The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina

Pride House Media
  • 5.0 (22)
  • FASHION & BEAUTY

Welcome to The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie and Lina, a new weekly podcast hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford and fashion legend Connie Fleming, the show offers unprecedented access to the icons, secrets, and untold stories that shaped queer culture. Lina and Connie are both trailblazing women of transgender experience, with deep backgrounds hosting and performing in NYC’s most storied clubs—and pioneering on fashion runways. They bring their knowledge, stories, and relationships to “The Cutting Up,” offering audiences a backstage pass to authentic conversations that can only happen between true friends and industry legends. “The Cutting Up” goes deep on fashion, music, activism, and identity.

  1. 2D AGO

    Music to Kiki By: Disco, House & the Albums That Raised Us

    This week we are joined by producer Matthew Breen (who also doubles as HR, Sugar). We all spiral from the iconic Justin-Britney denim lewk into a full jukebox of memories. It’s all about MUSIC. The albums that raised us, the songs that cracked us open, the disco divas who built community, the house tracks that baptized us on dance floors, and the very specific art of a “seal the deal” sexy playlist. Because music is memory, identity, resistance, heartbreak, healing… and foreplay. We talk about the childhood albums that shaped us—Michael Jackson’s Ben, Barbra Streisand’s Guilty, Bob Marley, Midnight Oil, Sinéad O’Connor, Kate Bush (obsessed), and the B‑52’s. These weren’t just records. They were bedroom sanctuaries, Sunday cleaning rituals, and emotional education. Then we get into disco. It’s resistance music! And it’s pure queer joy. We time‑travel to late‑’80s/early‑’90s House and early club days at the Limelight, Area, Sound Factory and all the dance floors that felt like church.  We swap songs for heartbreak, empowerment anthems, and the artists whose voices still stop us in our tracks. And yes, we absolutely discuss sexy listening picks—Sade, Maxwell, Afro‑Cuban rhythms—because vibes. If you’ve ever cleaned your house to Barbra, cried to Sinéad, found religion on a dance floor, or curated a very intentional late‑night soundtrack, this one’s for you You Can find us on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    43 min

  2. APR 2

    Kevin Aviance on Black Queer Legacy, Beyoncé, and Club Kid History

    It’s a birthday episode and we are celebrating all month, Sugar and we’re setting intentions. Connie and Lena kick things off with a mystical little “circle of three” blessing before summoning the icon, the legend, the voice you definitely know — Kevin Aviance — for the ultimate backstage Kiki. We get into why our work is political (yes, even the glam), how assimilation has dulled parts of LGBTQ+ culture, and why movements that centered white gay men too often erased Black and trans pioneers like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. We talk about how Black Lives Matter shifted the coalition model — and what real solidarity actually looks like. Then? We time‑travel to peak NYC nightlife chaos. ✨ Limelight  ✨ Sound Factory  ✨ Tunnel  ✨ Pat Fields fashion madness  ✨ Swirl at Crowbar  ✨ DC & Miami party circuits And yes… the legendary wheelbarrow moment makes an appearance. Kevin serves nostalgia, wisdom, and unfiltered truth about old‑school club culture — when creativity was currency and looks were lethal. Then we get into the Beyoncé of it all.Kevin shares how Queen Bey kept his original vocal sample, made sure he was properly credited under his real name, and paid correctly. (As she should.) We talk about ownership, credits, and why Black artists deserve their flowers — loudly and on time. This episode is queer nightlife history, cultural commentary, music industry tea, and community realness all rolled into one. Icons only. For more about Kevin: @KevinAvianceOfficial Click here for his new album HIPPOPOTAMUS! You Can find us on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support. The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie and Lina,” a new weekly podcast hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford and fashion legend Connie Fleming, the show offers unprecedented access to the icons, secrets, and untold stories that shaped queer culture. Lina and Connie are both trailblazing women of transgender experience, with deep backgrounds hosting and performing in NYC’s most storied clubs—and pioneering on fashion runways. They bring their knowledge, stories, and relationships to “The Cutting Up,” offering audiences a backstage pass to authentic conversations that can only happen between true friends and industry legends. “The Cutting Up” goes deep on fashion, music, activism, and identity.

    51 min

  3. MAR 26

    Joey Arias Unfiltered: Nightlife, Mugler & a Legendary Downtown Life

    This week on The Cutting Up, Connie and I are kiki‑ing in Washington Heights like it’s a downtown séance — and our guest? Only a living, breathing piece of NYC nightlife history: the one and only Joey Arias. Yes. That Joey Arias. Performance art legend. Mugler muse. Warhol era mischief-maker. Billie Holiday channeler. Downtown royalty. We kick off doing what we do best: manifesting peace on earth, success, spiritual elevation… and obviously a hot man. Priorities. From there? Chaos. Glamour. History. Joey and I reminisce about decades of friendship, fashion, and the golden age of New York City nightlife — when the clubs were dangerous, the looks were illegal, and everyone was either famous or about to be. We talk Mugler, Montreal nights, downtown club kid origins, and the kind of stories you cannot Google. And then — because icons don’t retire — Joey drops updates: A book  comingA documentary is in progressAnd his album “Past Present Future” is on Spotify, born from intense studio sessions that were equal parts magic and madnessWe also get real. Joey opens up about his sobriety journey after an intervention and detox — and how recovery reshaped his body, mind, and art. We talk reinvention, weight loss, body procedures, maturity, dating standards (they’re high, darling), and what it means to survive yourself. And because this is Joey Arias, the conversation floats effortlessly into: Higher consciousnessPolitics and energyPast lives and ghostsCurses (yes, curses)Spiritual awakeningsChanneling Billie HolidayStories about Andy Warhol, Paul Mooney, Keith HaringAnd an unearthed Basquiat found in a closet like it’s casualThis episode is part New York nightlife documentary, part spiritual fishbowl, part fast-food-fueled kiki, and fully unfiltered. If you love: Joey AriasDowntown NYC legendsFashion history and MuglerLGBTQ nightlife cultureSobriety and reinvention storiesArt world icons like Basquiat and WarholBillie Holiday energyOr just wildly glamorous storytellingWelcome to the coven. Light a candle. Manifest something reckless. And press play. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    50 min

  4. MAR 19

    Glam, Grit & Glisten: Our Convo with Wilson Cruz

    Baby… this episode? A whole mood. Wilson Cruz dropped into The Cutting Up and we started where all important conversations start: backstage glam. Because if we’re going to talk about surviving late-stage capitalism and political chaos, we’re at least doing it moisturized. But don’t get it twisted — the kiki got real. We talked about what it means to trust timing in a career that’s feast‑or‑famine. Wilson’s been in this game for decades, and instead of spiraling when the phone isn’t ringing, he’s cocooning. Nurturing his artistry. Sharpening his activism. Staying ready so he doesn’t have to get ready. And yes, we got into the work. From campaigning in the tri-state area to his role as board chair of GLSEN (now Glisten — hello rebrand), we talked strategy, chapters, and the upcoming National Student Climate Survey. Because protecting queer kids is not a side quest. It’s the mission. We unpacked voter regret. Misinformation. Immigration fear tactics. Political distraction. The way they keep trying to divide and conquer like it’s 1992 and we haven’t read a book. But here’s the thing — we are not despairing. We are organizing. Locally. Intentionally. In community. Wilson also gave us tea on new indie projects, theater work, and a play about radicalization (timely much?). We talked about what it means to be a working artist when the industry feels morally… wobbly. How do you build when diversity is backsliding? You build by us. For us. And through it all? Protect your peace. Escape the algorithm. Touch grass. Fortify your local LGBTQ center. Stay curious. Stay dangerous. Stay moisturized. This episode is glam and grit. Fishbowl chaos and acceptance speech gratitude. We laughed. We vented. We plotted. And as always — we’re cutting up, but we’re not playing. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    53 min

  5. MAR 12

    Our First Times: Crushes, Chaos & A Married Man

    This week’s kiki starts creamy… but quickly turns into a full-blown “the first time I…” chaos! . Yes, we open with creamsicles, Charlie perfume, and a head-to-toe cream moment (because aesthetics matter). But the real meat of this episode? Our firsts. We play a rapid-fire game of: First crushFirst best friendFirst heartbreakFirst album that changed our personalityFirst celebrity crush (problematic? nah!)First concertFirst time getting in troubleFirst fight (and why Webster Hall still owes us emotional damages)Some of it is sweet. Some of it is savory. Some of it explains a lot about who we are today. We talk about cursive handwriting pressure, Barbie manifestation energy, therapy jokes, parody songs that ruined our lives, and the very specific personality trait of always being the one who “does it.”  And yes, a neighborhood meet-cute with a hot bearded man… who turned out to be married with a situation.  This episode is nostalgic, chaotic and emotional. Because once you unpack your firsts, you realize they shaped everything. Like, subscribe, comment and review- xoxo 💫✨ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    35 min

  6. MAR 5

    Kiki, Chaos & Crisco (Yes, THAT Crisco): Backstage with Connie & Lena

    Oooh Sugar, we are back and bring you a peek “backstage” - it’s  unfiltered, off-the-rails and spiritually protected, okay?? Because why did we start the episode spraying “Go Away Evil” like we were cleansing demons… and almost took ourselves out in the process. I nearly gagged. Connie was no help. Pure chaos from the jump. Then we get into these MEN… Listen, we are not here to be fetishized. We are not here to be gaslit. And we are definitely not here for “so… what surgeries have you had?” over appetizers. I said what I said. We talk full disclosure, safety, comfort, and whether someone is actually OUT and emotionally available — or just curious and confused. There’s a difference. And somehow — because it’s us — the conversation spirals into: Toe pic preferences (don’t ask)Proper dick pic etiquette (there are rules, gentlemen)Late-night text delusionWild club memoriesFake sponsors like Grindr, PornHub, and Crisco (Crisco, if you’re listening… call us)There’s even a Crisco slip‑n‑slide story that probably shouldn’t have made the final cut. But here we are. By the end, we’re talking Q-tips, tickle bottles, veggie alternatives, zodiac animals, spirit animals… and drawing sharks for absolutely no reason. It’s messy.  It’s loud.  It’s inappropriate.  It’s even a bit educational. But it is 100% pure cutting up! So, buckle up, Sugar and prepared for the cackle! Like, subscribe, comment and review- xoxo 💫✨ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    19 min

  7. FEB 26

    Psychic Tea & Protection Spells

    Hey Sugar, we’re back! 💋 This week on The Cutting Up, Connie and I start with a cute little backstage kiki — you know, just casually spiraling from Diane Freis dresses and YSL fantasy to vintage perfume memories and our retro TV crushes. As one does. But then… the energy shifts. I start talking about listening to that inner voice (because mine does not whisper, she announces), grounding in nature, and this magical fog-meets-sunlight moment I had on a mountain that felt like the earth itself was texting me back. Add in a visit to Gina (aka Chicklet) and her new farm, and suddenly we are fully in our psychic era. Connie also opens up about how cleansing rituals, visualization, sage, sea salt, and spiritual tools helped carry her through breast cancer treatment — which is powerful and beautiful and very real. And then… the fishbowl. Which means chaos. We debate curses vs. mantras, freezer binding spells (protection only, relax), past lives, twins being telepathic, premonitions that actually came true… and yes, I make Connie confess to the love potions that WORKED. There is also an absolutely unhinged detour involving crabs. I will not be elaborating here. Basically: fashion nostalgia, psychic downloads, spiritual protection, a little chaos, and a lot of laughter. Like, subscribe, cleanse your doorway, and come back next week 💫✨ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    53 min

  8. FEB 19

    Love Bombs & Trash‑Bag Exits: The Dating Red Flags We Missed

    🚩 If he says “I don’t really give compliments…” baby, that’s your cue. 🚩 This week on The Cutting Up, we’ve got outfit breakdowns, supermodel nostalgia, and mental Versace campaigns. But then we unpack our prophetic dreams and talk about men who should’ve been sent packing. We get into red flags we ignored, love bombing, men who order for you at dinner like we’re on Mad Men, and that very specific “you owe me” hint after they pick up the check. And what about the man who wasn’t over his ex? Intuition turned into receipts, confrontation, and a trash‑bag exit with dignity intact. We also talk about transparency, being upfront, protecting your peace, and why full disclosure saves everyone time. Especially when it comes to dating as a woman of transgender experience. No confusion. No surprises. No nonsense. Plus a really beautiful full‑circle moment with Connie and her mom that honestly made us emotional. Stop romanticizing red flags. Girl! They are red for a reason. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com And follow us on instagram: @TheLinaBradford @TheRealConnieGirl @PrideHouseMedia The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

    50 min
See All (26)

5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie and Lina, a new weekly podcast hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford and fashion legend Connie Fleming, the show offers unprecedented access to the icons, secrets, and untold stories that shaped queer culture. Lina and Connie are both trailblazing women of transgender experience, with deep backgrounds hosting and performing in NYC’s most storied clubs—and pioneering on fashion runways. They bring their knowledge, stories, and relationships to “The Cutting Up,” offering audiences a backstage pass to authentic conversations that can only happen between true friends and industry legends. “The Cutting Up” goes deep on fashion, music, activism, and identity.

Information

You Might Also Like