QueerAF is a British online

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

and

newsletter A newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of ...

covering

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

topics. The podcast was created by Jamie Wareham in June 2016 and has won multiple awards since its inception. The organization formally incorporated as a

Community Interest Company A community interest company (CIC, pronounced "see-eye-see", or colloquially, "kick") is a form of social enterprise in the United Kingdom intended "for people wishing to establish businesses which trade with a social purpose..., or to carry on ...

in 2021, dedicating its assets to support the

LGBTQ community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individu ...

Podcast

The first episode of the ''QueerAF'' podcast aired on 20 June 2016 with creator Jamie Wareham and Hatti Smart hosting transgender activist Charlie Craggs. At its creation, the podcast ran as the ''National Student Pride podcast''. The podcast changed its name after four seasons which ran from 2016-2020 to the now current name QueerAF for its fifth season that started in 2024 and being hosted by

Acast Acast is a Sweden, Swedish-founded startup company, company that provides hosting, monetization and growth support for podcasts, and podcast advertising solutions for brands and media agencies. Launching in 2014, it developed a dynamic insertion ...

. The podcast has received a series of awards and recognitions since its inception for its coverage on LGBTQ topics.

Spin-off podcasts

What The Pox?

In 2022, QueerAF published a special series called ''What The Pox'' discussing

Monkeypox Mpox (, ; formerly known as monkeypox) is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and lymphadenopathy, swollen lymph nodes. The illness ...

, hosted by British Commedian Martin Joseph who detailed his own experience of contracting it. The podcast was recognized by the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

in its efforts to help raise awareness for Monkeypox.

The Other Blue Pill

In May 2024, QueerAF launched a special series spin-off podcast titled ''The Other Blue Pill'', in reference to the color of the common

Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, commonly known as PrEP, is the use of antiviral drugs as a strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS by people that do not have HIV/AIDS. PrEP is one of a number of HIV prevention strategies for people ...

(PrEP) pill. The podcast discusses the history of

HIV prevention HIV prevention refers to practices that aim to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV prevention practices may be undertaken by individuals to protect their own health and the health of those in their community, or may ...

in the UK. The series is hosted by Phil Samba and was released as six episodes between May 2024 and July 2024, with a seventh special live episode that aired in September 2024.

Organization and online newsletter

The organization incorporated as a

in 2021, dedicating its assets to the public interest supporting the

, with founder Jamie Wareham acting as its director. Through the incorporation, QueerAF is funding emerging and underrepresented queer creatives, and support them as their careers grow and launched its weekly newsletter in addition to the existing podcast. QueerAF formed a partnership with ''Inclusive Journalism Cymru'' in July 2023 to commission articles for QueerAF's newsletter and support LGBTQ writers in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

through mentorship and publishing of commissioned newsletter articles.

Trans+ History Week

In May 2024, QueerAF started the first ''Trans+ History Week'', observed for the week of 6 May 2024 – 12 May 2024 to celebrate the history of

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

gender-nonconforming Gender nonconformity or gender variance is gender expression by an individual whose behavior, mannerisms, and/or appearance does not match masculine or feminine gender norms. A person can be gender-nonconforming regardless of their gender identit ...

, and

intersex Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...

people. The organization hosted billboards across the UK with the slogan "Always been here. Always will be." Marty Davies, the founder of Trans+ History Week, told Pink News they got the idea after learning about the

Nazi book burnings The Nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the German Student Union (, ''DSt'') to ceremonially Book burning, burn books in Nazi Germany and First Austrian Republic, Austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed ...

that targeted trans texts on 6 May 1933 after a raid on the

Institut für Sexualwissenschaft The (Institute for Sexual Science) was an early private sexology research institute in Germany from 1919 to 1933. The name is variously translated as Institute for Sexual Research, Institute of Sexology, Institute for Sexology, or Institute f ...

in Berlin. Along with banners and online promotions, the organization released a series of educational materials on their website on

transgender history Accounts of transgender people (including non-binary and third gender people) have been uncertainly identified going back to ancient times in cultures worldwide. The modern terms and meanings of ''transgender'', ''gender'', ''gender identity'' ...

Awards and recognitions

Awards

* In 2020, the QueerAF podcast was a bronze winner for the ''Moment Of The Year'' category of the

British Podcast Awards The British Podcast Awards is an annual awards ceremony intended to celebrate outstanding content within the British podcast scene. The British Podcast Awards is owned and operated by Haymarket Media Group, which also owns several media businesse ...

. * In 2021, QueerAF was shortlisted for an ''Impact Award'' by the British

Audio and Radio Industry Awards Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound *Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound * Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum *Digital audio, representation of soun ...

. * In 2022, QueerAF won an award for ''Best Equalities publication'' by the British Independent Media Association.

Recognitions

* In 2020, the podcast was featured in a list by the British

Attitude Attitude or Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind ** Attitude change * Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition Science and technology * Orientation ...

magazine titled "The best LGBTQ, gay and queer podcasts to listen to during #Queerantine". * In 2021, the podcast was featured in a list of "10 LGBTQ Podcasts For Anyone Who's Currently The Q (Questioning) In LGBTQ" by

Buzzfeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...

. * In 2022, the podcast was featured in a list of "13 LGBTQ Podcasts You Should Be Listening To" by

PR Newswire PR Newswire is a distributor of press releases headquartered in Chicago. The service was created in 1954 to allow companies to electronically send press releases to news organizations, using teleprinters at first. The founder, Herbert Muschel, ...

. * In 2024, the QueerAF podcast was recognizes by

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

as one best LGBTQ podcasts to listen to.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:QueerAF 2016 podcast debuts Audio podcasts Internet properties established in 2016 LGBTQ-related podcasts LGBTQ-related websites