Come Out Wherever You Are with Sean Szeps
Sean Szeps
Come Out, Wherever You Are is a podcast about the coming out experience, told by the people who’ve done it. Host Sean Szeps is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. In each episode he speaks with guests across Australia’s gender and sexual spectrum to learn about their unique experiences and understand what it’s like to come out for the first time (and every time after that).
What this podcast has taught me
I started this podcast to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community.
I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on the 'G' but I didn't know as much about the L, or B or QTIA+
Over the course of almost 50 interviews I've become a better father, husband, friend, ally and advocate for the community.
This is what I've learned ❤️
Also just a heads up - this is the final episode of this season.
But you can always stay in touch with me on Instagram @seanszepsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio
"You've had sex with MEN!?" Rob Mills on masculinity, fluidity and *that* night with Courtney Act
Can you have sex with someone of the same gender and not have it define your life or even your sexuality?
Rob 'Millsy' Mills thinks you can.
Rob came out about having a threesome with Shane Jenek (aka Courtney Act) to normalise the conversation about sexual fluidity among men.
Sean speaks with Rob about growing up with speculation over his sexuality simply because he was in the performing arts, why he decided to share the story about Courtney, how he told his partner about it, and what kind of f
Your cheat sheet to surviving family Christmas as a queer person
Merry Christmas my beautiful friends.
You asked: “Help! My family isn’t accepting of my sexuality. They won’t let me bring my girlfriend home either, which makes me not want to go home for Christmas. Any tips?”
So Sean reached out to his queer brain's trust to get their advice on how you can navigate the holiday season when your family doesn't accept your gender, sexuality, pronouns, partner or the way you dress.
What do you do when someone uses your deadname? How do you answer when someone asks
Jesse Dutlow was kicked out of church for being queer
Jesse is a queer, non-binary actor and performer. They learned to sing, and fell in love with performance, in the Pentecostal Church as a kid and after school they studied songwriting for two years at Hillsong College.
Jesse knew they were queer all that time but knew they couldn't come out and live authentically if they wanted to remain in the church.
Jesse opens up to Sean about attempting to "pray the gay away", coming out via Facebook before they told their parents, and why they still miss c
"Are you sure it's not a phase?" and other inappropriate questions with Robyn Lambird
Robyn Lambird is a non-binary athlete and the first out non-binary Paralympian to win a medal at the Games.
Impressive, right?
So why are people so obsessed with asking them how they have sex or if being non-binary is all a big experiment?
In today's Queer Question, I ask Robyn the most inappropriate questions they get about sexuality, gender, disability and relationships, to find out if these questions are ever okay to ask, and what's a better alternative.
Follow Robyn on Instagram @robynlambi
Ellia Green is living in the body he's meant to be in
Ellia knew he was different before he ever had the language to describe how he felt.
He knew he was different when he was winning gold for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the women's Rugby 7's team.
But Ellia had a job to do. He had to represent his country, support his family, and fulfil a dream he'd had since he was a kid.
It wasn't until Ellia retired from professional sport in 2021, and with the support of his partner Vanessa, that he had the time to comprehend the feelings he'd had si
Is it transphobic to call yourself bisexual?
Today's Queer Question comes from you!
You asked: how is bisexuality not transphobic and/or erasing to non-binary people?
And we brought in friend of the podcast, non-binary content creator, actor, DJ and trainer, Kath Ebbs, to chat it through.
Follow Kath on Instagram @kathebbs
Listen to Kath's episode of Come Out Wherever You Are here https://link.chtbl.com/VtsaNurs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If it makes Jack Vidgen feel hot, he'll wear it
Where's the line between gender, sexuality and self-expression?
Jack dresses to feel good. Some days that means wearing a crop top and heels and he's no less of a man for doing so.
But when Jack recently posted a photo of himself wearing a crop top, he lost followers.
Jack sits down with Sean to explore why he thinks it happened, as well as coming out in the national spotlight, finding comfort in religion and dealing with constant (mostly unwanted) attention on the way he looks.
Follow Jack on
My kid came out to me...what do I do?
This one's for the parents.
Every week you guys will DM me saying "my child has come out as gay or lesbian or trans or non-binary or "I don't know what I am but I feel different", what do I do!?"
And every week, I reply with advice and resources and reassurance that it's all going to be okay, for your and for your child.
So for this week's Queer Question, I take it out of the DMs, and into the podcast to help you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dennis Altman shaped the gay liberation movement in Australia & USA
From the HIV/AIDS epidemic, to marriage equality, to the current treatment of gay refugees in Australia, Dennis Altman has been there for all of it.
He is a writer, an academic, Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow in the Institute for Human Security at LaTrobe University in Melbourne.
His first book 'Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation' is considered THE definitive text on the gay liberation movement. In his subsequent books he tackles sexuality, politics, the relationship between
Isaac Humphries & caring about male athletes coming out
Last week Melbourne United basketball player, Isaac Humphries, came out as gay. This makes him the only openly gay male player in a top tier men's basketball team.
In an emotional video posted to Humphries' Instagram, he shared that coming to terms with his sexuality forced him into a very dark and lonely place.
"I hated it about myself. I was disgusted at myself. I thought that I could not be that person within our environment, within a basketball environment," he said.
The news made headlines
Carla from Bankstown is Ben from Bankstown too
Who's the person behind the hair and makeup?
Carla From Bankstown is one of Australia's most recognisable characters, but growing up as a flamboyant boy in Bankstown, Ben was asked to change himself so he wouldn't be a target for bullies.
Ben sits down with Sean to share about growing up different, the unwavering support he's received from his parents, using Carla as a chance to play around with gender and sexuality and coming out on to the whole country on Celebrity Apprentice.
Follow Carla on
Eminem: talented, homophobic and Hall of Fame worthy?
Eminem has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He's the second-best selling male artist in US history, having sold over 220 million records worldwide and winning 15 Grammys and an Academy Award.
Does he deserve to be there? Yes!
But is it a problem that the lyrics of some of his most popular songs are not at all subtle in their homophobia? Also yes!
In today's Queer Question, Sean asks: does homophobia stop you from being successful?
Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhe
Tom Ballard loves being gay
Being gay is fundamental to who Tom Ballard is. His life, his career and his politics are all because he's gay, not in spite of it.
Tom is one of Australia's most well-known and beloved comedians. From RAW Comedy, to triple j Breakfast, to Tonightly, Tom Ballard has been a mainstay in Australian media and comedy for more than a decade.
Tom sits down with Sean to chat gay jokes, finding community, self-deprecating humour and how he's learned to love being gay.
Tom has a book coming out! It's call
Kit O'Connor & Madonna have been accused of queerbaiting. Why does it matter?
"i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. bye"
After being driven off Twitter following accusations of 'queerbaiting', 18-year-old Heartstopper actor, Kit Connor, returned to the platform last week to make this announcement.
His coming out forced us to ask questions about what queerbaiting actually is and if any one of us have a right to know a celebrity's sexuality (hint...we don't).
It's a juicy Queer Questions today my frien
Queer sex worker Tilly Lawless is still learning about sex
What can sex work teach you about your sexuality? Why don't more women hire sex workers? Are straight people more judgemental of sex workers than queer people? Tilly Lawless is a queer sex worker, a writer and the host of the latest season of the podcast 'Tall Tales & True' where she shares 7 sex workers' stories. Tilly identifies as queer and started sleeping with women in her teen years. She started sex work after realising how easy it was to sleep with men. Tilly sits down with Sean to di
Deni Todorović is rewriting the rules on fashion, gender & fitting in
'Love This For You' is the debut book from beloved friend of the podcast Deni Todorović.
Deni was the first ever guest on Come Out Wherever You Are. They shared their story of coming out twice: first as gay and then as non-binary. And now it's our turn to return the favour by telling you, our lovely listeners, about their book.
'Love This For You' is a powerful combination of self-development guide and memoir with practical activities to help you better understand yourself and rewrite your own r
"My life's not sad" - James Parr on losing a limb and what men on Grindr say when you have one leg
James Parr was diagnosed with cancer a week after he came out.
At the same time that James was exploring himself as an out, bisexual man, he was also figuring out what his life would look like if he lost a limb.
Now James takes pride in his disability and he will challenge anyone who tries to pity him or tell him that his life is "sad".
James shares with Sean about running away from home as a kid, coming to terms with his sexuality in a hyper-masculine regional town, how he's gained confidence i
Why do queers love Halloween?
It's Gay Christmas! 🎄🎃
To celebrate, Sean sits down with Sandy McIntyre to ask:
Why are queer people so obsessed with Halloween? Where did the term "Gay Christmas" come from? Is it easier to wear a dress on Halloween? What if I'm a man and I wear a dress on Halloween...and I like it?
And Sean & Sandy reveal what they'll be wearing this Halloween 👀
Follow Sandy on Instagram: @sandymcintyre
Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare
Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystu
An Intersex Q&A with Cody Smith
Today is Intersex Awareness Day!
It's no secret that intersex is one of the less represented and understood letters of the LGBTQIA+ alphabet, so this Intersex Awareness Day we've decided to bring in the big guns to ensure that all of us are a little bit more informed.
Sean sits down with Cody Smith, Senior Projects Officer at Intersex Human Rights Australia to help answer all of your questions.
If you wanted to know what intersex means, how common it is, if surgeries are currently legal in Austr
Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane: the first gay Hollywood love story 🌈❤️
Bros is the first gay rom-com ever made by a major studio AND the first movie at a major studio to star and be written by an openly gay man.
It's fun, it's flirty, it's camp and it's a very big deal.
Sean sits down with the stars of Bros, Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane, to talk about: including kids in gay love stories, portraying queer love and sex on a mainstream screen, an alternative opening line on Grindr to "hey what's up", and which Aussies they'd like to share a rom-com moment with.
Casey Dellacqua didn't want to be a queer tennis poster girl
Casey Dellacqua has always had her eyes on the prize. She wanted to be a world-class tennis player and represent her country in the Olympics one day. What she didn't want, was to be a poster girl for queer athletes around the world. She wanted it to be, justifiably, about her tennis. But then, the media noticed she was playing less even though she was ranked very high. They started to ask questions. The reason? She was at home with her partner, Amanda, who was pregnant with their first son. Case
Grindr has added a new sexual position option: side
Not top, not bottom, not verse, but side. Why does it matter? What does a side actually do? And is sex still sex without penetration? It's ya weekly Queer Question* from Sean Szeps' brain to your ears. *headphones recommended Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com If you want more information: Read Joe Kort's article about sides here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/guys-on-the-side-looking-beyond-gay-tops-and-bottoms_b_3
"There's receipts" - Matthew Backer on being typecast as the 'gay actor'
Should gay actors be hired to play gay roles? Since coming out in his 30's, Mathew's acting has improved and he's gotten more work. But despite his best efforts to play a variety of gay & straight roles, Matthew is still mostly cast as the gay character. When he misses out, the role will go to a straight actor. And he's been keeping the receipts. Matthew sits down with Sean to discuss: whose responsibility is it to create opportunities for LGBTQIA+ actors? What will a more diverse entertainm
"Stop asking lesbians how they have sex" - AMA with Emma Horn
We asked YOU to submit questions for a Lesbian-themed Ask Me Anything. You did, we vetted them and now we're sitting down with actor and creator, Emma Horn, who will do her best to answer them all for you - no matter how spicy (and slightly offensive) they get. We ease into it: How do I know if I'm a lesbian? How can I ask a colleague if she's a lesbian? Can I still be a lesbian if I don't like rock climbing? And then we turn up the heat: Who's the man in the relationship? Why is society more co
"I'm so lucky I get to be this person" - Milo Hartill loves being queer
The moment Milo Hartill realised she might like women was during a Halle Berry movie. And she's never felt bad about it. Milo's story is a modern coming out masterpiece: pride, acceptance, joy. But other people make assumptions based on Milo's sexuality simply because she is fat, black and "different". Sean & Milo get into it in this one: fatphobia, racism, body diversity, being a token, why bisexuals have it harder than others in the queer community, having a parent who doesn't accept your
Peppa Pig...an unlikely queer ally?
The kids' TV show Peppa Pig has introduced a lesbian couple. For some people, it's a long time coming. For others (cough cough the religious right) it's another sign that kids are being indoctrinated with a gay agenda. What's the big deal? What responsibility do parents have to introduce their kids to queer content? What responsibility do TV shows have to represent the world they exist in? Sean answers it all in today's ✨ Queer Question ✨ Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryo
How David Bradford tackled the Vietnam War and AIDS
We speak about the HIV/AIDS epidemic a lot like it's a mythical, historical event and not something that happened verrrrry recently.
David Bradford is a retired sexual health physician who was the Director of the Melbourne Communicable Diseases Centre when the first cases of HIV appeared in Melbourne in 1983.
David's story starts in 1941 in a religious family in the Blue Mountains and spans the Vietnam War, living, working & finding community in London, falling in love in Sydney, creating a
Dear bisexuals: I’m sorry
Today is Celebrate Bisexuality Day.
I don't need to tell you that bisexuals get the shit end of the stick in the LGBTQIA+ community.
They're the butt of the joke, stigmatised, fetishised, made fun of and not taken seriously.
And I've been a part of it.
So this Bi Week, I wanted to say I'm sorry.
Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare
Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com
Learn more about the Pew Research Centre studies
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-tren
"Mum's my everything" - the woman behind drag queen Art Simone
Art Simone has forged their own path in the drag world. These days you'll find her on tour for RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, but she has been perfecting her craft since high school. And it's all been possible thanks to the support (and a healthy dose of skepticism) from their Mum. Sean sits down with Art to find out: do you need to "come out" as a drag queen? Do drag queens just want to be women? And how do you tell your Mum that you want to drop out of uni to become a full-time drag queen? Fo
What's the Catholic Church up to now?
Last week the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s published 'Created and Loved: A guide for Catholic schools on identity and gender'.
It's a 12-page guide for principals, teachers and parish priests about how to work with young people in respect to their identity and gender.
The Catholic Church + advice on gender = a very anxious Sean.
We've read the guide so you don't have to.
What's it all about? Should I be worried? What can parents do to support their kids in Catholic schools?
Listen an
Rudy Jean Rigg on trans acceptance in sport
"We should be allowed to succeed and win” When Rudy Jean Rigg was at the height of their competitive badminton career, they made the decision to affirm their gender and transition. For Rudy, playing competitive sport and being trans sadly couldn't co-exist at the same time. At least not a few years ago. But what if they could now? In this riveting episode, Sean speaks with queer, non-binary, trans-masculine legend Rudy Jean Rigg about the future they want for transgender people in sport. We cove
Can you be non-binary and straight? with Sandy McIntyre
It's our very first Ask Me Anything episode. And we're doing it with our non-binary hero, Sandy McIntyre. We start off easy: What's the difference between non-binary, gender non-conforming and genderqueer? Does everyone use they/them pronouns? Should I choose gender-neutral names for my kids? And then we turn up the heat and throw in some 🌶 spicy 🌶 questions! Is calling yourself non-binary just a phase young people are doing to rebel? Can't you just remain a man and wear a dress? Is it harde
Yvonne Sillett was forced out of the army for being a lesbian
Imagine you're a young girl dreaming of serving in the Australian Army. Then, it becomes your reality. You have your dream job now. And a few years into your service, you fall in love with one of your colleagues. Harmless, really. Except... it's the 1970's. And that colleague is another woman.
This was the reality for Yvonne Sillett who served in the Corps of Signals in the Australian Army for 10 years before she was forced out due to her sexuality.
On today's episode, Yvonne talks with Sean abo
Why is everyone talking about Singapore?
Singapore is repealing its controversial 377A gay sex law. But it's not all good news. Because at the exact same time, the government is making it impossible for same-sex partners to marry by amending their constitution. One step forward, two steps back. What is Section 377A? Why is it being repealed? What do Singaporeans think about it? And what does this constitutional amendment mean for same-sex partners who want to marry? We'll answer those questions (and many more) in today's episode of Que
Don't put Katie Williams in a box
If you're a woman who's in a relationship with a woman, people call you a lesbian. If you're a woman who dates men and women, people call you bisexual.
But what if you don't feel like either?
Trainer, podcast host and former beach sprinting Junior World Champion, Katie Williams, came out with her girlfriend Georgia in 2021. But even though she's a woman in a relationship with another woman, she doesn't want your labels.
Katie sits down with Sean to share about exploring her sexuality in secret,
Is Monkeypox a gay disease?
Monkeypox is here and we need to talk about it.
For our inaugural Queer Questions episode, Sean asks if Monkeypox (a virus that is mostly affecting men who have sex with men) is a gay disease?
What is Monkeypox? Why are gay men being infected? What can be done about it? What can we learn from HIV/AIDS? And is it ever okay to tell gay men to stop having sex?
Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare
Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com
If you want more informat
Come Out Wherever You Are is back! 🌈
We're here, we're queer and we're finally BACK to regular publishing!
Things will look a little bit different this season. Not only will we be in your podcast feed every Wednesday sharing coming out stories from members of the LGBTQIA+ community...
But we're introducing a second episode each week. Every Friday, we'll be answering your Queer Questions. You know, things like what does this certain word mean? What's the history behind the rainbow flag? Or how do I ask my boss to use different prono
New episodes coming soon! 🌈
We're taking a little break to record new episodes and we want to hear from you!
Is there someone you want to hear from in the next season of Come Out Wherever You Are?
Slide into our DMs on Instagram @comeoutwhereveryou are or email us at comeouttous@gmail.com.
Chat soon 💙
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There's nothing funny about Samantha Andrew's coming out story
What happens when everyone in your life totally supports you coming out?
It never occurred to comedian and content creator, Samantha Andrew, that being queer could be a bad thing, because everyone in her life loved and supported her so strongly.
But regardless of how proud you are to be queer, the rest of the world can still be homophobic towards you, which Samantha discovered when she started exploring her sexuality.
In this episode, Samantha shares with host Sean Szeps about finding comfort an
What does it mean to be intersex? with Mari Wrobi
Intersex is the 'I' in the LGBTQIA+ alphabet. It's estimated that there are more intersex people in the world than people with red hair but it's one of the most misunderstood parts of the community.
Mari Wrobi is an intersex educator and advocate based in Sacramento, California. They discovered they were intersex in their late teens after they'd already come out as trans years earlier. Since discovering they were intersex, Mari has devoted themselves to educating people within and outside the LG
Louis Hanson loves being gay
Coming out isn't always easy but being gay can be a source of pride and joy for so many in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Louis Hanson is one of Australia's most well-known and beloved queer content creators but growing up, he knew gay = bad. To convince others he was straight, he forced himself to abandon any hobbies or traits that would give him away as gay.
In this episode, Louis shares with host Sean Szeps about how he hid himself as a teenager, living through a 'second adolescence' after high scho
Liam Cooper was outed as bisexual on national TV
Almost everyone in Liam Cooper's life found out he was bisexual when he was outed on Married At First Sight Australia.
Liam was open to producers about being bisexual before appearing on the show, but he expected to come out on his own terms, not forced to come out at his own wedding ceremony to his brand new wife Georgia.
Since leaving the show, Liam has started a relationship with fellow MAFS contestant Samuel Levi and now he cops criticism that he's "been gay all along" from people who don't
"Never again" - Christian Hull on becoming an accidental advocate
What does it take to be an advocate for your community?
In January, students at Brisbane's Citipointe Christian College were forced to sign homophobic and transphobic contracts as a condition of their enrolment. When comedian Christian Hull found out, he asked his audience to sign a petition asking the school to withdraw the contract and he unintentionally became the spokesperson for the campaign.
Christian received thousands of messages over the course of a few days and was interviewed by news
Rod Jones went to conversion therapy
Coming out to your religious family is hard. Going to conversion therapy and then not speaking to them for 10 years is even harder.
Rod Jones, one part of the famous Australian Amazing Race duo Tim & Rod, came out to his family in high school. He was raised in a staunch Christian environment, where being gay was a sin that landed you in Hell, so it wasn't a complete shock that he was sent to conversation therapy.
But when therapy didn't work, Rod had to come out again years later
Kath Ebbs used homophobia as a defence before coming out
If you know you're different, but you don't want anyone else to notice, what do you do? When Kath Ebbs was growing up and coming to terms with their sexuality and gender, they used homophobia and transphobia as a defence to try and convince others they were straight.
Kath grew up in a Catholic house and school. They didn't know what the LGBT acronym stood for but they did know when they made out with their female friends at parties, they liked it. They also knew it was wrong.
In this episode, Ka
Going back in the closet taught Khanh Ong survival skills
Is going back in the closet and hiding your full self always a bad thing?
At various times in Khanh Ong's life, he's been forced to change his personality to fit in. As a teenager at a new school and even during his first season of Masterchef, Khanh acted as the type of gay man he thought he "should" be. Though it may sound sad, this self-awareness and ability to mould himself to different environments has given Khanh opportunities he might've missed out on, which assisted him in dominating on S
Allira Potter is attracted to energy not gender
How do you put a label on a sexuality that doesn't have a name? Allira Potter is a manifestation and spiritual coach and author. Allira was married to a man in her early 20's but has dated both men and women since separating from her husband in her late 20's. To people who don't get it, Allira says she is bisexual, but to everyone else, she says she is attracted to peoples' energy. In this episode, Allira shares with Sean about exploring her sexuality in her late 20's when everyone expected he
Millie Poutama doesn't believe in coming out
If you spend most of your time with other queer people, do you ever need to come out? Millie Poutama has dated women since she was a teenager but doesn't think she should have to come out. Millie believes queer people come out for the benefit of straight people, so by surrounding herself with an open and supportive queer community, she doesn't feel the need to label herself. But Millie also acknowledges that not needing to come out is a privilege that not everyone in the LGBQTIA+ community can
Abbie Chatfield is still queer even if she never dates a woman
Who gets to decide if you're queer 'enough' to use the label?
Abbie Chatfield came out publicly as bisexual in 2020 and came out as queer earlier this year. Despite publicly sharing stories of her sexual experiences with women, Abbie is regularly told she's not queer enough to use the label because she's never been in relationship with a woman.
In this episode, Abbie sits down with Sean to discuss why it's easier for her to date men, the pressure of figuring out her sexuality with the whole coun
Jeff van de Zandt went to church twice a week before coming out as gay
If you grow up in a religious family who believed being gay made you sick, where would you find the confidence to come out?
Jeff van de Zandt is a Melbourne-based, Dutch-Filipino content creator and creative art director. These days Jeff is one of Australia's most popular TikTok creators, but when Jeff was growing up in Canberra in the 90's, there was one gay nightclub in the city and the only gay people he knew were his sister's housemates, who he would only see when his family travelled to Syd
There's more to Brooke Blurton than what you see on TV
What does it take to try and find love on national television, not just once, but three times?
Brooke Blurton made TV history this year when she became the world's first openly bisexual Bachelorette. Not only was she representing the LGBTQIA+ community, but she also had the pressure of being the world's first Indigenous Bachelorette too. If that sounds like a lot of pressure...it is!
In this episode, Brooke shares with Sean about carrying the expectations of the different communities she r
Matt Hey (@alrighthey) is confident with himself…even when others aren’t
When you come out as gay, how long do you have to wait until you can expect other people to be okay with it? Matt Hey is @alrighthey, TikTok superstar, drag queen and Australia's biggest glamazon. Matt has known he was gay since he was three years old but he didn’t come out until high school when he started to feel confident in his sexuality. Through coming out, Matt has learned to practice patience and compassion with people who take time to understand and accept his sexuality. In this episode,
AJ Clementine is helping change the transgender narrative one TikTok at a time
If you're transgender and people don't know, do you need to tell them? After decades of the media portraying transgender people in a negative light, AJ Clementine is part of a new generation of young Australian transgender content creators changing that narrative. By sharing her transition journey and her life as a young model and advocate, AJ and her friends are showing the world just how beautiful their lived experience can be. In this episode, AJ sits down with Sean to talk about the moment s
Shane Jenek explores his gender as drag queen Courtney Act
If you're a drag queen...where does the performance end and real life start?
Courtney Act is Australia's most well-known drag queen, a singer, author and TV presenter. Underneath the hair and makeup, Courtney is Shane Jenek.
Performing as Courtney Act has given Shane permission to explore his gender and challenge what we think about masculinity.
In this episode Shane shares with Sean about growing up in Brisbane in the 80s, what happened when he texted "I am gay" to his Mum, exploring his
Josh Szeps is married to a man…but he’s not gay
Does everyone need to give their sexuality a label?
Josh Szeps is a journalist and broadcaster who has been coming out regularly from the early 2000s to, well, yesterday.
Josh had been in relationships with men and women prior to meeting and marrying Sean. Although they're married, Josh doesn't call himself gay. In fact, he doesn't call himself anything.
In this episode Josh and Sean discuss why Josh avoids labelling his sexuality, coming out to each other throughout the course of th
“What is asexuality?” with David Jay
How do you have relationships if you're not interested in having sex with your partner?
David Jay is an asexual advocate and founder of the Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN) who last came out to a colleague.
Growing up, David watched his friends develop crushes and get into relationships and he waited for the desire to do the same. When these feelings never materialised, David began to imagine what his life would look like if he lived openly as an asexual person.
He founded the A
Grace Hyland was born in the wrong body
What do you if your gender doesn't match the body you were born into? Grace Hyland is a content creator who last came out on TikTok when she posted a photo of herself as a kid before she'd started transitioning. Grace was 4 years old when she realised she was born into the wrong body. She discovered a world of trans content creators on YouTube who helped her come to terms with her identity before she came out and began transitioning in her early teens. Now Grace is creating a space online where
Patricia Karvelas reported on marriage equality as a queer woman
What do you do when you report the news and your rights are being debated in the news?
Patricia Karvelas is one of Australia's most well known journalists who last came out to a sales assistant who incorrectly assumed she was shopping for her husband.
When Patricia started coming out as a young person, people told her she'd be in for a "hard life". But as she's grown up, Patricia has seen Australian society change to become a place where her family is surrounded by a supportive and accepting com
Jacob Stanley grew up wishing he wasn’t gay
Are all coming out stories... bad? Not this one. Jacob Stanley is the co-host of Australia's number one entertainment podcast Just The Gist. Growing up, everyone in Jacob's life told him he was gay, so it didn't surprise anyone when he began coming out during high school and in his early 20's. But despite coming out to overwhelming support from his family and friends, Jacob still spent his younger years wishing he wasn't the thing he knew himself to be. In this episode Jacob shares with Sean ab
Kirra Hampson came out as pansexual at 14 years old
How is it possible that a 14-year-old can understand and then publicly announce - to an entire school assembly - that they are pansexual? Actually, let's back up... what's pansexuality? Kirra Hampson is a content creator who last came out during an online film course. As a young person on the internet in the mid 2000's, Kirra spent a lot of time on Tumblr. It was here she discovered the word 'pansexual' and found a name for feelings she wasn't able to articulate. Six months later, she came out t
Sophie Cachia is “sexually bisexual but emotionally gay”
What would you do if your wife and mother to your children told you she liked women?
Sophie Cachia is a businesswoman who last came out to a sales assistant while buying underwear for her (female) partner.
Growing up Sophie was never the girl who kissed other girls at parties for fun. Until a few years ago she was happily married to man, until a surprise attraction to another woman lead her to discover a new side to herself that she didn't know existed.
These days Sophie describes herself
Deni Todorovič came out as non-binary to religious parents
How would a religious parent respond to their child coming out as gay? And then coming out again as non-binary later in life?
Deni Todorovič is an activist and a content creator who comes out as queer and non-binary most days.
Deni has known they were gay since early childhood when they would kiss a poster of ‘90210’ star Brian Austin Green alone in their bedroom. But growing up in a religious, Serbian family in Geelong in the 90’s meant Deni didn’t know any gay peo
Come Out Wherever You Are with Sean Szeps - Trailer
Come Out Wherever You Are is a podcast about the coming out experience, told by the people who’ve done it.
Host Sean Szeps is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. In each episode he speaks with guests across the gender and sexual spectrum to learn about their unique experiences and understand what it’s like to come out for the first time (and every time after that).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.