Life Uncloseted With Rick Clemons

Love and connection. Who doesn't desire those things? Very few. So why is it so hard for us as humans, and especially LGBTQ+ beings to find it and keep it. It's starts by deliberately choosing to live authentically and doing the internal work so that love can show up. Guiding us today to that truth, is Moe Ari Brown, Hinge's (online dating app based on the premise that anyone looking for love should be able to find it) Love and Connection Expert. Take a listen and let's explore love and connection. About Moe Moe is Hinge’s first ever Love and Connection Expert. They are a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and one of the leading mental health experts in the realm of Transgender Identity. Over the past decade, Moe has worked with LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families on their journey to love their authentic selves and establish meaningful connections. They are also a Diversity & Equity Consultant and former Adjunct Professor at Adler University. Moe graduated from Northwestern University with a

You can't turn on the news these days without white supremacy and racism being part of the headline news. Yet, how we define both these things isn't just about the color of one's skin. And then, how we choose talk, or not talk about them is what is causing more strife on the planet. Roxy Manning, PhD and Sarah Peyton share with us in today's podcast how to have antiracist conversation and how to truly understand our own biases, even when we think we don't have them. Plus they talk about their books -  How to Have Antiracist Conversations: Embracing Our Full Humanity to Challenge White Supremacy, and the companion workbook - The Antiracist Heart: A Self-Compassion and Activism Handbook. About Roxy and Sarah Roxy Manning, PhD is a clinical psychologist and certified Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) trainer. She brings decades of service experience to her work interrupting explicitly and implicitly oppressive attitudes and cultural norms. Dr. Manning has worked, consulted, and provided training across

Every day seven hundred children enter the foster care system in the United States, and thousands more live on the brink. In his new “truly revealing” (Hilary Clinton) memoir, SAFE: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family, longtime activist Mark Daley traces his, and his husbands unlikely journey to parenthood through the American foster care system, shining a spotlight on how we treat the most vulnerable among us and sounding a vital call to overhaul a thoroughly broken system. About Mark MARK DALEY is a social activist, entrepreneur, and foster-turned-adoptive father. Daley has over two decades of experience in message development, communication strategy, and public policy, including as a communications director and spokesperson for then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He has worked with more than thirty members of Congress, numerous governors, and other elected officials. He is the founder of One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization, an

Do you really want to cheat on your spouse, significant other, boyfriend, or girlfriend? Maybe you love them but you need to venture out of the script of monogamy. It's time to step into the juicy, exciting, and scary world of coloring outside of the lines of your relationship while avoiding playing with fire. Dr. Joli Hamilton takes on a candid stroll through how to make your unhealthy relationship a better open relationship. About Joli Dr. Joli Hamilton is the relationship coach for couples who color outside the lines. She is a research psychologist, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and AASECT (pronounced ay-sect) certified sex educator. Joli also co-hosts the Playing with Fire podcast with her anchor partner, Ken. Joli’s been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and NPR. She’s spent the past two decades studying and reimagining what love can be if we open our imaginations to possibility. Joli helps people create non-monogamous partnerships that are custom-built for their authentic selves, no more shrin

"And in this corner we have an out, proud, wrestler." Wait, what? Wrestlers can be gay? Of course they can. We queers are everywhere, so let's celebrate with Ry Levey, film maker.His film Out In The Ring, showcases the hidden world of queer wrestlers and also parallels the nuances of the wrestling world imitate the queer world. From drag and performance art to the homoerotic costumes and positions. Nothing is left to the imagination when Queers invade the ring.About RyRy Levey is a 20+ year film industry professional who has publicized and or distributed over 100 Feature films, including award winning documentaries like Emmy Award winner MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, Oscar nominated THE INVISIBLE WAR, and films by documentary legends Frederick Wiseman and Steve James, Tony winning and Oscar nominated filmmaker/Theatre icon Julie Taymor and 2 time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.His documentary feature directorial debut, OUT IN THE RING was the recipient of 4 Intl. film festival awards.Connect With RyWe

It's 2024 and I want to invite you as LGBTQ+ individuals to step into a life of Radical Integrity. But, what does that mean? How can it benefit you? Today we explore that concept with author, soul coach, and body-centered therapist River Faire. He candidly shares how living a life of radical integrity has changed his life for the better and how you can do the same. About River River Faire is a multi-award–winning author, body-centered therapist, and Paris-trained chef-turned-holistic-wellness coach. For more than three decades, in a variety of modalities, he has assisted people with transformation and personal evolution. Currently, he hosts the video podcast, Radical Being with River Faire, and works with clients internationally in his signature, 8-week holistic coaching program. His new book, WHERE TWO WORLDS TOUCH: AN OUTSIDER'S MEMOIR IN ENGLAND, is forthcoming in December. Connect With River Website Podcast Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn

Imagine gaining and losing 50 to 75 pounds every two years as a teen. Miserable, right? The imagine at 38 years old discovering that you issues with food and weight were a symptom of a much deeper issue: your childhood sexual abuse. Today's Guest, Patty Cabot, author of Not That Girl Anymore, shares the tremendous effort, the suspension of doubt, and a steadfast belief that took to come out of her food disorder and sexual abuse closet to find and love herself, so that she could find and love men. About Patty Beginning in her teens, Patty battled drastic weight fluctuations. Desperate to break the cycle and thinking it was what prevented her from meeting men, in her late 30s Patty embarked on a therapeutic journey that led to her unresolved childhood sexual abuse. Over 12 years she worked with her therapist and EMDR, a chiropractor to release trapped “fight or flight” responses, a sex therapist and attended group therapy for sexual abuse. Patty published Not That Girl Anymore, a memoir about the alternative

It's the most joyful time of the year...or is it? For many of us the holidays bring joy, joy, joy but then it also brings stress, frustration, and overwhelm. Yet, in life, we are the master of our own joy! Today we explore how to bring joy into our life by planting seeds or creating little breadcrumb moments, with the Joy Boss - Quinn O'Briant. In this episode you will discover the shortcuts to more joy even in the craziest, most joyful time of the year. About Quinn Quinn O'Briant is the Joy Boss, and she's celebrating 30 years out of the closet! Quinn is the creator of the life-changing Joy + Money Mindset, Joyful Entrepreneur, and Joy-Based Business programs. Before she was the Joy Boss, Quinn founded and ran an innovation firm where she led a team that worked with Fortune 500 companies and large school districts. Quinn spent several years working at Google and is an alumna of Stanford University, Goddard College, and Emory University. Quinn believes joy is the key to living an unapologetic, authentic lif

There's human experience that we will all face at some point. The trauma and tragedy of losing someone we love or care about. It is inevitable. When that moment comes, whether it is losing your family due to them not embracing you as LGBTQ, or actual loss of life due to an accident or disease, you have a choice - Ride or Die! Author Jarie Bolander shares his Ride or Die Journey with us today and it is guaranteed to show you how similar his closet is to our own about coming out in the midst of a tragedy. About Jarie Jarie is the author of a bunch of books on business and entrepreneurship. The most current one is Story-Driven Decks, which is all about how to create a pitch deck that gets you that next meeting with investors. IT’s book two of his Story-Driven Startups Series. His first non-business book, the subject of this podcast, came out in September and is about his late wife Jane and his experiences with her leukemia diagnosis and treatment. It's called Ride or Die: Loving Through Tragedy, A Husband's Mem

In a world of divisiveness, one thing remains constant to learning about humanity - being curious. To celebrate the 600th episode of Life (UN)Closeted, were going to invite you to realize, we all have genders, it more complicated than school science, shame and fears have no place in this discussion, and just because someone lives outside the box of your norm, doesn't mean they deserve your hate. Sharing his new book He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters, Schuyler Bailar guides us to the table of curiosity, understanding, and empathy. About SchuylerSchuyler Bailar (he/him) is an educator, author, and advocate. He is also the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division I men’s team. Schuyler’s exemplary work has earned him numerous honors including NYC Pride Grand Marshall, the Out100, LGBTQ Nation’s Instagram Advocate of the Year, and the Harvard Director’s Award. He holds a degree in cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology from Harvard and works in

There's a lot of backlash, misunderstanding and confusion about gender identity, as if it is something brand new. In this candid conversation about trauma, sexual and gender identity, Ann Pellegrini and Avgi Saketopoulou share their book Gender Without Identity and the challenges we face in embracing all sexualities and genders. About Ann & Avgi ANN PELLEGRINI (they/them; she/her) is Professor of Performance Studies & Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, teaching classes on queer theory and psychoanalysis, among other topics, as well as a psychoanalyst in private practice. They are the author/co-author of three previous books, including “You Can Tell Just by Looking” and 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People, co-authored with Michael Bronski and Michael Amico (Beacon Press, 2013), which was a finalist for the 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBT Non-Fiction. Dr. Pellegrini has also co-edited two anthologies and is founding co-editor of the “Sexual Cultures” series at NYU Press.

Here it is, the day before Thanksgiving in the U.S. For most of us, this is a time of family, gratitude, and munch, munch, munch on amazing food. Yet, for many of us this can be a time of year that is challenging at best. You might be alone, not have a circle of friends, or you may just wonder if being LGBTQ+ is even worth it. Hey, snap out of it and listen to ways to be grateful this Thanksgiving season. You are loved and worth being grateful for being your authentic awesome LGBTQ self. Need help coming out of the closet?Coming out, regardless of your closet, is about freeing yourself from excuses, fears, and learning to be unapologetically you. Sounds great, right? So why aren't you doing it? More than likely it is because you don't have the confidence to move forward because your fears and excuses are holding you back from being you the way you are intended to be.If that sounds like you, lets chat. I'll gift you 30 minutes of my time to explore what might be possible if you had someone in your court, focus

Coming out is all about emotions and feelings. But what happens when you lean it the whole journey as a scrumptious experience. When you let your body, thoughts, images, and emotions come alive to the full potential of fully feeling you as you. Today, coach Juliette Karaman - the Feel Fully You coach, mentor, and guide shares four elements from her jewel box on how to life a fully free life feeling fully you. About Julia Juliette Karaman is a certified mind and body coach, expert on relationships, sensuality, healing, trauma and body shame. She specialises in the reinvention of the most intimate relationship in life… The one you have with yourself. With courses, coaching, VIP experiences and retreats Juliette has guided and mentored thousands of women over the past decade and a half, rewrite the relationship with self, confidence, their bodies, mind and spirit using her unique Rapid Release Rewire and Restore method ™. Her mission is to create a world where every woman, man, and any gender remembers the trut

Life is a circus, a carnival, and sometimes it is simply the place you run away from because you realize, living a half-life just isn't worth it. Author, dad, business professional, recovering person of faith, who came into his truth during the COVID-19 pandemic and in his own way ran away from the circus that had become his life to live his truth as a gay man. He shares his story and his new memoir Creosote Rain about running away to live your full life. About Joe Joe Makston is a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience in the banking industry. He then entered the technology space to lead learning & development and employee experience centers of excellence. However, it is his passion for leadership development that truly sets him apart. Joe has dedicated himself to nurturing and empowering individuals to reach their full potential, believing in the transformative power of leading self, leading others and leading together. In addition to his career, Joe has been a podcaster, TEDx speak

There's an uprising that is beginning to happen. It's coming from the depths that says, "We will not be silenced." It also brings about feelings of being alone, lack of acceptance, lowered levels of self-love. All of which, can stir up the rebel within. As queer culture continues to feel that target on our backs, it is good to remember that the rebel within each of needs to be seen, heard, understood, and experience empathy. In her debut book, Rebel in Venus, dancer, choreographer, and author Marissa Alma Nick brings to light the way to be yourself in a world hell bent on taking your personal worth away. Today we explore ways to let your rebel shine and never back down. About Marrissa Marissa Alma Nick illuminates queer experiences with an authentic perspective on emerging concerns including mental health, trauma, sexual assault, abuse and gaslighting. More than anything, Rebel in Venus, is a book about empowerment, self-realization, self-acceptance and self-love - a coming-of-age story, about a woman who is

Life is all about the lenses we look through and how we perceive what we see through that lens. Sometimes that lens, leads us to see ourselves in the truth of who we are. Joining me today to talk about those lenses, and to share their beautiful lens as queer creative, Sophie Kietzmann shares their lens on the world as gender non-conforming individual. About Sophie Sophie Kietzmann is a Berlin born, Brussels raised, gender fluid, queer photographer that currently resides and creates in New York City. So far, their path in photography has taken them through play, trauma, uprooting, coming out, identification and spirituality and has taught them precious lessons about topics like visual representation of social minorities, gender expression and the fragility of social constructs. They strive for alignment of their head, eye and heart through the tool of their craft. Connect With Sophie Website Instagram LinkedIn

Whether you're coming out of the closet or coming out of divorce, the truth is, "You're going to be ok." The reality is, you get to make the being OK happen, if you choose to do so. In her new book, You're Going To Be Ok: 16 Lessons on Healing After Trauma, author Madeline Popelka helps us navigate the path to embracing the ongoing process of being human and being OK! About Madeline Madeline is a writer, mental health advocate, the creator of the @healingfromptsd community, and the author of You’re Going to Be Okay: 16 Lessons on Healing after Trauma. Madeline’s work has been featured in Newsweek, Entrepreneur, Elite Daily, Bustle and Cosmopolitan among other publications. She lives in Oakland, California with her partner and Corgi. Connect With Madeline Website Instagram Twitter

From bullying to finally accepting their truth as an LGBTQ+ individuals, teens and parents often struggle with the journey and can even think that they are alone. In celebration of National Coming Out Day, we are proving you are not alone. Author and LMFT Psychotherapist, John Sovec shares his new book, "Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond". Let's celebrate the journey of coming out, regardless of where you are in the journey as a teen or parent. About John John Sovec, MA, LMFT is a Psychotherapist based in California. He is also the Author of the new book "Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your Lgbtqia+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond". John specializes in working with LGBT teens and their families during the coming out process. His work has been featured on The Riki Lake Show, OWN, FOX, The Advocate, YHTV, LA Talk Radio, Huffington Post & more. John's Book: Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA + Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond The comin

There's a simple phrase that if we all embraced, would make the world a better place, "You be You!" Of course, we rarely allow others to be themselves and then we wonder why we have to dress up as being someone we're not to please others. Today's guest has done her fair share of dressing up - cross dressing to be specific - and she's not afraid if someone is not happy about. Savannah Hauk shares her journey to own her truth, living a successful male-to-female dual gender life. About Savannah Detroit-born Savannah Hauk is an author, podcaster, advocate and TEDx Speaker. She lives a confident, visible and successful male-to-female dual gender life. Through a lifetime of experience and research, Savannah has come to understand the many reasons men need to express a more feminine persona, the struggles and fears they face, and the weight of the transgender labels they accept but may not truly or fully understand. Her eLit award-winning "Living with Crossdressing" book series is written to demystify and destigmat

We never really understand our inherent bias until we understand our inherent bias. Fellow Podcaster Bruce Anthony, comes clean about his own homophobia and how it has enabled him to step beyond the judgments and open up to empathy and understanding so that he can continue to lean into other perspectives of life. About Bruce As an individual with an insatiable curiosity about people from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and ideologies, Bruce believes that acquiring knowledge from diverse aspects of life helps us evolve as individuals and become more complete human beings. His journey into podcasting began as people found interest in my thoughts and opinions on various aspects of life. He seized the opportunity to start this podcast as a platform for interviewing intriguing individuals and engaging in captivating conversations. By exploring the intersections of society, politics, and identity, we aim to provide insightful perspectives that challenge conventional wisdom and foster meaningful dialogu