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Throughout my years of attending a predominately white high school, there rarely seemed to be anyone I could turn to in times of rage and grief. The conversations I wanted to have about race, gender, and sexuality didn’t exist with my peers. What didn’t exist in my immediate reality existed online in the form of a podcast.
In my junior year of high school, I found those conversations being had on The Read. The Read is a podcast created by two black queer people, Kid Fury and Crissle West. The podcast speaks on pop culture, current events, therapy for black people, listener letters, and to close out the podcast “the read”.
Their podcast made me feel heard in times where I was silent and isolated. I shared interests with them in music, games, media, and their life experiences. Listeners like me who relate to the show often ask for advice through listener letters. Even though the listener letters weren’t about my life, there was important information to take away from their advice.
Whether that advice pertains to partners, family situations, workplace struggles, or queerness. The Read became a safe space for me when I didn’t feel like I belonged at school or in my own home.
Growing up as a queer black person is a difficult feat. Listening to Fury’s stories about growing up as a gay black man with Jamaican parents in Miami, and stories West growing up in Tulsa Oklahoma. To know that I’m not alone in my experiences growing up queer and having family rooted in the deep south of Georgia and Alabama was validating.
Fury and West helped to shape my voice after not being heard my entire life. Listening to them skin racists, homophobes, and celebrities with words were inspiring. It helped me to find a voice on the internet and in my writing.
I’ve looked up to Fury and West for many years now, I always find myself listening to them when I’m faced with white adversity or if I need a laugh in my life.
The reads’ hosts’ West and Furry are two talented black queer figures to watch and listen to.
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