraboxx

What is it about the punk and the goth scenes that is so appealing to queer kids? This week I caught up with author, podcaster, and entrepreneur Demi Wylde to help explore that very question.  I got to find out all about his teen years growing up in the southern California city Riverside, and the refuge that he found at the Showcase Theatre, an alternative rock club in the neighbouring city of Corona which was once described as 'the CBGBs of the west coast', which was open between 1993 and 2008.  We talk all about the thrill of being chaperoned to the club by your mum, finding your voice, and I discover the difference between mosh pits and skank pits. Do you have any memories from the mosh pit, or from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod For more on Demi: - visit his website - https://demitriwylde.wixsite.com/  - follow him on twitter - @demitriwylde  - discover his poetry book “All Was Nothing in the Time of Champions”, his two blogs “Hookup Horror Stories” & “A Deviant’s Guide to Sex”, and listen to his podcast: “A Cosmic Journey with Demi & J” by following this convenient link - https://linktr.ee/demitriwylde

When most people think of G-A-Y, the iconic club night that has hosted performances from such superstars as Kylie Minogue, Spice Girls, Madonna, and my personal favourites Daphne & Celeste, they think of The Astoria, the central London music venue that hosted the night from when it started in the 90s up until the late 00s. The Astoria was the victim of Crossrail, a railway construction project that started in 2009 and completely changed London's queer scene, resulting in the demolition of the Astoria, as well as other queer venues Ghetto and First Out Cafe. I caught up with Jeremy Joseph, the owner of the G-A-Y nightclub chain, to find out about the early days of the club, working with the mafia, who was responsible for the worst performance in the history of G-A-Y, and why the Astoria was such a special place. Do you have any memories of The Astoria or your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod For more on Jeremy follow him on twitter - @jeremyjoseph

Seren Oakley is a multi-disciplinary artist and events organiser whose work is based on queer spaces and elevation of others, which includes marginalised groups like asylum seekers. Currently based in Leeds, England, she grew up in Swansea, Wales, where she found solace and community at a venue called The Scene, which hosted gigs for under 18s in the early 2010s. In this episode we talk all about making out in the car park, hosting your own events, breaking boys' hearts, and how the internet has helped queer people find community throughout the pandemic. For more on Seren check out pulpquality.com, and: Facebook: @serenoakleyartspace Instagram: @pulpquality  Seren is also the host of her own show, The Be Nice Podcast, and if you check it out you might discover that a certain someone has been a guest on a previous episode (It's me. The someone is me if i wasn't painfully obvious about it). Do you have any memories of your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod

Gay Sydney in the 90s was a magical time according to today's guest, chef, youtuber and podcaster Andrew Prior, who lived very close to the city's main gay hub, Oxford Street, in the early 90s.  Our conversation focusses on this area, which Andred dubs the 'gay ghetto', at two periods of his life - the early 90s, when he was a teenager, living away from home for the first time, and the late 90s, when he was a little older (and, maybe perhaps wiser?).  We talk all about the impact the massive success of the drag film 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' had on Sydney's scene, hen parties, body image, and Andrew's lost space, The Midnight Shift.  Do you have any memories of Sydney's queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod For more on Andrew check out Cooking Fabulously on YouTube and the Fabulously Delicious podcast, which are all about French food and the fabulous people that make it. You can also find him via his website, https://www.andrewpriorfabulously.com 

Today we are catching up with Conor Collins, a Visual Artist based in Manchester, England, who is known for making artworks using unconventional materials such as diamond dust, blood, and hate speech found on social media. He first moved to Manchester to study, and it was here that he found Poptastic, a club night targeted mainly at students that played an eclectic mix of music.  We caught up to discuss getting comfortable with rejection, sleeping with your school bully, and pee-shyness (which seems to be a recurring theme on this show!).  Did you ever go to Poptastic, or have any memories of Manchester's Canal Street that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to!  Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - @lostspacespod And, whilst you're at it - go give Conor some love - his website can be found at https://www.conartworks.com/, and he is on Instagram and Twitter @conartworks.

This week we are talking to David Paisley, a Scottish actor known for roles in soap operas Holby City, and River City. He is also a tireless LGBTQ campaigner, recently being acknowledged with an Attitude Pride Award for his  campaigning against the trans-exclusionary agenda of the LGB Alliance. He first moved to London when he got the role as midwife Ben Saunders in Holby City, and hated it. It wasn't until the second time around that the city's charms started to show themselves, and he had fun exploring the sticky dancefloors and sweaty bars of Soho.  We originally caught up to talk about Ghetto, that beloved icon of the mid-00s queer scene, but, as is usual on this show, went on the scenic route, which took in other clubs such as Popstarz and Trash Palace, and some entirely unrelated conversations about funeral songs, Spice Girls, and the anxiety of controlling the playlist at a house party.  Did you ever go to Ghetto, Trash Palace or Popstarz? Well, if you have, and you have stories to share please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos! You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod And, whilst you're at it - go give David some love on Twitter - his username is, conveniently, @davidpaisley David is also one of the people behind LGBT Glitterati, who are selling all kind of queer t-shirts, caps, vests and face masks, with all profits going to the Transgender Defence Fund - go top up your summer wardrobe at www.lgbtglitterati.com 

This week we are talking to Tim Lagman, a certified sex educator and pleasure advocate based in Toronto, Canada.  He is also the host of the 'Sex Ed with Tim' podcast, where he interviews sluts (his word, not mine!) from all walks of life and delves into the good, the bad, and the stinky sides of love, sex, sexuality, relationships, and more. And where did he get so damn knowledgeable about all of these things?  Well, it was out in the club, and he credits Fly 2.0, which was in the heart of Toronto's gay village and was open between 1999-2019, as a place where he learnt the most about himself and his community. Find out more about Tim at his website https://www.sexedwithtim.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sexedwithtim Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexedwithtim/ And go have a listen to the 'Sex Ed With Tim' Podcast, and, if you're so inclined, support the show by becoming a patron at https://patreon.com/sexedwithtim

In ye olden days (ok, like 20 years ago) London used to be full of small neighbourhood queer bars that had more of a community feel than the bigger, anonymous drinking establishments in the West End. And, if it was a lesbian bar you were after then your best bet would be to head to Stoke Newington in the north east of London, which has been described by today's guest as a 'lesbian mecca'.  And, who is today's guest? Well, it's none other than lesbian romance novelist Clare Lydon, whose London Romance series has been described as “The L Word, set in London.", so she knows what she's talking about when it comes to London and lesbians.  We caught up to talk about her time living in Stoke Newington, her beloved lost space, Blush Bar, which was open from 1997-2015, and why pool is the sport of choice for so many lesbians.  Do you have any memories of Blush Bar of fighting over a pool table that you want to share? Well, if you do please get in touch - you can contact me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod, or you can go to my website www.lostspacespodcast.com and leave a comment there.  To find out more about Clare visit her website http://www.clarelydon.co.uk where you can download some free stories, and mark your calendar, as Clare's next book, Big London Dreams, is out on July 28th. 

Today we are talking about Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which on June 12, 2016, became the site of the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks of 2001.  And, the repercussions were felt worldwide- I remember how shocking and terrifying it was to hear about this happening in a country like America.. But, before it was the sight of this tragedy Pulse was a place where people came to meet likeminded queer folks, dance, be messy and forget their regular lives. I caught up with leukaemia warrior and makeup artist Jared Lipscomb, who grew up in Orlando to talk about body image, first times and why that space will always have a special place in his heart. In lots of ways this is a very serious episode because we’re talking about a horrific incident, but in other ways it’s very joyous as we talk about what made the place special. Do you have any memories of Pulse that you want to share? Well, if you do please get in touch - you can contact me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod, or you can go to my website www.lostspacespodcast.com and leave a comment there. Follow Jared on Instagram at @jaredlips, and give a wee listen to his podcast Back on Air (wherever you listen to podcasts)

Today's guest has a pretty damn impressive CV. She is the recently elected Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, as well as the co-founder of San Francisco's Transgender District (which happens to be the first transgender district in the world, so no small feat!). Oh, yeah, and you might know her as a contestant on Season 5 of Ru Paul's Drag Race, where she showed off, amongst other things, her love of kaftans.  In 2016 Honey Mahogany became a co-owner of The Stud after it became the very first co-operatively owned nightclub in the United States. The bar, which was San Fransisco's oldest queer bar, having first opened in 1966, was another victim of Covid-19, and the collective chose to close in 2020. We caught up to discuss Honey's early days in drag, what makes San Francisco drag so unique, and why the bar will always have a special place in Honey's heart. Do you have memories of The Stud? Anything about today's episode that you want to talk about, maybe the stigma of being a drag queen? Well, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and let's have a chat about the show and where we should go next on Lost Spaces. We're on facebook, instagram and twitter with the userhandle is  @lostspacespod (or check out the website www.lostspacespodcast.com)  Follow Honey Mahogany on IG for more - @honeymahogany And, the Stud has its own podcast, Stud Stories, which you should definitely check out - https://www.studsf.com/podcast

This week we are heading to San Francisco to meet Creative Strategist Nat Gunn. And, when I say strategist I do mean strategist! Moving to San Francisco in 2014 Nat came equipped with a game plan that she took that seriously, throwing herself in to the dating world. It was this very plan that led her to meet her partner Bridget, and their first date together brought them to Virgil's Sea Room, a queer bar on Mission Street that recently closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We caught up to talk about astrology, online dating profiles and the importance of queer spaces. Do you have memories of clubbing in San Fransisco? Anything about today's episode that you want to talk about? Well, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and let's have a chat about the show and where we should go next on Lost Spaces. I'm on facebook, instagram and twitter with the userhandle is  @lostspacespod

This week we are heading to the northern Scottish city of Aberdeen for some old school drag glamour. We are talking to none other than the mama of Aberdeen's drag scene, Romy Deepcheeks, a queen who has been pioneering the artform in the city since the early 00s. We caught up to talk about the scene, and discuss venues including Club 2000, Castro's and Foundation, but, in typical Lost Spaces style, we also talk about a whole host of tangentially related things, including Romy's coming out relatively late in life at 28, being ex-communicated by the Mormon church, hooking up with guys whilst in drag, and I get to ask a bunch of ignorant sounding questions about the fine art of tucking! Do you have any memories of clubbing in Aberdeen? Have you ever tried tucking? Got anything to say about this episode? Well, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and let's have a chat about the show and where we should go next on Lost Spaces. I'm on facebook, instagram and twitter with the userhandle @lostspacespod And, whilst you're at it say hello to Romy on IG - @missromy14

This week we are catching up with Craig Seymour, an American writer, music critic and former stripper. And, we are heading back to the 1990s to find out about his time stripping at various clubs throughout Washington, DC. At that point in time there was a strange quirk in the zoning laws that meant that strippers could be fully naked and fondled by customers. Whilst a graduate at the University of Maryland, Craig started to write an ethnographic study of the clubs, and what better way to learn about your subject than immersing yourself? We talk all about a number of clubs which include La cage aux folles, Secrets,  and Wet, and all of the experiences that lead to Craig writing his memoir, 'All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.' Let me know what you thought of this episode - @lostspacespod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  You can also find Craig on Instagram and Twitter with the user handle @craigspoplife And go and discover his books -  Luther: Life & Longing of Luther Vandross; https://tinyurl.com/yz6uvtnj All I Could Bare: My Life in Strip Clubs of Gay DC. - https://tinyurl.com/3adkpt77

This week we are heading back to the Big Apple with Conor Kelly O'Brien, an actor, theatre maker and creative arts organiser, originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania -- after a day of soul-zapping auditions Conor found himself at 9th Avenue Saloon, a gay dive bar in Hell's Kitchen. It was here, whilst commiserating over an alcoholic beverage or two, that Conor met a man, got pleasantly distracted, got frisky, and then... well, you'll have to listen to the episode to find out... but, yeah, definitely one of the more interesting one-night-stands I've heard about. Find out more about Conor -  www.conorkellyobrien.com https://twitter.com/ConorKOBrien http://instagram.com/conorkellyobrien https://www.facebook.com/ConorKellyOBrienActor/

This week we are heading back in time to the early 00s - this is the time when the Spice Girls were unravelling, we had e-mail but not social media (not even MySpace!), and electroclash was at its peak. And it was at this time that my guest Jordan King - a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist, archivist, and historian, with her personal work currently focused on the overlap of drag culture and trans female identity - and a small group of friends started to host a weekly party in the then recently renovated basement of the Lotus Hotel in Vancouver. We talk all about the subtle difference between being a 'ringleader' and being a 'wrangler', Jordan's casting in the Hollywood film Connie and Carla,  and the magic and chaos of throwing yourself head first in to something you're passionate about... Follow Jordan on Instagram - JordanKingArchive Listen to Jordan's podcast Radio Never Apart - https://soundcloud.com/neverapartmtl/sets/radio-never-apart-podcast

This week we are heading back to Bristol to meet Sharifa Whitney James, a Queer, Black activist, footballer, model and facilitator. Originally from Wiltshire, Sharifa moved to Bristol to take a spot at a football academy when she was just a teenager about 15 years ago. And Bristol was the city where she first went out on a queer scene, visiting clubs like Flamingos, Vibes and Bent. But, those spaces didn't always feel quite right and weren't always welcoming... and that's where Kiki Bristol came in, a night co-founded by Sharifa and created for QTIPOC (Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Colour) and their friends. We caught up to discuss homophobia in football, having sex in a tent, and drunken straight male stag parties... If you want to find out more about Sharifa make sure you follow her on IG - @gold_fro And, she's also going to be starting her own podcast soon - The Queer Blackity Black Joy Podcast - you can also find that on IG - @thequeerblackityblackjoypod

This week it's my very first three-way interview, which I was absolutely shitting myself about beforehand, but which turned out good (well, you'll see!).  Nana and Rose are the hosts of the Two Twos podcast, which they describe as 'two black lesbians living in London speaking their unapologetic truth whilst creating a safe space for people like themselves and bridging the gap between LGBT+ people and cis-gendered straight people'. We caught up to talk about Hidden, and more specifically a night there called Work, which was held every Wednesday night in a railway arch in Vauxhall, London, which Rose and Nana visited before they'd even met each other in the early 2010s. Find out more about Two Twos by following them on Instagram @twotwospodcast, and on Twitter @TwoTwos_Podcast

Inspired by the American direct action group of the same name, Queer Nation was a club night that started in London in 1990 and quickly built a reputation as an attitude free, affordable and welcoming night that played the best in soulful house. And my guest this week is the activist, health promoter, and mentor Marc Thompson, who tells me why the night is so dear to his heart.  As well as being an absolute sweetheart Marc has an incredibly impressive CV and I'm just going to break down a few of his accomplishments. He is: Co-director of The Love Tank (http://thelovetank.info/), a community interest company that promotes health and wellbeing of under-served communities through education, capacity building and research, Co-founder of Prepster.info (https://prepster.info/), a community based intervention that aims to educate and agitate for PreP access in England and beyond. Co-founder of Blackout UK (https://blkoutuk.com/about/) a movement dedicated to working with and building safe spaces for Black gay men. Key to all of this work is a focus on Black and queer communities, sexual health and HIV, and he is particularly interested in the intersection of race, sexuality and HIV. Ah, and a quick note - the club got around, having been hosted in venues including Fire, Crash, and Barcode, but the era that we focus on in our conversation is in its early days at Gardening Club, where it first started, and Substation South. Follow Marc on Twitter - https://twitter.com/marct_01

If you listened to my interview with artist John Lee Bird about his days working at Crash you might remember a few mentions of his flatmate, who was... shall we say... exposed to some salubrious shenanigans whilst hanging out with John. Well, I've been nagging for a while, and finally got John's flatmate, Ros, on the show to share some of her story! We started talking about different venues and nights in London in the early 00s, but the conversation really became about the importance of their relationship - a gay man and a straight woman - and also the importance of safe spaces and communities when you're on the journey of becoming who you are...

This week we are headed back in time to the early 80s and small(ish) town England, with the writer David Ledain, author of This Forbidden Fruit, Having Gay Sex and his most well-known work Gay Dad, a non-fiction book that compiles the stories of gay men who married women and started families. We talk about his experiences of dipping his toe in gay life at Granny's Nightspot in Portsmouth and The Bush Inn in Chichester, grappling with his sexuality, and then deciding to turn his back on it to marry a woman.  We also talk about all the heartthrobs he remembers from those days, so get ready for some lusting and reminiscing about men he hasn't seen for almost 40 years! You can follow David on Facebook and Twitter @davidledain, and also be sure to check out the Rainbow Dads podcast, of which David is a contributor.

This week we are catching up with Chris Hubley, a musician, artist and art historian who is also known by his drag alter-ego Crystal Mighty. We talk about a LOT of things this episode - language and how it evolves, strange, intense platonic relationships, and DIY culture... which were all the subjects that branched off of our original reason for meeting, which was F.A.G. Club, an event night held initially in Cardiff, but for the majority of its run in Bristol. F.A.G Club was an inclusive D.I.Y night for QuAGS (queers of all genders and sexualities), that Chris put on with a group of friends after meeting them at the Queeruption, which is an annual international queercore festival. Some of the terms discussed on the episode (I stole these definitions from https://gender.wikia.org/) Transtrender, a portmanteau of the words transgender and trend, is a derogatory term used to describe someone who is pretending to be transgender for attention or for pity. Transmedicalism / transmed is broadly defined as the belief that being transgender is contingent upon experiencing gender dysphoria or undergoing medical treatment in transitioning.[1][2][3] Transmedicalists, sometimes referred to as "truscum" by themselves or others,[3][4] believe that individuals who identify as transgender but who do not experience gender dysphoria or undergo a medical transition—through methods such as sex reassignment surgery or hormone replacement therapy—are not genuinely transgender. Transmasculine is a term used to describe transgender people who generally are assigned female at birth, but identify with a masculine gender identity to a greater extent than with a feminine gender identity. Usually transmasculine people try to appear stereotypically masculine in terms in their gender expression in order to create social recognition of their dominant male identity. AFAB - Assigned Female at Birth AMAB - Assigned Male at Birth Assigned Sex (also referred to as birth sex) refers to the sex you were interpreted as at birth, which usually corresponds to the gender identity you were raised as and/or assumed to have in childhood. As a phrase, this is a way to refer to the sex that was put on your birth certificate, without making assumptions about your actual/current sex, body or identity.

This week we are talking to Bernie Hodges, a voice artist, actor, and co-host of the 'What, That Old Queen?' podcast. Moving to Bristol in the early 90s with a few mates when he was just 21 years old he quickly built a life for himself, but struggled to find his tribe and that sense of belonging that comes with that. But, that all changed when he started to go to Horseplay, a club night that billed itself as an 'underground homo disco' which started in 2011. We caught up to talk about pleather harnesses, living it up as an A-Gay, and death by dildo...

I am so freaking excited that the guest for this week's episode is Ultra Nate, the dance music superstar best known for the 90s classic 'Free'.  A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Ultra fell in to club culture in her first year of university. From here she met the production group the Basement Boys, started writing songs with them and... well, the rest is history... Ultra and I discuss the Baltimore house sound, being famous in one country and unknown in another, and the etiquette of snogging on the dancefloor.... This is really an episode about a number of venues - Odell's, Club Fantasy, and The Paradox (so legendary that it has its own wikipedia page!), with the common thread being the pioneering owner Wayne Davis. Whilst none of these venues were queer, they did host specific nights promoted to this community, and, being dance venues, the audience they attracted was really diverse.

This week is our first visit to Wales, and we're going to the second largest city, Swansea (which has a population of around 250,000) to find out about the lost bar Champers. I caught up with Craig Law, Host of the #InTheMix show on Gaydio, the world's biggest LGBT radio station to find out why the bar has a special place in his heart. Craig gives me advice on what to do when your friend pulls and you're left standing on your own like an idiot, shares the impact of Section 28 on his coming out, and ponders what happened to Swansea's once vibrant queer scene (with special mentions for other queer bars Talk of the Town, Hush, and The Kings Arms). Go and give Craig some love at https://twitter.com/djcraiglaw and listen to his mixes at https://mixcloud.com/djcraiglaw

If you were queer in London in the naughties then you would no doubt have spent an evening or two at Popstarz, the alternative institution that is most well known for being held at Scala in King's Cross. I caught up with the host of the filthy, filthy Probably True podcast, Scott Flashheart, to talk all about his first days in London, nights out at Popstarz, vodka coughs, and the lost art of eye-banging... If you enjoy this episode make sure you go and give Scott some love on twitter - @ScottFlashheart - And, whilst you're at it, give the Probably True podcast a listen too!

Mrs. Kasha Davis came to international fame after appearing in Season 7 of Ru Paul's Drag Race. Before Drag Race, she was one of the main drag performers at Muthers, a bar in Rochester, New York. We caught up to talk about angry white poodles, the Ethel Merman disco album, and some of her memories from her early days in drag. This episode includes shout outs to many drag legends - Ambrosia Salad, Pandora Boxx, Darienne Lake, Aggy Dune, Annie Rexic, Miss Richfield 1981, and the club's owner, Naiomy Kane. Make sure you give Mrs. Davis some love on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrskashadavis/

For a while in the early 2010s XES Lounge was THE place to be on a Monday night, where drag queens Frostie Flakes and Bob the Drag Queen (who, at the time was going by the name Kitten Withawhip) hosted their show 'Sisters?', winning crowds over with their ramshackle charm. In the crowd every week was Honey La Bronx, vegan drag queen, LGBTQ rights activist, host of the Big Fat Vegan Radio podcast and Bob's drag daughter. We caught up to discuss the pull of Manhattan, why it's not a good idea to take your tap shoes to the club, and how XES Lounge provided a sense of community and home. Follow Honey on Instagram - @honeylabronx , and make sure to check out her website https://www.vegandragqueen.com/

And we're off to the northern English city of Sheffield, home of the world's oldest football club (who knew?), and the town responsible for legendary bands such as Pulp, Moloko, and The Human League. The lost space we are finding out about in this episode is The Cossack, a tiny pub in the city centre that was open for around 30 years from the early 70s to the early naughties. I caught up with drag artist, DJ, community worker and activist Heather Paterson to talk all about the anticlimax of coming out to friends and family, sneakily reading lesbian magazines at the newsagent, and finding friends for life at The Cossack. Make sure you follow Heather on twitter - her username is @heatherpaterson

Remember the days when you'd put on your fanciest/glitter-iest/sluttiest outfit and then.... catch public transport to the club? Big Dipper, rapper and podcaster extraordinaire,  sure does. Before moving to his current home in LA he lived for a few years in New York City, where he cut his teeth performing at Westgay, a queer night hosted by the influential Frankie Sharp at a bar called Westway (see what they did there?) every Tuesday night from 2012 to 2015. We talked about waiting in line even when your name is on the guest list, avoiding fluids so you don't have to deal with the club toilets, and the magical feeling of leaving the club when the sun is rising. Make sure you listen to Big Dipper's podcast Sloppy Seconds, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter - @bigdipperjelly

It is frequently listed as the most progressive country in Europe for LGBTQIA+ rights, but what is life really like for queer people in Malta? What’s it like spending all your savings on drag? How could your parents not realise you're gay when your they world's biggest Mariah Carey fan? I found the answer to these questions (and more!) when I caught up with drag queen, stand-up comedian and writer Chucky Bartolo to reminisce about Klozet, a beloved lost gay bar in Malta. Make sure to follow Chucky on instagram - @chuckybartolo

Will Warren is the co-host of Track by Track, a podcast that reviews, track by track (see what they did there?), brilliant pop albums from the past. And, we're talking unashamedly pop - think Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys and Kylie Minogue. But long before he was reviewing albums online he was drinking a ridiculous amount of alcohol at Flamingos, a bar in Bristol, England that billed itself as THE South West Gay superclub. We caught up to talk alcopops, pre-drinks, and all you can drink alcohol for £20.... Find out more about Will by following him on twitter - @willwpw AND, also check out @trackbytrackuk to keep up to date with the podcast and the albums they're reviewing!

Rory Boyle is the host of Queer Ear, a podcast that shines a light and spills the tea on unexplored queer issues Before he moved to London to study he had a gap year in his home town of Dublin where he got to explore his sexuality safely and dance all night (on the podium, no less) at cult club night WAR at Andrew's Lane Theatre. We caught up to discuss the weird etiquette with bathroom attendants, conversations that happen in smoking areas, and favourite Spice Girls songs....  And, after you've done listening to this episode go and check out the Queer Ear podcast, and follow it on instagram - @queerearpodcast 

This week we are doing something a little different and visiting a lost website. Launching in 1997, long before the likes of Grindr and Scruff, Gay.com was a chat, personals, and social networking website catering mostly to gay and bisexual men. which operated up until 2017. I caught up with Chicago based drag queen, co-host and creator of hit youtube show IMHO Darby Lynn Cartwright to discuss what the site meant to her as a queer kid growing up in Tennessee in the late 90s. Follow Darby on instagram @darbylynncartwright.  Also, make sure you follow IMHO on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/IMHOtheSHOW

Have you ever been clubbing on your own? Is it thrilling, exciting, or... terrifying? If you've had experience standing awkwardly against the wall, unsuccessfully striking up a conversation with a stranger, or loitering at the end of the evening in the hopes of to wangling yourself an invite to an after party, then you'll love hearing all about singer-songwriter Venn Smyth's adventures at East London basement bar East Bloc. We talk about the magic of London, long walks home, and deep and meaningful conversations with drunken strangers!  Find out more about Venn on instagram @vennsmyth

Holestar is an entertainer, DJ and bio-queen. and, she'll hate me saying this, but, after knocking around for nigh on 17 years is a true veteran of the London drag scene. We caught up to reminisce about Too2Much, which was a theatre bar and club in Soho, London, open between 2004 and 2006 before changing its name to Soho Revue Bar.  We discuss the T-word, army life, and the joys or packing your performance gear in to neat little bags!  Follow Holestar on IG - https://instagram.com/theholestar 

Casey Mecija is a multi-disciplinary artist, academic and musician, who used to be the lead singer for indie-pop band Ohbijou, and now records as a solo artist. We caught up to talk about The Beaver, an alternative queer space in the heart of Queen West, Toronto, that closed in 2020 primarily because of restrictions in place due to coronavirus. Find out more about Casey by visiting her website - http://www.caseymecija.com/ And, if you want to hear more about The Beaver check out my interview with Prawn Waters about the very same bar and their experiences there.

Spin was a multi-level, 9,000 square-foot, super club in what was then called Chicago's Boystown district. Opening in the 90s it quickly established itself as the place to go for cheap drinks, house music, and wet t-shirt competitions before closing in 2014.  I caught up with Alexis P Bevels to find out about her first days in drag, serving drinks on roller skates, and being one of the founding members of the coolest gang in town, the Drag Mafia....  Make sure you follow Alexis on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alexisbevels/

Melissa Ferrick is an American singer-songwriter whose career exploded when, in 1991, she was a last minute replacement support act for a Morrissey tour. Since then she has released an impressive number of albums, and has even had one of her songs, 'Drive', named as a 'lesbian anthem' (and, trust me, that song is FILTHY). We caught up to talk about Manray, a bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which closed in 2005 after nearly 20 years of business. Follow Melissa on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melissaferrick/

Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian award-winning novelist, public speaker, and LGBTQ-refugee activist who was born in Damascus, Syria. And it was in Damascus where his flat became a safe space for other queer Syrians. We caught up to talk about the flat, his experiences coming out, sexual citizenship, and the ethics of having sex with your clone. Follow Danny on twitter or instagram - @dannyseesit

Town Danceboutique was the largest gay danceclub in Washington, D.C., open between 2007-2018. And it was really one of those mega-clubs that you don't see much of anymore - split levels, multiple rooms, outside areas, video installations, LED lights, and a proper stage. I met up with singer/songwriter Tom Goss, who lived in D.C. for ten years after leaving the seminary, and first happened upon the Town through one of its events, Bear Happy Hour. Follow Tom on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tomgossmusic/

Joseph Segaran is a British Artist living and working in Amsterdam, and whose art is inspired by the architecture of the city... and you really have to check it out - black and white ink drawings which are drawn freehand using a very fine Japanese ink pen and also papercuts which are cut using a tiny craft knife from a single sheet of black paper. But before he lived in Amsterdam he lived in Newcastle... and before that he lived in York, a small city in the north of England where he grew up. We met up to talk about The Bay Horse, a provincial gay bar in the city.  Expect to hear about incestuous gays, having to come out to your parents twice, and, as a special treat, Josephs reads out a break up note from a man who broke his poor wee heart... Find out more about Joseph at https://josephsegaran.com/

It's our first ever visit to Manchester!  This week I'm joined by the, quite frankly, charming Liz Naylor, who, amongst other things has been a writer and music industry bod, before embarking on her recent adventure as one of the founders of the charity Foundation for Change, We caught up to discuss the Manchester scene in the late 70s, how grim lesbian bars were at the time, butches and femmes, and the overlaps between the punk and queer scene...

Basic white gays - what are they good for? Ok, ok, a bit of a sensationalist headline.... But, what do you do when you don't quite fit in with the commercial queer scene, and how do you find your scene? This week I'm joined by writer, director and filmmaker Joseph Amenta to talk all about The Henhouse, a small, queer dive bar in Toronto's west that closed in 2015 as a result of rapid gentrification in the city. Expect to hear about Celine Dion Dance Parties (which are a thing in Canada, apparently), and taking inspiration from the magic of safe spaces.... Make sure you follow Joseph on IG - https://www.instagram.com/josephtakesphotos  And check our their amazing films here - https://vimeo.com/user6867443

How was it that, in days of yore (ok, pre-internet) queer kids that were scattered all over the world still somehow managed to find and fall in love with the same movies and books and music? I explored this, and a few other burning questions, when I caught up with comedian/singer/host Tranna Wintour to find out about Psychic City, an underground club in Montreal that hosted Trannavision and closed in 2018. Find out more about Tranna by following her on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/trannawintour/

XY had a short run, opening in 2015 and closing in 2018. But, in that time, it firmly established itself as the go-to club for drag and performance within Vancouver, hosting events most nights of the week. I caught up with THE Jewish non-binary drag artist Rogue to find out about their first time there, Drag Race girls, and I got a little advice about the art of sucking up. Follow Rogue on IG - https://www.instagram.com/itsjustrogue/

Did you know that there are three distinct styles of voguing? I didn't, and, in my ask-a-bunch-of-stupid-questions approach to interviewing I found out all about them when I sat down to chat with Gerard Reyes - choreographer, dancer, teacher, video artist, somatic sex educator, intimacy coordinator and Montreal's kiki ballroom scene pioneer. We caught up to talk about Citibar, which, prior to its closing in 2014 served as a meeting point for t-girl sex workers and the men who loved them. The venue was also the initial inspiration for Gerard's choreographed piece, The Principle of Pleasure, and in our chat he shared what was special to him about the place.  Find out more about Gerard at his website - https://gerardxreyes.com/

This week we are joined by Canadian singer/songwriter Ember Swift. Known for her unique, jazz-influenced guitar playing and elastic vocals, Ember has released a whopping 12 albums since her first release way back in 1996! We started off talking about The Coral Reef, a lesbian bar in Ottawa that opened in the late 60s and closed in the year 2000, and a space where Ember went when she was a student in the city.  As is the way with most of my interviews, though, the conversation morphed to discussing, in a broader context, what community means, and the sense of abandonment Ember felt from her own community after she fell in love with a man in the late 00s. Follow Ember on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emberswift  Ember's website - http://emberswift.com/ 

Brandon Ash-Mohammed is a Toronto based comedian and event promoter. After graduating from comedy school (which is a real thing) he started to go out on the open mic scene, honing his stand up skills. One of the very first places he performed was Slacks, a lesbian bar in Toronto’s Village area, which was open from 1997-2013, and had a comedy night every Wednesday. We caught up to discuss thanksgiving flavoured chicken wings, bombing on stage, and how within that venue he made life long friends… Give Brandon a follow on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brandonamcomedy/

Established in 2006 by Lynn McNeill and Will Munro, The Beaver was an alternative queer space in the heart of Queen West, Toronto. In 2020 the bar's owners made the tough decision to close knowing that they wouldn't be able to remain profitable with physical distancing rules in place because of COVID-19. I caught up with prawnographer, resident crustacean of crust-nation, and pencil-thin moustachioed Prawn Waters to discuss performing to well-dressed loungey gays, overcoming pee shyness, and what the bar meant to them... Be a dear and follow Prawn on insta - https://www.instagram.com/theprawnwaters/

Jamie Jamal is the Bristol based lead singer of electronic pick n mix duo This Human Condition, which has been described as early Depeche Mode meets a darker Erasure. We caught up to discuss Just, a nightclub which was open between 1994-99. Expect to hear about guncles (which are, if you don't know, gay uncles), ways to keep cool on the dancefloor, and a healthy debate about the age old conundrum - who is better, Kylie or Madonna? Find out more about Jamie's band This Human Condition at http://www.thishumancondition.com/. AND, he has a new act named Flux, which you can find out all about at https://twitter.com/fluxmusicuk

Eric Himan is an award-winning singer-songwriter, and has played with the likes of Ani DiFrance, Melissa Ferrick and Leon Russell. To celebrate his new single, Local Gay Bookstore, we caught up to discuss his favourite lost bookstore, Lambda Rising in Washington, D.C. (as well as other book shops like Outwrite in Atlanta, and the distributor Goldenrod). Before you listen, I need to warn you - we go ALL about the houses, with a bit of a peer support session in the middle of the episode all about the trials and tribulations of being a musician! Find out more about Eric by visiting his website - https://www.erichiman.com/

Darryl W. Bullock is the author behind books such as 'David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music' and 'Florence Foster Jenkins:The Life of the World's Worst Opera Singer'.  We met up in a previous episode to discuss Crackers in Gloucester, and throughout the interview Darryl kept bringing up Bath Tap, a bar that he would go on to frequent when he became a mature age student and moved to Bath in the mid-90s.  So... I invited him back to reminisce about life in his grotty, miserable bedsit, freaky sex with a fantasist, and enormous bags of free bacon.... Follow Darryl on twitter - https://twitter.com/dwbullock

Marcus Hunter-Neill, also known as Lady Portia, is Northern Ireland's First Lady of Drag, and has been charming audiences for the last two decades.  It all started when she, with two friends, formed their first drag troupe and convinced the owners of The Parliament to let them take over the venue on a Sunday night.  We caught up to discuss first times in drag, plucking up the courage to enter a gay bar, and tips for I get some tips about the best pick up lines! 

Smashing was a club night that found itself at the epicentre of the Britpop scene, and though it wasn’t a queer night, had what my guest and co-founder Martin Green calls a queer sensibility.  With regulars including Blur, Oasis, Pulp and Leigh Bowery, it was a club night that quickly became the place to be seen, and was thriving between 1991-1996 in various venues across London. To help promote his new compilation 'Martin Green Presents: Super Sonics – 40 Junkshop Britpop Greats', I caught up with Martin to find out about the club's origins, Oasis' first time there, touring with Pulp, and I embarrassingly fan-girl about the band Shampoo for about five minutes! Find out more about Martin: https://www.martingreensound.com/ https://www.cherryred.co.uk/super-sonics-available-to-pre-order-now-is-martin-green-presentssuper-sonics-40-junk-shop-britpop-greats-find-out-more/

Timberlina is back! We had such a fun, rambling, meandering conversation the last time that we decided to get together again to talk about another lost space and another time in her life, when she was nannying for a young family in Westchester county, north of New York City. On weekends she would mostly flee to the bright lights of the big apple, exploring the queer scene in Manhattan. But, occasionally she'd venture to an out-of-the-way bar called Triangles, in Connecticut. We caught up to talk about being queer in the 90s, chasing excitement, and to read over the online reviews for the bar. Make sure you listen to Timberlina's own podcast, Live from Rye!

This week we're going to do something a little bit different! Rather than visit a lost bar or club we're going to get down and dirty reminiscing about a lost cruising space with Conner Habib - author, lecturer, and sex workers’ rights advocate. In the late 90s and early 00s, whilst studying at the University of Massachusetts Amerherst Campus, he discovered a fun past-time to while away the hours between classes! We discuss the art of cruising, angry Pennsylvanians, and good ol' fashioned gloryholes.   Find out more about Conner by following him on social media: https://www.twitter.com/ConnerHabib https://www.instagram.com/againsteveryonewithconnerhabib/

Jess McAvoy is a Brooklyn based performing artist, songwriter and musician who was born in Perth, Western Australia. Before they moved to the big apple they lived in Melbourne for a number of years, forging their way in the Australian music scene... We kinda meandered all over the place, and, although we started talking about the lesbian bar Glasshouse we settled on the mixed night Queer and Alternative (or Q&A) which ran from 1996–2013 on Thursday nights at the Builders Arms on Gertrude Street in Collingwood, Melbourne. Find out more about Jess at www.jessmcavoy.com

Mr Pussy’s Cafe De Luxe was a cafe and restaurant dreamt up by Jim Sheridan, Gavin Friday, and Bono and hosted by old-school drag legend Mr Pussy. Opening in 1994, the place quickly established itself as the place to be seen in Dublin, and hosted a number of record launches and after parties. But, just as quickly as it arrived it disappeared, closing a year after it opened. I caught up with drag super star, singer and recording artist Veda to discuss her time working at the cafe and the adventures she got up to. Follow Veda on Instagram - www.instagram.com/vedalady

Now, I know that I've been using the term 'icon' to describe a lot of my guests lately, but, if ever there was an appropriate time to use the word it is now. Shirley Temple Bar burst on to the scene when she won Alternative Miss Ireland in 1997. Since then she has hosted bingo weekly (for the last 23 years) at The George in Dublin, and hosts the National Lottery gameshow, Telly Bingo. None of this compares, however, to the fact that she has MET THE SPICE GIRLS... Like, all five of them...  We caught up to discuss H.A.M at P.O.D, meeting Ms. Halliwell, and the heady, heady days of 90s Dublin. Find out more about Shirley by following her at https://www.instagram.com/shirleytemplebar

Candy Warhol is co-Host Of Comedy Central UK's ’Dragony Aunts’, mother of the Haus of Mockie Ah, and, on top of all of that, an absolute sweetheart. But before she was Candy she was a fresh faced 18 year old who worked herself all the way up from the glass collector to the manager of Instinct Bar, a gay bar in Cork that opened in the naughties. Follow Candy on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/candywarholqueen/

I have a new boyfriend. His name is Phil T. Gorgeous.  But, alas, he's only the drag persona of Mia Campbell, emcee and genderqueer weirdo (their words, not mine!).  So, instead of flirting wildly we sat down to discuss Kiss, a lesbian and bi women only night that ran for about 10 years through the Naughties in various venues (but predominantly the Tivoli on Francis Street) in Dublin, Ireland. Make sure you find out more about Phil on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/philtgorgeous/

Bob Downe is the stage name of comedian (and polyester lover) Mark Trevorrow, who is… if I can be so bold as to say, a bloody legend. Getting his start in the Globos, a 60s throw back band, in the 80s, his life was turned upside down when the band broke, and in amongst the changes was a move from Melbourne to Sydney. In Sydney he discovered the legendary Albury Hotel, which is one of two queer venues that were used as the inspiration for the film Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert. We caught up to find out about that time in his life, the basement full of drag costumes, and being the ‘dag of dags’!

The Greyhound Hotel was a 160-year-old venue that, in its last decade, transformed in to a state of the art drag venue, before closing its doors and being demolished in 2017 to make way for.... a boring blocks of apartments. I caught up with performer / photographer / singer / motormouth Dean Arcuri to find out about his first time, the memories he has of the drag queens who performed there, and his most embarrassing make out story.  Find out more about Dean on twitter (@deanarcuri)

Katie Underwood came to fame in the year 2000 following her appearance on the first series of Australian Popstars, and her subsequent role in the band that was formed on the series, Bardot.   We caught up to discuss The Market, a club on Commercial Road, Prahan in Melbourne., which closed in 2011.  Expect to hear about going clubbing with your mum, inspiring young queers to get in to latex, and alternative uses for the disabled toilet (if you know what I mean...) Follow Katie on instagram - @katieunderwoodhealing

'You're out of here, queen!' are the last words that Fat Gay Vegan heard from the owner of Patches, a queer bar in Brisbane, Australia in the late 80s, just before he was banned for life. We caught up to talk about growing up in Redcliff, old school drag queens, and the  impact of  the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Brisbane in 1991.  Find out more about Fat Gay Vegan at www.fatgayvegan.com

Mark Brummitt is an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and Assistant Dean of Students at a small post-graduate college in Rochester, New York. In the early 90s, after a decade of service, he left his role as a Salvation Army Lieutenant and started exploring his queerness at The Black Cap, an iconic drag bar in Camden, London. We caught up to talk about that transition, Regina Fong and other drag legends who performed at the bar, and what happens when you run in to your brother at a gay bar. 

Isn't that just the way? You wait months for one bearded drag queen to show up, and then two arrive a week apart! One week after schmoozing with Diana Fire I had the utter joy of chatting to Timberlina about living in Dalston in the 90s, how to cruise in the pre-internet days, and the perils of falling in love with a police officer. Find out more about Timberlina and The Duke of Wellington pub in Islington, London on this week's episode of Lost Spaces. Links: http://www.timberlina.co.uk/ https://anchor.fm/livefromrye

Diana Fire is Portland's Daddy Bear Drag Queen, and is best known as a contestant in Season 2 of Camp Wannakiki. She first cut her teeth in drag bar Embers Avenue, which she performed at for the last few years of its existence up until late 2017. We caught up to discuss bachelorette parties, stinky basements (and no, that's not a euphemism!), and the confusing, confusing world of drag families! Find out more about Diana Fire at https://www.godianafire.com/

Gregory Douglass is a singer-songwriter, born and raised in rural Vermont. Though now based in Los Angeles, he still has a soft spot in his heart for 135 Pearl, the only gay bar in the state of Vermont which closed in 2006. We talked breast reduction parties, making out in the men's bathroom, and sealing the deal with the love of your life. Find out more about Gregory Douglass at www.gregorydouglass.com

Aww, student life! Staying out late, sleeping in, eating cereal for dinner, and.... handing out condoms to strangers in bars... Or, at least, that was Venn Smyth's student life, after he started working for LGBT Youth Scotland on their sexual health project. We caught up to discuss the difference between Scotland and England, how a femidom works, and what it was like being one of the only boys on the netball team! Find out more about Venn at https://www.instagram.com/vennsmyth/

Drake Jensen is a Canadian country singer, who was born and grew up on the tiny Cape Breton Island, which is on the Eastern coast of Canada. After coming out, he moved to the nearby city of Moncton, where he discovered Triangles, the only gay bar in town. We caught up to discuss the straight gentrification of queer bars, why leather is the butch version of drag, and growing up gay in a small town.   Find out more about Drake at www.drakejensen.ca

This week's episode is our first trip to the US! Norman Brannon, musician and writer, was busy figuring himself out when he first stumbled upon Big Cup, a gay coffee shop that stood in Chelsea, Manhattan between 1994 - 2005... I ask a bunch of awkward questions about life as a hare krishna rock star (who knew that was a thing?), and the rules of living life as a Straight Edge-r. We also talk about the thrill of being in your first queer venue, the changing face of New York and the importance of non-alcoholised spaces.

The London Lesbian & Gay Teenage Group, which started in 1975, was pretty damn revolutionary as one of the world's very first youth groups exclusively for queer kids. Kevin O'Neill was a fresh faced 19 year old when he started going to the group, which at this stage was based in Manor Gardens in Islington, London. We caught up to talk about his coming out experience, his memories of the group, and some of the shenanigans he got up to with other members....

John Lee Bird is an artist/designer/musician and all around glorious human being. He is also one of the last people that I had imagined would have fond memories of Crash, a dance party held in South London from the 90s-00s (being a self-described 'pale awkward goth' type)! I really enjoyed this interview, where John told me all about his time working as a barman during student life, avoiding the club's dark room, and whacking sweaty men with bags of ice! Find out more about John at www.johnleebird.com

Though he only lived in London for a short while, author Colin Clews has fond memories of The Fallen Angel, a bar in Islington. Whilst desperately waiting for a visa to go to Australia, Colin volunteered at the newly formed Terrence Higgins Trust, and supported fundraising efforts of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, and has a slew of stories from this time to share! Find out more about Colin at https://www.gayinthe80s.com/

Her Upstairs was a kitschy drag and cabaret bar in Camden, London, which opened shortly after another nearby bar, the iconic Black Cap, closed in 2015, and filled a much needed gap for local queers. Though the bar was only open for two years, there was an uproar in the community when it abruptly closed in 2018. I caught up with the self-proclaimed #queernuisance Dr J to talk about what the venue meant for them during a very tumultuous period of their life. Expect lots of chat about drag, language, and how popping candy can be used to spice up your sex life!

More rambling (her words, not mine!) goodness from the one and only Princess Julia. In this episode, which covers the mid-80s until now, we talk about her first steps in to the world of DJ-ing, the gothic movement, and Princess Julia ponders whether she was the world's first bio-queen! Taking in clubs such as The Embassy, Crash, Ghetto, and Kinky Gerlinky, there's sure to be a club you remember! 

Princess Julia launched into her tales before I got a chance to even set the mic up, and so I hastily pointed one in her direction and let the conversation carry on! We went on a potted tour of queer venues in London from the late 70s until the 00s - so many conversations in so many directions that I’ve decided to make it a two-parter! Find out about how queer punk was, where you could get the best spam supper, and ‘the twilight world of unhappy gays’!

Not all queer spaces are queer. Or, at least, exclusively queer... In smaller towns and cities, where there isn't the population to support a full-time queer bar, straight bars can fill the gap by hosting themed nights weekly or monthly, providing a much needed opportunity for local queers to meet and interact... I caught up with Darryl Bullock, author of 'David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music' to talk about Crackers, a bar in the south western English town of Gloucester, which held a weekly gay night on Mondays in the late 80s. Tantrums, smashed items and picking strange men up in phone boxes… It's another episode of Lost Spaces!

Obscene badges, old-school game shows, and exploding butts were all things you could expect to see if you attended Shinky Shonky, a legendary club night in London in the 00s. I caught up with Boogaloo Stu, host/producer/DJ/you-name-it of the night to reminisce about it and The Polar Bear, a bar in Soho that hosted the event for the majority of its life.

What's the difference between regular drama and lesbian drama? What is the lesbian uniform? Which dodgy dance moves are guaranteed to woo the ladies? I found out the answer to these (and many other) questions when finding out about a little gem of a lesbian bar called 'Ace of Clubs', which ran for about a decade and was DJ Jo Bunny's stomping ground soon after she moved to London in the late 80s!

Spread over two floors, Trash Palace was THE drinking place of choice for alternative queers for a hot minute in the mid-00s, and is another of central London's disappearing bars (thanks largely to higher rents)... I caught up with Quiet Choir to talk about the skills needed for flirting, the halcyon days of myspace and projectile vomiting down Charing Cross Road.

We are back to London this week, and visiting another venue that fell victim to the Crossrail development (a large scale construction project which saw a good chunk of central London demolished to make way for a high speed train line). I had the delight of talking to Ali Brumfitt, a performance poet and all around charmer, about First Out Cafe, one of London's only daytime queer venues, which was open from the mid-80s up until 2011.

Brighton is generally accepted as the ‘queer capital’ of the UK, with an estimated 15% of all adults identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual, and a thriving queer scene. That’s part of the reason it was such a shock when lesbian bar, The Princess Victoria (otherwise known as The PV), closed its doors. I caught up with radio presenter (and founder of Brighton Gin!) Kathy Caton to discuss the beloved bar, her first days in Brighton, and getting kicked out for disorderly behaviour!

Queensland didn’t legalise homosexuality until 1991 (which kind of blows my mind when you think of Australia’s reputation for being an open and welcoming country). That, says dj and all-around-charmer Kurt Luthy, is what made going to The Terminus in the mid-80s such a thrill.

London’s heart broke when legendary drag bar ‘The Black Cap’ closed in 2015. I caught up with artist, music fan and dj Joe Pop to talk about his life as a ‘punk kid’, the ‘dignity in toast’ rule, and watching Pete Burns perform their heart to a bar full of bewildered patrons.

Ever fallen in love on the dance floor? That’s what happened to journalist and writer Charlotte Richardson Andrews at the legendary London club ‘Ghetto’. We caught up to discuss online dating, queer role models and falling asleep on the night bus home.

I had never heard of ‘Kudos’, which was an out-of-the-way pub in Charing Cross, London, but I loved hearing from sculptor Wilfrid Wood about his experiences there, and what the place meant to him whilst he was figuring out who he was and what he wanted from life. What I loved most about this conversation was how candid and up-front Wilfrid was… I’m sure you’ll enjoy his frankness too!

Who hasn't spent an evening stumbling out of The Joiners' Arms, which was once described as 'Britain's trendiest gay dive'? Due to its late night opening the bar had a reputation as a 'last chance saloon', and was often where people would head to instead of home when everything else had closed.  I spoke to Mark Walton - a fantastic poet, and founder of social enterprise Shared Assets - about some of his fondest memories of frequenting the bar after he moved to London in the mid-00s.