Proudly on Record

Proudly On Record
  • 5.0 (7)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS

Proudly On Record is a storytelling podcast documenting LGBTQ+ stories told in our own words and on our own terms. Hosted by Elise and Kari, we sit with LGBTQ+ folks (and the occasional ally who earned their spot) across generations to talk about identity, healing, joy, survival, faith, love, and the lives we’re building now. Our conversations explore the long-term effects of religious trauma, journeys of deconstruction, and finding yourself again. We also center celebrations of chosen family, finding acceptance, and the growth that comes from living life as your true authentic self. Proudly On Record is rooted in memory and resistance. It exists to place queer voices on record, where we cannot be dismissed or rewritten. We are here for those who believe our stories are the most powerful tool we have. May we never be erased. New episodes every Wednesday. Music Credit: VAAMP

  1. 1D AGO

    James Dobson, Purity Culture & Church Abuse: How Evangelical Parenting Groomed a Generation

    Writer and podcaster DL Mayfield (they/them) joins us to unpack the deep harms of religious authoritarian parenting and the legacy of evangelical culture in America. DL grew up as a homeschooled pastor's kid, deeply immersed in end-times theology and evangelical purity culture. As a late-diagnosed autistic, non-binary parent, they share how reading, parenthood, and listening to their own kids ultimately led them out of the faith and into the work of helping others heal from religious authoritarian upbringings through their project, Strong Willed. We dig into the legacy of James Dobson and how his bestselling parenting books shaped generations of American families through ritualized corporal punishment disguised as godly love. DL makes a chilling case for how breaking a child's "strong will" doesn't just damage them in the moment, it severs their connection to their own inner knowing, setting them up for a lifetime of exploitation by abusers, employers, toxic relationships, and authoritarian systems. In this episode, we cover: Growing up evangelical, homeschooled, and convinced the world was endingHow James Dobson's parenting books shaped generations of American familiesWhy religious authoritarian parenting is a form of ritualized abuseThe connection between corporal punishment, fascism, and authoritarianismHow purity culture created safe havens for predators in the churchThe disturbing overlap between evangelical parenting methods and child sexual abuseHow disconnecting kids from their "strong will" makes them vulnerable for lifeReparenting yourself, honoring your inner child, and finding joy after religious traumaComing out as non-binary at 38 and going no-contact with familyWhy protecting children is the foundation of resisting fascism Whether you're deconstructing, healing from religious trauma, parenting differently than you were parented, or just trying to understand how American evangelicalism got us here, this episode is a vital listen. Find DL Mayfield: strongwilledproject.com Strongwilled Podcast @dlmayfield on Instagram & Threads

    1h 8m

  2. MAY 7

    LGBTQ+ Life in Nigeria: Surviving, Thriving, and Finding Community

    Vivian (she/her) is a Nigerian writer, singer, web designer, and queer activist working as a paralegal and first responder for STAG Initiative, a trans-focused NGO. Raised Catholic in an orphanage, she found her way to queer community through literature, social media, and underground gatherings, all while navigating a country where being LGBTQ+ is criminalized. In this episode, Vivian pulls back the curtain on what queer life in Nigeria actually looks like: the secret pride parties, the catfishing dangers, the NGOs fighting to protect their community, and the surprising ways wealth and class shape who faces consequences under the law. She also talks about the funding crisis hitting Nigerian queer organizations, the unique challenges facing trans people, and why she still calls Nigeria home.

    54 min

  3. APR 30

    Reclaiming Your Inner Authority After Religious Trauma with Dr. Tanya Johnson

    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tanya Johnson (she/her), licensed mental health counselor, clinical supervisor, and counseling professor, for a deep dive into the psychology of religious trauma and high-control groups. Dr. Johnson breaks down exactly how high-control religions use behavioral, emotional, thought, and information control to keep members compliant and disconnected from their own instincts. In this episode we cover: Why religious trauma is so hard to recognize and why we minimize itThe BITE model and how cults control every aspect of your inner worldHow high-control groups train you to interpret your emotions through their lensWhy anger is repressed in religious spaces and what that costs youThe connection between the fawn response and religious conditioningWhy neurodivergent people can have a unique relationship with high-control groupsHow to talk to loved ones who are still inside a high-control religionWhy leaving religion can feel like losing your identity and map for realityReclaiming your inner authority and learning to trust yourself againThe martyrdom complex and how it follows you out of the churchWhy doing it scared is the only way through conditioned guilt and fear Dr. Johnson also shares resources for finding religious trauma informed therapists and her own courses for both clients and therapists in training.

    1h 12m

  4. APR 23

    Sexual Identity Isn't a Moment, It's a Lifelong Journey | Dr. Lulu (Coach Udaku)

    Dr. Lulu (Coach Udaku) is a queer Nigerian immigrant pediatrician, certified life coach, bestselling author, and advocate whose life defies every box society tries to put her in. In this conversation, she opens up about her own decades-long journey to understanding her identity and how navigating faith, culture, immigration, and medicine shaped every step of the way. Dr. Lulu shares the raw, unfiltered experience of learning her eldest child is transgender and how that moment cracked her world open and ultimately became her life's calling. She breaks down the critical difference between accepting and affirming a queer child, why siblings are the forgotten members of a transitioning family, and what parents absolutely must do before their child ever comes out to them. We also dive into the concept of "inviting in", a powerful reframe that puts the power back in queer people's hands, and her trademarked theory of reverse intersectionality, which transforms marginalized identities into tools for meaningful change. Check Out: https://drluluspridecorner.com/

    1h 12m

  5. APR 16

    Why Drag Shows Are An Act Of Resistance | An Interview With Sapphic Drag Queen, Biconic

    Biconic breaks down what it means to be an AFAB (assigned female at birth) drag queen in a space historically dominated by AMAB (assigned male at birth) performers, how she built her drag persona inspired by Ursula, and why she chose drag queen over drag king. We talk about Texas's SB12 "drag ban", what it actually says, why it's deliberately vague, and how it's creating a climate of fear for performers and small businesses alike. Biconic shares what it's like to perform on the front lines of this legislation and why pre-complying with oppression is never the answer. We also get personal, from growing up as a military brat across 13 countries and 44 states, to knowing she was bisexual since kindergarten, to being closeted through a private Christian school and finally coming out at 18. Plus her wildest drag moments including sneaking through the streets of Dublin in a purple wig and asking Trixie Mattel and George Takei the closing question at an LA Pride panel. This episode is a love letter to queer joy, community organizing, and drag as political defiance. Topics Covered: What it means to be a sapphic/AFAB drag queenTexas SB12 drag ban explainedBisexual erasure and coming out later in lifeDrag as political resistance and queer historyBuilding community in hostile political climatesHow drag healing and queer joy are acts of defiance Find Biconic: Instagram: TheBiconic Facebook: Biconic Bi Icon

    53 min

  6. APR 9

    From Church Trauma to Cosmic Healing | Haley's Deconstruction Story

    In this episode of Proudly On Record, we talk with Haley (she/her), a witchy, neurodivergent, queer single parent from Dallas, Texas, about religious trauma, evangelical deconstruction, purity culture, therapy, and reclaiming personal power. Haley shares what it was like growing up in charismatic church spaces, being shaped by perfectionism and rigid Christian expectations, and learning how church culture taught her not to trust her own voice. Together, we unpack how power, control, shame, and abuse operate inside religious systems and how those same patterns show up everywhere from family structures to broader cultural institutions. Haley opens up about leaving the church from her therapist’s couch, losing community in the process, and slowly rebuilding a life rooted in autonomy, healing, and self-trust. The conversation dives into purity culture, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, soul ties, consent, Internal Family Systems (IFS), queerness after divorce, and the complicated process of realizing you were never allowed to ask yourself what you actually wanted. Haley also shares how astrology, tarot, breathwork, and a more self-led spiritual practice have helped her reconnect with herself after years of religious conditioning. This is a powerful conversation about deconstruction, queer identity, nervous system healing, and learning to believe yourself again after systems of control taught you not to.

    59 min

  7. APR 2

    How The L Word Sparked My Lesbian Awakening After Mormon Purity Culture | A. Elise Joy

    A. Elise Joy joins Proudly on Record to talk about growing up queer in Alabama, surviving Mormon purity culture, and finding a lesbian awakening through The L Word. The conversation also dives into Mormon purity culture, religious trauma, and deconstruction. Elise opens up about converting to Mormonism as a teenager, the shame and depression that followed church discipline around premarital sex, and the long process of leaving harmful theology behind. From there, the episode explores queer identity, healing after spiritual abuse, rebuilding a relationship with a supportive but complicated parent, and learning to trust yourself after years of being taught not to.

    49 min

  8. MAR 25

    Turns Out Our Host Has Religious Trauma Too (Who Knew?!) | Elise's Story - Hangout Hour #4

    In this episode of Proudly On Record, the mic turns inward as host Elise is interviewed by cohost Kari about their own story. Elise discusses growing up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist church, being homeschooled, and living in an environment shaped by extreme religious control, isolation, and fear-based messaging. They share what it was like to be raised in a world where women wore long skirts, music and movies were heavily restricted, questioning was discouraged, and church culture shaped nearly every part of daily life. Elise talks about never truly connecting with Christianity even as a child, despite being deeply immersed in church culture. They reflect on the pressure of evangelism, the manipulation behind door-to-door witnessing, the effects of purity culture and silence around sex, and the emotional impact of being raised to believe that anything outside a narrow religious standard would lead to misery or destruction. The conversation also explores Elise’s queer awakening including their time at Liberty University, trying to fit into heterosexual expectations, and the long process of realizing they were gay after years of repression and lack of language for what they were feeling. Topics in this episode: Independent Fundamental Baptist church, homeschooling, Liberty University, religious trauma, deconstruction, purity culture, queer awakening, coming out, compulsory heterosexuality, church control, family relationships, and queer identity.

    1h 5m
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Proudly On Record is a storytelling podcast documenting LGBTQ+ stories told in our own words and on our own terms. Hosted by Elise and Kari, we sit with LGBTQ+ folks (and the occasional ally who earned their spot) across generations to talk about identity, healing, joy, survival, faith, love, and the lives we’re building now. Our conversations explore the long-term effects of religious trauma, journeys of deconstruction, and finding yourself again. We also center celebrations of chosen family, finding acceptance, and the growth that comes from living life as your true authentic self. Proudly On Record is rooted in memory and resistance. It exists to place queer voices on record, where we cannot be dismissed or rewritten. We are here for those who believe our stories are the most powerful tool we have. May we never be erased. New episodes every Wednesday. Music Credit: VAAMP

Information

  • Creator
    Proudly On Record
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Proudly On Record
  • Show Website
    Proudly on Record