The Lavender Lounge

Spectrum Medical Care Center
  • 5.0 (6)
  • SEXUALITY

Welcome to the Lavender Lounge: a podcast community discussing the latest in LGBTQ+ health and wellness. Hosted by Spectrum Medical Community Health Advocate Anna Kova, Lavender Lounge amplifies voices in conversations around LGBTQ+ health, identity, and resilience. Featuring care providers, local advocates, and individuals with lived experience in this space, we share real insights to empower you wherever you’re at in your health journey.

Episodes

  1. The Right Size Shoes: A Conversation on Gender and Healing

    5D AGO

    The Right Size Shoes: A Conversation on Gender and Healing

    Send us Fan Mail Gender affirming therapist Dillon Mathew-Gilmore, LMSW (they/them) joins The Lavender Lounge to talk about what it really means to heal through community. Dillon shares their journey into gender affirming care, the systemic barriers facing gender expansive people, and why curiosity is the foundation of meaningful support. We get into the relationship between transphobia and misogyny, and how small moments of connection can create real change. This is a personal and hopeful conversation you don't want to miss. Affirming You Therapy Come as You Are Spectrum Medical Care Centre Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Mental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault ...

    58 min
  2. What Is Healthy Sexuality?

    MAR 10

    What Is Healthy Sexuality?

    Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to have a healthy sex life — and why does our culture make it so hard? In this episode, licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist Jennifer Monninger, founder of Oh My Pleasure, joins the Lavender Lounge to break down the Six Principles of Sexual Health. We discuss the impacts of purity culture and abstinence-only education, what it looks like to deconstruct those beliefs in therapy, and why pleasure might be the most overlooked principle of all. *Spoiler Alert* We also dive into HBO's Heated Rivalry — and how it challenges stereotypes about queer relationships and masculinity. Whether you are navigating your own identity or just want to know more about healthy sex - this one is for you.  Resources mentioned: Oh My Pleasure: ohmypleasure.comCome As You Are by Emily NagoskiWe Should Try It: weshouldtryit.comDan Savage / Savage LovecastMental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline — Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) | Chat at rainn.org/hotline | Text HOPE to 64673 — free, confidential, 24/7 support RAINNSpectrum Medical Care Centre Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Mental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault ...

    1h 6m
  3. You Deserve to Be Happy: Full-Spectrum Gender Affirming Care

    FEB 23

    You Deserve to Be Happy: Full-Spectrum Gender Affirming Care

    Send us Fan Mail What does it look like to receive gender-affirming care that is grounded in science and humanity? In this episode of The Lavender Lounge, Ari Kravitz, a family nurse practitioner at Spectrum Medical Care Center, joins us to unpack the what, why, and how of evidence-based gender-affirming care. As a trans healthcare provider who specializes in HIV prevention, HIV care, and gender-affirming treatment, Ari brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation. Ari shares how lived experience informs compassionate practice, the treatment model guided by WPATH, and the various hormone therapy and surgery options available to trans people. We also explore the real-world barriers to gender-affirming care, the mental-health impacts of today’s political climate, and the power of community. Join us to learn how evidence-based care can transform lives, why empathy belongs at the center of medicine, and how everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their own body. Tune in now! Spectrum Medical Care Centre Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Mental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault ...

    56 min
  4. Finding the You in Someone Else

    FEB 23

    Finding the You in Someone Else

    Send us Fan Mail Arizona’s #1 drag queen Barbra Seville talks about courage, connection, and empathy. From calling out double standards and challenging regressive policies to advocating for LGBTQ+ education and self-esteem, Barbra shares why embracing your authentic self fosters hope for representation and acceptance. Barbra Seville on Instagram Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Spectrum Medical Care Centre Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Mental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault ...

    58 min
  5. Welcome to The Lavender Lounge

    SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Welcome to The Lavender Lounge

    Send us Fan Mail Spectrum Medical Care Center CEO Mark Moeremans introduces The Lavender Lounge and the clinic that’s served Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community for nearly 30 years. Mark shares his vision for best-in-class affirming healthcare, Spectrum’s legacy founded by Dr. Thanes Vanig, and why community storytelling matters. Spectrum Medical Care Centre Maricopa County Community Resources LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory Vitalyst Health Foundation Mental health resources: Crisis & Suicide Prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMindThe Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSPTrans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSPCrisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights CampaignRAINN National Sexual Assault ...

    12 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Lavender Lounge: a podcast community discussing the latest in LGBTQ+ health and wellness. Hosted by Spectrum Medical Community Health Advocate Anna Kova, Lavender Lounge amplifies voices in conversations around LGBTQ+ health, identity, and resilience. Featuring care providers, local advocates, and individuals with lived experience in this space, we share real insights to empower you wherever you’re at in your health journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Spectrum Medical Care Center
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Lavender Lounge
  • Show Website
    The Lavender Lounge