The Queer Vision Podcast

Queerolina

Welcome to The Queer Vision Podcast, the dynamic new podcast by Queerolina! Building on the spirit of The Queer Vision magazine, this show amplifies the voices of queer creatives through candid conversations, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into queer culture, art, activism, and lived experiences. From rising LGBTQ+ icons and boundary-pushing drag artists to grassroots activists and visionary storytellers, The Queer Vision Podcast is your go-to space for authentic, unapologetic storytelling that celebrates the beauty and resilience of queer life in the South.

  1. 6d ago

    Ep. 65 - What Does It Actually Take to Support a New Parent? Maternal Mental Health with Mercedes McLaughlin

    Content note: This episode contains discussions of birth trauma, NICU experiences,  infant health complications, and medical negligence.     ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND MERCEDES★ Website - http://moonstoneballasttherapyandwhol... Instagram -   / moonstoneballast       ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - http://www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - http://queerolinaorg.bsky.social     ★Summary★ In this conversation, Becca sits down with Mercedes McLaughlin, licensed clinical social worker and founder of Moonstone Ballast Therapy and Wholeness, for a raw, real conversation about maternal mental health. They cover everything from postpartum  mood disorders and the #1 risk factor nobody talks about enough, to what it actually looks like to show up for a new parent (hint: it's not JUST holding the baby while they clean). Mercedes also opens up about her own 147-day NICU journey — a story about community, advocacy, defying odds, and what happens when the system fails the very people who know their bodies best. This episode is intense, educational, and deeply  human. Whether you're a birthing person, a partner, a friend, or just someone who wants to show up better... this one is for you.     ★Resources★ Postpartum Support International - http://postpartum.net   ★Keywords★ maternal mental health, postpartum, NICU, birth trauma, community, support systems, therapy, PMAD, advocacy, healthcare, LGBTQIA, BIPOC, parental leave, spoons theory

    48 min

  2. Jun 13

    Ep. 64 - What Keeps Us Going? Drag, Arson & Grief with Alda Smoke

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND ALDA SMOKE★ Instagram - @hausuvsmokee ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this conversation, Alda Smoke (aka Trey) sits down with the Queer Vision to talk about three years of drag, the red and black she wears in tribute to her late brother, and being raised by "old Christian Black folk" who eventually came around to the skinny jeans. Alda gets real about grief, the wild timing of loss, and growing up in  Fayetteville — then pivots into a passionate PSA about community etiquette, unsolicited critique, and why kindness to new performers costs nothing. The conversation also touches on internalized homophobia, finding your lane instead of blending in, and dream retirement spots that range from the Japanese countryside to Manchester. ★Keywords★ drag, alternative drag, queerness, grief, community, kindness, North Carolina drag, Fayetteville NC, identity, neurodivergence, internalized homophobia, self-acceptance,  entertainment

    35 min

  3. Jun 5

    Ep. 63 - Define....Okay..? Running a Queer Business, Booking Fees & Being Broke with Becca & Ko

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ Becca and Ko are back for a long overdue check-in — and they have a lot to say. In  this episode they break down what Queerolina, Nasty Queer, and the Queer Vision  actually are and how the three work together, get real about performer booking fees and why there is no universal answer, and talk openly about the financial reality of  running a Queer event production business including being the first ones to forgo  their own pay when things get tight. They also discuss the scarcity complex in the  local Queer scene and why community collaboration beats competition, the launch of Queerolina TV and what it was built for, and the behind-the-scenes of building  something that looks more put together from the outside than it sometimes feels on the inside. Plus: one engagement, one lost ring, one very chaotic magazine issue,  and a brief detour into aliens and the Syfy channel rebrand. ★Keywords★ queer business, event production, booking fees, drag economy, Queerolina TV, community over competition, scarcity mindset, performer pay, transparency, Pride Month, North Carolina, Nasty Queer, Queer Vision, behind the scenes

    45 min

  4. Jun 1

    Ep. 62 - Can You Perform for Crowds But Freeze at the Grocery Store? Drag & Identity with Hummingbird

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND HUMMINGBIRD★ Instagram - @hummingbirdkingthing ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this conversation, Hummingbird — drag king and poet based in the Pittsboro area — sits down with Ko at the Durty Bull to talk about stumbling into drag at the first Pittsboro Pride and never quite stopping. Hummingbird shares how drag helped them discover their non-binary identity, the strange experience of being able to perform for a crowd but freezing in everyday social situations, and writing poetry about the exact gap between stage presence and human interaction. The conversation also touches  on being a twin and the assumption that your identity mirrors your sibling's, the history of drag kings as male impersonators, a fresh ADHD diagnosis and what finally having language for your brain feels like, and why drag is inherently political whether  you mean it to be or not. ★Keywords★ drag king, non-binary, queer identity, poetry, social anxiety, ADHD, Pittsboro NC,drag history, male impersonators, neurodivergence, performing, community, North Carolina, twins, identity

    27 min

  5. May 21

    Ep. 61 - Where Are All the Old Queers? Fantasy, History & Survival with Rena Rockford

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND RENA★ Website - RenaTheWriter.com BlueSky - @RenaTheWriter Books - Search Rena Rockford on Amazon ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Queerolina TV - tv.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this conversation, Rena Rockford — bisexual queer fantasy author, space geologist,and government worker — sits down with the Queer Vision to talk about writing the stories nobody seems to want to publish but everybody needs. Her debut with Space Wizard Science Fantasy, Mothball Magic, follows old queer witches who fought in World  War II and are back to save the world again — blood pressure medication and all. Rena digs into why queer elders are erased from literature, why older queer people go back into the closet when they become dependent on conservative caretakers, and why publishing has no vehicle for stories at these intersections. The conversation also covers rewritten history, the Roman Empire as a model for civilizational collapse, space geology, and why the rocks on every planet in every galaxy are exactly the same. ★Keywords★ queer fantasy, elder queers, queer representation, urban fantasy, indie publishing,Space Wizard Science Fantasy, Mothball Magic, geology, history, World War II,bisexual, queer erasure, California, survival, civilization, kindness

    48 min

  6. May 14

    Ep. 60 - What If You Just Exist? Art, Identity & Spooky Vibes with Ryan of Spooky Boi Ink

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND RYAN★ Instagram - @spookyboyink Tumblr - spookyboyink BlueSky - spookyboyink ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this conversation, Ryan of Spooky Boi Ink — artist, handmade stationery maker, and aspiring tattoo artist — sits down with Ko to talk about building a creative business at the intersection of spooky and beautiful. Ryan shares how a love of nature and horror growing up in Connecticut became the foundation of their art, how ADHD shaped both their struggles and their creative process, and why they designed their own planner because every existing one was too boring. The conversation also explores queer  identity without the need for labels, gender as a social construct, the exhaustion of hyper-presenting to be seen, and Ryan's work with Crafting Change — an activism art collective auctioning pieces this year for nonprofit Corral. Closing message from Ryan:  get off your phone, go outside, and breathe.   ★Keywords★ queer art, spooky art, stationery, ADHD, identity, gender, activism art, Crafting Change, tattoo artist, nature, Holly Springs NC, queer identity, handmade goods, creative business

    41 min

  7. May 9

    Ep. 59 - What Does It Mean to Be Seen? Drag, Grief & Community with Xenus Xero

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND XENUS★ Instagram - @xenusxero YouTube / Code Xero - @code.xero ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Queerolina TV - tv.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this conversation, Xenus Xero. The intergalactic diva, drag performer, hairstylist, and creator of Code Xero sits down with Becca to talk about what it really means to be seen. Xenus shares how he relocated to North Carolina after losing his mother, the original muse behind his drag, and how the community helped rebuild his love for performance after a two year hiatus. He discusses the creation of Code Xero, an online virtual lip sync music video competition built to make drag accessible to people who  can't or don't want to be in club spaces. The conversation also touches on his journey through Ballroom Drag Battle competition, dreams of launching a mobile hair salon for elderly and homebound clients, his admiration for Madam C.J. Walker, and why he believes being  seen ~ truly seen ~ is something everyone is searching for. ★Keywords★ drag performance, grief, community, accessibility, Code Xero, online drag, Ballroom, mobile hair salon, Madam CJ Walker, inner child, being seen, North Carolina, Raleigh, queer community, entrepreneurship

    53 min

  8. May 2

    Ep. 58 - Is There Ever a Right Time? Drag, Producing & Finding Your People with Miss Caleb

    ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND MISS CALEB★ Instagram - @lipslikelepore ★WHERE YOU CAN FIND US★ Website - www.queerolina.org Facebook - Queerolina Instagram - @queerolinaorg BlueSky - queerolinaorg.bsky.social ★Summary★ In this special in-person episode recorded live at the Durty Bull, Ko sits down with their drag daughter Miss Caleb — one year into drag and fresh off producing and hosting her very first show, Miss Caleb's Night of Couture. Miss Caleb shares what it really felt like to plan a show for the first time, why there is never a perfect moment to start, and how leaning into community resources made all the difference. The conversation also explores the business and family dynamics of drag, why you should always show gratitude to your cast even when they're your closest people, the seniority complex in creative spaces, and what it means to build a drag family where everyone genuinely learns from each other. Plus: neurodivergence backstage, nervous laughing,  and a brief detour into lizard people. ★Keywords★ drag, drag family, first show, event producing, queer community, drag performance, neurodivergence, creativity, seniority complex, Miss Caleb, Night of Couture, North Carolina, Durty Bull, Nasty Queer

    40 min
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About

Welcome to The Queer Vision Podcast, the dynamic new podcast by Queerolina! Building on the spirit of The Queer Vision magazine, this show amplifies the voices of queer creatives through candid conversations, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into queer culture, art, activism, and lived experiences. From rising LGBTQ+ icons and boundary-pushing drag artists to grassroots activists and visionary storytellers, The Queer Vision Podcast is your go-to space for authentic, unapologetic storytelling that celebrates the beauty and resilience of queer life in the South.

Information

  • Creator
    Queerolina
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Queerolina
  • Show Website
    The Queer Vision Podcast