Living OUT Loud with Michele Flamer is a space for courage, truth, and belonging. The podcast celebrates Queer voices and the people in our communities who are living out loud with intention. Each episode lifts up authentic stories of self-discovery, purpose, and the moments that shaped who we become.
Michele welcomes a wide range of guests who are opening doors and extending their hearts. From everyday heroes to community organizers, from artists and authors to politicians and advocates, these conversations honor the resilience and bravery found in Queer communities across the country. Together, they explore what it means to lead with vulnerability, to create connection, and to stand firmly in our truth.
Through honest conversation, curiosity, and compassion, Michele invites listeners to reflect on their own stories and the power of showing up as their whole selves.
Because when we live out loud, we create space for others to do the same. Thanks for listening and sharing.
Stay Loud and Stay Proud!
Michele
Living OUT Loud with Michele Flamer is a space for courage, truth, and belonging. The podcast celebrates Queer voices and the people in our communities who are living out loud with intention. Each episode lifts up authentic stories of self-discovery, purpose, and the moments that shaped who we become.
Michele welcomes a wide range of guests who are opening doors and extending their hearts. From everyday heroes to community organizers, from artists and authors to politicians and advocates, these conversations honor the resilience and bravery found in Queer communities across the country. Together, they explore what it means to lead with vulnerability, to create connection, and to stand firmly in our truth.
Through honest conversation, curiosity, and compassion, Michele invites listeners to reflect on their own stories and the power of showing up as their whole selves.
Because when we live out loud, we create space for others to do the same. Thanks for listening and sharing.
Stay Loud and Stay Proud!
Michele
Loved meeting Lori Gatto via TikTok, and her messaging is raw and honest.
The conversation covers a range of themes, including acceptance, authenticity, family dynamics, professional journey, child advocacy, consulting role at the Obama Foundation, supporting a transgender child, personal evolution, advocacy, legacy, and living out loud. Each chapter delves into the guest's experiences, insights, and perspectives, providing a comprehensive exploration of the themes.
Takeaways
Chapters
Franco Stevens, the visionary founder of Curve magazine, shares her coming out story, the challenges she faced, the origin story of Curve magazine, the risks and visibility associated with queer media, the behind-the-scenes of Curve magazine, the preservation of queer women's history, and the creation of positive change through the Curve Foundation. The conversation covers the evolution of queer terminology, the power of unity in the LGBTQ+ community, the importance of standing together, and the significance of identity and respect. It also delves into community needs, magazine nostalgia, and the concept of living out loud.
Takeaways
Curve Foundation website - donate or sponsor with Curve for Lesbian Visibility week.
Amazing Lesbian Magazine - Curve Mag
Chapters
Welcome back to Living OUT Loud. This conversation delves into the courageous coming-out stories of Karla Eduvia and Sandra Tomasovic, highlighting their journey of self-acceptance and love. It also explores the building of a strong and resilient relationship, emphasizing the qualities and practices that have contributed to its stability and depth. The conversation delves into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the modeling industry, highlighting the resilience and empowerment experienced by the speakers.
Connect with them to join Club Solaris.
Find them both on Instagram: Karla + Sandra
Takeaways
Chapters
The conversation with Rick McCartney covers his personal journey, community involvement, childhood experiences, coming out journey, parental influence, youth mentorship, and his decision to run for Congress. Rick's commitment to community empowerment and his personal experiences shape his vision for leadership and advocacy. The conversation with Rick McCartney covers a wide range of topics, including building policies for Americans, engaging with potential congressmen, addressing affordability issues, empowering districts through redistricting, engaging with members of Congress, and addressing immigration and healthcare concerns. The campaign's focus on youth engagement and empowerment, as well as the involvement of marginalized communities, is evident throughout the discussion.
Website to keep up to date with his campaign.
Takeaways
Chapters
This week, Michele sits down with actress and real-life ray of sunshine Brianna Oppenheimer — a woman whose journey is as bold, unpredictable, and joy-filled as her signature on-screen laugh.
Brianna’s story begins at the legendary New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the same training ground that shaped icons like Harry Connick Jr. and Anthony Mackie. From there, she explored the worlds of musical theater, Stella Adler technique, and improv comedy at The Groundlings before landing in Los Angeles where in true Brianna fashion, she once showed up to an audition on the wrong day... and still booked the role.
She’s starred in films like Midnite Cabby and 20 Pounds to Happiness, earned a Best Supporting Actress award for Honey Pot, and continues to bring heart, humor, and flamboyant laughter to every project she touches.
But Brianna isn’t just an actress, she’s also a passionate protector of our planet. Brianna brings the same level of intention and love to the Earth that she brings to her craft and her marriage with her wife, Jess.
In this conversation, Michele and Brianna explore art, love, environmental stewardship, queer joy, and the courage it takes to keep becoming.
In this episode of Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with Audrey Corley, one of the most influential voices shaping queer culture and women’s sports in Phoenix. Audrey is the owner of Boycott Bar, the city’s last remaining lesbian bar, and the co founder of Title 9 Sports Bar, the Valley’s first women focused sports bar, and Dahlia restaurant in Central Phoenix. Her work is rooted in community, courage, and a deep belief that everyone deserves a place to belong.
Together, Michele and Audrey explore the journey from opening a single neighborhood bar to building multiple spaces that celebrate identity, connection, and the power of women’s athletics. Audrey shares what inspired her to create these safe havens, the challenges she has faced as a queer business owner, and the moments that continue to remind her why this work matters.
This conversation is thoughtful, honest, and filled with the kind of heart that defines Living OUT Loud. It honors a woman who is changing the game, both literally and figuratively, while staying grounded in purpose and generosity.
Tune in for a celebration of resilience, leadership, community, and the unstoppable spirit of women who build with intention and love.
Thanks for listening and please share to a friend.
Stay Loud + Stay Proud!
Michele
Today on Living OUT Loud, we’re joined by someone whose work and voice are making powerful waves in both advocacy and authenticity — Jarred Keller, Senior Press Secretary at the Human Rights Campaign and a passionate mental health advocate.
Jarred has built a platform rooted in truth-telling, using his own story to spark conversations about healing, identity, and the importance of showing up as our full selves. Under Kelley Robinson’s leadership at HRC, Jarred is helping shape a new era of communication; one that centers intersectionality, wellness, and visibility for every member of our community. I’m so excited to explore the heart behind his work, the courage it takes to live boldly, and the light he brings to the movement for equality and belonging.
You can find Jarred on LinkedIn
He's simply put, a "class act."
Thanks for listening! Sharing is caring.
Stay Loud and Stay Proud!
Michele
#livingOUTloudpodcast #queercommunity #Podcaster #HRC #trans
On this week’s episode of Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with her longtime friend and radiant storyteller, Jimmy Belasco is a man whose humor runs deep, whose heart runs deeper, and whose new memoir, I Was Born “Pretty,”reminds us that healing often arrives wrapped in laughter.
Jimmy invites us into the Belasco Bunch: a preacher dad, a hilariously inappropriate mom, five kids, and a dog named Spot who “went to live on a farm” long before any of them realized what that really meant. It was a home soaked in faith, contradiction, chaos, and unconditional love. But sometimes that means that it shapes you in ways you only understand years later. (Anyone else relate?)
Through stories of growing up queer in an ultra-conservative family, navigating love and loss, and finding his truest self later in life, Jimmy shows us how humor becomes a lifeline, how grief can carve you open in strangely beautiful ways, and how a mother’s pearls of wisdom can lead you back to your own heart.
This conversation is tender, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny. The kind that feels like sitting at the kitchen table with someone who tells the truth without flinching.
Together, Michele and Jimmy explore what it really means to live with courage, to love with your whole chest, and to step fully into your own light.
Most of all, Jimmy reminds us that living OUT loud is not about perfection; it’s about presence, truth, and choosing love over fear every single time.
This is an episode for anyone who’s ever lost someone, loved someone, or tried to figure out who they are in a world determined to tell them otherwise.
Tune in… and bring a tissue. And maybe a giggle.
Thank you again for listening... and share with one friend who could use some of this in their life.
Stay Loud + Stay Proud!
Michele
This week on Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with someone who’s not just a guest, she’s chosen family. Jax Diener, the visionary behind Watch Me Sports Bar in Long Beach, joins Michele for an honest and heartfelt conversation about courage, community, and creating spaces where everyone feels at home.
Birthday twins and friends for over 30 years, Michele and Jax share memories, laughter, and reflections that go far beyond business ownership. Together, they explore what it means to build something from the ground up, to be seen when you’ve been underestimated, and to lead with heart in a world that’s still learning to celebrate women and queer joy out loud.
Tune in for:
Grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and get ready to be inspired.
Go visit Watch Me Sportsbar
Follow along on Instagram
Thanks for listening, y'all! Sharing is caring!
Michele
Hot theme: Divorce Like a Boss — Finding Wholeness on the Other Side with Diana Romanov
💫 This week on Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with Diana Romanov, an international family law attorney, author, and heart-forward advocate whose story spans continents and transformations. Born in Kyiv, shaped in Germany, and now guiding families through change in California, Diana brings wisdom that blends intellect with deep empathy.
In this conversation, Michele and Diana explore what it means to begin again after heartbreak, after identity shifts, after life doesn’t go as planned. They dive into Diana’s book, "Divorce Like a Boss," a roadmap for reclaiming power and peace during life’s most challenging transitions. Together, they unpack resilience, forgiveness, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild.
Ms. Romanov has been a resident of San Francisco since 2009. She was born in Kyiv and lived there until the age of 15, when she moved with her family to Germany. Living in such diverse places has given Ms. Romanov an understanding of different cultures that enables her to thoughtfully practice law and be more connected with each of her clients.
From stories of cross-cultural roots to insights on love, language, and legacy, this episode reminds us that starting over isn’t a failure — it’s an act of grace.
☕ Tune in for heartfelt wisdom, laughter, and a few soulful, rapid-fire moments that will leave you reflecting long after the episode ends.
🎙️ Living OUT Loud with Michele Flamer — where conversation feels like connection, not interrogation.
Follow Diana:
If you live in CA, you can book an appointment online: https://romanovskalaw.as.me
You can purchase her "Divorce Like a Boss" book: https://dianaromanov.com
Facebook: familylawcalifornia
Instagram: divorce_like_a_boss
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Diana-Romanov
Thanks for listening!! Don't forget, sharing is caring.
Stay loud and stay proud!
Michele
Finding Hope on the Trail with Hannah Dixon of The Iron Wolf Project
When loss cracked her world open, Hannah Petersen laced up her hiking boots and began to heal — one trail, one breath, one wolf-painted rock at a time. What began as a personal journey to honor her brother’s memory has grown into The Iron Wolf Project, a movement that invites others to explore the beauty of Utah and rediscover their own strength in nature.
In this deeply moving conversation, Michele talks with Hannah about how grief transformed into purpose, how nature became her greatest teacher, and how a simple message painted on a rock can ripple hope into the lives of strangers.
From quiet mountain mornings to life-changing Ironman training, this episode is about resilience, the sacredness of movement, and finding connection in unexpected places.
Stay tuned until the end for a fun round of rapid-fire questions too.
Find Hannah on Tik Tok and message her there.
Stay loud and proud,
Michele
In this week’s bonus episode of Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with her dear friend Danielle, a proud Arizona Lillie who is courageously navigating what it means to come out later in life.
Danielle’s story is one of self-discovery, honesty, and heart. Still married and raising two kids, she opens up about what it feels like to begin exploring her truth after building a life that once felt certain. Together, Michele and Danielle talk about the confusion that can come with realizing new parts of yourself later in life — the beauty, the heartbreak, and the unexpected peace that follows when you finally stop hiding from your own light.
This conversation is tender, brave, and full of grace — a reminder that it’s never too late to come home to yourself.
Thanks for listening!
You can connect with Danielle through her TikTok account.
Stay loud and proud,
Michele
In this episode of Living OUT Loud, Michele sits down with intimacy coach Whitni Miller, founder of BDE Moves, to explore how queer couples can reconnect, communicate, and rediscover pleasure in deeper, more embodied ways.
Whitni opens up about her journey from corporate life to coaching, what true self-acceptance looks like inside relationships, and why safety and communication are the real foundations of intimacy. Together, we unpack shame, desire, and the myths that keep us from fully inhabiting our pleasure.
Whether you’re in a relationship, healing from one, or learning to feel at home in your body, this conversation will leave you inspired to show up more authentically—in the bedroom and beyond.
Find Whitni on Instagram
Work with Whitni: website
Stay proud and loud,
Michele
In this deeply personal and vulnerable episode, Michele shares her coming out story not as a single defining moment, but as a gentle return to her truest self. From college tennis courts and unexpected “girls’ nights” to family conversations filled with grace and redemption, this story explores what it means to belong to yourself after years of trying to keep the peace.
Through memories of love, loss, and healing, Michele reflects on how silence can feel like safety until it starts to suffocate you, and how real freedom begins when you stop abandoning your truth.
This episode invites anyone to navigate their “in-between” space between knowing and saying, between fear and authenticity.
Because coming out isn’t just about who you love. It’s about choosing to live out loud, again and again.
💜 Your truth isn’t too much. Your timing isn’t too late. And your love, in every form, is holy.
Thanks for listening, and please share this episode if you feel it might resonate with your friends or family.
Live Loud!
Michele
In this first solo episode, Michele opens a brand-new chapter of the podcast and one that is filled with gratitude, reflection, and excitement for what’s ahead.
After 106 co-hosting episodes with River and creating meaningful conversations, Michele shares what Living OUT Loud will look like moving forward. This new season is about evolving, staying true to what lights us up, and exploring stories that inspire authenticity, connection, and queerness.
Michele also shares a special update that her kid has agreed to record a new intro and outro for the show, adding an extra layer of heart and love to this next chapter.
Join Michele as she reflects on the journey so far, honors River’s impact, and invites listeners into a space that celebrates the beauty of growth, gratitude, and living fully.
Tune in and stay close, and the best is yet to come.
What happens when you start to evolve — and realize you don’t quite fit into your old life anymore? In this solo episode, Michele explores the tender process of outgrowing the person you once were. She unpacks the quiet grief that comes with change, the in-between space where everything feels uncertain, and the beauty of creating room for your next chapter to unfold.
This episode is an invitation to honor who you’ve been, trust who you’re becoming, and find peace in the space between.
✨ Listen in to learn:
Why growth can feel like grief
How to honor past versions of yourself with love, not shame
What it means to celebrate the new space you’re stepping into
It’s time to stop apologizing for your evolution — and start trusting the person you’re growing into. 💛
Journal prompts:
Who am I becoming?
What am I ready to release?
What would it look like to honor the person I’ve been — while fully stepping into who I’m meant to be?
Thanks for listening, you all!
Michele + River
In this week’s episode of Live OUT Loud, Michele and River dive into the power of non-negotiables — those deeply personal standards that define how we live, love, and show up for ourselves every day.
Together, they explore what it really means to know your non-negotiables — not as rigid rules, but as sacred promises to yourself. From emotional integrity and kindness to protecting your peace and honoring growth, Michele shares how these values show up in her everyday life — in the quiet moments, the hard choices, and the spaces in between.
This episode is an invitation to pause and ask yourself: What are the things you will no longer compromise? What boundaries keep you aligned, authentic, and whole?
Because living out loud isn’t about being loud at all — it’s about being clear. Clear on who you are, what matters most, and how you want to move through the world.
Key Themes:
Defining non-negotiables as acts of self-respect
Rebuilding trust with yourself after crossing your own boundaries
Finding calm and clarity through emotional integrity
Turning your values into daily habits
Living your truth with grace and compassion
Perfect for: Anyone craving more alignment, peace, and authenticity in their life — and ready to live out loud, on their own terms.
Thanks for listening y'all!
Michele + River
In this episode of Live OUT Loud, Michele + River explore the power of solo dates, and why taking yourself out, treating yourself, and enjoying your own company is just as important when you’re single as it is when you’re in a relationship. We’ll talk about how carving out intentional time for yourself can spark creativity, deepen self-love, and actually strengthen your relationships with others.
Whether it’s a quiet coffee shop morning, a dinner for one, or a spontaneous adventure, solo dates remind us that our own company is not just enough—it’s essential. Tune in for inspiration, ideas, and a reminder that your soul deserves your attention.
Found this solo date article. Hope you enjoy.
"I’ve discovered that going on a solo date can be beneficial for anyone. Dr Natalie V Bailey, a psychologist based in London, agrees that spending quality time alone can be a valuable tool in our mental health kit. “Solo dating is all about self-love, self-discovery, growth, and empowerment,” she says. “It’s an invitation; a time to discover more about yourself without the noise and the influence of others.”
Thanks for listening!
Michele
What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this episode of Live OUT Loud, Michele + River dive deep into the art of letting go — of relationships, jobs, timelines, and the stories we’ve been telling ourselves about how life “should” look. Together we explore why releasing control feels scary, how to reframe missed milestones, and the freedom that comes when we stop clinging to outdated dreams.
With humor, honesty, and heart, we’ll share our own plot twists, offer tools for moving through change, and help you see letting go not as loss, but as an invitation to something new.
TRIGGER WARNING. Loss of a child.
In this deeply moving episode of Live OUT Loud, Michele sits down with Quincy to share the story of her son, Josh, and the journey of navigating life after unimaginable loss. Together, they explore the raw reality of losing a child — the grief, the resilience, and the ways Quincy keeps Josh’s memory alive. This conversation is an invitation to witness love, pain, and healing, and to learn what support can truly mean for parents walking a similar path.
Whether you’ve experienced loss yourself or want to better understand how to show up for someone who has, this episode offers a compassionate look at grief and the enduring power of a mother’s love.
Socials:
Quincy is on Instagram.
Her podcast, Cocoon After Dark: link.
Thanks for listening!
Michele + River