Acacia Larson grew up a pastor's kid in North Carolina, taught themself from 11 to 15, and talked their way into one of America's oldest girls' schools and then West Point. In Part 1, we get into growing up feeling different and loving it, being androgynous in one of the most gendered places on earth, and why Acacia walked out of the academy faster than anyone before them.

Follow Standing Out on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

Standing Out Live: on Thursday 19 November I'm recording the Season 1 finale live at The Ministry in London with TRYBZ, with three guests including Jonathan Blake. Tickets are in my bio.

References mentioned in this episode:

- Emma Willard School - https://www.emmawillard.org/

- United States Military Academy at West Point - https://www.westpoint.edu/

- Don't Ask, Don't Tell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell

- West Point disbands Spectrum and other cadet clubs (Stars and Stripes, Feb 2025) - https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-02-05/west-point-identity-group-ban-16728098.html

- Knights Out (West Point LGBTQ+ alumni) - https://www.knightsout.org/

- Major Ian Fishback - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fishback

- Yves Klein - https://www.yvesklein.com/

CONTENT WARNINGS:

- MISGENDERING

- ANTI-LGBTQ+ POLICY

- WAR AND MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

- STRONG LANGUAGE

Chapters:

- 00:00:00 Welcome to Standing Out

- 00:01:15 Feeling different at seven: the girls' bathroom line

- 00:03:03 Oldest of five and a pastor's kid in North Carolina

- 00:06:29 A dad who was an actor, a tennis pro and a missionary in China

- 00:07:55 Homeschooling and getting into Emma Willard

- 00:14:59 Androgyny at an all-girls school and "it's none of your business"

- 00:17:23 Why West Point

- 00:21:51 Gender, hair rules and a 90% male academy

- 00:24:45 Pronouns, the middle as a superpower and the shortest line

- 00:29:47 Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Carol and finding your advocates

- 00:32:23 Spectrum, the LGBTQ+ club West Point shut down

- 00:34:49 Women in combat arms, ISIS and deciding to leave

- 00:38:57 Four hours 37 minutes and life after West Point

Part two with Queera Lynn, the 1940s wartime drag queen taking on hate online. We get into faith healers who charge for miracles, whether Jesus could have been gay, why anyone who says they used to be gay is lying, what success really looks like, and the older gay men who paved the way for us. Plus Queera's new show, Deliverance, and the advice Queera would give a scared 15 year old: pick your site, not just your battle.

Follow Queera on Instagram: @queera_lynn

See Queera Lynn's Deliverance on 5th November at the Two Brewers, Clapham: https://www.outsavvy.com/event/39096/apostle-queera-lynns-deliverance

Follow me on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

References mentioned in this episode:

- Fighting With Pride, the charity for LGBT+ veterans affected by the armed forces ban: https://www.fightingwithpride.org.uk

CONTENT WARNING:

- RELIGION AND FAITH HEALING

- HIV AND AIDS, INCLUDING A PARENT DYING AFTER STOPPING TREATMENT

- CONVERSION PRACTICES ("PRAYING THE GAY AWAY")

- HOMOPHOBIA

- DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION AND RECOVERY

- STRONG LANGUAGE

Chapters:

- 00:00:00 Welcome back to part two

- 00:00:47 Faith healing on a stage, not in a cancer ward

- 00:01:46 The bishop who prayed HIV away

- 00:04:31 Getting spiritual after getting sober

- 00:05:22 Why cancer, HIV, gay and autism "cures" travel together

- 00:09:35 Can religion and being queer live in the same space?

- 00:09:49 Was Jesus gay?

- 00:12:03 Why Jesus never talks about gay people

- 00:13:29 Strong opinions and what activism costs

- 00:17:03 "Used to be gay"? You're a liar

- 00:20:59 What does success really look like?

- 00:24:58 Respect your elders

- 00:28:02 Surviving is success

- 00:29:08 David, karaoke and the wise man of the tribe

- 00:30:39 Deliverance: Queera's mega church experience

- 00:33:40 Advice to a 15 year old Queera

- 00:34:45 Pick your site, not just your battle

- 00:38:30 Nobody chooses this

- 00:39:12 Comedy on the edge

- 00:41:24 Queera promotes Deliverance in character

- 00:41:52 Thank you, Queera

This week I'm sitting down with Queera Lynn, the 1940s wartime drag queen and one of the funniest, most fearless voices taking on hate online. In part one we get into where Queera came from, why the character works so well, and why our existence is not up for debate.

Follow Queera on Instagram: @queera_lynn

See Apostle Queera Lynn's Deliverance on 5 November at the Two Brewers, Clapham: https://www.outsavvy.com/event/39096/apostle-queera-lynns-deliverance

Follow me on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday. Part two is out next week.

References mentioned in this episode:

- Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (Netflix) — https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81920687

CONTENT WARNING:

- HOMOPHOBIA, INCLUDING FROM WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

- INTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA

- CONVERSION PRACTICES ("PRAYING THE GAY AWAY")

- MENTION OF DRUG USE

- RELIGION

- STRONG LANGUAGE

Chapters:

- 00:00:00 Introducing Queera Lynn

- 00:01:05 Recognised out of drag in Wales

- 00:05:48 Who is Queera Lynn?

- 00:07:33 Why a 1940s drag queen

- 00:09:38 Drag, real jobs and hard work

- 00:18:37 From the stage to calling out hate

- 00:20:35 The Straight Acting Brotherhood, exposed

- 00:27:32 Why so many of us hated being gay

- 00:29:10 Our existence is not up for debate

- 00:31:57 Religion, rules and praying the gay away

- 00:34:22 Being a Diet Coke Christian

- 00:37:55 Street preachers and paying for healing

- 00:39:07 Part two is next Wednesday

In part two of my conversation with West End performer Jaime Tait, we talk about love, honesty and making up your own rules after almost 11 years with his partner James. Jaime opens up about colourism, in life and on stage, about what it costs to be the empath and the peacemaker, and how he protects his own energy. It's a conversation about authenticity, and about choosing to heal rather than hurt.

Missed part one? Start there first.

Follow Jaime on Instagram & TikTok at @jaaytait

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and follow on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

References mentioned in this episode:

- Legally Blonde The Musical, UK and Ireland tour (Jaime's current show): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/legally-blonde/

- Urdang, now part of City St George's, University of London (where we trained): https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/about/schools/communication-creativity/performing-arts

- UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report 2026, Part 1: Theatrical (published March 2026): https://socialsciences.ucla.edu/hollywood-diversity-report-2026-part-1-theatrical/

CONTENT WARNINGS

- RACISM AND RACIST LANGUAGE

- OPEN RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX

- STRONG LANGUAGE

CHAPTERS

- 00:00 Intro

- 01:20 Almost 11 years with James, honesty and making up your own rules

- 04:16 Jealousy, feeling secure, and every version of yourself

- 08:29 Advice for talking to your partner about opening things up

- 13:48 Colourism: being a lighter-skinned Black performer

- 18:38 Representation on stage and screen, and why it still lags

- 24:15 Being the empath and the peacemaker

- 27:36 Filling your cup first, and stepping back from draining people

- 31:52 What authenticity means to Jaime now

- 33:52 Hurt people heal people, and looking inwards

- 35:57 A surprise for Jaime

- 38:19 Outro

This week, West End performer Jaime Tait joins me for part one of a two-part conversation. Jaime and I went to drama school together when we were just 21 and so I thought I knew him. This conversation opened up a whole new side to jaime that I had never seen and I'm truly grateful for this honesty and wisdom.

We go back to growing up in Birmingham as one of seven, what was expected of him as a Black boy, and the mindset that has kept him on stage for ten years and counting. It's a conversation about energy, self-belief, and feeling like you always have more to prove.

A quick note: the first 10 minutes or so are audio only because of a camera problem. The video comes in at about 12 minutes.

Follow Jaime on Instagram at @jaaytait

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and follow on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

New episodes every Wednesday. Part two is out next Wednesday ✨

References mentioned in this episode:

- Urdang, now part of City St George's, University of London (where Jaime and I trained): https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/about/schools/communication-creativity/performing-arts

- Legally Blonde The Musical, UK and Ireland tour (Jaime's current show): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/legally-blonde/

CONTENT WARNINGS

- RACISM AND RACIST LANGUAGE

- HOMOPHOBIA

- A PARENT'S REACTION TO COMING OUT

- AN UNSETTLED HOME LIFE IN CHILDHOOD

- STRONG LANGUAGE

CHAPTERS

- 00:00 Intro

- 01:29 Knowing someone at 21, and ten years in the West End

- 03:15 Growing up in Birmingham as one of seven: what was expected

- 04:53 Becoming the people pleaser, and the empath in the middle

- 07:30 Knowing he was gay, and using comedy to change the subject

- 10:30 Signs, labels and rules: "we're all very free beings"

- 12:24 Keeping the love for performing, and why energy gets you hired

- 16:58 Telling his dad he was gay the day before moving to London

- 20:00 Dancing "like a boy" at Urdang, and embracing every side of himself

- 24:12 More to prove: being Black and gay in the cast

- 25:27 Minority stress, intention, and whether to correct people

- 31:51 The most powerful skill: staying in a good mood

- 32:40 Meeting James, self-belief and audition rituals

- 39:17 "I know I'm going to be a lead role"

Part two of my conversation with talent agent Yan Javeri. We pick up in Switzerland and follow him through being outed to his family, a move to LA that arrived alongside profound loss, and building his own company from nothing. It's a story about grief, defiance, and what he'd say to the boy with the crocodile briefcase now.

Follow Yan on Instagram at @yancameronj.

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

References mentioned in this episode:

- The Visionaries, the talent agency Yan founded: https://www.thevisionariesagency.com/ @thevisionariesagency

CONTENT WARNINGS

- BEING OUTED WITHOUT CONSENT

- FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT

- A PARENT'S AGGRESSIVE REACTION (IMPLIED THREAT, NOT ACTED ON)

- TERMINAL ILLNESS AND THE SUDDEN DEATH OF A PARENT (TWICE)

- GRIEF

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:24 Finding freedom in Switzerland

02:52 Outed to his family

07:20 What being outed cost him

11:47 Leaving Switzerland for Australia and London

14:04 Becoming a talent agent by accident

17:54 Social media and the move to LA

20:17 Losing his father weeks after landing

23:29 When grief finally catches up

25:31 Losing his mother, then his job

28:15 No job, no visa, starting anyway

31:32 Nine years single

37:09 Advice for your thirties

This week, talent agent Yan Javeri joins me for part one of a two-part conversation. We go back to a childhood built on practicality rather than explanation, being sent to boarding school at eight while his brother stayed home, and the years he spent quietly studying other people to work out how to belong. It's a story about camouflage, and what it costs to build a version of yourself just to fit in.

Follow Yan on Instagram at @yancameronj.

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

References mentioned in this episode:

- University of Westminster, Harrow campus (formerly Harrow School of Art, where Yan studied): https://arts.westminster.ac.uk/history

CONTENT WARNINGS

- FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT

- BOARDING SCHOOL SEPARATION AT A YOUNG AGE

- BULLYING

- AN EMOTIONALLY UNHEALTHY EARLY RELATIONSHIP

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

03:08 Four pages of prep, and a year of therapy

07:32 Always structured: mapping things out to feel in control

08:24 A childhood of sensory overload and no explanations

09:38 Sent to boarding school at eight, while his brother stayed home

14:40 Negotiating his way back to state school

15:38 The crocodile briefcase: culture shock in Essex

19:59 Studying the popular kids, and building a version of himself

23:34 Art school, his first boyfriend, and getting in by fibbing

25:13 Fearless at Harrow: cleaning toilets at 4am for his freedom

31:48 An invitation to Geneva

This week Christopher sits down with Wales vice-captain and Crystal Palace midfielder Hayley Ladd - 111 caps for her country, a freshly completed MBA, and newly married to her university sweetheart. They talk about the version of herself Hayley tried to force at university (pink cardigan and all), meeting her now-wife on the football pitch, and what representation looked like growing up in a town not far from London where she still couldn't see anyone like herself.

Follow Standing Out on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

References mentioned in this episode:

• Crystal Palace Women — https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-women/
• Wales Women's national team (FAW) — https://faw.cymru/
• Loughborough University — https://www.lboro.ac.uk/
• Everton Women — https://www.evertonfc.com/women/
• Manchester United Women — https://www.manutd.com/en/manchester-united-women
• Arsenal Women — https://www.arsenal.com/women
• Women's Super League — https://www.wslfootball.com/
• Hayley Ladd on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/hayleyladd/