DiscoverRated LGBT Radio
Rated LGBT Radio
Claim Ownership

Rated LGBT Radio

Author: Rated LGBT Radio

Subscribed: 10Played: 40
Share

Description

Rob Watson hosts an engaged hour of lively conversation on a variety of topics involving the LGBT community. The podcast has been named one of the top 100 best LGBTQ podcasts of 2025, one of the best LGBT podcasts of 2019 by FMPlayer, and one of the ”Top 20 LGBT Podcasts You Must Follow in 2020” by Feedspot.com . (https://blog.feedspot.com/lgbt_podcasts/)
136 Episodes
Reverse
The new LGBTQ feature Cutaways tells the story of a once-celebrated indie filmmaker whose career implodes after a social media backlash turns him into an industry pariah. As bills pile up and opportunities disappear, he reluctantly accepts a job directing an adult film—what begins as a survival tactic soon becomes an existential reckoning.  Today I talk to Mark Schwab, the acclaimed independent, and Silas Kade, CUTAWAY's star.  A Bay Area–based filmmaker, Schwab’s recent work includes Shadows in Mind, Brotherly Lies (2021) and its sequel Exteriors, which won Best LGBTQ Feature at the 2024 Poppy Jasper Film Festival.
Returning to the show, rocker and trans artist Jordan Maye shares her new single "The Puppeteer." I catch up with Jordan on her new life in LA, the story behind her current music, and her live performance schedule.  “The Puppeteer” feat. Rebecca Soul (out Dec. 11) takes classic rock and symphonic elements and builds on a modern indie singer-songwriter foundation, with Maye’s powerful and raw vocals at the forefront.“The Puppeteer” itself is a personified metaphor for anxiety, tackling feelings of self-doubt as an artist. It’s a song for anyone who isn’t overly confident with themselves, or feels like maybe they aren’t enough. It’s a song that reminds us that we’re not alone when questioning our own confidence.
Never the Last Love Letter is the previously untold story of a relatively small community's reaction to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s. There are many books, movies, and documentaries telling the perspective of NYC, LA and San Francisco. Santa Cruz stood up in unique ways and laid the groundwork not only for an enormous force during the crisis but also for a vibrant queer community today. My guests are the film's co-directors, Taylor Boone and Terez Kilpatrick, and its lead narrator, Nic Lafin.
The world-renowned Children's Theatre Company's current hit is Dr. Seuss's The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!  Playing a key role is Janely Rodriguez, the company's first Latin actor, and a proud non-binary artist.  In the classic tale, a miserly and miserable, ever-so-cantankerous Grinch has observed the despicable Christmas joy of the Whos with disdain, from a distance, for decades. In response, he plots the greatest heist imaginable. Janely openly discusses being an activist, an out artist, children's reactions, and the great potential theater has in creating depth of understanding.
Beloved singer and Judy Garland "impersonator" Debbie Wileman talks to me today about ringing in the holiday season with A Christmas Garland. This sparkling new album imagines the Christmas record Judy herself never got to make. Mixing nostalgia, warmth, and Debbie’s uncanny embodiment of Garland’s voice and heart, the album blends classic and contemporary Christmas songs with glamorous orchestral arrangements; all delivered through the unmistakable lens of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons.
Here with me today, androgynous and non-binary black artist Jourdan Frost discusses the release of their new single, “Can We Pretend”, a mid-tempo pop ballad that blends the lush sonics of Top 40 pop with the sweeping nostalgia of classic rock! DJs and promoters discovered Jourdan singing in Jacksonville’s LGBT clubs and last year they signed with Velvet Code’s So Fierce Music Label.   At its heart, “Can We Pretend” carries a message everyone can relate with. It reminds listeners that hopeless romance still has a place in a modern world that often feels jaded.
Stewart Taylor’s funk and R&B inspired debut single Mess Your Hair Up dropped worldwide in 2019. Following its release, the song was featured on Logo’s NewNowNext and Queerty.com’s Top 10 songs of the Summer.  In addition to writing for himself, Stewart Taylor has penned songs for Romanian pop star Antonia, SB19’s Josh Cullen, rising US pop artist Ceranda, and JuJu Bee, Mo Heart, and Manila Luzon of Rupaul’s Drag Race. Today we talk about his new single, and video, EMILIO, a bilingual pop anthem that blends irresistible ‘80s grooves, Latin flair, and raw emotional storytelling.
Jason Mitchell Kahn, the expert on spectacular LGBTQ weddings is live with me today to talk about his new book ”We Do: An Inclusive Guide When a Traditional Wedding Won’t Cut It”. Jason is acclaimed wedding planner featured in Vogue, New York Times, and PEOPLE. Kahn has been listed as one of the Best Wedding Planners of the Year in Brides magazine hailed as “Broadway’s Wedding Planner” by Playbill, and even planned a wedding for Mariah Carey’s nephew.    While we had a few technical difficulties at the show's start, it is a great conversation for those who want a special day, or have loved ones headed for the altar.
Bobby Newberry, the acclaimed choreographer-turned-singer, makes a heartfelt return with his most intimate release yet-Feelin’. The radiant new single is a tribute to his late husband, TJ, who passed away following a battle with cancer.   Today I talk to Bobby about his work with the industry's superstars, his music and his beautiful love story.
The film  Mama Gloria by Luchina Fisher, the Emmy-award winning director, is on its way to becoming an LGBTQ Classic. The GLAAD-nominated documentary offers an intimate portrait of the late Gloria “Mama” Allen (1945–2022), a trailblazing Black transgender elder from Chicago. This heartfelt and hopeful film follows Gloria as she reflects on a life lived authentically — from her coming-of-age in Chicago’s pre–Stonewall drag ball culture to founding a self-funded “charm school” for young transgender people experiencing homelessness. More than a celebration of survival, it’s a testament to joy, grace, acceptance and intergenerational love. Mama Gloria is also available to stream as part of AfroPoP. Today I talk to Luchina about the film, and the heart and soul she projected into its making. Luchina's other work includes the Emmy Award-winning short documentary The Dads (Netflix), executive produced by Dwyane Wade; Team Dream (BET), winner of multiple film festival awards, executive produced by Queen Latifah; and Locked Out, the Best Documentary Feature at the American Black Film Festival. Her latest project, celebrating Black queer contributions to music, won the 2023 PitchBLACK Film Forum.
Following sold-out performances and rave reviews across the country in 2025, The Golden Girls are back and better than ever with a stage show that’s more exciting than a trip to the Rusty Anchor. Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue is headed on a US Fall Tour in 2025. Today, I have a rousing conversation with Vince Kelley, one of the show's originators and the show's Blanche.  We talk about the enormous love that propels the show forward, the humor, and the creativity. Vince has over 30 years of performing experience under his belt, has starred in productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Boys in the Band, among others. He's not only a talented triple-threat who acts, sings, and dances, but he also designs costumes for the stage.  Plus, we do some Golden Girls trivia along the way!
Spencer Cohen's award-winning comedy THE COMPATRIOTS is now available on all major platforms in the US and Canada. A nuanced portrayal of immigration, friendship, and LGBTQIA+ experiences, THE COMPATRIOTS follows Javi (Rafael Silva), an undocumented immigrant facing deportation, who unexpectedly reunites with his estranged best friend Hunter (Denis Shepherd), a vivacious bachelor seeking deeper connections. Together, they embark on a heartfelt journey to prevent Javi's expulsion from the only country he has ever called home.      Today I had an in-depth conversation with Spencer and Rafael about the heart and soul that went into making this acclaimed film (it is 8.6 out of 10 stars on IMDB). 
Bear World Magazine, the world’s leading lifestyle publication for the global bear community, recently launched Bear World TV: a vibrant new video platform delivering weekly doses of news, entertainment, and culture created specifically for and by the bear community. Today I get to chat with two of its talented stars and content creators, Marquis The Honey Bear and Ravi Roth.   Marquis The Honey Bear is an LA based Stand Up Comedian, Northwest Emmy nominated producer, actor/model, podcast host and known for his iconic reign as Mr. Bear Los Angeles 2023. Ravi Roth is a travel expert and award-winning content creator having explored Queer culture in 44 countries with their brand Ravi Round The World while hosting 24 Hour GAYover, Ravi’s Road To Pride, and The Gaycation Travel Show,
Jordan Maye has followed up her debut album, CREATION OF JORDAN MAYE, with an infectious rock anthem, TEAR IT DOWN. I talk to Jordan today about her gender identity journey and musical achievements.  Her path to songwriting wasn’t some overnight revelation. It was a slow-burn devotion, bouncing between piano, guitar, and voice lessons, quietly sharpening the tools she’d later use to craft her own sound.  The result is a new talent with a gorgeous and commanding voice that not only has a personal story to tell, but onw that will resonate in the hearts of her LGBTQ+ fanbase.
Widely named as the "Actress to Watch". Emiliana Jasper, is my guest today. Her performance in the new psychological thriller film MIA has garnered rave reviews. Today we talk about her film and theater accomplishments, the nuances of the film MIA and navigating the show business world as a young talented lesbian actor. MIA follows Aaron, a man unraveling as he becomes convinced that a young woman named Emma (Emiliana Jasper) is his long-missing daughter, Mia. Emma, however, insists she’s never met him. What begins as a mystery spirals into a tense psychological showdown that forces both characters - and the audience - to question what’s real and what’s imagined.
Luca Evans, Producer of QUEERING PRECEDENT, is my guest!  The podcast series looks at the legal and political landscape through the eyes of LGBTQ+ elders.  Its episodes feature California’s first transgender judge Victoria Kolakowski, the “Beyoncé of Bottom Surgery” Dr. Marci Bowers, transgender and two-spirit activist Marcus Arana, intersex advocates Anne and Suegee Tamar-Mattis, TransLatin@ President and CEO Bamby Salcedo, and Stonewall veteran Christy Henderson-Jenkins. Episode topics include the history of trans law in the U.S., gender-affirming healthcare, two-spirit liberation, intersex legislation, the intersection of immigration and trans rights, and lived experience of the legal system.
Director/producer Mikaela Shwer and film star Cadilina join me for an in-depth discussion of the new documentary THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT- including new exclusive details of Cadilina’s experience beyond what is seen in the film.  The film centers on rampant abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry, an unregulated network of for-profit institutions claiming to fix wayward teenagers. Decades later, the kids are fighting back. Filmed over nine years, ”The Kids Are Not Alright” is an intimate portrait of trauma following three families’ journeys as whistle blowers.
Blond Jesus (aka Garrett Miller) is back on the new music trail with his ventures in the rock and pop world, and we had him live in house to talk about the new FRINGE OF FAME album that is lighting up Spotify on 83 playlists. We also talk about his hit single WHITE KNIGHT and the short film it inspired. That film is blazing across film festivals and we discuss not only its major wins, but what if felt like to be in the audience greeted by standing ovations.
Bill Hulseman is a writer, ritual designer, and former educator who is challenging what it means to belong. In his debut book, “six to carry the casket and one to say the mass,” Bill explores queer identity, Catholicism, family, and personal agency with unflinching honesty.   Today we discuss birth order trauma, Pride, or how “nerding out to Madonna” led to him making the pop icon an academic subject!
As the new film "T" has its premiere on June 20th, I sat down with filmmaker Lane Michael Stanley and film star, Mel Glickman.  Filmed over lead actor Mel Glickman’s real-life first year taking testosterone, T is a fictionalized, never-before-seen journey of transmasculine discovery, authentically portraying the moving struggles and joys encountered in friendships, family, and romantic relationships. Lane Michael Stanley (he/they) is an award winning, transgender writer and director making community- embedded work around queerness, healing, grief, recovery, restorative justice, and housing insecurity. Mel Glickman is a non-binary transmasculine actor, writer, and fight director based in Los Angeles. Their acting and choreography have been seen on multiple LA and NYC productions as well as on TV.
loading
Comments