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The Best LGBTQIA+ Podcasts for Pride Month and Beyond

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The Best LGBTQIA+ Podcasts for Pride Month and Beyond

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Happy Pride Month, audiophiles! While we firmly believe there's no exclusive season, month, or day for amplifying the voices of queer storytellers and creatives, there's no reason not to celebrate a little extra in June. There's no shortage of folks in the LGBTQIA+ community sharing their stories, making incredible works of art, and sharing their truths along the way, and it's such a joy to be able to spotlight just a few of our favorite queer podcasts.

Representing the vast diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, this assortment of podcasts covers a range of topics from a variety of different perspectives and voices: from queer-inclusive sex-positive podcasts to takes on pop culture and news to deep dives into the strides made by the queer community and the courageous folks who made progress possible.

Whether you're a fan of classic interview-style shows or a bit of serialized fiction, these podcasts will entertain, challenge, comfort, and delight you with every single episode. So, however you're celebrating Pride this year, here are 25 of the best LGBTQIA+ podcasts to add a little extra sparkle all throughout June.

You can also celebrate the diversity of queer storytelling with this collection of our favorite fiction, memoirs, and histories centered on LGBTQIA+ experiences.

Best Queer Interview Podcasts

Best Queer Fiction Podcasts

Best Queer History and Culture Podcasts

Best Queer Dating & Sex Podcasts

Best Queer Pop Culture Podcasts

Best Nonbinary & Trans Podcasts

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The Best LGBTQIA+ Podcasts for Pride Month and Beyond

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From queer-inclusive sex podcasts to takes on pop culture and news, this list of the best queer podcasts represents the vast diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, with a wide range of perspectives, topics, and voices.

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Celebrate Pride with books by LGBTQIA+ authors! From inspirational memoirs to irresistible romances, these stories honor the journeys of LGBTQIA+ individuals and the larger movement for love, acceptance, and equality for all. Check out more must-reads if you love romance or fantasy, as well as stories perfect for kids and teens.

This Pride Month, share your favorite book by an LGBTQIA+ author and the words they wrote that inspired you to be you using #InYourWords on social media!

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The Ultimate LGBTQIA+ Pride Book List | Penguin Random House

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Skip to Main Content (Press Enter) Celebrate Pride with books by LGBTQIA+ authors! From inspirational memoirs to irresistible romances, these stories honor the journeys of LGBTQIA+ individuals and the larger movement for love, acceptance, and equality for all. Check out more must-reads if you love romance or fantasy, as well as stories perfect for kids and teens.

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Romantic connections. Quirky comedies. Journeys to self-discovery. Calls for justice. Watch pride take many forms in this collection of LGBTQ+ stories.

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Register for Empowered Journeys: Navigating the current events in the LGBTQ+ community

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Register for Empowered Journeys: Navigating the current events in the LGBTQ+ community

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Here you can reach out to a counselor if you’re struggling, find answers and information, and get the tools you need to help someone else.

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The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives

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The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. Text, chat, or call anytime to reach a trained counselor. Free and confidential.

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The Transgender Law Center changes law, policy and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.

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Transgender Law Center Transgender Law Center is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Since 2002 we’ve been organizing, assisting, informing and empowering thousands of individual community members towards a long-term, national, trans-led movement…

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Do you know about the Stonewall Uprising? 

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Do you know about the Stonewall Uprising? 

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The Stonewall Riots and the LGBTQ Rights Movement | History

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Utah's Premier LGBTQ Civil Rights Organization

Changing hearts and minds

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Equality Utah is the state's premier LGBTQ civil rights and advocacy organization, changing hearts and minds daily. Join the work today, as we work for equality across the state.

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Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. We're changing Florida through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building.

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The Utah Pride Center works toward a future without discrimination by providing a safe space, events, and programs that uplift and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community.

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Utah Pride Center supports and serves the Utah LGBTQIA2S+ community and its allies to strengthen our collective vision.

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Inspire audiences, open minds, change hearts, and affirm our common humanity

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Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

Pride: Then, Now, and Forever (A Multigenerational Concert Celebration). Learn more...

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Florida's top LGBTQ+ nonprofit arts organization, providing South Florida live music and entertainment, including concerts at Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, and The Parker, Fort Lauderdale.

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Encircle homes offer essential mental health services, resources, and tools for LGBTQ+ youth, young adults, and families.

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Encircle | An LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Resource

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We're Building 8 New Homes in Four States

With the goal of raising $8 million, Apple, Qualtrics founder and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, and lead singer of Imagine Dragons Dan Reynolds and his wife, recording artist Aja Volkman have all partnered together to give a total of $4 million.

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Encircle | An LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Resource

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With the goal of raising $8 million, Apple, Qualtrics founder and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, and lead singer of Imagine Dragons Dan Reynolds and his wife, recording artist Aja Volkman have all partnered together to give a total of $4 million.

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What historical or famous LGBTQ person would you like to have dinner with?

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What historical or famous LGBTQ person would you like to have dinner with?

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Alan Turing created modern computer science, but he was persecuted for being gay.

Alan Turing was a mathematician who is often credited with creating the foundation of artificial intelligence and computer science. He also played a major role in World War II, helping break several German codes.

In the '50s, he told police that he had homosexual relations with a man and was arrested for gross indecency. He was then chemically castrated. In 1954, he died due to cyanide poisoning.

He was given a posthumous royal pardon in 2013. Three years later, the UK government announced it would posthumously pardon other men convicted of abolished sexual offences, in what was dubbed the "Turing law."

Bayard Rustin worked closely with Martin Luther King, Jr., before turning to LGBTQ activism.

Although most people associate the March on Washington with Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin is the person who actually organized the massive event. In fact, Rustin is the one who taught Dr. King about Gandhi's belief in non-violence and civil disobedience.

Rustin was also an openly gay man, so he often spoke about the importance of fighting for LGBTQ rights. He shifted his focus from civil rights to LGBTQ activism in the '80s.

Sylvia Rivera was a gay and transgender activist, but she's mainly known for her role at the Stonewall riots.

Sylvia Rivera is often credited with throwing the second Molotov cocktail at the Stonewall riots in 1969. After taking her place in history, she joined forces with her friend Marsha P. Johnson to create Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries.

Rivera experienced drug addiction, incarceration, sex work, and minority inequality, so she fought for the rights of many marginalized groups.

RuPaul is a drag queen who has brought the niche art of drag into the mainstream.

RuPaul got his start in the '90s in the music industry, releasing his hit single "Supermodel (You Better Work)." At the same time, he appeared in a number of films as his drag persona, including "Crooklyn," "The Brady Bunch Movie," and "Blue in the Face." In 2009, he started a drag queen competition show titled "RuPaul's Drag Race," and it quickly became a hit among the LGBTQ community.

Throughout the years, the series gained momentum and has become a major hit for mainstream audiences. The star has gone on to win 12 Emmys.

Anderson Cooper is another news anchor who is open about his sexuality.

Anderson Cooper started as a correspondent for ABC News, but in 2003 he got his own show on CNN, "Anderson Cooper 360." In 2012, he became the news story when he came out as gay.

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," he said at the time.

Since then, Cooper has become somewhat of a gay icon, appearing on TV and out in public with his close friend, Andy Cohen.

In 2020, he revealed he had a son via surrogate and that he would be raising him with his ex-partner.

"As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I am so grateful to all those who paved the way," he said.

Laverne Cox became the first openly trans person to be nominated for an Emmy Award.

Laverne Cox jumped into the spotlight in 2013 when she started playing transgender inmate Sophia Burset on Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black." For her role in the series, Cox was nominated for three Emmy Awards. In fact, in 2014, she was the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy in an acting category.

In 2022, Cox appeared in Netflix's "Inventing Anna."

The actress is also known as an activist for transgender rights.

In 2017, Lena Waithe became the first Black woman to win an Emmy Award for comedy writing.

Lena Waithe won the Emmy for comedy writing for her work on the Netflix series "Master of None." During her speech, she took a moment to thank the LGBTQ community.

"I love you all and last but certainly not least my LGBTQIA family," she said in the speech. "I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are our superpowers - every day when you walk out the door and put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren't in it."

Waite also uses fashion as a statement to speak out for the community. In 2019, she wore a rainbow flag to the Met Gala that was Catholic-themed. A year later, she wore a pantsuit that read, "Black Drag Queens Invented Camp" to the same event.

Janet Mock is a transgender trailblazer who is changing the face of television.

Janet Mock jumped into the spotlight in 2014 with her memoir "Redefining Realness," which chronicled her experience being transgender. It became a New York Times bestseller and launched her career. She wrote her second book, "Surpassing Certainty," in 2017. After that, she moved into television and became the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of television on Ryan Murphy's groundbreaking show "Pose." Most recently, she also directed and produced episodes of Murphy's latest show "Hollywood."

Time has named her one of the most influential people in the world.

Elliot Page is one of the most visible transgender actors in Hollywood today.

Elliot Page is known for starring in the Oscar-winning film "Juno" and Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy," but earlier this year he came out as transgender.

"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive," the actor wrote in his coming out post on Twitter.

Since then, Page has gone through top surgery and he sat down with Oprah for an interview in April to explain his journey.

"It felt important and selfish for myself and my own wellbeing and my mental health," Page told Oprah about coming out. "And also with this platform I have, the privilege that I have, and knowing the pain and the difficulties and the struggles I've faced in my life, let alone what so many other people are facing, it absolutely felt crucial and important for me to share that."

Page published a memoir called "Pageboy" in 2023.

LGBTQ Pride month

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Icons like James Baldwin, Elliot Page, and RuPaul have influenced the LGBTQ community in positive ways.

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Watch this Youtube, and host team discussion. 

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Watch this Youtube, and host team discussion. 

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The public displays of affection that straight couples take for granted every day can be outright dangerous for queer couples to practice -- what do you do when simply holding hands with a loved one can be considered a political act?

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What are some of your favorite films that have queer characters?

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What are some of your favorite films that have queer characters?

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Understand Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions

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Understand Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions

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Sexual orientation

An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual's sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.

Gender identity

One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither - how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression

External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.

Transgender

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.

Gender transition

The process by which some people strive to more closely align their internal knowledge of gender with its outward appearance. Some people socially transition, whereby they might begin dressing, using names and pronouns and/or be socially recognized as another gender. Others undergo physical transitions in which they modify their bodies through medical interventions.

Gender dysphoria

Clinically significant distress caused when a person's assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.

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Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions

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Read through HRC's helpful list of terminology and definitions related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

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The Intersex Pride Flag was developed in 2013 by the co-chair of Intersex Human Rights Australia, Morgan Carpenter. Intersex people are those born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is no one way to be intersex as everyone's experience in unique. The creator chose yellow and purple as those are seen as gender neutral colors.

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In the LGBTQ+ community, we signify our pride with flags. With many different identities in the community, there comes many different flags to know. We have collected all of the flags and a guide to learn about all of the different colors of our community's rainbow.

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Skip to Content

Last updated: 5/31/2023

Many Americans refrain from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity or expression because it feels taboo, or because they're afraid of saying the wrong thing. This glossary was written to help give people the words and meanings to help make conversations easier and more comfortable. LGBTQ+ people use a variety of terms to identify themselves, not all of which are included in this glossary. Always listen for and respect a person's self identified terminology.

Ally | A term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQ+ people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).

Asexual | Often called "ace" for short, asexual refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.

Biphobia | The fear and hatred of, or discomfort with, people who love and are sexually attracted to more than one gender.

Bisexual | A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one gender, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual.

Gay | A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.

Genderqueer | Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as "genderqueer" may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.

Gender binary | A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female. Gender identity is expected to align with the sex assigned at birth and gender expressions and roles fit traditional expectations.

Gender dysphoria | Clinically significant distress caused when a person's assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.

Gender-expansive | A person with a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system. Often used as an umbrella term when referring to young people still exploring the possibilities of their gender expression and/or gender identity.

Gender expression | External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.

Gender-fluid | A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender or has a fluid or unfixed gender identity.

Homophobia | The fear and hatred of or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.

Intersex | Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is a wide variety of difference among intersex variations, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.

Lesbian | A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.

LGBTQ+ | An acronym for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer" with a "+" sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community.

Non-binary | An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.

Outing | Exposing someone's lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender or gender non-binary identity to others without their permission. Outing someone can have serious repercussions on employment, economic stability, personal safety or religious or family situations.

Pansexual | Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with bisexual.

Queer | A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.

Questioning | A term used to describe people who are in the process of exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Same-gender loving | A term some prefer to use instead of lesbian, gay or bisexual to express attraction to and love of people of the same gender.

Sex assigned at birth | The sex, male, female or intersex, that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth based on their external anatomy.

Sexual orientation | An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual's sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.

Transgender | An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.

Transitioning | A series of processes that some transgender people may undergo in order to live more fully as their true gender. This typically includes social transition, such as changing name and pronouns, medical transition, which may include hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries, and legal transition, which may include changing legal name and sex on government identity documents. Transgender people may choose to undergo some, all or none of these processes.

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This glossary was written to help give people the words and meanings to make conversations about sexual orientation and gender expression easier.