This week, the Queering Committee dives into queer joy, chaotic fashion choices, and the importance of showing up for one another.After a detour through paintballing, football prizes, skateboards, and questionable Halloween costume ideas, the conversation turns to allyship, pronouns, and why compassion matters more than getting everything perfect straight away. Jo and Dominic unpack the difference between genuine curiosity and bad-faith commentary, making the case for listening, learning, and respecting how people want to be seen.They also celebrate queer pop culture favorites—from reality-TV pop stars and Cardi B to Tove Lo, Nicole Kidman, and Sandra Bullock—with plenty of affectionate chaos along the way.In this episode

• The paintballing look, football tickets, and a new skateboard era
• Allyship, pronouns, and leading with good intentions
• Why language evolves—and why that’s okay
• The difference between asking questions and resisting understanding
• Pop Star Academy, Adéla, and queer music icons
• Cardi B, Tove Lo, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, and more

Like, subscribe, and let us know: are you Team Sandra or Team Nicole?

This episode is a candid, funny, and vulnerable two-person conversation about body image, gender expression, and the emotional whiplash of posting personal content online. Dominic and Jo talk through what it means to be seen, misread, praised, criticized, and misunderstood, especially as non-binary and queer people. They also get into the practical side of body confidence, from fitness routines and food tracking to the ways dysmorphia distorts what you see in the mirror.

• In this episode, Jo reflects on going viral with short-form videos about being non-binary and mask-presenting, and how that opened up a larger conversation about visibility, self-expression, and criticism.
• Jo and Dominic discuss the gap in online conversations around non-binary transition, noting that there is often more content about trans men and trans women than about gender-fluid or gender-nonconforming experiences.
• They unpack how gendered language lands differently, including comments like “handsome,” and why well-meaning labels can still feel loaded or restrictive.
• The conversation turns to the reality of internet hate, including TERFs, trolls, bots, burner accounts, and the strange entitlement people feel when commenting on someone else’s page.
• Both speakers explore body dysmorphia in detail, describing how the mirror, photos, and compliments can all feel unreliable or distorted.
• Jo shares childhood experiences of being in a bigger body, being encouraged into unhealthy exercise habits, and not having the language to understand their gender identity at the time.
• Jo opens up about their own history with bulimia and anorexia, loose skin after weight loss, and the difference between healthy structure and obsessive control.
• Fitness is framed as both affirming and risky: running, gym routines, tracking food, and monitoring progress can be useful, but they can also slide into compulsion.
• The episode also touches on body confidence in queer spaces, including the vulnerability of taking a top off in a gay club and feeling seen alongside friends with different body types.
• The tone stays playful throughout, with quick-fire detours into pop culture, posturing, towels, and the chaos of recording while feeling exposed

Queering Committee: Chainmaille, Car Bills, and American Horror Story Coven

Dominic and Jo open with chaotic updates from their outfits, finances, and the sheer toll of a £606 car repair bill. From there, the conversation veers into queer language, ADHD meds, gay hairdressers, and a shared obsession with American Horror Story, especially Coven. In this episode, Dominic and Jo keep it loose, funny, and deeply personal. They talk about queer joy, being contrarian, budgeting under pressure, and why Coven still hits so hard.

Key topics

• Dominic explains the chainmaille halter top from Holy Hell UK and how Sophie showed him the pieces like a celebrity fitting
• They joke about appearance, outfits, and looking “medieval” from the waist up
• A surprise £606 car repair bill becomes a bigger discussion about mistrust, garages, and budgeting
• Jo shares that they had to stop ADHD medication for now, and both hosts talk through stimulant and non-stimulant meds, side effects, and the fear mongering around them
• They discuss queer language, including why “guys” feels gendered to some people and how they use it differently
• The conversation turns to gay men, hairdressing, fashion, makeup, and why queer people often have a more objective eye for style
• They geek out over American Horror Story, especially Coven, Apocalypse, and Fiona Goode’s iconic lines
• They riff on Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett, Papa Legba, and how absurdly quotable the show is
• The hosts also touch on queer politics, revenge fantasy, and why so many characters in Coven are awful but satisfying
• In the final stretch, they plug queer events, a Pride 10K, Switchboard LGBT, and the World AIDS Day Red Run

The Queering Committee — S1 , E11 - Grief, burnout, dinosaurs and Liza

In this episode, Dominic and Jo open up about burnout, friendship maintenance, and how hard it can be to tell the difference between rest and pushing through. They also veer into very specific but very funny territory, from the Great North Run to Jurassic Park, while keeping the conversation rooted in queer joy, creative work, and everyday survival.

Key topics

• Dominic and Jo introduce the show, share their pronouns, and explore queer joy as a right, not a privilege.
• Jo talks about running the Great North Run, getting shouted out during the race, and finishing with a medal.
• The main discussion turns to burnout, including overload, schedule changes, messages, and everyday friction.
• They reflect on grind culture and the pressure to make every creative or social activity productive.
• Both hosts discuss self-care through running, the gym, creative work, and rest.
• Dominic shares a conversation about supporting friends when everyone is busy and plans keep falling through.
• They discuss grief and loss, including the death of a friend in recovery, the loss of a beloved dog named Bruno, and relationship loss without closure.
• The episode compares bereavement with breakup-style loss and the rumination each can create.
• The conversation shifts into a comedic discussion of Jurassic Park, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, practical effects, and modern blockbusters.
• They also riff on gym behavior, fragile masculinity, energy drinks, ADHD medication, alcohol culture, and non-binary identity.

Michael T. Ogilvie on queer joy, dance pop, and building a pop identity

Jo and Dominic sit down with Michael T. Ogilvie, the Northeast’s favourite gay pop star, for a wide-ranging chat about music, queer nightlife, and the realities of being an independent artist. The conversation moves from his earliest performances and first songs to the role of dance floors as queer safe spaces, with plenty of chaotic side quests along the way. In this episode, Michael shares how performance started young through ballet and musical theatre, how he shaped his sound through Kylie, Gaga, and 80s synth pop, and why his current releases are grounded in queer, camp, clubby energy. He also talks candidly about money, burnout, community, and why being yourself on stage matters just as much off it.

Key topics

• Michael traces his love of performing back to age eight, when ballet and attention-seeking energy led him toward music and stage work.
• He explains that he started making his own music around 16 and burning tracks to CDs to play in his dad’s car.
• His first finished song was called Gravity, which he jokes should probably be leaked as a bootleg.
• He names Kylie, Gaga, and other big female pop icons as key influences, along with 80s synths and overproduced pop vocals.
• Michael says he is drawn to dance pop because the dance floor is a queer escape route, a place to be whoever you want for a few minutes and find community.
• He talks about the importance of queer venues and clubs as safe spaces, especially as nightlife keeps closing down.
• Shut Me Up is described as the dance floor side of his sound, while Flex is the darker, sluttier, more physical counterpart.
• Michael says his current creative rule is simple: if it is not queer, camp, or clubby, he is not posting it.
• He gets honest about being an independent artist, explaining that the work is huge, the returns are slow, and release day only shows about 10 percent of the effort.
• He reflects on taking breaks from music, then returning with a stronger sense of fulfillment, better boundaries, and a clearer idea of who he is.
• The discussion turns to nightlife, social confidence, and queer self-expression, including the value of being cringe, being visible, and not worrying so much about judgment.
• Michael shares his love for Newcastle’s queer scene, praising its drag, diversity, and community spirit while noting that support needs to extend beyond social media.
• He discusses drag talent he admires, including Danny Delonco and Gloria Love, and says he values kindness and backstage chemistry as much as stage skill.
• The episode wraps with talk of future projects, dream collaborations, and the continuing evolution of his pop sound.

Stacey Rhect on drag, confidence, community, and staying sane in queer spaces

In this episode, the Queering Committee is joined by drag artist Stacey Rhect for a chaotic, funny, and honest conversation about performance, identity, and the realities of queer life. Stacey talks about how drag changed her life, how she built confidence through the scene, and why community support matters when things get hard. We also discuss the etiquette of queer spaces, the pressures of drinking culture, and how working in drag can be both liberating and exhausting. Between the jokes, the episode lands on a clear message: queer joy matters, but so does looking after each other.

Key topics

• Stacey Rhect shares how she got into drag after discovering it through YouTube and watching performers like Courtney Act and Willem.

• She explains how drag began as a creative outlet in Grimsby, then became a job when she started working in a gay bar and performing on the side.

• She talks about the evolution of her makeup, from three-hour drag faces to a faster 45-minute routine built through experience and lockdown practice.

• Stacey describes Stacey Rhect as both a persona and an extension of herself, used early on as a confidence crutch but now fully integrated into her identity.

• The conversation explores introversion, burnout, and why she values alone time even while working in highly social jobs.

• Stacey reflects on the importance of chosen family, naming her close circle and how they support each other through breakdowns, setbacks, and ridiculous holidays.

• We discuss the Newcastle queer scene, including its strengths, its concentration of venue ownership, and why that kind of monopoly can feel fragile.

• Stacey speaks candidly about harassment and inappropriate touching in both drag and non-drag settings, and how people often sexualize performance in ways that cross a line.

• She opens up about drinking culture in the queer community, how it nearly became overwhelming, and how sobriety and moderation helped her regain balance.

• The episode closes with a look at confidence, growth, and the need for queer people to stick together, especially as trans people and other minorities are increasingly targeted.

The Queering Committee - Queer grief, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and terrible films

A chaotic, funny, and surprisingly reflective episode that starts with costume chat, celebrity worship, and film trash talk before landing on a more thoughtful conversation about grief, chosen family, and queer visibility. Jo and Dominic cover everything from Ariana Grande’s live show to the loss of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, then unpack why grief can hit queer people so hard and why support systems matter.

Key topics

• In this episode, Jo and Dominic kick things off with Halloween costume ideas, outfit talk, and the ongoing mission to find a duo look that actually fits their dynamic.
• They react to seeing Christmas stock in August and call it both summer-phobic and deeply homophobic.
• Dominic shares details from Ariana Grande’s show, including the layered live looping on Eternal Sunshine, the ethereal staging, and the size-inclusive dance troupe that online discourse left out.
• The conversation turns to a new friendship with a drag and makeup creator who collects Bratz dolls, opening up a broader point about internalized shame and reclaiming joy in “girly” interests.
• Jo and Dominic discuss Dolly Parton’s legacy, focusing on her music, her philanthropy, her long-standing support for LGBT plus people, and the way her public image represented consistency and care.
• They also talk about the awkwardness of documentaries and streaming content getting pushed immediately after a celebrity dies, weighing tribute versus exploitation.
• Tim Curry is discussed as another major queer-culture figure, especially for the roles he played and the support he showed without making his private life a public spectacle.
• The episode shifts into a deeper discussion of grief, especially queer grief, chosen family, and the way loss can echo through breakups, family rejection, and death.
• Jo shares that his sponsor recently challenged him to stop processing grief in isolation and to let other people in while healing.
• The back half of the episode lightens up again with two very bad film reviews, including The Last House and Disclosure Day, both of which are treated as absurd, homophobic, and wildly confusing viewing experiences.

Timestamps

00:00 - Opening chaos, bedroom noises, and intro banter
00:38 - Queer joy as a right, not a privilege
00:47 - Christmas in August is homophobic
01:44 - Halloween costume plans and dressing up together
02:14 - Planning a duo costume that actually works
03:11 - Camera proportions, blush, and GRWM confusion
04:10 - MAC hoodie, “ace your brows,” and brow bleaching
06:04 - Ariana Grande live and the REM Beauty event
07:23 - Ethereal staging and the inclusive dance troupe
09:17 - Meeting a new Bratz-loving drag friend
11:15 - The shame around “kid” toys and adult joy
11:41 - Dolly Parton’s legacy beyond her music
14:05 - Anti-vaccine lies and why her death hit hard
15:35 - Documentary timing after celebrity deaths
17:51 - Tim Curry, queer culture, and private identity
22:37 - Visibility, chosen family, and making space for others
26:48 - Grief after loss, breakups, and life changes
30:21 - The Last House and the rain barrier premise
34:41 - Disclosure Day and the alien chaos spiral
37:30 - How grief keeps resurfacing
40:34 - A sponsor’s challenge to stop healing in a vacuum
42:47 - Straight culture, homophobia, and ridiculous film logic
46:07 - Biscoff, vegan sausage, and the return to gay jokes
47:36 - Lava lamps, sign-off energy, and committee shoutout

Jo and Dominic kick things off with their usual chaotic chemistry before moving through a wide-ranging episode about queer travel, relationship structures, TV nostalgia, pop culture, and personal growth. The conversation is playful and unfiltered, but it repeatedly comes back to one core idea: queer joy, visibility, and self-definition are worth protecting.

Key topics

• In this episode, Dominic shares highlights from a trip to Barcelona, including staying at the Axel Hotel, meeting queer travelers from around the world, and noticing how social and open the atmosphere felt.
• They compare queer scenes in Barcelona and the Northeast of England, especially around openness, drama, friendship, and how people navigate relationships, sexuality, and visibility.
• The hosts discuss friends with benefits, open relationships, throuples, and the difference between living outwardly versus maintaining an online or social persona.
• They revisit classic British reality and makeover TV, including Changing Rooms and Don’t Tell the Bride, using them as examples of chaotic, deeply revealing television.
• Dominic talks about performance, confidence, and creating an alter ego, drawing on examples like Lady Gaga’s Sasha Fierce and the idea of becoming your highest self in difficult situations.
• The conversation turns to anxiety and self-perception, including the idea that people often compare their own blooper reels to everyone else’s trailers.
• Jo shares a childhood embarrassment involving fake tan, school PE, and pretending to be ill, while the pair riff on how awkward memories stick with you.
• They get into RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, contrasting the competitive format with the more collaborative and positive energy of All Winners season.
• There’s a strong local drag appreciation thread, especially around Stacey Rect, whose performance and styling they clearly adore.
• Jo discusses the solar eclipse as a symbolic moment for manifestation, writing down what to release and what to welcome in, and treating the event as a ritual of change.