Welcome to the next in the Podcast Showcase series, where we share podcasts with you in the words of the podcasters themselves. This time, we talk to SoundOut: Voices of LGBTQI Activism.
Sum up your podcast in three sentences
Produced by the award-winning charity GiveOut and hosted by Dan Vo, “SoundOut: Voices of LGBTQI Activism” provides a unique insight into the global movement for LGBTQI human rights. Crossing five continents, we speak with activists working to support their communities and campaign for change in places where LGBTQI people face discrimination, criminalisation, and serious human rights abuses. Covering issues from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis to the fight for trans rights in Jamaica, SoundOut is an opportunity to hear from activists working on the frontlines for LGBTQI equality.
Who is your ideal listener? Who loves your show?
Our show is for anyone interested in LGBTQI equality around the world! Covering a diverse range of issues, locations and identities, SoundOut aims to share stories which reflect the different needs and experiences of LGBTQI communities around the world.
What made you start this podcast?
GiveOut is a charity working to resource the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights. At present we support thirty LGBTQI organisations across five continents and hear many incredible stories of activism. We therefore wanted to create a podcast to amplify the stories of our activist partners and allow others to learn from their experiences and expertise.
What have you learned about your subject thanks to this podcast?
We started SoundOut during the COVID-19 pandemic, so we’ve had a unique insight into the impacts of this crisis on diverse LGBTQI communities around the world. We heard that many LGBTQI people are being badly impacted by the crisis, struggling to access healthcare and emergency support, being scapegoated, and even facing serious human rights abuses.
However, there are also brilliant activists and organisations working to support their communities through this difficult time. Often, we can think that LGBTQI communities are all the same, but our conversations in SoundOut have illustrated that local responses are needed in order to meet the varied needs of different LGBTQI communities.
As such, our conversations have also shown the importance of GiveOut’s work to provide “resources not strategies” to support vital work in the places where it’s hardest to be LGBTQI.
What has your experience of podcasting been? What do you love / hate about the process?
Overall podcasting has been a fantastic experience. It has created opportunities to connect with our activist partners in greater depth and to hear inspiring stories from around the world. Even though we’ve had to contend with power blackouts in South Africa, unstable internet connections in Jamaica and very loud dogs in Indonesia, the challenges of recording our episodes only reinforce the importance of what we’re doing!
These are stories that people rarely hear, and we are so pleased to be able to share them.
If someone wants to start listening to your podcast, which episode would you recommend they start with? Why?
We recommend that new listeners start with an episode on a topic which particularly interests them. So far, we’ve covered issues ranging from LGBTQI activism in Iraq to feminist approaches to LGBTQI human rights, so there should be something for everyone!
Which other podcasts do you love listening to?
Some other podcasts we love include The Log Books by LGBT+ Switchboard, Be/Longings by ASEAN SOGIE Caucus in Southeast Asia, and Fish Tea by J-FLAG in Jamaica. We really enjoy learning about the different experiences of LGBTQI people in history and around the world.
If people want to find you online, where can they do so? Drop your links here (social media, podcast subscription, etc.)
You can find us on social media at @GiveOut_Org, and via our website https://giveout.org.
You can subscribe to SoundOut at:
- Website: https://giveout.org/podcast
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Cu6fljQYxjAFSKKnY9qA1?si=OHNA3rQQTj2D3WmS9OLTAA
- Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/soundout/id1520423383
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