Dear Queer People

By Carlos Brandt

DEAR QUEER PEOPLE is hosted by Carlos Brandt, in an exploration of what it means to be LGBTQI+ in a world that is changing everyday, follow along with interviews every week as we share our queer experiences.

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The Power Of Motivation - Craig Ramsay

Dear Queer PeopleJun 18, 2020

00:00

44:45

The Power Of Motivation - Craig Ramsay

There will always be times in our lives when we need to reinvent ourselves and motivation becomes the key factor to allow yourself to become a better self and many of you always write to me asking for workouts, about fitness, to have a healthier life... And i couldn't be more excited about my guest on this episode.

I sit down with my dear friend Craig Ramsay, who I admire a lot for his passion and vision to create and to step it up to be better. I feel inspired and motivated since we met, and we talked about gay stereotypes, body shaming, the transparency of your insecurities and the honesty to transform yourself... and how you can actually have fun in this process, switch things up and adapted what you are doing to your own style or personality.

Craig Ramsay’s approach to wellness is one of the most unique and effective ways of promoting health, movement, and self care, Colin Farrell called him genius and Sharon Osbourne said he is brilliant. Craig is listed as one of People Magazine’s top fitness experts.

Craig's first foray into television was Bravo's "Thintervention" and then again as the stand out gay couple on Bravo's international hit show "Newlyweds The First Year". He has also had a successful career on Broadway and has appeared on sitcoms such as "2 Broke Girls", soap operas, plays and feature films.

Follow Craig:

https://www.craigramsay.com/

https://www.instagram.com/craigramsayfit/

Follow Craig's Videos and Tutorials:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEBskgaVB67mgYG6G0sw1w

Jun 18, 202044:45

Together - The Broadway Husbands

Relationships, one of the hardest things in life... and if we make them gay, I think it's even harder! The truth is that most of the events in our lives and the outcomes we achieve in relationships, occur on a loop. aka. we’ll get the same results, over and over and over till we decide to change.

Growing up, I never saw gay couples or famous gay marriages that can lead to "an example" of what to do or how to do it beyond the hetero normative. Social Media change that approach and now give us an inside scoop to to so many people living their true self.

In this episode I sit down with Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna, actors and performers on and off stage that enjoy connecting with their followers on social media as they chronicle their lives - the good, the bad and everything in between and they are also, great people that I love to talk to always. Let yourself go on them.

Follow The Broadway Husbands:
www.instagram.com/broadwayhusbands/

Follow Stephen Hanna:
www.instagram.com/stephenrhanna/
Follow His Dance Workout:
www.instagram.com/balletacademyeast/

Follow Bret Shuford:
www.instagram.com/bretshuford/

Support Broadway Life Apparel
www.instagram.com/broadwaylifeapparel/

Jun 15, 202043:43

Ladies With An Attitude - Jillian Mercado

"Ladies with an attitude..." is what Madonna preaches in "Vogue", an anthem for having the attitude to conquer the world. Attitude is also a choice so for this episode I sit down with the incredible Jillian Mercado to talk about labels, what makes her special and how she becomes a role model.

Jillian Mercado is an actress and American fashion model. As a wheelchair user (due to muscular dystrophy), she is one of the few professional models who has a physical disability in the fashion industry, working for brands like Diesel, The Blonds and...Beyoncé.

A prominent figure in the new wave of models challenging beauty ideals in the fashion industry, Mercado is keen to fight the lack of representation of people with disabilities in the fashion industry and their enduring stigma. She's also part of the cast of "The L Word: Generation Q".

Follow Jillian:

https://www.instagram.com/jillianmercado/

https://twitter.com/jilly_peppa

Jun 12, 202045:46

Music, Makes The People Come Together - Fab The Duo

In this episode, I had the great opportunity to talk about music. Music is life. I woke up everyday listening empowering songs and I'm all the time building playlist that becomes the soundtrack of my life and in the words of Madonna: "Music, makes the people come together".

So I sit down to break down queer music and influences with Fab The Duo, a gay pop/rock duo that energetically delivers an open-minded message, challenging the status quo of today's cultural scene composed of boyfriends, Greg Driscoll and Brendan Eprile. We talked about queer artists like Vincint, relationships, racism in the LGBTQ community and how we can break stereotypes and become something bigger than life on the queer music representation.

They have released “No Prince Charming,” their latest song and video and they have an amazing upcoming EP: "Our Love Is Resistance" available on June 19, 2020 on all streaming platforms.

Follow Fab The Duo:

https://www.fabtheduo.com

https://www.instagram.com/fabtheduo

https://www.facebook.com/fabtheduo

https://twitter.com/fabtheduo

Watch "No Prince Charming" Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGM-QqSWU5k

Jun 12, 202038:49

The Act of Showing Up - Jase Cannon

I’m at currently at the edge of what my mind and body knows, the edge of grief, the edge of acceptance, surrender and realizing how I can show up better in life. As Rumi says, “The wound is the place the light enters you.”
This week I invite you to join me into this episode with my very special guest: Jase Cannon. I sit down to talk with her about the process of showing up for yourself and for others, how our struggles and traumas can lead to become the fuel to reborn into something new.
Jase was born Jason, and came out as a woman in the summer of 2015 during a karma yoga retreat at the Sivananda Ashram.
Through producing short documentaries about her work and speaking publicly at events, on television, and publishing multimedia accounts of her journey, Jase has cast a wide net in the worlds of wellness, philanthropy, gender studies to bring these elements together and create a powerful platform for ever greater self-expression for all. I can't be more grateful to connect with her.
Visit Jase's Website:
www.jasecannon.com/
Follow Jase:
www.instagram.com/jasecannon/
Join and support The Aly Forney Center for LGBTQ homeless youth:
www.aliforneycenter.org/

May 25, 202037:07

The Rona Rave - Evan Katz Ross & Nedra Belle

An apartment circuit party in New York City sparked online outrage a couple of weeks ago after videos emerged on social media in which about 30 guests were seen dancing, drinking, and violating social distancing guidelines without masks during a pandemic.
I sit down with my dear good friend, journalist and writer Evan Ross Katz and Chris Weaver, a past contestant on The Voice also known by his drag persona Nedra Belle who was in the party and was tag in multiple videos that went viral.
"The Meth Gala" or "Rona Rave" was a perfect opportunity to have a conversation about what happened, the people involved like Ian Frost or Dj Alec Brian after controversial statements and how we can learn from it as a gay men and as a community.
Follow Evan:
www.instagram.com/evanrosskatz
twitter.com/evanrosskatz
Listen Evan's Podcast "Shut Up Evan":
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shut-up-evan/id1498067191
Follow Nedra Belle/Chris Weaver:
www.instagram.com/nedrabelle

May 15, 202049:05

I Love Me - Jake DuPree

"I wonder when I love me is enough"
There is so much fear, uncertainty and distress that makes compassion and connection so much more difficult.
After a couple of weeks trying to put myself together, I had a "Carrie Bradshaw moment"...and I couldn't help to wonder: What if we claimed our voice and used it regardless of anyone else’s ability to show up. What if we showed up for ourselves first? What if we love ourselves first?
So for this episode my friend Jake DuPree, dancer, choreographer, fitness instructor and burlesque entertainer is sharing his brave story to find himself being queer and how to break the rules when it comes to be true to who you are no matter the label or what anyone else can say.
Follow Jake:
www.instagram.com/jakedupree
Subscribe to Jake's Patreon:
www.patreon.com/jakedupree
If you need emotional or moral support, please contact The Trevor Project 24/7 at: 866.488.7386 or text/chat at: thetrevorproject.org/help (https://t.co/hxtScqt870?amp=1)

May 12, 202040:30

Beyond The Label - Carson Tueller

Changes, changes, changes... that inevitable thing in life.
After taking a break for a few weeks, I'm back with one special guest:
Carson Tueller is a speaker, presenter, and personal development coach, shared his experiences as a gay disabled man, including his journey with shame, sexuality and human worth. He quickly generated interested online and gained visibility on Instagram as an LGBTQ+/disability advocate.
We sit down to explain how we can become more conscious about life decisions, the thirst trap stigmas and how we can find value in a community that always put in jeopardy how worthy we can be.
Contact Carson:
www.carsontueller.com/
Follow Carson:
www.instagram.com/carson_tueller/
Carlos is on Instagram and all social media platforms @CarlosBrandt

Apr 30, 202047:44

All You Need Is, Positivity... - Dexter Mayfield

Quarantine life could be a challenge. This epidemic has brought so many responses and anxieties but one thing that we can take from it is: humanness, be more conscious about what we are doing with our time and what we are saying. I used a clip from an interview to Jay Shetty (Life Coach - Content Creator) to realized how important is the way we said things to ourself and how we can communicate better.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon
While we are living physically distanced, our connections are so important. For this week episode I'm talking with Dexter Mayfield.
He's a dancer, activist, model, and all-around role model. He's also plus-size, which makes the fact that he's making it as a dancer and model even more phenomenal and his positivity is just contagious during this time through his choreographies or tik tok challenges. We talked about his experience with Taylor Swift and the music video for "You Need To Calm Down" and his favorite thing to do.
Follow Dexter
www.instagram.com/dexrated/
Follow Jay
www.instagram.com/jayshetty/

Apr 02, 202036:52

The Real Activism - Marti G Cummings

After a few days of hiatus, I'm back to talk about the positive challenge from the Covid19 Outbreak that we are living before introducing my very special guest for this episode: Marti G Cummings is with me, where we talk about how drag is natural way of activism and a political voice in the times that we are living in New York and USA.
Over the course of the last decade Marti have built a name as a drag artist, activist, and television producer. During the 2016 election Marti began the Hells Kitchen Democrats, over throwing one of the oldest political institutions in the nation. Their political activism energized a community and has brought people together who are seeking progressive change in our nations politics. They currently sit on community board 9, serving the people of Upper Manhattan and are an advisor on the NYC Nightlife Advisory Board.
Follow Marti:
martigcummings.com/
Marti for NYC Council District 7
www.martiformanhattan.com/
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/martigcummings/
Let's protect our community, while holding on to ourselves. Let's create some love from within.⁠ We are in this together

Mar 22, 202042:08

Trans Is Beautiful - Serena Jazmine Daniari

Multi-media journalist, trans activist and writer for publications such as Allure, Teen Vogue, CNN, The Guardian and Playboy: Serena Jazmine Daniari is my special guest this week to discuss the portrayal of trans women in media and society at large.
Serena is a successful journalist based in New York City who was recently the victim of a hate crime while riding the MTA subway. The incident went viral after she took to social media to raise awareness of her experience with the hope preventing similar attacks from ever happening again.

Over the course of the episode, we break down the ways in which the trans community is perceived by society, the importance of gender identifying pronouns and Serena’s own experiences which led her to discovering her true self.
Follow Serena: twitter.com/serenajazmine www.instagram.com/theserenajazmine/

Mar 02, 202046:23

The Gay Stereotype - Cory Wade

In this episode, the amazing Cory Wade is the special guest to talk about something very sensitive in the LGBTQ community, especially between gay men: the pressure to look, act and look in a masculine way to try to fit in and the blur lines between beauty and stereotypes.
Cory Wade is a model, actor, singer, songwriter and LGBTQ activist and spokesperson. He is best known for placing top 3 on the 20th cycle of America's Next Top Model, and being the first openly gay male participant in the show. Cory is strong supporter of LGBTQ equality and especially gender-fluid and non-binary queer folks.
Follow Cory:
www.instagram.com/corywadeofficial
Self-care is what works for you. If you're in crisis, contact The Trevor Project 24/7 to support you at: 866.488.7386 or text/chat thetrevorproject.org/help

Feb 26, 202001:03:39

The Value Of Drag - Shequida Hall

In this week episode I sit down to talk about Drag with Shequida Hall.
Shequida is one of the most well known names in the drag scene in New York City, a classically trained opera singer, songwriter, playwright, and drag artist who makes me understand that the value of drag goes beyond tips, applause and performing. From Aquaria to Bianca Del Rio, we also talked about how drag becomes mainstream and how is so important to know who you are to be a great entertainer.
Follow Shequida
www.instagram.com/shequidahall/
If you are in NYC you can find her:
Mondays: Pieces 10pm
Thurdays: Hardware Bar 11pm
Fridays: Bartsch Follies 11pm
Sundays: Drink n' Drag 5-7

Feb 10, 202037:00

Let's Talk About Shame, Sex and Relationships - Omar Torres

Join my dear good friend Omar Torres and I to talk about shame, sex and relationships. We dive right into feelings of shame, where I share my own experiences talking about abuse and addictions, with endless insights about the universal but also very queer perspective about these topics, next to our need/seek for validation, connection and belongingness with our community and most important, within ourself.
Omar Torres is a License Clinical Social Worker in New York City, who techniques include: CBT, Motivation Interviewing, and Gestault therapy with emphasis on Psychodynamic and interpersonal approaches.
Contact Omar:
www.omartorrestherapy.com/
www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/omar-torres-new-york-ny/284218
Social Media:
www.instagram.com/omartorreslcsw

Jan 22, 202001:02:23

Insta Gay Culture - Evan Ross Katz

This week I sit down with journalist and writer Evan Ross Katz, who have been working for media outlets like MTV, Teen Vogue, Paper Magazine, Oprah Magazine, Garage, Interview and more to breakdown the insta gay culture, thirst traps and the thin line in social media to highlight sensitive topics. We talked about Ellen and Dakota, Max Emerson and Barrett Pall.
Follow Evan: twitter.com/evanrosskatz

Jan 03, 202055:18

May I Call You Jiggly? - Jiggly Caliente

This week I sit down with my sister and friend, iggly Caliente, actress, singer, performer and transgender activist from the TV series POSE and RuPaul's Drag Race. We discuss life after Drag Race, visibility in the LGBTQ community and how she found her authentic self as a transgender woman.

Dec 12, 201930:17

Dear Queer People: Let's Talk...

Welcome to DEAR QUEER PEOPLE!

A podcast where I’ll be talking to our community about what it means to be LGBTQ+ in a world that is changing everyday... Episode 1 is an invitation to have an open dialogue in topics that we are afraid to talk or we just don’t know how. This podcast is a safe space, looking to build a stronger community.

Dec 10, 201905:40