Summer School - classes are now in session, y’all.

Before we get into it — yes, we’re going biweekly for the summer (because Pride season is Pride‑ing), but don’t panic. We’ll be back to weekly episodes before ya know it. In the meantime, I’m booked, busy, and SO honored to be serving as Grand Marshal New York Pride March, and season three of Survival of the Thickest wil be back. Hot queer summer energy only.

Now — onto today’s ‘lesson’.

Let me begin by saying I could not be more proud of co-host and friend the brilliantHugh Ryan. This week we are talking about his new memoir, My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer ’90s and Beyond — out today!! Also available as an audiobook read by Hugh himself (which I love).

We get into why the 1990s were such a pivotal moment in queer history:
- The shift from analog life to the early internet.
- From queer invisibility to mainstream visibility post‑AIDS crisis.
- From mega‑clubs and nightlife freedom to the always‑online world we live in now.

Hugh shares a seventh‑grade classroom moment that shaped how he understood queerness, what it felt like to grow up queer in the ’90s, and how New York City nightlife became a sanctuary.

We talk about queer isolation, remix culture, disappearing before social media (remember privacy?), and the complicated trade‑offs of mainstream acceptance.

If you’ve ever wondered how the queer ’90s shaped the world we’re living in now — this one is for you.

📚 Click here to order your copy of My Bad now.

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

Hey y’all. It’s me, Peppermint.

This week on Queer 101, Hugh and I are doing what I call a real ‘Pep Talk’— because let’s be honest, the attacks on LGBTQIA+ people (especially trans folks) are escalating, organized, and intentional.

We’re not imagining it.

From the DOJ arguing that queer legal protections are somehow “anti‑Christian,” to the 197‑page blueprint to roll back Biden‑era LGBTQ+ policies, to a counterterrorism strategy that literally labels “transgender ideology” as a threat — we are watching a coordinated attempt to dehumanize trans people and strip away rights.

And yes. We name it.

We talk about:

• Project 2025 and what it actually means for trans rights
• The smear campaign around “transgender ideology”
• Copycat ID laws like Mississippi’s targeting trans people
• Schools like Smith College being investigated for admitting trans women
• Pride censorship — including attempts to block tributes to Marsha P. Johnson
• J.K. Rowling’s ongoing anti‑trans rhetoric and why it matters
• Billionaire power, culture‑war distractions, and destabilization tactics
• Why the Met Gala optics matter (hi Bezos 👀)
• The “Ball Without Billionaires” calling out labor exploitation

And most importantly — what we do about it. (Call the Govenor)

Because this episode is not about doom.

We are not powerless.

We are organized.
We are informed.
And we are not going back.

Let’s get into it.

AND CALL THE GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S OFFICE 518-474-8398

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

Okayyyy y’all Pride season is officially ON — and we are starting with a Queer 101 deep dive into the ICONIC ’90s downtown New York City queer nightlife scene that literally shaped mainstream culture.

Yes. I said literally.

Hugh the Historian and I get into how queer artists, trans pioneers, club kids, and AIDS activists built the culture everyone copies today.

We’re talking:

✨ Wigstock
✨ Ballroom culture
✨ Club Kids
✨ DIY queer fashion
✨ ’90s drag and nightlife performance
✨ AIDS activism
✨ The origins of Silence = Death

And of course we discuss Hugh’s new book “My Bad” (availabe now for pre-order).

I share stories about the LEGENDARY Connie Fleming and Lina Bradford — from door culture to runways to George Michael’s “Too Funky.” Meanwhile, Hugh breaks down how over 120 interviews helped uncover the truth about how queer labor in downtown clubs fueled fashion, gender expression, political activism, and eventually… pop culture.

Yes, Madonna. Yes, brands raiding the clubs. Yes, Giuliani cracking down on nightlife.

And we also talk about something real: how much queer history was almost lost — because of AIDS, pre-digital culture, and systemic erasure.

This episode is about queer history, trans visibility, Pride, activism, nightlife culture, and why what we create right now still matters.

Because queer art doesn’t just reflect culture.

It builds it!

—------------------

Click here to pre-order Hugh’s book “My Bad”

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

This week on Queer 101, Hugh the Historian and I are back — and whew. It’s been a heavy one.

We’re breaking down a wave of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation, including Louisiana’s so‑called “Restoring Biological Truth Act” (HB 578) and what it actually means when lawmakers try to legally define sex as “observed at birth” and erase the word gender from state statutes.

Because let’s be clear:
When you remove gender from the law, you’re not just playing with language — you’re dismantling protections for transgender people.

We also talk about Mississippi’s upcoming July 1 policy requiring law enforcement to report people to ICE if their ID doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. That’s not random. That’s not accidental. Hugh and I unpack how trans rights and immigration enforcement are being deliberately linked — and how that impacts constitutional freedoms like speech, travel, protest, and assembly.

This episode connects a lot of dots:

• Anti-trans laws in Louisiana and Mississippi
• Anti-DEI policies and access to documents
• ICE reporting requirements
• The history of gender policing in America
• How immigration systems have long been used to enforce ideas about “productivity” and reproduction
• Why free speech and protest rights are increasingly under pressure

Like I said, it’s pretty heavy, y’all

BUT because we always try to leave you with some light, we close with good news:
Time’s 100 Most Influential People list includes Shannon Minter, Hillary Knight, and Alan Cumming — reminders that queer and trans excellence continues, even in difficult moments.

This conversation isn’t just about trans rights.
It’s about civil rights.
It’s about free speech.
It’s about who gets to exist safely and openly in this country.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the headlines, this episode is for you. We break it down, connect the history, and remind you why staying informed matters.

And let us know how YOU are feeling. We love to hear from you.

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

Hugh and I are back with a spring check-in packed with LGBTQ+ news, queer Broadway buzz, and hopeful updates on trans rights.

This week on Queer 101, we break down global political shifts, including Viktor Orbán’s loss in Hungary, and react to unexpected queer headlines like Grindr sponsoring part of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Then we dive into a major queer-forward Broadway season — from ballroom culture taking center stage in Cats: The Jellicle Ball to new works like Dog Day Afternoon, a show centered on funding gender-affirming care.

We also spotlight Montana court decisions protecting gender-affirming care for trans youth and access to accurate identification documents, reflect on how Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS activism has evolved since the 1990s, and unpack ongoing anti-trans media narratives shaping public discourse.

Plus, Hugh honors Peppermint’s historic Broadway milestone in Head Over Heels, and we preview Peppermint’s May 26 book release, share our latest LGBTQ book club picks, and talk about what’s next for Queer 101 this spring - holding onto hope, with our eyes wide open

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

This week on Queer 101, Hugh and I are reacting in real time to headlines that say everything about the moment we’re in.

Caitlyn Jenner went on Fox News to complain about being impacted by Trump-era passport policies affecting transgender people.

Dave Chappelle suggested that right-wing anti-trans rhetoric may have “gone too far.”

But here’s the question:
Who helped normalize that rhetoric in the first place?

It’s an off-the-cuff conversation about how anti-trans jokes, media narratives, and influencer commentary don’t just stay online — they get cited in courtrooms, echoed in legislatures, and turned into policy.

We break down:

• How anti-trans rhetoric spreads from comedy specials to legislation
• Why passport and ID restrictions create real safety risks for trans people
• The surge of anti-trans bills targeting sports, bathrooms, healthcare, and legal recognition
• How misinformation shows up in court cases and policy drafts
• The broader effort to erase trans people from public life
• Why some public figures are now walking back the very narratives they amplified

This isn’t just about culture wars. It’s about consequences.

When rhetoric becomes law, people’s lives are affected.

We also talk about genocide prevention warnings, conservative groups openly stating their end goals, and what it means for our community right now.

And on a joyful note — I share the news that I’ve been named a Grand Marshal of NYC Pride. 🌈

If you care about LGBTQ rights, trans rights, gender-affirming care, passport policy changes, or the future of queer visibility — this episode is for you.

Now more than ever, showing up matters. GET INVOLVED!

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

Okay y’all — this is Part Two of our activism conversation, and we’re zooming out.

Because what’s happening right now isn’t random. It’s coordinated. It’s strategic. And it’s about control.

On this episode of Queer 101, we start with the headlines — like new Olympic policies impacting trans athletes and the return of invasive sex testing in women’s sports — but we don’t stay there. We use that moment as a window into something much bigger.

What happens when governments and institutions start deciding who qualifies as a “real” woman?
Who gets healthcare?
Who gets citizenship?
Who gets protection?

That’s where this conversation goes.

We unpack how policies framed as “fairness” can quickly turn into widespread body policing — impacting not just trans people, but cis women and anyone who doesn’t fit narrow definitions of gender. When hormone levels and chromosomes become political tools, we all need to pay attention.

And we talk about how fear-based narratives distort science, flatten nuance, and keep people reacting instead of thinking.

But this isn’t just about sports.

We connect the dots to:

• The broader wave of anti‑LGBTQ legislation
• How capitalism and sponsorship culture silence dissent
• The role of money in shaping politics and athletics
• The UN recognizing American chattel slavery as a crime against humanity
• Which countries opposed that recognition — and why that matters
• Food as a human right
• Birthright citizenship debates
• Class versus caste — and how systems decide who belongs

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about one policy or one headline.

It’s about who gets autonomy.
Who gets dignity.
Who gets to exist without being audited.

I’m asking us to think bigger. To notice patterns. To recognize when “debate” is actually distraction. And to remember that solidarity has to extend beyond hashtags.

This moment isn’t just about visibility.
It’s about power.

Talk about it.

Get involved!

Get Involved. Check out these amazing organizations

Gender Liberation

Black Trans Liberation

Free to Be Youth Foundation

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com

This week on Queer 101, Hugh and I are marking International Trans Day of Visibility — not just as a celebration, but as a call to action.

We start with some wins, because joy and recognition matter. Our Queer History Book Club is thriving. Caro De Robertis was just named a National Book Awards judge (as she should), and Tourmaline’s biography of Marsha P. Johnson is now a Lambda Literary Award finalist. We’re also shouting out new queer and nonbinary bookstores opening in Brooklyn. Our stories are being written, read, and protected. That’s powerful.

But visibility isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being safe. It’s about being resourced. It’s about being free.

So we dig into what queer activism actually means right now.

It’s not just marches and megaphones. It’s art. It’s organizing. It’s infiltrating systems that weren’t built for us. It’s making sure working‑class queer and trans people have healthcare, housing, food, safety, and job security — not just rainbow branding once a year.

We talk about rallies like Tax the Rich and the Doll Walk, and we look back at ACT UP to remember that activism has always been bold, strategic, and deeply intersectional. We connect history — from Oscar Wilde to today — and remind ourselves that queer existence has always disrupted systems of control.

And then we get honest about what we’re facing.

Anti‑trans policies — ID restrictions, healthcare bans, sports bans, Supreme Court cases — are not random. They’re connected. They’re about autonomy. About bodies. About who gets to decide who we are.

We break down:

• The myth of trans athlete “advantage”
• Olympic bans and sex testing backlash
• Double standards in football safety
• How sponsorships and capitalism silence activism
• Food and housing as human rights
• Birthright citizenship parallels
• Class versus caste — and why that matters to queer liberation

Because on International Trans Day of Visibility, we have to say this clearly:

Visibility without protection is vulnerability.
Visibility without policy change is performance.
Visibility without action is not enough.

We close by highlighting organizations doing real work — Gender Liberation, Black Trans Liberation, and Free to Be Youth — and by urging continued action beyond today.

Trans people have always been here.
Queer people have always organized.
And our visibility has always been political.

Get Involved. Check out these amazing organizations

Gender Liberation

Black Trans Liberation

Free to Be Youth Foundation

Follow us at:

• @peppermint247
• @hughoryan
• @pridehousemedia

Write to us at:

• questions@queer101podcast.com