“What I’ve learned to be true is my intuition has never lied to me once. It doesn’t know how to lie”.

Barry Brandon (he/ they/ her/ ze) aka The Queer Indigo lives at the intersections of advocacy & creativity, empowerment & entertainment. It’s Barry’s intuition that has landed him there - as a content creator, influencer, public speaker, emcee & host, community builder & LGBTQ+ leader. I’ll also throw iconic fashionista in there too! And it’s an exciting time for Barry as you’ll hear in this episode of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’

As The Queer Indigo, Barry harnesses social media as a canvas for awareness, expression & connection blending aesthetic appeal with meaningful content that transcends conventional boundaries to a global audience. I’ve followed & loved his Instagram page since its early days several years ago so when our paths crossed through We Create Space, I was overjoyed. The content - bold, empowering, stunning - has helped me to embrace myself more, celebrate my body, femininity & style. It’s a journey as it is for many of us in the LGBTQ+ community and I loved hearing Barry talk about its beginnings as a “dumb walk” and has been able to most past seeing it as simply fun & frivolous through to the realisation of how much impact it has.

This podcast very much explores two origin stories. The origin of The Queer Indigo - as a result of life-changing three hour conversation with a stranger which he describes as “an absolute disruption to my entire life” - and that of Barry’s life before then.

As an 8 open-heart surgery survivor with operations spanning from birth to aged 27, Barry was acutely aware from a young age that “tomorrow was not necessarily promised”. He spent much of his childhood in hospitals looking out of the window simply wishing. Much of his experiences have resulted in Barry’s fearless approach to life (his only fear is “getting dead”) along with an early yearning for justice, a sense of ridiculous at situations around him at times and confusion at the state of the world.

Whether in hospital as a child or throughout life, Barry has always been surrounded by people - it’s something we see in his content now with his love of creating community. He talks about the pride he has in his friendships and how as queer people, we’re “better when we’re together”

As a creative force, I probe Barry about choosing a life of graft following a particular job that paid him an obscene amount of money. “It wasn’t a choice” he replies. Whether producing exquisite content, organising show-stopping events or launching his new magazine ICONIQA, Barry is focused on celebrating queer excellence & joy, amplifying others and empowering everyone to follow an unapologetic of self expression. He’s truly passionate about the queer community and has learned that although our languages, political systems, cultures & traditions may differ, we’re often aligned in our identities, moral compasses, values & search for freedom.

Barry is incredibly humble. He sees himself as a vessel for lifting up & championing others, enabled by his lack of ego & jealousy. Barry expresses how discovering self joy & the adventure of self exploration has led to his happiness, peace & self-value, both professionally & personally.

The three words Barry uses to describe him & his origin story are ‘Resilience. Dreamer. Courageous’. This episode is packed with so many wonderful moments and it was a dream to sit down with Barry for my first in-person recording whilst he was in London. We explore Barry’s love of Oprah, his queer awakening in Berlin & a hilarious childhood anecdote that speaks to both his humour, love of performance & fearlessness. Enjoy!

Please note: Some of the topics we cover during this podcast are sensitive. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.

I first saw Saski on an elevated platform in the middle of the parade during Pride in London as she hyped up the crowds & I thought ‘WOW. I want to be able to do that’. Her energy & warmth were both all enveloping & infectious

Saski (she/her), like many guests on 'Pause. And Rewind...' wears many hats. An LGBTQIA+ inclusion specialist & trainer. A public speaker, presenter & host. A community speaker for the MET Police. A singer, life coach & a mum. And with all of that comes a ton of Saski's energy & enthusiasm!

Saski, or Jo - her birth name, grew up in East London. Her parents ran a pub & Little Saski would run around getting punters to give her money. She was a bit of a self-confessed tom-boy raised in a loving home. Saski shares a deep love for her family and she shares a lot about how supportive her family were when she went through bulimia as a teenager & later, her coming out. Her acknowledgement of this support vs seeing the lack of support her friends had growing up has hugely influenced what she's doing now.

We explore the birth of 'Saski' as an entertainer and how she has wound up working in inclusion merging her identity, professional outputs & ambitions! There's a great story about a beloved pair of red jeans, life as a pop star on the queer scene & dissecting growing up in the 90s compared to today as well as chat about being a mum & those who shape us in not so positive ways.

Saski's most proud of the work she's done on herself over the years. "You can go through it or grow through it" she says. BOOM. The three words she uses to describe her origin story are 'Tenacity. Empathy. Fun'. Each perfect for Saski - enjoy the episode!

PS. As mentioned, we cover the topic of bulimia so please take of yourself whilst listening if this is something you find triggering.

This weeks guest is an activist, author, community builder & public speaker - as well as software engineer by day. They're also a bisexual role model & community leader so it's a timely episode as this week marks Bisexual Awareness Week!

When Vaneet Mehta (he/him) first came up with the hashtag #BisexualMenExist, he did so for a number of reasons. To help challenge bi-erasure & abuse, to educate people on bi-dentities, to create connections and support those, like Vaneet, who were struggling to accept themselves and felt alone, isolated and unsupported. Vaneet went on to write the wonderfully received book 'Bisexual Men Exist: A Handbook for Bisexual, Pansexual & M-Spec Men. A book I've really appreciated in my own allyship towards the bi-community and those in my life. And just this year, he co-edited 'It Ain't Over Til the Bisexual Speaks: An Anthology of Bisexual Voices' alongside his colleague, friend and someone he says has shaped him the most along the way, Lois Shearing aka Lake. This collection of essays is a "radical & ambitious attempt capture the multiplicity of bi identities". It's needed as bisexual individuals are still hugely misrepresented & underrepresented - despite making up over 50% of the LGBTQ+ community.

Vaneet's work now as he advocates so strongly for his community is shaped enormously by his own story... from the way he was treated at a young age by his father through to a breakdown in family relationships as a result of his identity. There were times in Vaneet's childhood where he didn't feel Indian or boy-ish enough just as a bisexual adult, there's been moments where he's not felt queer enough resulting in anger, mental health issues & at times, suicidal ideation. These experiences are things that are a work in progress as Vaneet navigates towards building the life around him that he wants featuring belonging, boundaries & joy.

And there is a lot of joy in Vaneet's life right now. He reflects on how he feels much more connected to 'Little Vaneet' right now and taps into his silly, fun side when he's with friends. Building a life with his partner is a major source of joy and it was wonderful to see Vaneet beam as he talks about how much happiness his home & garden bring him! Though it's a moment of pride, we explore his complex feelings about his debut book and also chat about his love of Pokemon, Paramore and travelling - with a well deserved break & trip to Thailand coming up. Oh and we trash the term 'Love is love' #sorrynotsorry.

Vaneet uses these three words to sum up his origin story: Rage. Silly. Soft. You'll get all of these throughout - please take care of yourself whilst you listening as we do cover challenging conversations.

I've actually not met Eva Echo (she/they) in person yet but having known Eva for sometime, I'm always impressed by her insight, sharpness & humour. Whether a DEI session, social media content or her brilliant Tedx talk, Eva injects all of this into what she does so uniquely when sharing about mental health, neurodivergence, transness or current affairs.

Eva is a well-known, respected & loved individual. An activist & campaigner, public speaker& educator, writer & content creator, Eva wears many hats. She's also the Director of Innovation for Birmingham Pride. A Director for Trans in the City. A charity ambassador. She sits on the CPS Hate Crime Panel. And of this she does tirelessly because she's "too stubborn to give up on those that aren't accepted".

She brings people along with her - it's something we discuss in the episode through Eva's projects, most recently in a particular special moment in a bold orange dress at an awards ceremony. She's also not afraid to call people out in the best ways though strives to find common ground even with trolls to try & diffuse the situation, often with humour or a shared commonality, in the hope that it's a learning opportunity for them.

Like many people striving to make the world a more inclusive place, Eva's origin story is the backbone of her work. 'Little Eva' was misunderstood, says Eva and didn't belong. She lived in her own little bubble which was lonely. But she was also creative, analytical and a lover of order - traits that Eva now refers to as possible early signs of her neurospicy-ness.

Eva discovered a sense of belonging in music and loved being on stage & on tour - it was so much fun exploring this in the episode and I'm egging Eva on to take to the stage again sometime!

Eva now has the sense of belonging she deserves with her wife Pip & her sidekick, Boomer (who is adorable). She shares how her transition is an ongoing evolution and how she didn't realise there was an LGBTQ+ community out there - to be honest, it's hard to imagine it without Eva. From taking legal action against the NHS to court over ridiculous gender affirming care waiting times for trans patients through to her work with UN Women, Eva never fails to impress. Showing up and being visible wasn't something she sought out. She uses the words 'quirky, stubborn and reluctant' to describe her and origin story - and form the Eva we know & love.

Eva teases that her next project is the boldest move in her career yet... I'm staying tuned and can't wait to finally meet you in person soon, Eva!

This conversation does go deep into conversations around mental health, struggles & family challenges - please take care of yourself whilst listening.

At just 25 years old, Tate Smith (he/him) has recently launched his new business as a professional public speaker, Tate Smith Consulting Limited, and become a Company Director. This achievement has been in parallel with Tate's transition, which he began 5 years ago... and it all started with a simple lunch & learn talk at this workplace!

Tate is an incredibly insightful, talented and wise speaker and he covers a broad variety of topics from LGBTQ+ equality, transitioning in the workplace, his experience of the menopause, gender inclusive language and male privilege. He also consults with businesses & organisations on trans & gender inclusion policies. Keeping it simple and using his lived experience are two of his key principles. Combined with his drive & enthusiasm, Tate's future is looking bright and it's refreshing to hear someone own their success the way he does.

But it hasn't been easy. Little Tate was a lively, Disney-loving kid with a love of dressing up & imagination. Tate shares how growing up in a working class household in Essex with little money or encouragement, he felt he didn't fit in and wanted a different life. And despite setbacks with grades, he worked hard, took risks and pursued opportunities to get to where, and who, he is now.

All of this truly embodies the three words Tate uses to describe his origin story: Determination. Troubled. Excitement. The latter is very much how he's feeling at this moment in time thanks to his impressive determined attitude and harnessing the more challenging moments. This is such an inspiring listen... enjoy and hit Tate up if you're looking for a wonderful speaker!

"I choose me." These three simple words really hit me during this whirlwind episode of 'Pause. And Rewind..." with this bloody wonderful guest!

Thea Bardot (they/she) is the Founder of Lightning Travel Recruitment, a travel & lifestyle recruitment consultancy that proudly does things differently to your standard & - let's say it - boring ones. With powerful messaging including 'We treat people like humans' and 'We actually give a sh*t', it's bold, unique & authentic. And that's Thea to a tee.

Harnessing these traits along with sass & humour, Thea uses their lived experience & professional insights to educate people on many issues from queerness, trans+ & non-binary life through to neurodivergence, accessibility, gender equality, menopause, recruitment processes, best practice & more. They're a LinkedInfluencer don't ya know! Officially a Top Voice receiving well-deserved appreciation & recognition for what they're putting out there.

But it hasn't all been smooth sailing to get to where Thea is today and we'd both like to add a trigger warning to this episode as it contains discussions around suicide, mental health, family issues & life struggles generally.

Thea's origin story is something they sum up in these three words: Traumatic. Chaotic. Survivor. From bullying at school, a problematic home life & relationship with their parents though to a heavy focus on the need to success & striving to be themselves, when Thea says 'I choose me", I felt that deeply. We also dive into the importance of chosen family & storytelling, the surprise of getting their LinkedIn blue tick, internet friendships & their gender journey. Plus much more....

Again, take care of yourself whilst listening to this episode & enjoy all the fun, mutual love & sharing contained.

"My name is Calvin & I'm a nurse". It this guest's standard introduction that says so much about him.

Professor Calvin Moorley (he/him) is a Professor of Diversity & Social Justice at London South Bank University which is where we met. As a former colleague & very much a friend, Calvin has been fundamental in my journey of allyship, education & awareness - as he has been with so many other people.

We know each other well so I was excited to delve into his origin story to get to know him even better and it was such a joy, especially to hear about 'little Calvin' and migrant story. But growing up as a gay kid in Trinidad - a place where being LGBTQ+ isn't easy - has meant that Calvin has had to navigate cultural acceptance & sensitivities, religion & family expectations. Something we explore that Calvin has reconciled to find peace as well as belonging in London, which is very much home with his amazing husband Nick.

Calvin describes his origin story with the words 'Fighter, Caring & Smiley'. And he has all of these in bucket loads, particularly when it comes to advocating for nursing & midwifery professionals from marginalised backgrounds. We also explore the importance & influence of the women in our lives & gender equality - a mutual passion. Take care whilst listening and enjoy this brilliant conversation with this absolute legend!

Ever wondered who the awesome human is behind The Queer Chameleon, the world’s most adored cartoon reptile⁉️🌎🦎

Well I did & I was absolutely thrilled when it’s creator Amee Wilson (she/her) agreed to be a guest for ‘Pause. And Rewind... ‘

From its beginnings as a webcomic back in 2021 during lockdown to help Amee manage her anxiety, @queeeerchameleon has now taken on a life of its own with a global fanbase, providing a source of entertainment & joy through education, humour, simple messaging and beautifully colourful visuals - all lovingly created to encourage LGBTQ+ acceptance. Something that is very much part of Amee’s learning journey when it comes to showing for the community 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Like many people out there, The Queer Chameleon has become a staple in my social media consumption and I wanted to know more about its creator. Amee’s origin story is something she describes as a Full-Circle Moment. Amy’s early love of animals meant that she originally wanted to be a vet yet she found herself in a career in advertising & marketing. She’s a big believer in reinvention and has harnessed this to bring her to where she is now.

Combined with her other childhood loves of Disney & drawing, what she’s doing now makes sense... even if Amee does describe it as “a strange life”when talking about communicating as The Queer Chameleon. Amee is both humble and surprised by its reach and the love her work has received.

We also explore Amee’s coming out journey, from chat rooms to a love of P!nk and dealing with internalised biphobia, as well as university life, her travels and the future for our colourful friend as Amee explores collaborations and partnerships.

Enjoy… and go buy The Queer Chameleon book from an independent queer retailer ASAP for a fix of pure joy!💥

Book recommendation: Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality by Dr Julia Shaw.