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Speaking up for your health is one of the most powerful things you can do. In this episode, we talk with public health advocate Carrie Grant about her journey from rural Georgia to Arizona and how her experiences shaped her passion for health equity. Carrie also talks about creating safe spaces, advocating for inclusive providers, and empowering people to speak up for their needs. Her story is a call to action to embrace education, challenge stigma, and take charge of your health journey.

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

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Dr. Kyle Gresenz is a queer theorist and rural healthcare scholar working to expose how systems fail LGBTQ+ communities. We dig into the four domains of healthcare, structural urbanism, and why geography and policy still dictate who gets care and who doesn't. Kyle also breaks down how finances, location, and discriminatory policies block access and what it actually takes to push past learned helplessness toward real, structural change. Listen, share, and follow to hear more!

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

Send us Fan Mail

Gender affirming therapist Dillon Mathew-Gilmore, LMSW (they/them) joins The Lavender Lounge to talk about what it really means to heal through community. Dillon shares their journey into gender affirming care, the systemic barriers facing gender expansive people, and why curiosity is the foundation of meaningful support. We get into the relationship between transphobia and misogyny, and how small moments of connection can create real change. This is a personal and hopeful conversation you don't want to miss.

Affirming You Therapy

Come as You Are

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

Send us Fan Mail

What does it actually mean to have a healthy sex life — and why does our culture make it so hard?

In this episode, licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist Jennifer Monninger, founder of Oh My Pleasure, joins the Lavender Lounge to break down the Six Principles of Sexual Health. We discuss the impacts of purity culture and abstinence-only education, what it looks like to deconstruct those beliefs in therapy, and why pleasure might be the most overlooked principle of all.

*Spoiler Alert* We also dive into HBO's Heated Rivalry — and how it challenges stereotypes about queer relationships and masculinity.

Whether you are navigating your own identity or just want to know more about healthy sex - this one is for you.

Resources mentioned:

• Oh My Pleasure: ohmypleasure.com
• Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
• We Should Try It: weshouldtryit.com
• Dan Savage / Savage Lovecast

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline — Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) | Chat at rainn.org/hotline | Text HOPE to 64673 — free, confidential, 24/7 support RAINN

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

Send us Fan Mail

Arizona’s #1 drag queen Barbra Seville talks about courage, connection, and empathy. From calling out double standards and challenging regressive policies to advocating for LGBTQ+ education and self-esteem, Barbra shares why embracing your authentic self fosters hope for representation and acceptance.

Barbra Seville on Instagram
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

Send us Fan Mail

Spectrum Medical Care Center CEO Mark Moeremans introduces The Lavender Lounge and the clinic that’s served Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community for nearly 30 years. Mark shares his vision for best-in-class affirming healthcare, Spectrum’s legacy founded by Dr. Thanes Vanig, and why community storytelling matters.

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...

Send us Fan Mail

What does it look like to receive gender-affirming care that is grounded in science and humanity? In this episode of The Lavender Lounge, Ari Kravitz, a family nurse practitioner at Spectrum Medical Care Center, joins us to unpack the what, why, and how of evidence-based gender-affirming care. As a trans healthcare provider who specializes in HIV prevention, HIV care, and gender-affirming treatment, Ari brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation. Ari shares how lived experience informs compassionate practice, the treatment model guided by WPATH, and the various hormone therapy and surgery options available to trans people. We also explore the real-world barriers to gender-affirming care, the mental-health impacts of today’s political climate, and the power of community. Join us to learn how evidence-based care can transform lives, why empathy belongs at the center of medicine, and how everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their own body. Tune in now!

Spectrum Medical Care Centre
Maricopa County Community Resources
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
Vitalyst Health Foundation

Mental health resources:

Crisis & Suicide Prevention

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, available 24/7. LGBTQ+ individuals can still call 988 and receive caring, confidential support, though the specialized "Press 3" option is no longer available. EveryMind
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and under) — TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7) | TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7) | TrevorChat available at thetrevorproject.org/get-help AFSP
• Trans Lifeline (by and for trans people) — 1-877-565-8860 (US), available 24/7 AFSP
• Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741, available 24/7 Human Rights Campaign
• RAINN National Sexual Assault ...