This episode explores Two-Spirit identity as both spiritual and gendered, and how Indigenous frameworks can expand what many people think they know about gender, community, and sacredness. In a discussion with co-hots Melodie KG and Mattie Bynum, Soul connects personal deconstruction from Christianity with a broader decolonizing shift—moving from “invisibility as safety” to visibility that demands new courage and new boundaries. They name how oppression tactics in today’s political climate aren’t new from an Indigenous perspective, and argue that liberation requires listening to Indigenous leadership and supporting sovereignty. Soul also speaks candidly about losing “allies” over political differences, and why long-term ethics matter more than performative belonging. Throughout, Melodie and Mattie hold space for complexity while affirming that pride is more than a parade—it’s daily power.

Two-Spirit Truth, Decolonized Power, and Righteous Rage with Soul #47

Author and HIV Activist Mark S. King shares with co-hosts Mattie Bynum and Shane Lukas a clear framework for movement work: credibility comes from truth-telling, and leadership means learning to hand the microphone to someone else. He breaks down what mentorship can look like in practice—spotting talent, offering encouragement, making introductions, and helping amplify voices without strings attached. The co-hosts also discuss how queer communities can respond when funding and infrastructure are stripped away, especially around HIV prevention and care access. Mark points to voting as a key lever to “stop the bleeding,” alongside showing up in community and staying engaged beyond the moments that feel urgent for the most privileged. The episode ends with a call to participation: keep building, keep advocating, and don’t confuse visibility with safety.

Truth-Telling, Humor, and Hope with Mark S. King #46

Domenico Ruggiero shares with co-hosts Hunter and Mattie Bynum how his leadership began “at the margins” as a first-gen, biracial, queer student from an immigrant background who often felt like he didn’t fully belong anywhere. He describes becoming a bridge-builder across siloed campus spaces, a throughline that shaped his career in multicultural and LGBTQ centers before leading We Are Family in South Carolina. Domenico reflects on how working alongside queer and trans youth has helped him find language for parts of himself he hadn’t named before. Throughout, Hunter and Mattie keep it playful and real while staying rooted in what it takes to build community that’s life-affirming and life-saving.

Joy, Backlash, and the Bravery of Youth with Domenico Ruggiero #45

In this episode, musician and artist Shirlette Ammons digs into what it means to be an interdisciplinary artist—moving between music, poetry, and page-based writing with different tools, stakes, and intentions. She reflects on influences ranging from church music and mass choirs to Janet Jackson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Tribe, De La Soul, Outkast, and Lauryn Hill, describing a “rich” musical palette that shaped her sound. Shirlette also explains how learning about blues singer Gladys Bentley helped her “queer” her approach to hip hop performance and build the project Twilight for Gladys Bentley around the question, “What would Gladys Bentley do?” Co-hosts Daniel WK Lee and Mattie Bynum connect her work to movement-building, emphasizing that there’s “no movement without music,” and Shirlette argues the arts are essential for free thinking and critical thinking—especially when independent thought is being discouraged.

Queering Hip Hop, Liberation, and Telling Truths with Shirlette Ammons #44

From Kansas ID rollbacks to the State of the Union, co-hosts Mattie Bynum, Melodie KG, Daniel WK Lee, and Shane Lukas discuss how power uses narrative, bureaucracy, and selective “exceptions” to justify broader harm. The co-hosts unpack how “freedom” gets framed as individual impunity rather than collective safety—and how that framing fuels policies like the SAVE Act’s documentation requirements. They connect these moves to older strategies of disenfranchisement, arguing that reducing participation is the point, not a side effect. The episode also explores how protest becomes criminalized when it threatens the story those in power want to tell, including escalating federal responses to anti-ICE organizing in Minnesota. Underneath it all is a warning: when the system tightens, it’s testing how divided—or united—communities will be.

Reply All: IDs, Pushback, and Power #43

Co-hosts Daniel WK Lee and Kata d’Adamo sit down with Eliazar Posada to talk about what community protection looks like when national politics turn hostile. Eliazar breaks down practical local strategies—non-discrimination ordinances, language access plans, and building trust so people feel safe seeking help. He also reflects on the emotional weight and responsibility of being a “first,” and his commitment to making sure he’s not the last by supporting other queer Latino candidates. At Equality North Carolina, he describes the shift into LGBTQ+ work as an expansion of intersectional movement-building, not a departure from immigrant rights. A rapid-fire round brings levity, then the hosts share ways to stay connected and support the mission.

Immigrant Safety, Community Trust, and Queer Liberation with Eliazar Posada #42

Mattie Bynum and Shane Lukas welcome Ryan Cassata (along with bandmates Top Surgeons, Kyle and Lauren) to talk about life on tour and the surprising ways different cities show up for queer communities. They dig into why house shows feel intimate, safer, and more sustaining—especially when traditional venues and platforms feel shaky. Ryan reflects on the long arc of trans and queer musician visibility, and how the internet helped shift who gets to be seen and heard. The episode closes with a playful speed round (comfort foods, rainy days, first dates, LA spots) and a clear through-line: building spaces where people can show up fully.

Tour Life, Safe Spaces, and Censorship with Ryan Cassata  #41

Savannah Sly brings a movement-builder’s lens to the question of what actually changes things—beyond catharsis—by pairing passion with strategy, mentorship, and resources. She reflects on how she learned to communicate about s** work in ways people could hear, and how stigma shifts depending on the language people use (and the assumptions they bring). The hosts dig into how anger shows up across “sides,” and why meaningful progress requires both firm advocacy and the ability to talk across differences. Savannah explains New Moon Network’s work raising and distributing funds, educating philanthropy, and supporting advocates with training and an awards pool for unpaid labor. The episode ends with practical ways listeners and organizers can show up: invite s** worker advocates into your spaces, connect the dots to bodily autonomy, and reject policing as a default response to harm.

Anger, Advocacy, and S** Workers’ Rights with Savannah Sly #40

This Reply All episode of Power Beyond Pride brings Mattie Bynum, Kenyon Farrow, and Shane Lukas together to unpack what it means to organize, stay connected, and tell the truth in a moment of escalating harm. Kenyon frames the rapid mobilization in Minneapolis as a continuation of the 2020 George Floyd uprisings, arguing that visible “mass response” is built through sustained, long-term organizing—not spontaneous outrage. The hosts connect that lesson to queer and trans strategy: LGBTQ+ organizations and community members can’t only show up when an issue is explicitly labeled “LGBTQ,” because immigrant justice and queer justice are intertwined.

Shane and Mattie name the layered risks facing LGBTQ+ immigrants, especially trans and nonbinary people in detention, including misclassification, abuse, and the broader ripple effects of fear—people avoiding healthcare, work, and school. Mattie shares the emotional toll of staying informed and the need to manage anger and overwhelm without disconnecting from community.

The conversation turns to whether progress for LGBTQ+ people has stalled or reversed. Kenyon points to coordinated right-wing messaging and a lack of effective counter-narratives from Democrats, while Shane argues backlash also reflects deeper cultural discomfort and unresolved internalized bias, even within LGBTQ+ communities. Mattie questions whether acceptance ever truly arrived, suggesting representation grew faster than real respect.

In the mailbag, they discuss how media narratives name (or erase) queer identity in stories of violence, and close with practical steps: know your rights, don’t isolate, share location with someone trusted, memorize key phone numbers, and shorten the time between harm and community response.

Reply All: Organizing, Solidarity, and Strategy to Melt ICE #39

Co-hosts Daniel W.K. Lee and Kenyon Farrow talk with podcaster Randy Kim about what it took to feel whole inside his intersecting identities as Vietnamese, Khmer, queer, and American—especially after growing up without language fluency and with pressure to assimilate. Randy shares how finding queer Asian community helped unlock a deeper sense of belonging across Vietnamese and Khmer spaces. He reflects on learning Vietnamese later in life, letting go of perfectionism, and treating language as a path to connection. The conversation keeps returning to what it means to show up bravely, without apologizing for complexity.

Culture, Critique, and Care with Randy Kim #38

A Great Idea

Ignite your activism! Power Beyond Pride dives deep into the electrifying work of LGBTQ+ leaders and organizers shattering barriers. Hear their inspiring stories, feel the raw power of their purpose, and discover concrete ways YOU can join the movement in your own community. Two dynamic hosts every week, plus a monthly all-host power surge discussing the latest movement news! Get ready to be inspired and take action!

Shane Lukas

Shows