It’s all about community on the Virgin Radio Pridecast this week!

Virgin Radio

6 May 2022, 13:09

This week on the Virgin Radio Pridecast, Alex Milsom and Shivani Dave are taking a look at the benefits that LGBTQ+ people can take from being part of a community, as well as some of the downsides that community can bring… 

They’ll hear from author Lo Shearing, who spoke to Matt Cain on his Sunday Roast on Virgin Radio Pride about the shared sense of experience which those in the community have: 

"There’s a marked difference between going on a date with a straight man and going on a date with a queer person, because with the queer people, especially with women, as soon as you meet, you have that kind of shared connection and shared experience, even if it’s just something as simple as 'when did you come out?' or 'what did your parents think?'... Whereas with straight men, I find it a lot harder sometimes… I have to work a bit more to find that common ground - it’s not built in…"

They’ll also hear from historian Dan Vo on the benefits of having a sense of outsider perspective which comes with being part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as Monty Moncrieff MBE from wellbeing charity London Friend on the importance of being able to socialise with other members of the community… 

But - despite the importance of being part of this community - there are some downsides - including the in-fighting which takes place, often online. Alex and Shivani will be discussing this, hearing from author Laura Kay on why she thinks that some of this in-fighting takes place, as well as Tik Tok inclusivity educator Benjy Kusi on his ‘Call Out/Call In’ method for dealing with criticism from within the LGBTQ+ community: 

"Something that I like to say is that there’s a difference between calling ‘out’ someone, and calling ‘in’ someone… And I think that I’m more likely to call ‘out’ someone outside of our community for saying something, whilst if someone is in our community, I’ll call them ‘in’ - and that’s in a more sensitive way…"

All of that - plus Daryl Jackson will be here as usual with his Virgin Radio Pride Weekly Update!

You can listen to the latest episode from 5pm today (6th April) here. 

The Virgin Radio Pridecast is a weekly look back through the archives of Virgin Radio Pride, our fabulous three-month pop-up radio station which ran last summer. Each week, Alex Milsom and Shivani Dave re-live some of the best moments, as well as attempting to continue the great conversations that Virgin Radio Pride started. There are entertaining guests, jaw-dropping stories, and of course loads of the laugh out loud moments and insightful, important discussions which made Virgin Radio Pride so special…