Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson

Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, have had to overcome many obstacles while on the journey to grow their family. From false starts in the adoption process to medical scares before their twins could even leave the hospital. And like so many parents, Pete and Chasten have faced a whole host of challenges in a very short period of time. Add to that, the reality of being public figures, which brings its own set of unique challenges, including criticism from former Vice President Mike Pence. In this special edition of Life Out Loud, LZ asks Secretary Buttigieg what he’s learned from fatherhood thus far and how he deals with the attacks and insults that continue to come his way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our last episode of season 3 of Life Out Loud, we chat with legendary sports broadcaster and acclaimed documentarian Hannah Storm and her daughter, Hannah Hicks. The younger Hannah represents the fourth generation to carry the name in her family. She is also the first one to come out as queer, introducing nuanced conversation into the extended family. We talk about what Hannah IV has learned from watching her mom break glass ceilings in the sports world, and how she’s using those lessons in the music industry to carve out space for LGBTQ+ artists. We also meet LZ’s adopted Uncle Mike, a member of The Silent Generation who has never been afraid to speak out. LZ and Mike discuss some generational differences within the LGBTQ+ community. Uncle Mike reminds us that there are no guarantees when it comes to our rights. We dedicate this episode to our elders. Their resilience makes our current reality possible, and it nourishes us as the fight for equality continues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising a child and parenting aren’t necessarily one and the same. The expectations we might have going into the process of parenting aren’t always what the actual experience bears out. Former tennis pro, Brian Vahaly has a long list of the things he wished LZ - his chosen older brother - had coached him on before he and his husband became fathers to twin boys. Brian shares the big lessons he is learning through fatherhood and just how far off his expectations really were. Then, LZ turns to his sister-of-choice, Roxanne, to talk about what they’ve discovered during their 20+ years as a family raising their sons.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The media that surrounds us is a reflection of who we are. When those reflections look like fun-house mirrors, it can impact the way we interact with society. As the SVP of Brand Strategy & Marketing for BET, Tiyale Hayes is working to help the Black network meet its business objectives while staying true to itself. For him, that means pushing for representation beyond stock characters and using storytelling to advance important cultural conversations. He talks to LZ about the longstanding trope about homophobia in the Black community, and how that impacts his life and family. He gets real about growing his family through adoption, and all the tears that were shed along the way. Afterwards, LZ talks to Stacey Stevenson, the CEO of Family Equality. They put Tiyale's personal adoption struggles in a wider political context and share the big change they just made to protect their family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bravery comes in many forms. It can mean carving your career in spaces where you are the "only one." It can mean maintaining your faith as you struggle to survive. It can also be raising your voice, and facing the consequences for it. Like LZ, Jemele Hill is from Detroit, Detroit. That means she sees the world a little differently than most, and she's not afraid to share that perspective. She's a writer, broadcaster and podcaster with a deep knowledge of popular culture and sports. Her memoir, "Uphill," includes stories she's never shared before, including her formative relationship with her stepfather, who separated from her mother after coming out as bisexual and later died of complications associated with AIDS. That love—and that loss—has rippled throughout Jemele's life. Yes, she's "Unbothered," but she's also funny and passionate. Jemele Hill embodies what it means to thrive. Plus, an epilogue from Keith Boykin, a former Special Assistant to President Clinton who wrote the book "Beyond the Down Low." We hope this conversation inspires you to reflect on how you show up, intersection-Ally. We see you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Life Out Loud, we talk to famed interior designer and Trading Spaces star Vern Yip about this journey as the son of Chinese immigrants with very high expectations. Growing up, his parents gave him two choices: you can be a doctor, or you can be a doctor. He tried that path, but his passion kept getting in the way. Vern reveals how he had to come out to his family twice, once to tell them he was going to pursue design, and another time to tell them he was gay. He talks about meeting his husband for the first time, a meet-cute for the ages that includes a pack of pups. After growing their family with the help of a surrogate, Vern wants to encourage his children to pursue their own path with pride without burdening them with his expectations. That's meant learning how to quiet an inherited voice while passing on his love for his culture. And speaking of expectations, listeners, we hope you will help us get the word out by sharing this season of Life Out Loud with your family and friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back! This season of Life Out Loud is all about family and LZ begins by talking about his own—messy parts and all—with his son, LZed. They get real about painful moments in their relationship and how they have healed from them. LZ talks about the sacrifices he made to be a provider after his divorce, and LZed shares how some of those choices led him to feel abandoned. LZed also shares what it was like growing up with a queer dad, and LZ discusses what home means to him. It’s an honest conversation with a lot of heart. Family is where love abides. Sometimes you’re born into a loving family. Sometimes you grow into one. And if you’re really lucky, you have both. Consider this season to be a showcase for the various ways families come together and how love shows up. We’re grateful to have you in our family. All our love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the resilience and love that keeps this community marching to the beat of its own drum; each generation redefining what it means to be queer and to be seen. That’s why we’re closing out Pride Month with some moving and inspiring stories featured in the ABC special, PRIDE: To Be Seen.   Soul of a Nation presents PRIDE: To Be Seen is available now on Hulu and Disney+ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know the story of Emmett Till. But you might’ve never heard his story if it weren't for one woman: Mamie Till-Mobley. In a new three-part season of ABC News' "Reclaimed" podcast, host Leah Wright Rigueur explores who Mamie Till-Mobley was before she lost her son: a young girl growing up in Illinois. Rigueur traces Mamie's journey after Emmett’s death, and how she turned her grief into a movement that changed the course of American history. The first two episodes of "Reclaimed" are available now. To listen, follow the show on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/3zofsOC), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3PSLBDU), Amazon Music (https://amzn.to/3tgHfNf), or wherever you like to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pride Month is a great time to recharge our batteries and lift one another up. Despite the recent tragedies and legislative challenges, our community is stronger and bolder than ever. As we celebrate the first anniversary of Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson, we want to highlight some queer content the LGBTQ+ community can look forward to together. Summer is the season for long nights out with friends, live music and summer blockbusters. That's why we wanted to talk two filmmakers. First, LZ sits down with Andrew Ahn, the director of Fire Island, about making queer rom-coms for the big screen. Then LZ chats with former pro-soccer star turned TV and film producer Robbie Rogers. He’s working on the upcoming period drama My Policeman, which stars Harry Styles as a closeted police officer caught in a love triangle. Joyful representation can show people who are struggling with their identity that a life out loud is worth living. Party safely, love greatly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a bittersweet ending to Season 2 of Life Out Loud. As we publish this episode, we are saddened by legislation around the country that tries to erase the LGBTQ+ community and the historic gains we've made in our fight to equality. But our community is more than our trauma. We are more than the attacks on our very existence. We are love! We are beauty! We are joy! We end Season 2 acknowledging the work ahead while also celebrating our resilient spirit. In this episode, LZ takes you to a dance party with Grammy-winning DJ Tracy Young. She’s funky, she’s soulful and she knows how to turn a night on the dance floor into an experience. Thank you for listening and for being in community with us – we see you and we love you.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who are you really? One of the toughest parts about growing up with other people's shame is that it makes the path to self-discovery extra rocky. When you come out of the closet, you're trying to tell the world who you are while also trying to figure that out for yourself. This week, LZ talks to two change-makers about what it means to put your whole self (body, spirit and mind) on the line and on display in the fight to equality. Kornbread "The Snack" Jete was the body-positive breakout star of the 14th season RuPaul's Drag Race. Arizona State Rep Daniel Hernandez Jr. saved a congresswoman's life and followed her into public service. Though they have chosen very different paths in life, they both talk about what it means to be plus size people of color in a community that holds up a white thin ideal. To know thyself is to love thyself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate LZ's 50th birthday, we're exploring why it's a privilege to get to be an "Old Gay". Really! Our community is still mourning a generation of elders lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and in an era of homophobic and transphobic legislature, many of our young people still struggle to envision the fabulous futures they deserve. In this birthday episode of Life Out Loud, LZ talks to iconic TikTok foursome, the Old Gays. With more than 6.3 million followers, Robert Reeves, Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons and Jessay Martin have figured out how to bridge the generational divide and connect young LGBTQ+ folks to their history. Then, LZ has a fascinating conversation with Jesus Ramirez-Valles, director of the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University, about the unique challenges Gaby Boomers face and why we should create stronger social safety nets that let all people age in place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is your chosen family? In this week's episode of Life Out Loud, Margaret Cho confirms all comedians really do know each other. Cho pays homage to the peers and mentors who have gotten her through and talks about how a queer hookup can lead to a lasting friendship. She also explains why being a good friend is a solid career move. That's also a theme in LZ's kiki with two of his own dear friends, CNN's Don Lemon and the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart. The three journalists talk about rising to the top of their field as black gay men, and why it's important to support younger generations unconditionally. Their life and career advice will have you group-texting your support system with heart-eye emojis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Do you want a relationship or a situation-ship?” On this week’s episode of Life Out Loud, we unpack some big words: heteronormativity and non-monogamy. In other words, learning to do what works for you either with or without a partner. First, LZ talks to New York Times bestselling author and legendary podcaster Dan Savage about what it’s like to evolve your thinking while in the public eye — Savage shares what he’s gotten wrong over 30 years of writing his syndicated column, Savage Love. He also talks about his own open marriage as well as other types of relationships that have shaped his life. Then, LZ talks to entertainer and co-host of HBO's We're Here, Bob the Drag Queen about what it takes to keep two relationships going at the same time: lots and lots of communication. Bob also shares valuable advice about how to not be distracted by jealousy, whether romantic or professional.  Come with an open mind and learn how to move past your initial assumptions through conversation and community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There aren't many ready-made answers when it comes to faith and sexual orientation. It takes a lot of humility to carve out a space where people can ask the big questions. This week, LZ talks to two people who have done just that: Pastor Rob Bell and Daniel Franzese. Pastor Bell is a New York Times bestselling author, friend of Oprah and LZ's former spiritual leader. Daniel Franzese is a successful actor whose podcast, Yass, Jesus!, dives into his own journey of finding a place in God’s kingdom as an openly gay man. Together they talk about what it takes for LGBTQ+ folks to find spiritual community when many traditional religious institutions have not validated their existence. Regardless of your faith background, these conversations will inspire you to thank the angels in your life and challenge you to rethink what “faith” means to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Authenticity,” “Realness,” “Respectability.” What do these terms actually mean for trans women of color who are re-defining their identities in the public eye? In this illuminating episode of Life Out Loud, LZ Granderson goes deep with actress and entertainer Ts Madison, the first trans woman to star in and direct her own reality tv show. Plus, a conversation with scholar Dr. Julian Kevon Glover about the double-edged sword of “passing.” These juicy conversations show us it's never too late to reinvent yourself into the person you were born to be.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're not already following the Winter Olympics, get ready to fall in love with two-time U.S. national champion, figure skater Timothy LeDuc. They’re the first Olympian to qualify as a non-binary person, and they're competing in one of the most gendered sports ever—pairs figure skating. Their story is truly inspiring. Plus, a conversation with Cyd Zeigler and Jim Buzinski from OutSports about The Raiders’ Carl Nassib, transgender athletes and the progress that the LGBTQ+ community is making in sports.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is it about our favorite divas that makes our souls sing? This music-packed episode of Life out Loud explores the special connection between the LGBTQ+ community and the divas who love us back. LZ interviews GRAMMY® and TONY® winner Stephanie Mills and GRAMMY® winner Jody Watley, Mother of the Imperial House of Waacking. They share why they championed the LGBTQ+ community during a time when labels pushed back. Plus, an interview with former Vibe editor and cultural critic Emil Wilbekin adds some introspection to our sparkle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s estimated that as many as 3.8 million LGBTQ+ people not only live in rural America, but for the most part, they actually prefer to live there, according the Movement Advancement Project. We’re not always trying to escape. For the first episode of season 2 of Life out Loud, LZ Granderson talks to NY Times best-selling author Chasten Buttigieg and West Side Story star Ariana DeBose about the joys and struggles of building a supportive community in a small town. Plus, GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis shares what she’s learned from the organization’s Southern Stories Initiative and how far we still have to go to see even more representation for queers outside big cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices