It’s a birthday episode and we are celebrating all month, Sugar and we’re setting intentions.

Connie and Lena kick things off with a mystical little “circle of three” blessing before summoning the icon, the legend, the voice you definitely know — Kevin Aviance — for the ultimate backstage Kiki.

We get into why our work is political (yes, even the glam), how assimilation has dulled parts of LGBTQ+ culture, and why movements that centered white gay men too often erased Black and trans pioneers like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. We talk about how Black Lives Matter shifted the coalition model — and what real solidarity actually looks like.

Then? We time‑travel to peak NYC nightlife chaos.
✨ Limelight
✨ Sound Factory
✨ Tunnel
✨ Pat Fields fashion madness
✨ Swirl at Crowbar
✨ DC & Miami party circuits

And yes… the legendary wheelbarrow moment makes an appearance.

Kevin serves nostalgia, wisdom, and unfiltered truth about old‑school club culture — when creativity was currency and looks were lethal.

Then we get into the Beyoncé of it all.Kevin shares how Queen Bey kept his original vocal sample, made sure he was properly credited under his real name, and paid correctly. (As she should.) We talk about ownership, credits, and why Black artists deserve their flowers — loudly and on time.

This episode is queer nightlife history, cultural commentary, music industry tea, and community realness all rolled into one.
Icons only.

For more about Kevin:
@KevinAvianceOfficial
Click here for his new album HIPPOPOTAMUS!
You Can find us on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901

Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com

And follow us on instagram:
@TheLinaBradford
@TheRealConnieGirl
@PrideHouseMedia

The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina is a Pride House Media production.
Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen.
Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond.
Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.
 Production Design by Darryl Dickens.
Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie and Lina,” a new weekly podcast hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford and fashion legend Connie Fleming, the show offers unprecedented access to the icons, secrets, and untold stories that shaped queer culture. Lina and Connie are both trailblazing women of transgender experience, with deep backgrounds hosting and performing in NYC’s most storied clubs—and pioneering on fashion runways. They bring their knowledge, stories, and relationships to “The Cutting Up,” offering audiences a backstage pass to authentic conversations that can only happen between true friends and industry legends. “The Cutting Up” goes deep on fashion, music, activism, and identity.