ShoutOut LGBT+ Radio

This week, Shea Coffey is back with a new monthly series, plus Steffi chats to Author A A Sekhon about their new book Assumptions and that's not all, there's a new choir on the block, Sapphonic Bristol.

This week we chat to Simon Brandon about his upcoming theatre productions, Charlie and Striptease, comedic but very serious plays coming soon. Also we chat to carer and author Jon Stokes and his foster son Charley.

Stephen Fry introduces our main guest this week, Andrew Keates who runs Queer Theatre. Sex, drugs, alcohol and rock and roll took its toll; but Andrew made it through with Queer Theatre at his heart.

This week it's time to catch up with Bristol Pride on what's coming this summer. Also, we talk to Nour who's in Dubai about their family in Southern Lebanon and the Dubai queer scene.

Steffi chats to Shea Coffey about what's happened this week in the news, the upcoming Kent Trans Pride and her upcoming series right here on ShoutOut; "The Coffey Break". PLUS; Hafren and Lowie, the co-chairs of Trans Pride Bristol in the studio to talk about the upcoming Trans Pride in Bristol, which will include speeches, the march, Social events, workshops, stalls, a gig and a club night.

We chat to NOT IN OUR NAME about their campaign to support Trans Folk... "We are a collective of women who reject the weaponisation of our identities to justify discrimination. We want the media, government and other bodies to focus on the real threats that prevent women from thriving. We call for truth, solidarity, and action. Our safety depends on standing together." Plus: in the studio; Jakob; "We are an accessible sober events project, open to ANYONE who just wants to go to the night and the night happens to be sober. We want to bring in diverse audiences who are sober/sober curious through health, religion, culture, recovery, choice."

Author, Mark Akst tells us about his Mark Cohn Quadrology, an imaginative and fast-paced speculative 4 novel series that explores queer leadership, identity, and power through the lens of Jewish history and modern geopolitics. One of the novel’s central figures is the first openly gay prime minister of Israel, whose leadership unfolds during a global crisis tied to ancient texts and emerging technology. Through this character and others, the book opens conversations about visibility, ethics, faith, masculinity, and how queer identity intersects with power and public life. Plus we catch up with the South West Fetish group where they explain just what fetish is, how it's open to all (over 18's of course) and bring us up to date on their upcoming events.

This Week, Cape Town South Africa: Now entering its fourth year with over 25 productions to its name, LEGACY has established itself not merely as an event, but as the architectural backbone of Cape Town’s queer Ballroom community - a space where the hierarchy is respected, the competition is strictly adjudicated, and the culture is preserved. To understand LEGACY, one must understand the global history it references. Ballroom culture emerged in New York City in the late 1960s and 70s, created by Black and Latino trans and queer communities who were systematically excluded from established drag pageants. In response, they formed "Houses" - alternative kinship structures led by "Mothers" and "Fathers" - and created "Balls," where members could compete for status and affirmation. PLUS It's also LGBT+ history month so we went back through our archives and found a lovely interview former ShoutOut team member Ben Bird recorded way back in 2012. He caught up with the lovely Peggy who ran the The Radnor Hotel - the best place to be in Bristol after the war, up until it's closure around 1976 (though it did open its doors again as many different things after that). Peggy passed away in 2021 but we were lucky enough to get her take on the importance of the Radnor, and a glimpse into gay life many decades ago.

Lurid Editions are in the studio, a new Queer publisher of old LGBTQIA books with something to say. ALSO; Lucy went to cover Scritch Cabaret. She chats to Oliver Asset and Kurt Sovain of Brizzle Boys who organise it, Esme Doll - Bristol's youngest drag queen and singer songwriter, Em.

From Dance to HIV testing to Pride, we cover it all here on ShoutOut. Choreographer Mathieu Gefferé chats about his upcoming productions, Brigstowe chat about the importance of HIV testing and Bristol Pride's Daryn Carter tells us about what's coming up this summer and the struggles Prides have with funding.

“There is rice at home” is a well known saying in African households to signify that we already have an abundance of what we need. “Rice at Home” extends this conversation in a documentary directed by Louise Ndibwirende and produced by Martha Redfern which brings together elders from Rwanda, Bangladesh and India as they reflect on their experiences of heritage, culture and ancestry. PLUS: Pride Padel, inclusive, non-profit padel tournaments and socials in Bristol, creating a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ players and allies to get active, meet people, and try a fast-growing sport that many haven’t had access to before. The events typically host around 40–48 players and regularly sell out, with people travelling from across the South West to take part.

Kris and Ryan tell us about their experiences of same sex adoption. In recent years in England, around 1 in 5 adoptions were to same-sex couples — about 20% of all adoptions in 2023/24. NOTE: The UK government data typically reports family composition (e.g., “same-gender couple”) rather than sexual orientation directly, so some LGBTQ+ adopters may not be fully captured in the number of adoptions). In 2025 figures show roughly 610 adoptions by same-gender couples out of ~3,040 total, which is about 20.1% of all adoptions. PLUS: The Arts, Lucy looks into what's happening within the Queer scene.

World Exclusive: we reveal the identities of the Bristol Dynamic Duo. They go where others fear to tread, causing FM mayhem and Diabolical DAB. It's a mash, crash and bash story of 2 superheroes. From causing traffic accidents due to the overrated music they play, to talking about pillows. We reveal ALL!!! ALSO, January can be a tough month, we look at what help is available for the LGBTQIA community.

Nowt as Queer as folk... We chat to QPOC socials about their very friendly group, plus Queer and Quaker, we chat religion and politics...

Happy New Year!! "Oh no it's not..." Oh yes it is, and what better way to kick the new year off than with the traditional ShoutOut Panto. This year, we're getting a bit horror like, bad acting, silly jokes, and a haunted castle - what more oculd you want!

It's CHRISTMAS!!! Oh yes it is! And we love an excuse to let our hair down and have a bit of Christmas fun. This week, Andy takes the helm, as is tradition, and brings you the ShoutOut Christmas Cracker - a show full of quizes and festive fun. Grab yourself a pen and paper, or a tablet if you are modern, and play along with the team.

Panto Season is in full swing; we chat to Texan Drag Queen, Patti Boo Rae about her latest production in London. PLUS: In the studio; Ryan...The creator behind Knits by Ryan based in Bristol, where he handcrafts chunky knit blankets using either high-quality acrylic yarn or luxurious merino mammoth wool.

Internationally acclaimed dance artist Sadiq Ali is retelling his personal experience of being HIV positive through circus and movement. Ali’s Tell Me is a physical embodiment and celebration of resistance and the need to confront the stigma of HIV. Using activism as a queer man alongside his technical agility to direct and perform in Tell Me, Ali’s performance is an explicit force for social change, while challenging audience expectations. Produced by Turtle Key Arts and fusing circus, theatre and dance, Tell Me will tour the UK from 16th January – 10th February 2026. It follows the international success of The Chosen Haram and major world-wide festivals including Sydney Festival, Auckland Arts Festival and Gay Pride Europe, Malta. And Vicky Lane returns. You may remember we spoke to her a few weeks ago about a new stand up night she was hosting. Well, she's not been in Bristol for more than a few months and now she joins us, live, to talk about Queer Stories - a new evening where you can go and, well, tell a story.

This week we chat to Simon Haines from Rings of Power (how long does it take to become an Elf?) and The Running Man (Did you Meet Arnie?) And Christmas books recommendations from "News From Nowhere" in Liverpool, plus news and views from our highly talented team. Christmas Book List 1. A Short History of Queer Parenting, by Kirsty Loehr Queer families have always existed. Even Sappho, the OG lesbian, had a daughter named Cleis, in honour of vaginas everywhere! For centuries, the women of ‘The Golden Orchid Society’ in Qing-dynasty China were getting married and raising daughters together – platonically, obviously... And Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson’s fabulously bisexual open marriage proved women really can have it all – a husband, two kids, a writing career and Virginia Woolf. Maybe you’re exploring your options. Maybe you don’t want kids but you have questions. Either way, Kirsty Loehr provides another rollicking guide to the ups and downs of queer parenthood through the ages. £8.99, paperback 2. Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line, by Elizabeth Lovatt With warmth and humour, Elizabeth Lovatt reimagines the women who both called and volunteered for the Lesbian Line in the 1990s while also tracing her own journey from accidentally coming out to disastrous dates to finding her chosen family. With callers and agents alike dealing with first crushes and breakups, sex and marriage, loneliness and illness (or simply the need to know the name of a gay bar on a night out), this is a celebration of the ordinary lives of queer women. Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line is a timely and vital exploration of how lesbian identity continues to remake and redefine itself in the 21st century and where it might lead us in the future. £20.00, hardback 3. Nova Scotia House, by Charlie Porter SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEAR When they met, nearly thirty years ago, Johnny was 19, Jerry was 45. They fell in love and made a life on their own terms in Jerry’s flat: 1, Nova Scotia House. Johnny is still there today – but Jerry is gone, and so is the world they knew. As Johnny’s mind travels between then and now, he begins to remember stories of Jerry’s youth: of experiments in living; of radical philosophies; of the many possibilities of love, sex and friendship before the AIDS crisis devastated the queer community. Slowly, he realizes what he must do next—and attempts to restore ways of being that could be lost forever. Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era. It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring pain of the AIDS pandemic and honouring the joys and creativity of queer life. £18.99, hardback 4. Love in Exile, by Shon Faye Shon Faye grew up quietly obsessed with the feeling that love was not for her. Not just romantic love: the secret fear of her own unworthiness penetrated every aspect and corner of her life. Faye’s experience of the world as a trans woman, who grew up visibly queer, exacerbated her fears. But, as she confronted her damaging ideas about love and lovelessness, she came to realize that this sense of exclusion is symptomatic of a much larger problem in our culture. In this highly politicized terrain, boundaries are purposefully drawn to keep some in and to keep others out. Those who exist outside them are ignored, denigrated, exiled. In Love in Exile, Shon Faye shows love is much greater than the narrow ideals we have been taught to crave so desperately that we are willing to bend and break ourselves to fit them. Wise, funny, unsparing, and suffused with a radical clarity, this is a book of and for our times: for seeing and knowing love, in whatever form it takes, is the meaning of life itself. £20.00, hardback 5. Queer Georgians, by Anthony Delaney History Hit podcast presenter Dr Anthony Delaney reveals the real people that inspired Gentleman Jack and the gay romances in...

Neve Francis is starring as Billie in Possum Trot, the brand-new play from award-winning American playwright Kathy Rucker, coming to Theatre At The Tabard this November. Inspired by the ongoing battles faced by family farms across America’s heartland, Possum Trot seamlessly blends poignancy with laughter for a timely exploration of pervasive issues affecting small-town communities. Set in Possum Trot, Nebraska, the play follows Maxine, a resilient diner owner on a one-woman mission to preserve the spirit of her town while wrangling with her chaotic family. Frantic but hilarious, Possum Trot showcases the universal insight that even in the toughest circumstances, humour and community can overcome adversity. Also, with World Aids Day approaching, we talk to some of the team from Brigstowe about the latest treatments and their hopes going forward.