Celebrate Pride Month with these 7 podcasts about queer women
Sometimes, being a queer woman feels a bit like being a detective.
No, not because I enjoy fedoras or baggy trenchcoats, though these are fashions that, embarassingly, I have partaken in. I feel this way because for years now, I've been investigating the depths of the internet to find authentic stories that centre queer women.
From feature films to music videos to video games, my search has led me to many places, but I'm still craving more nuanced stories—stories that teach me something new and explore queer women in a way that truly honours their complexities. Luckily, I may have hit the jackpot when my proverbial magnifying glass led me to podcasts.
Here are a few podcasts about queer women that really stood out to me.
Rough Translation
Episode: Miles To Go Before I'm Me
Starting us off is the episode that inspired this entire piece. This episode of NPR's Rough Translation features a collection of audio diaries from women truckers. It explores the isolation of the trucking lifestyle and spotlights the story of Brandie Diamond, a trucker whose time alone on the road was a catalyst for her gender exploration.
When I say I want to hear more about the nuanced lives of queer women, this is exactly what I mean. Brandie is a queer woman. She is also an expert driver, loves cooking, and has an unexpected connection to the Mars Rover. I really feel this episode does justice to the layered identities of its subjects, not to mention that the topic is just fascinating. We see trucks all the time, but how often do we really think about the people behind the wheel?
This episode is also featured in our Numbers episode.
Nancy
Episode: 100% Science, 100% Magic
Nancy from WNYC is a podcast that features a diverse range of real queer stories, and I greatly appreciated this frank episode about guest Kristin Russo's pregnancy and miscarriage. Kristin's storytelling is honest, funny, and painful all at once, making for a compelling and at times heartbreaking listen.
The episode feels a bit like catching up with an old friend over coffee, while still touching on real issues about women's health and what it means to start a family within a system that isn't designed for you. Overall, it's a great story about a layer of the queer experience that I hadn't quite considered before—which is one of the major appeals of the Nancy series as whole.
We also featured Nancy in our Pride Month episode from 2021. Check it out!
Song Exploder
Episode: Brandi Carlile
When I was growing up, every song by a queer artist felt groundbreaking. I couldn't believe that these artists were brave enough to sing about their feelings so openly—I used to listen with the volume on low and the blinds shut tight.
Years later, queer musicians have cemented themselves in the mainstream. Queer women in particular are having a musical heyday, from Victoria Monét's Grammy win to Reneé Rapp's viral pop hits. It's a lovely testament to how we've started to normalize queer love, a path paved by generations of artists who have sung about their lives without shame.
Among them is Brandi Carlile, a lesbian singer-songwriter whose music takes listeners on a ride through the realms of folk, rock and Americana. On this episode of PRX's Song Exploder, Carlile deconstructs her song "You and Me on the Rock," a Joni Mitchell-inspired folk tune.
This episode moved me, and not just because Brandi Carlile is an all-time great or because I particularly enjoy the "I love my wife" genre of music. This episode provides some fascinating insight into the songwriting process of an eleven-time Grammy winner and her ability to make a love song feel classic and revolutionary all at once.
Of course, considering Song Exploder's wealth of episodes, I can't choose just one. If you want to explore some more music by queer women, check out these episodes about Peaches, Julien Baker, and Mxmtoon.
Hang Up
Episode: Ep 1: Speed Dial
I've been a fan of The Bachelor for a while now, and years of watching those roses go back and forth has only strengthened my lifelong mantra: queer people deserve the sickeningly dramatic ups and downs of reality dating shows, too!
PRX's Hang Up answers the call. A podcast-turned dating challenge, this show features six callers trying to romance the star, Maxine, through the phone. Maxine's callers include birdwatchers, karaoke-lovers, and board-gamers from a diverse range of gender identities.
If you're looking for a laugh and the occasional cringe, this podcast offers the fun of a dating show that doesn't follow the traditional (dare I say boring?) boy-meets-girl format.
Alice Isn't Dead
Episode: Part 1, Chapter 1: Omelet
When I was 12, I accidentally saw an ad for the third installment of the Human Centipede series and I had nightmares for weeks. The mere thought of those interactive haunted houses makes me nauseous. Sometimes I get frightened by the masks at Halloween stores. All of this is to say that I am not a fan of the horror genre—but I was still absolutely hooked by Night Vale's Alice Isn't Dead.
This suspenseful fiction podcast follows a truck driver as she travels the country in search of her wife, who's supposed to be dead, and becomes embroiled in a supernatural nightmare along the way. It is expertly sound designed, written and performed, and left me feeling unnerved but wanting more.
At the core of the story is one woman's love for her partner and a hefty amount of creepiness, making it a refreshing take on a genre that hasn't always been kind to queer women.
Code Switch
Episode: They Don't Say Our Names Enough
A huge part of discovering queer stories comes with discovering queer history.
Whether they were openly queer or not, 2SLGBTQ+ people have always been here—innovating, making art, leading countries, and living together as "lifelong roommates."
I love learning about them both as a means for understanding where we came from, but also for feeling just a bit less alone—it's empowering to remember that queer women have always been around. I appreciate any podcast that dives into their stories, like this episode of NPR's Code Switch.
Storme Delarverie was a popular drag performer, a talented baritone, a fashion icon and a protector of young queer women in Manhattan. It seems like she lived a thousand different lives, and this episode explores them through careful research and interviews from people who knew her closely, which is important when covering a community that is so often forgotten or misrepresented. Overall, this episode is a detailed look into a person whose name I wish I had known sooner.
Sounds Gay
Episode: Melanie Speaks
From classical music to rap battles, Stitcher's Sounds Gay is a podcast about queer people whose lives have been changed by sound. This episode investigates the history of a videotape called "Melanie Speaks," which helped numerous trans women in the 1990s learn techniques to feminize their voices.
Aside from its fun dive into a piece of trans history, I also enjoyed the unique turn that this story took. Without spoiling too much, this episode is also about the producer's efforts to track down Melanie herself. It gives listeners an inside look into what a documentarian might do when they realize that maybe their subject doesn't want to be found, especially when that person is part of a marginalized community.
Is there a 2SLGBTQ+ podcast that you've been digging lately? Email our team at podcastplaylist@cbc.ca. Or find us on Facebook.
For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.