In this episode Jamie and I talk about some of the process of moving in together and some of the things we had to adapt and adjust to in the first few months. Our conversation wanders a bit (not a surprise) and we talk a bit about coming out, how our families took that news and what it was like moving through that phase of life. Hope you enjoy!

It's been a long time. Months. It's been months. Jaime and I are about to hit a year in our relationship and in this episode we share how we got to this point. We start with Jaime's weird tiktok stalking to devising a master plan and waiting out my absolutely ridiculous "Villain Era". 

Jaime was incredibly patient and really is a saint for sticking around. I had no intentions of being in a serious relationship and she just.... waited. It wasn't easy for her, even though she played it off like it was no big deal. And now here we are with a house and a kitten and a dog. Good things really do happen when you least expect them. 

It's a short episode today. Just a quick reminder that not everything you see online is real. People can curate their social platforms to make their lives seem perfect. Take a break. Go offline for a minute and go outside. It'll do wonders for your mental health. 

I hope you make time for yourself this week. 

Love you guys. 

Themes: Abuse, self-harm, suicide.

If you follow me on any social media platforms, you know who Charlee is. Absolute unit in the gym. Expert fly fisher-lady. Incredibly loyal friend. And in a very happy, healthy relationship. That wasn't always the case. In this episode Charlee shares a bit about her experience in a long-term abusive relationship, some of the red flags she didn't see, and how she's dealt with healing from the abuse since the relationship ended.

Thank you to Charlee for being willing to share. I hope you guys enjoy the episode.

National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 800-799-7233
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

This a bit of a bonus episode for the week!

If you listened to the last episode, you know that I went to an LGBTQ event in Provo, Utah put on by the Raynbow Collective. The event featured a "Family Friendly Drag show" and there had been protest organized by a group. I went as an observer and spoke with a few of the attendees as well as a handful of the protesters.

Tommy reached out to me and said that he'd be willing to be on the podcast. This episode features Tommy and Luke of the BYU Conservatives instagram group. We discuss the purpose of the protest and some of the concerns a handful of the protesters had. Fair warning to those who listen: we talk briefly about suicide as well as transgenderism. Tommy and Luke do list some statistics, however they don't cite any sources (to be fair, I had not ask them to cite sources, but certainly should have). 

If you're curious about a lot of the data that they do mention, you can find a lot of it in Abigail Shrier's book "Irreversible Damage" and the sources she cites in her work. 

The Raynbow Collective hosted a "Back to School Pride Night" in an attempt to show support for queer students that attend BYU. For anyone who is not aware, BYU is possibly the least queer-friendly university in the country. That is my personal opinion, at least. There were booths, activities, vendors, live music and, to end the night, a "family-friendly" drag show that was supposed to be appropriate for all ages. 

Conservative groups got wind of the drag show and staged a protest. This podcast episode isn't for or against one side or the other, it is simply some of my thoughts and observations of the event and the protest. I hope you enjoy. 

Thanks for listening.

Captain Michelle Tavarez has been with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for nearly 20 years. She has also been out as a lesbian woman and member of the LGBTQ community for equally as long. On today's episode she discusses her career in law enforcement, coming out, being a mother and some of the challenges she's faced on both the law enforcement and LGBTQ fronts. 

Some of the themes that stood out to me,  and that Michelle touches on repeatedly,  were integrity, transparency and communication, all of which are things I believe help build bridges between groups that don't often seem to get along. When we think about the LGBTQ community and Law Enforcement, we often times think that the groups are opposed and that there is only room for conflict. Michelle talks about the steps that LVMPD has taken and will continue to take to ensure that all the members of their community, including the LGBTQ members, feel seen and safe and valued. 

I met Schadie this year and she's quickly become one of my greatest friends and I feel so fortunate to have her in my corner. She's been through a lot. She's seen a lot. She's overcome a lot and she has A LOT more to accomplish in her life. 

She shares a little bit about her story of recovery from alcohol and addiction, her next step in becoming a police officer and shares a bit about her divorce. There are more than a few tangents that we go on, but I hope we can touch on something that you need to hear. 

Thanks for listening!
You can follow Schadie on TikTok: @schadielady and Instagram: @sunschadeson