Meet Shana Sumers | Creator and Co-host of Bad Queers Podcast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shana Sumers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shana, how does your business help the community?

I’m going to say the thing most folks don’t recognize or admit – the LGBTQ+ community is incredibly white washed and influenced by heteronormativity. When in fact, majority of movements, culture and history is from Black and Brown LGBTQ+ women and trans folks. The stories and the narratives continue to be washed away, and when we come out of the closet we feel that we have to fit into these stereotypical boxes. Whether it’s always wearing a snapback or only having feminine women being together or having to immediately paint your room rainbow – we don’t have to do that! And it’s ok!

Every part of what we do on the podcast is to help our community. We share definitions at the beginning of the episode to educate folks on LGBTQ+ terms/phrases, have a pop culture/news segment because the media doesn’t cover our stories (and if they do, it’s full of errors), share advice for folks who need it, share our unpopular queer opinions (aka Bad Queer opinions) that challenge the stereotypes and give shoutouts to people and businesses that you should be following to help build your community and easily find places to spend your dollars. The hope is that any part of this teaches you something new, makes you feel seen and overall puts a smile on your face or makes you LOL in public places.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Bad Queers was launched right as the pandemic began. This podcast has never experienced a day with COVID, Kris and I haven’t even recorded in the same room…ever! To rewind, Kris and I were working at an LGBTQ+ dating app and I had been endlessly trying to have us launch a podcast. Multiple other dating apps were doing it and we had a unique standpoint by focusing on LGBTQ+ women. I wanted to have a podcast that highlighted LGBTQ+ women’s voices and Black queer voices. I was struggling to identify the title of the podcast and was watching the final episode of season one of The L Word: Generation Q and the character, Alice, was interviewing Roxane Gay (author of Bad Feminist) and she asks Roxane if she was a “Bad Queer”? And that’s how I chose the name of the podcast. So many people go from heteronormative stereotypes, before they come out, into a new world of LGBTQ+ stereotypes when they come out, it’s mind boggling. I wanted to create a safe space where anyone who is queer, but especially Black LGBTQ+ folks, could realize that there is not one way to be queer, we aren’t a monolith. This podcast is an effort to educate, share information, give advice and talk shit for fun – we’re your queer best friends in your ear!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Chicago has three great bars that focus around LGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary folks. First, there is Nobody’s Darling, a Black and Queer owned bar that has amazing drinks and an even better vibe. If you want a speakeasy vibe, you head to Dorothy Downstairs to lounge and catch eyes with folks. And if you are a sports queer, you’ll head to Whiskey Tavern to play pool and watch any and every sport you want. The parties we would send you to include any event that SmallWorld Collective hosts. They hold safe spaces for Black, queer, trans folks to be unapologetically themselves. And an incredible queer R&B party, Slo Mo.

In the Bay Area, it’s all about the parties. Soulovely centers Black and Brown LGBTQ+ folks with their monthly party in Oakland and Mango is the monthly party you want to be at in San Francisco. Both leave the dance floor filled and good vibes all around. Queer First Friday gets every month started right and when you need a consistent space, head to Jolene’s which focuses on queer women.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The HER App for taking a chance on us with starting the podcast. Kris Chesson for taking this leap of faith in being a co-host.
Minori-tea podcast for connecting us to you!

Website: https://badqueerspod.buzzsprout.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badqueerspod/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/badqueerspod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badqueerspod

Image Credits
Giovanni Steele for main photos – https://www.instagram.com/giotographer/ Hannah Kate Kelley for logo – https://www.instagram.com/hannahcakekelley/