Left-Handed Journeys

Queer Theology is the multi-faceted brand of Brian G. Murphy and Fr. Shay Kearns — two friends who believe in spreading a progressive message about the goodness of queerness, gender fluidity, and sexuality within Christian spaces. However, the community they’ve fostered, known as the Sanctuary Collective, is open to all “seekers, doubters, and used-to-be-Christians” who are looking for a body-positive welcoming space to ask questions and just be.In this episode of Left-Handed Journeys, we talked about how Queer Theology came to be, grieving the loss of religious communities, the sacredness of casual sex, and more.Father Shannon TL Kearns is a graduate of the Union Theological Seminary and the first openly transgender man ordained to the Old Catholic Priesthood. His first book In The Margins. A Transgender Man's Journey With Scripture was just released from Eerdman’s Books.Brian G. Murphy is an activist, educator and certified relationship coach who studied film production and religion at the University of Southern California. He spent time in Hollywood working on a number of television projects before turning to activism. Brian is a co-founder of a relationship coaching practice helping LGBTQ+ and polyamorous people build thriving relationships on their own terms.For more stories and perspectives about healing from religious trauma, decolonizing spirituality, and similar topics, please follow my newsletter: Radical Soul. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

A big theme in Lenny Duncan’s story, as they told it to me for the podcast, is making space for themselves and breaking out of spaces that no longer fit. From a teen runaway who finds a home in alternative relationships in the 90s with other queer folks,  to becoming ordained in the ELCA church, to becoming initiated into Ifa, an African spiritual tradition while reparenting themselves in a loving kink community.In this episode, we talked about The Grateful Dead, praying to our ancestors, finding queer communities and the abuse that can happen there, the moral failings of the white church, and so much more.Lenny is a writer. speaker. scholar. media producer. Babá Awó. Check out their newsletter, a sorcerer’s notebook, about the history of magic and Lenny's journey.For more stories and perspectives about healing from religious trauma, decolonizing spirituality, and similar topics, please follow my newsletter: Radical Soul.Find the transcript for this episode here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

In this episode, I talk to the wonderful Colin Bedell whose work combines queer studies and astrology. We talked how to "queer" astrology through the act of questioning and how astrology can, in turn, deepen your self-identity .  Colin explains how he came into his own as a queer individual through understanding his sign and his place in the universe and how he now grows in his spiritual being by queering astrology.Learn more at queercosmos.com or follow Colin on Instagram @queercosmos.Follow me on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown.Subscribe to my Radical Soul Newsletter for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Find the transcript for this episode here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Growing up, Alex Liu didn't know it was okay to be queer. And although he's been out of the closet for decades, a shadow of shame around sex and sexual desires still follows him around.He turned his own story and questions into a documentary: A Sexplanation. The documentary takes us "from neuroscience labs to church pews, [featuring] provocative conversations with psychologists, sex researchers—and even a Jesuit priest. With humor and grit, Alex takes audiences on a playful, heartfelt journey from a shame-filled past to a happier, healthier, sexier future." You can now rent or buy the documentary on Apple TV, Amazon, and more.Alex’s passion for telling compelling stories that blend education, advocacy, and entertainment led him to found Herra Productions in 2012. Since then, he’s developed two award-winning YouTube channels focused on sex and drug education, totaling over five million views. After studying molecular toxicology at UC Berkeley and Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting at New York University, he produced video, radio, and print content for NOVA scienceNOW, CNN Health, and San Francisco NPR station KQED.Learn more at herraproductions.com or follow Alex on Instagram @alexanderxliu and follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Transcript for this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

We all get to define what spirituality is for us. Jimanekia Eborn, also known as the Trauma Queen, has done this for herself. One of her spiritual practices is a bath with different oils—something that connects her to her body. And on this episode of the podcast, she encourages listeners to figure out what unique spiritual practices work for them.We talk about relationships and trauma, femmes and the unhealthy expectation to trust quickly, and building self-trust.More about my guest:Jimanekia Eborn is a Queer Media Consultant, Comprehensive Sex Educator, and Sexual Assault & Trauma Expert. With a Master's in Health Psychology, she has worked in mental health for the past 13 years in sex education and sexual trauma support. Jimanekia is the host of Trauma Queen —a podcast for survivors of assault and our allies, and the Founder of Tending the Garden, a non-profit for sexual assault survivors of different marginalized identities. In 2020, Jimanekia co-founded Centaury Co., bringing increased representation to the field of Intimacy Coordination in the film industry.Learn more at traumaqueen.love or follow Jimanekia on Instagram @Jimanekia. Follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Transcript for this episode here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Antonieta Paco, AKA Sonia Sass, views her sex work as priestess work. A part of the sacred lineage that extends back to temple priestesses. In this episode, we talk about how she became a mind/body/soul healer, how she explored her own indigenous roots and those of the communities, all around the country, that she found herself connected to. She also explains her work as a sex worker activist, and why it's such an important topic right now.As discussed in the episode, here's Antonieta's list of sex worker advocacy organizations to support:St. James Infirmary Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP)Amnesty InternationalRed Umbrella FundPLAPERTSEuropean Sex Workers' Rights AllianceAnd more about my guest:In 2010, Antonieta attended the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, AZ. She then graduated and became a certified Mind Body Wellness Practitioner, 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Hypnotherapist, Past-Life Regressionist, and Life Coach. Antonieta, also known as Sonia Sass, has been an important ally and activist for sex workers and human rights for 13 years. She has been involved in various forms of SW and is a proud BDSM educator, nude model, and dancer. She focuses on a variety of styles that include Latin, tribal, pole dance, hip-hop, and burlesque. Antonieta is also an activist, dancer, poet, and strong woman of Maya and Meshika roots who embodies the strength of a warrior and the essence of the Goddess here to restore the ecology and the people through her teachings and her magic.Learn more at priestessa.com  or follow Antonieta on Instagram  @priestess_apFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown. Check out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Transcript to this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Chicago-based burlesque artist Jenn Freeman, also known as Po'Chop about burlesque as a spiritually healing tool, the erotic as the holy spirit, and Jenn/Po'Chop's work creating sacred spaces and art on the Chicago South Side. As their artist statement so beautifully explains, "Our work is a reimagining of Lord as (Audre) Lorde where worship is a space where the erotic is regarded as the highest knowledge and ancestors are whispered into walls made of brown bags. Our healing is urgent. Through edifying the legacies of Black women and femmes we heal from the lessons we learned between pews."Learn more at itspochop.com or follow Jenn/Po'Chop on Instagram  @itspochop. Follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown. Check out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Transcript of this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Mistress Hecuba explores intimacy through cathartic pain and alarming psychodrama. BDSM is a structure that holds the space for the bizarre, the uncomfortable, and any lustful perversions that are either raging to be seen or lying dormant in the depths of the psyche. Some of her favorite forms of play teach her new things and push against the boundaries and limits of her submissives. She seeks an experience with her submissives and craves to see them in all their complexity and raw humanity.  In this episode, we talk about how we attempt to create safe spaces to play with shame and trauma in professional BDSM sessions and how the concepts of play, power, trust and control fit into it. Mistress Hecuba talks about sadism as an identity and where spirituality fits into the picture.Transcript for the episode here.Follow Mistress Hecuba on Twitter @mistresshecubaFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

For over twenty years, Karen Yates worked in Chicago in the performing arts as a director, actor, writer and producer. Six years ago she left the arts and moved into a deep exploration of sexuality and energy - in Tantra and somatic sex education, and Biofield Tuning, a form of sound healing that addresses to issues in the electromagnetic field of the body. Now she is the host and producer of Wild & Sublime, a live talk show and podcast about sex for all orientations, preferences and relationship styles. She also is an intimacy coach for couples and continues to work in sound healing, where she is now developing her own energy system.In this episode, we talk bout the Western Neo-tantric movement, orgasms post-menopause, and Karen's journey through sobriety, discovering the sacredness of the body through the New Age movement and acting, becoming an intimacy coach, and creating sex-positive community through theater and story-telling.Follow Karen on Instagram @mybodyismyresidencyFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown.Check out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Find the transcript for the episode here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Fiesty Feminista thinks we should rename sex work to erotic work to truly encompass the work that providers do. In this episode, we talk about that and more.Fiesty is a fetish model, session wrestler, and professional cuddler who uses her public persona to spread feminist messages and the importance of a connection with nature.Fiesty tells her story, from being raised in the Catholic church to becoming a social activist in NYC to how she got into professional cuddling.Follow Fiesty on Instagram @_madam_nomad_Follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Find the transcript here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

In this episode, I talk to Bonnie Violet, a trans femme genderqueer spiritual drag artist and digital chaplain. She shares her story from being diagnosed with HIV at 19 and using drugs and alcohol to compensate for the loss of religious community to becoming a chaplain to learning to embrace her trans-ness through drag. Bonnie Violet is a YouTuber, Twitcher & Host of a queer chaplain podcast with such series as Drag & Spirituality, TranSpirit & Faith Leaders. Co-host of Splintered Grace with her conservative Christian aunt & At the CCC recovery podcast. Transcript for this episodeFollow Bonnie Violet on Instagram @aqueerchaplainFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Janet Chui is an artist based in Singapore and creator of the Self-Love Oracle. Drawing fantastical subjects since childhood and holding a B.A. in Journalism, she's worked in tourism and publishing, and is currently studying Counseling Psychology. After her experiences with motherhood, divorce, Tibetan Buddhism, healing, and the supernatural, she pushes others to heal through self-exploration and self-expression.We talked about Janet's spiritual awakening while giving birth, her journey through Tibetan Buddhism and discovering the Singapore new age community, shadow work within Tarot, astrology, kink, and more.Transcript for the episode.Follow Janet on Instagram @janet.chui.artFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Krista Wilson, a licensed professional counselor working in Chicago, is currently developing an online community for the treatment of religious trauma syndrome and the effects of Purity Culture called Existence Therapy.We talked about how growing up in a conservative religious environment or a colonized culture can lead to religious trauma, as well as unhealthy views on sexuality. Krista talked about her own journey away from a conservative Christian mindset and how a masturbation practice can lead to a better sense of self-love and self-knowledge.Read the transcript for this episode.Follow Existence Therapy on Instagram @existencetherapy and follow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Fio Gede Parma is a Balinese-Australian hereditary spirit-worker, seer, diviner, and initiated witch.Fio has been a dedicated, passionate, and purposeful mentor of witches and spirit-workers for 15 years and serves with love in Wildwood, Reclaiming, and Anderson Feri Traditions.They are the award-winning author of several books and anthologies including Ecstatic Witchcraft, Magic of the Iron Pentacle (with Jane Meredith), and Elements of Magic (with Jane Meredith). Fio has taught Witchcraft and Spirit-work in five continents.We talked about magic, unlimited possibilities of being, erotic potential and how it's impacted by oppression, and more.Follow Fio Gede Parma on Instagram @fiogedeparmaFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrown. Check out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy.Transcript to this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Venus Valentine is a genderfluid femme sexpert, BBW fetish model, and host of the Dirty Panties Podcast. S/he is a spiritual wanderer who has explored a number of esoteric paths to find what works for her. We talked about how easy it is to get disenchanted with various communities and spiritual teachers, such as the problematic tendencies of sex therapy culture and a shady Tantra mentor. We also talked about our work as phone sex operators, which Venus introduced me to, and how it can be a powerful medium for sexual and spiritual healing.Transcript for this episode.Follow Venus on Instagram @venusstarfruitFollow Jera on Twitter: @thejerabrown or Instagram: @thejerabrownCheck out Jera's newsletter Radical Soul for news, profiles, and musings about modern spiritual movements that center justice, offer healing from religious trauma, and reject white and Christian supremacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com

Jera shares pieces of their own left-handed journey and why they started this podcast.Email: jera@jerabrown.comTwitter: @thejerabrownInstagram: @thejerabrown This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit radicalsoul.substack.com