Hey you. It's Tyson and Taylor here. We're thrilled to bring you back into the werkbook space for this new drop! Welcome back.In this episode, we share a new story: What does it mean to stay soft in a world that keeps asking you to harden? For Ethan, that question stretches across continents, starting in Vietnam with lotto and parents, moves through to the United States with research work, follows into Brazil where visibility seems everywhere, and back to Vietnam, holding power and taking up space. All these with a pearl necklace sparkling their vibes.EPISODE GUIDE00:00 – Softness is a superpowerWe’re half full… and staying soft in a hard world is its own kind of rebellion. 03:15 – Intersectional fabulous realnessEthan talks intersectionality, living visibly, and why a pearl necklace can be both an accessory and a manifesto. 08:00 – Identities aren’t pie charts, darlingWe unpack nationality, queerness, and the complicated business of belonging—to countries, communities, and ourselves. 15:58 – Growing up queer in VietnamFrom media portrayal to hát lô tô, Ethan reflects on navigating early life and culture that built their curiousity. 25:08 – Returning home as an openly queer leaderThere’s something deliciously full-circle about coming back to Vietnam as your whole self—and making institutions take notes. 27:36 – The coming out storyWe love a supportive family arc. Did Ethan get one? 37:19 – Claim your power, teachersQueer people belong in classrooms, research, leadership, and policy—not just surviving systems, but reshaping them. 41:34 – Visibility isn’t free labourResearch, allyship, tokenisation, lived experience, and money all in one segment! 47:57 – Spirituality requires authenticityFrom temples to trains, Ethan reflects on self-acceptance, higher powers, and why you can’t build a life on a closet door. 52:21 – Queer joy is Taylor. That is all.Friendship, mentorship, found family; plus some traditions must endure. 🌈✨ Final vibe check:Softness is power, identity is fluid, and queer joy is in the conversations—and a fabulous necklace 💖* All voice clips used are done so for lighthearted entertainment and often educational purposes under the creative commons licensing. Ethan mentions Queer Eye (for the Straight Guy) and so that's a brief clip.* Intro and outro logo combined from music by Gamemaster Audio and AM Beef. * Background ambience includes Liquid Memoirs - Transitions, Risian - Imagine a World, and Yair Cohen - Our Home. * Queer joy background music includes excerpts from Jane The Boy - Electric by Electric.
