Bio Family can be Chosen Family
The phrase “Chosen Family” has popped up a few times on this podcast already. For those of you who aren’t too familiar with this idea, don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Chosen family is the family that you choose. For queer people, chosen family is rooted in the experience of frequently needing to build long-term support networks that aren’t based in biological closeness. This sense of familial closeness in the LGBTQ communities arises from a shared experience of finding an understanding and acceptance in relative strangers that was lacking in our biological families. But sometimes…bio family can be chosen family too.
In this episode
Tori and Sammee Story: 01:40
Rose and Simon Story: 16:52
Transcript
Weston (00:07):
Hi, everyone, it's me, Weston. Welcome to another episode of Queer Meets Queer. The phrase Chosen Family has popped up a few times on this podcast already. For those of you who aren't too familiar with this idea, don't worry, it's not complicated. Chosen Family is the family that you choose. For queer people, chosen family is rooted in the experience of frequently needing to build long-term support networks that aren't based in biological closeness. In a broader sense, family also refers to the LGBTQ community in general. This sense of familial closeness in the LGBTQ communities arises from a shared experience of finding and understanding and acceptance in relative strangers that was lacking in our biological families.
Weston (01:01):
But sometimes, bio family can be chosen family too. Today, we have two stories of queers who found a chosen family member close to home. First up, we have Tori and Sammee, creators of the incredible storytelling podcast, Sisters & Sonder. Cue a few episodes of Sisters and Sonder up to play after this, you won't regret it. Tori and Sammee are siblings, but sometimes, they feel more like best friends, or even twins.
Sammee (01:40):
Perfect. Ding!
Tori (01:43):
Nice.
Sammee (01:43):
Let me open a new one 'cause I was just editing so I don't want to start recording on that. That would be fun. Um, I'm Sammee. I use she/her and they/them.
Tori (01:54):
I am Tori. I use she/her.
Weston (01:58):
Um, so we usually start these interviews by asking how did you meet, but you two are siblings, um, and so (laughs) instead of asking that, I'm just going to ask, um, where did, like where does your story start?
Sammee (02:10):
Our story starts when Tori was born. Um-
Tori (02:14):
Who came from the womb.
Sammee (02:16):
Came from the womb and then-
Tori (02:17):
(laughs).
Sammee (02:18):
... we were siblings. Um, I'm the oldest and we're only two years apart, so definitely, our journey starts with being siblings. I was a very shy kid and Tori was not, so our relationship was she was in charge and I was like, "Yeah, let's go." Like, as long as I don't have to make decisions, I'm down. So, that was basically ... Our journey started from the very beginning of being very attached to the hip, to the point that we would make jokes that we're twins, just two years apart, um, 'cause we would dress the same, our grandparents would buy us the same Christmas dresses, the same outfits. We- we were all of a sudden like two peas in a pod.
Tori (03:06):
Yeah. And we grew up with our ... we're mixed, so we have a white mom and a black dad and we grew up with our mom primarily. And, um, so being two black kids (laughs) with a white mom, I think that, that also made us like we are each other's people because we're black (laughs) and we need someone. So I think that's the other part of like that connection, for sure.
Sammee (03:30):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Weston (03:31):
Um, so I'm- I'm guessing you probably didn't know a lot of other families out there that were mixed when you were growing up?
Tori (03:37):
Not at all.
Sammee (03:38):
'Cause we grew up in a small town in Idaho so, uh, we were honestly like the black sheep, literally and figuratively.
Tori (03:47):
Literally (laughs).
Sammee (03:47):
Um, the fact that we were, uh, mixed, we were from a divorced family, we were growing up with a single mother, and we weren't the religion that was dominating that area. So we definitely were the outcast in all spectrums. There is this small like black community and stuff, but they all keep to themselves and since we were being raised by our white mother, it was like a whole different world. I honestly did not know, um, people who were mixed race until college. And so there wasn't a lot of mixed race represented in that small town.
Weston (04:30):
Were there any places growing up in your small town that really have kind of like stick out in your memory?
Sammee (04:35):
Uh, grandparents' house forever-
Tori (04:37):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (04:38):
... is like our safe haven. We loved going to our grandparents' house. It smelled like antiques. (laughs).
Tori (04:45):
Yeah. They- they sell antiques. And like to this day you can walk up to almost any piece of furniture or painting in their house and you could find a hidden price tag cause everything in their house was always for sale and still is. Yeah. And so that was probably the best about grandparent's house. Um, but it wasn't much of a kid house.
Sammee (05:04):
I mean, you did know like don't jump on this couch because it is ancient and you, if you move wrong, then it will break. But like also there were areas where we could like be our kids' selves, but also be comfy. And like our grandpa's giant recliner that like has tryptophan embedded into it. Cause the moment you sit in it you're asleep. Like that's just the napping chair. And always gra- grandpa was always cooking. Grandma was always baking. And so it always smelled like good food, good treats and ancient, ancient furniture.
Tori (05:51):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (05:53):
Absolutely. Tori is the biggest cheerleader you'll ever in your life.
Tori (05:57):
(laughs).
Sammee (05:57):
Like to the point that I'd be like, "I got a D in this class I've been working so hard." And she's like, "Oh yeah. D. Oh my God.
Weston (06:05):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (06:06):
... Oh, right. Yeah."
Tori (06:06):
(laughs).
Sammee (06:08):
Like she's so excited, no matter what it is or it's like, "Oh, I finally, you know, woke up on time," and she's like, "Yeah, you're got it, you can do this forever. Awesome." And I was the big sister that was like, anytime someone was like attacking Tori or like trying to be like the bully of Tori, it ended badly for them because I'd come in big, bad sister, like, "Oh hell no-
Tori (06:34):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (06:34):
... you're not going to do that, move along." And so I think that helped us a lot because we had, if anything, we had our support system of each other-
Tori (06:43):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (06:44):
... and that no matter what, no matter what we did, no matter what our decisions were in our lives, we would always have that one support.
Tori (06:51):
Yeah. And I think, um, I am yes, a very big cheerleader, but I also learned that like a lot of just confidence, I was able to cheer other people on because I was a confident being. And I think I learned a lot of that from Sammee that like, there was so many times that they were just purely themselves and I was like, that's pretty cool. I can also be purely myself. Or we like were those like nerdy kids that were like, "Try to make fun of me. See if I care, I'm wearing two different Converse, come on. Like, see if you can even find anything else to make fun of me about." Like, we would just kind of push those boundaries and doing it together. Like we were always the people together wearing mismatched socks or like being extra silly or whatever. And just to sort of like trick bullies, I don't know. Um, so yeah, we always had each other for sure.
Nikki (07:35):
Sammee, is it okay if I ask you a question about your pronouns?
Sammee (07:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
Nikki (07:40):
Um, so you use, you use they them as ... in addition to she/her and I-
Sammee (07:45):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Nikki (07:45):
... I like to know how did you, the relationship, uh, with you and Tori change or grow when you started also using they/ them pronouns?
Sammee (07:56):
It didn't really change our relationship. I think, I mean, Tori has been supportive of everything I've done in my life. Um, like she was the first person I came out, when I came out, uh, 10 years ago as being bisexual. And, um, I recently came out two years ago, was that two years ago?
Tori (08:15):
Think so. (laughing).
Sammee (08:18):
Um, as non-binary. And, um, she's always been that person that I can come to and be like, "This is what I'm thinking. This is how I feel." And she's able to discuss them without invalidating them without making it about what she thinks I should be doing. She, I mean, she's a therapist, so this is her best skills is to really discuss-
Tori (08:42):
(laughs).
Sammee (08:43):
... feelings and emotions and how you feel in a, uh, objective way without being rude about it and still being supportive.
Sammee (08:53):
And so the moment said, you know, I- I like to explain it, like, I'm fine with she/her, but they/them makes me warm and fuzzy. And so with that, she was like, "Cool, great, well then, we're gonna use they/them." And like every time she's had like questions, like where do you prefer sibling? Would you prefer sisters? Especially when we started working on our podcasts, um, she would just be very open to whatever I felt, I- I felt comfortable with. And so it was great to know that even though it's something new for me, as well as for everyone else in my family, that she is very adaptive and very willing to make those changes and learn from them.
Tori (09:38):
And I- I will just add, I would just add this, um, I'm a very visual person. Everything happens in my brain as pictures. And, um, when Sammee, like, if you can imagine two magnets with like a few pieces of paper in between them, like they're still close. And like when Sammee came out as bisexual, like one of those pieces of paper was like taken away and we became like even closer magnets. And then when Sammee came out as non-binary like that last piece of paper, or maybe the last piece, maybe there's more pieces who knows, but like another piece came out. And so like, it's just like these magnets getting closer and closer and closer.
Tori (10:14):
Um, and it was never like ... none of this was ever a shock to me and not to say that I totally knew, but just like, it was just like, "Oh, you're just revealing another piece of yourself. Not that it is surprising or- or scary or- or whatever." Um, it was just like, it's just like when someone like takes off a jacket and you're like, "Oh, you're wearing a cute tank top. Cool." Like, it's not like you still saw the tank top. You still knew that the tank top was there, but they just took off their jacket. And now you see more of them.
Weston (10:41):
I love that. How did your relationship change?
Sammee (10:44):
I mean, it's growing pains for sure. Um, there were a couple, our first apartment together was a nightmare. And- (laughing)
Tori (10:53):
I love Sammee a lot, but I could never live with them again. (laughs). We don't, we don't live well together. No. (laughs)
Sammee (11:00):
Or our- our personalities definitely clashed there, but it also was a good turning point too, because it- it showed how we can finally kind of detach from each other and become independent entities. Because before then it was like me and her till the end of the day, it's like we were together forever.
Tori (11:22):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Sammee (11:22):
We even moved in, like, this was our first apartment outside of our parents' house. So like, we were basically moving our co-dependency to just a different location. And so it was hard because we definitely, that was the first time we've ever like fought and been angry at each other, even though we're not good at fighting with each other.
Tori (11:45):
(laughs).
Sammee (11:45):
'Cause we would be mad. And then all of a sudden, one of us would be like, "Do you want ice cream?" And the other is like, "Yeah. I do." And it's like [inaudible 00:11:52] you.
Tori (11:52):
Should we watch Princess and the Frog now?"
Sammee (11:54):
"Can we watch Princess of Frog now." "Yeah." And so we like grumpily watch it and then eventually I'd be fine. But yeah, that was definitely the turning point of our- our relationship as sisters, as we learned that we're now growing into different people. And so there's different things we need from each other.
Tori (12:13):
Yeah. And I think I learned a lot about, um, expectations and expectations have to be spoken and not just assumed because there were a lot of times that I had expectations of Sammee and then they were not fulfilled. And then I got mad and then I was like, "Well, they should just know. Oh." And like, no, you have to like say what you need and like lay out your expectations and then like come to an agreement. Um, and so I'm a lot better at that I think from that experience of living together. And I think the only other time that we sort of clashed was, um, there was definitely a time in, I dunno, our teenage years that we were like rivals or like competition.
Tori (12:53):
And I think it kind of came from Sammee was all I ever knew. And so Sammee's interests became my interests and, um, whether they really were or not. And so then it became me sort of as a ... instead of being like a pal, it became me being like a ... like on her tail coats, you know, and, um, or coattails. And uh, and then that became annoying. And, and so, uh, she tried to flick me off a little bit (laughs) and then it became this sort of like, "Get away from me, stop trying to do what I'm trying to do."
Tori (13:26):
Um, and so ... but that like made me find my other stuff, like the realization of like, "Oh, I don't have to do everything that Sam does. Um, I can go and do these other things." And then that led me down this path that eventually led me to being an art therapist. So kind of brought us apart and then kind of brought us back together because I was able to do my own thing and- and be my own person.
Nikki (13:48):
You, you're obviously siblings. So you have that forever, but how would you define the ... kind of the sub relationship of that umbrella together?
Tori (13:59):
I think sibling hood doesn't always go synonymously with support. And I think that that is my redefinition of sibling hood is like unapologetic support at all times. Um, and there's moments that Sam knows me more than anyone else. And like, I love twinning with people. I love being twins and like matching outfits. So here and there, Sam will buy us matching outfits and then let me be a twin with her. And then my day is made like, (laughs) and like that's, you know, that's like almost a ... it's more in the realm of like best friend type things, right? Like seeing you in that way and- and doing little things like that, even though they hate it, but they'll do it with me.
Sammee (14:42):
Our sibling hood turned into friendship fast in the fact that for the longest time we were our own support systems. We were our own friends, especially for me, I was a very, very shy kid and I was very awkward and I was not good at making friends. And so for the longest time, like I was forced by our mother to hang out with Tori's friends so that I would get out of the house and actually interact with humans. Every single time we would hang out, no matter if it was with her friends, with my friends or just on our own, it was always a fun adventure. It was always something that was the best thing that could happen at that moment. And so I feel like our- our relationship as relatives changed in that, it was now a- a best friendship. It was ... we know each other inside and out. And I mean, she's been there on some of my lowest point. She's been the first person I've called on my lowest points, on my highest points in my life. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Sammee (15:48):
Like, it's, it's great to have that. And I think a lot of siblings don't have that. I know a lot of people that their relationships are, you know, tense. I'm grateful that through all of the things we've experienced has still kept us pretty close.
Tori (16:08):
I have an example of how Sam and I know each other better than anyone. I called Sam the other day and they answered the phone. They're like, "Hey, sissy!" And I go, "Hiiiiii." And they're like, "Oh no," 'cause they knew that that , "hi" meant I have some bullshit to tell you, and I'm pissed off and I'm annoyed. But it was just a one word thing. And they're like, "Aw, crap, tell me what's going on." (laughs) So that's just ... it was the beauty of just one word. And they knew exactly what was going. (laughing).
Sammee (16:44):
Oh.
Weston (16:52):
Up next. We have Simon and Rose, cousins who reconnected in adulthood after homophobia and transphobia weakened their connections to the rest of their biological family.
Simon (17:02):
Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm Simon and I'm a gay man.
Rose (17:17):
I am a ... um, I'm happy to be here. I'm great. I'm Simon's cousin.
Weston (17:24):
Why don't you tell us kind of like where your story begins?
Simon (17:30):
I don't know. Rose, what is your, like some of your earliest memories of me?
Rose (17:36):
Um, my earliest memory, I think of you was when you were really little and your parents left you at our house to go somewhere and you didn't want them to leave and you were throwing a fit-
Simon (17:50):
(laughs).
Rose (17:50):
... and like walking you over the couch. (laughs)
Seth (17:53):
What a beautiful first memory.
Weston (17:56):
And then Sy do you have an early memory of Rose?
Simon (18:03):
No, like I think one of my earliest memories of Rose was, uh, playing Barbies in the front room. Well, not so much playing Barbies as cutting up fabric to accessorize the Barbies.
Weston (18:15):
Were you always close?
Rose (18:16):
I think we always got along. I don't think we really started getting close until we were older.
Simon (18:23):
For sure. We have like what? A hundred and something first cousins.
Rose (18:27):
(laughs). Yeah. Something like that.
Simon (18:31):
And like, you were one of them, you weren't ... you were really like a background player for the first, you know, big chunk of my life. It wasn't until, you know, I came out and started going through stuff that, I dunno how we reconnected as adults. Do you remember?
Rose (18:48):
Yeah, I was taking classes at the community college and, um, I have like this huge break between two of my classes and I was scrolling down my phone book seeing who I could call and landed on your name and I just called you and made you talk to me. And I just ... we just started talking from there. You know, my daughter was young. I was a single mom, you know, so I think I talked about the ... some of my struggles at the time. And I think Sy talked about some of his.
Simon (19:24):
I don't even remember when this was like, what- what ... where was I at with my-
Rose (19:29):
Uh, Seattle. I believe.
Simon (19:33):
I was in Sea- ... Oh, so I was married at this time to a lady.
Rose (19:36):
(laughs). When I moved to Michigan, he really became a lifeline to me because I didn't have my support system. I didn't have my friends around me. I didn't. And so we start, we started talking like a lot then.
Simon (19:51):
Yeah. Oh my, I was going through so much stuff. Like I was married, I was going through like all kinds of craziness. And that was something that I was like super, not comfortable with myself. And I think it took me ... God, years to like, just be able to form a complete, like, I am gay sentence in my head. Um-
Rose (20:20):
You kind of got outted to the family.
Simon (20:23):
God! I don't remember what happened?
Rose (20:27):
You had only told a select few, I think.
Simon (20:31):
The in-crowd of course.
Rose (20:34):
And while you were still married at the time, I think you might've been separated or something, but, um, your brother was drunk and talking to your sister-in-law and let it slip.
Simon (20:48):
That sounds about right. (laughing)
Rose (20:50):
Yeah. So it was like this huge, huge deal.
Simon (20:56):
My ex wife and I have a child together and I was a super, super terrified to come out to her because I was in the military. And because we, you know, this was still under, don't ask, don't tell. And there were, you know, I literally, at that point in time, you could go to prison for being gay in the military.
Seth (21:16):
That's horrifying.
Simon (21:17):
Um, it didn't ... I don't think it happened that often. I don't know, but anyway, this honorable discharge other than dono- honorable discharge or something like that. Um, so I really debated a lot, uh, how to tell her if I was gonna tell her when I would tell her that kind of thing. Um-
Rose (21:34):
Oh, I was just gonna say, I don't know if your family even knew that you guys were getting a divorce yet.
Simon (21:40):
No, I don't think so. I was, God, I was just like juggling so much and trying to ... I dunno, I was trying to keep it all under wraps and it was killing me.
Rose (21:49):
Yeah. And his, um, like I know his family tried to get Simon to sign over his parental rights because you know, being gay, there's no way he could be a good father. And then a little bit later down the road, his br- ... one of his brothers-
Simon (22:12):
I don't remember how it went down, but he called me and he said, uh, basically, you know, I have a duty to my military to, you know, to my country to, you know, do the right thing. And if I know about this and I don't tell, then I'm in the wrong. So I was like, "So you're really gonna out your brother?" You're gonna out me to the military." 'Cause we were both in the military at that time. And I don't know, I just, at that point I was just like, "All right, well, if that's who you wanna be, man." Like, I guess-
Rose (22:40):
Okay. Yeah, no, I think it was his minister that dissuaded him. Yeah. He kept going to the minister saying that he felt like he needed to do this. And I think his minister was the one that kept telling them, no you shouldn't. And I think that's the only reason why he didn't.
Seth (22:59):
Shout out to the minister. Huh?
Simon (23:01):
Wow. So there's so much of this that I just have bits and pieces of and you're really helping me like put it back together. Like what went down?
Rose (23:10):
Well, it doesn't surprise me. You probably blocked a lot of it. 'Cause it was very painful for you. I mean, it was painful for me just to see you going through it. And, and I know how much it hurt. Like it hurt me with like my mom was ... my mom's totally, you know, homophobic and stuff. And a lot of things, she said she would start arguments with me and she wouldn't listen to any kind of reason. And it like really hurt me knowing how she would react if it had been me, you know, in Simon's place and knowing how badly that hurt me. I couldn't even imagine how much Simon was hurting. You're very strong Simon, and I think you've become a much better person through it all.
Simon (23:59):
Yeah. You know what, likewise, I think you're like one of the strongest people I know.
Rose (24:05):
Thanks.
Simon (24:07):
[crosstalk 00:24:07].
Rose (24:07):
If you guys can tell were part of a mutual admiration society. (laughing)
Simon (24:13):
It's just us though. No one else can join. (laughing)
Seth (24:15):
That's adorable.
Simon (24:17):
Um, yeah. So yeah, that was a lot, there was a lot going on at that time. It was, it was some, it was some shit. (laughs). Anyway, but this is all about how like your- your presence in my life kept me sane. And literally I think like when I lost my family, uh, I had you, you know, and you're my f- ... you're my family now. You're the closest family that I have now.
Simon (24:45):
And-
Rose (24:46):
Yeah. You're never getting rid of me.
Simon (24:48):
Yeah. You're .. yeah. You're like the apocalypse cockroach in my life.
Seth (24:52):
(laughing).
Rose (24:52):
Yup. (laughs).
Simon (24:56):
I definitely could not have gotten through all of the complete, just horrible, horrible time that I was going through if it hadn't been for just like this cousin who I barely knew before, who is now like one of my closest confidants. And I don't know, I just ... you felt safe I think because, you know, and- and I knew you'd been through stuff and I knew how people reacted to you. And I don't know, you just always made me feel safe to talk to.
Rose (25:24):
Aww, I'm glad.
Simon (25:28):
(laughs) And that's kept up too like over, over the past, however many years it's been now, like out of all my cousins, like I don't know. You just always been there and we don't have to talk every day. I don't know. I just wanna talk about our relationship 'cause it means a lot to me. And I think you need to know that.
Rose (25:50):
Aww, but that does ... That means a lot to me. I think, um, that's all, and that's all any of us can really hope for is that we made a positive difference in at least one person's life. And, you know, honestly, I think there is a reason for everything because my son not too long ago, came out to me as trans. And before that he had been dating a girl. So first- first he came out as bi and then, you know, it just progressed, and I don't know how I would ... given the way we were raised. I don't know how I would've responded to that if I hadn't already had the relationship with Simon and seeing all that he's gone through.
Rose (26:44):
In all reality, I think actually I'm positive that you saved my relationship with my son because I- I don't, like I said, I doubt I would have reacted very well co- ... just out of ignorance and you know, like I said, the way we were raised.
Simon (26:59):
I certainly didn't have all the answers. I've, I've very little, uh, you know, experience with transgender people. Um, but you know, I try to stay in the know and I try to treat people with respect and, you know, uh, if I don't know, I just, I think I kind of knew the basics. Like if somebody tells you that they are something, then that's what they are just like respect their humanity. And, um, I think, I think I remember telling you something like, you know, um, Elizabeth at the time, you know, she is what she is and if she's, if she's a boy, then he's, you know, he's a boy. (laughs)
Simon (27:44):
I don't, I don't remember how it all went down. I just remember, like, I don't know. What ... Do you remember what happened? You had such a better memory than me.
Rose (27:53):
Um, I didn't really have anybody else to talk to because you know, people in our family, even the ones that are accepting well, he wasn't out to them for one, and as trans. And two, I think they would have struggled to understand even more so than me. So really Simon you're the only person I had to really talk to about it.
Simon (28:22):
Right. And it wasn't really ... it's not like I answered questions or had some kind of grand advice. It was, I think, just being able to safely talk to one another without judgment and-
Rose (28:32):
Right.
Simon (28:32):
... kind of bounce stuff off of each other and figure it out together because the whole time you were figuring stuff out, I was figuring stuff out and I still am. You know, and I don't think it's, I don't think it's ever gonna stop. So-
Rose (28:46):
No, that's, I think that's life you're constantly trying to figure stuff out.
Simon (28:52):
Right. And now I don't know. I just feel like it's, uh, it's, it's, it's good. 'Cause we- we don't have to have all the answers. We can just have the conversations and respect each other.
Rose (29:05):
Yeah. And I can ... I feel like I can be honest 'cause Simon knows where I'm coming from. So I don't have to be afraid to say something that might come across as ignorant or homophobic or something because I just don't get it. You know, like I- I don't wanna hurt people's feelings or don't want to make people mad. Yeah. I mean, Simon understood that he understood I was coming from a place of wanting to know, you know, wanting to learn. And-
Simon (29:35):
Yeah. I didn't ... I never, I never knew that- that I was helpful with Charlie like that. And I really didn't do anything. I was mostly just listening and saying annoying things.
Seth (29:47):
It's really pretty beautiful to see you two kind of discovered facets of your relationship that you didn't know about ahead of time. You know, that's kind of-
Rose (29:55):
Yeah.
Seth (29:56):
... kind of one of the beautiful things I think about this- this podcast is people learning more about their relationships because these are things that we don't talk about normally. So, uh, I think one of the, the final questions that we ended up kind of consistently asking is what's your favorite aspect of your relationship? And this is something that you've talked ... you've kind of touched on this already. Um, but if you had to kind of like sum it up and just put it in a nice, neat little bundle, like, what do you think your favorite aspect of your relationship is?
Rose (30:25):
I would say having somebody in your life who you can talk to and say anything to without, um, um, maybe not- not without judgment, but with total acceptance and love because we come from, you know, a background where it seems like everything's conditional. And knowing that you have somebody that is gonna love you. No matter what.
Simon (30:55):
Yeah. I love you.
Rose (30:57):
I love you too.
Simon (30:59):
(laughs). Um, yes. It's, it's very much for me is, is just having someone that I can just be 100% authentic with like who I know it's safe to say whatever's on my mind. I know you'll call me on my. I know that I know that it can stay between us and that like together, we can bounce stuff off of one another and figure it out together. At least that's my experience.
Rose (31:26):
And it's kinda ... it's cemented that nobody else has the exact same background as we do.
Simon (31:35):
You're like a built in person who gets it. Like no matter what, no matter if it's, I mean, it doesn't even have to be something you've personally experienced. You get it and you get how I was conditioned to feel about certain things and you can help talk me down, you know?
Rose (31:52):
Yeah. Same, (laughs).
Simon (31:55):
God. I am such a blessing to you.
Rose (31:57):
(laughs). You are. (laughing).
Weston (32:05):
Is there any final things that either of you want to say?
Simon (32:07):
Yeah. I want to say thank you for always being there for me Rose. Like, you're my rock, honestly. I don't wanna sound cliche, but that was like the most cliche thing you could have said.
Seth (32:18):
Hey, if it fits.
Simon (32:19):
But yeah, just thank you for always being there. And I'm just, I'm so glad that I'm so glad to hear that. Like I have, I've made an impact on you as well. That makes me super happy.
Rose (32:31):
Yeah, you have. And thank you too Simon for being there for me through a lot of tough things myself, you know? And for like ... I meant when I said earlier for probably serving my relationship with my son and that's bigger than anything anybody could do for me.
Weston (32:45):
That's it. That's the end of the episode. It's also the end of the first half of our first season. Queer Meets Queer will be taking a little mid-season break for the holidays, but we'll be back in 2021 with more queer relationships stories. I know we'll miss you too, but if you want to stay in touch with us during the break, sign up for our Patreon. We will be releasing a few bonus episodes and sneak peeks of future stories. Go to patrion.com/queermeetsqueer for details.
Sammee (33:33):
Hi, this is Sammee Jackson. Um, I am just letting you know about my next performance is going to be on Saturday the 19th at 8:00 PM. And you can find it on Twitch. It'll be streaming live on the Twitch channel, UtahDigitalDrag. So take a look, come join. Hope to see you all in the chat and we'll talk to you later. Okay. Bye.
Weston (34:01):
All right. Goodbye for now. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa. Have a cheerful Yuletide, happy holidays and happy new year. Stay safe.
Credits
Executive Producer: Weston Anderson
Producer: Nikki Burian
Writer: Weston Anderson
Audio Engineer and Editor: Seth Goshorn
Hosts: Weston Anderson, Nikki Burian, Seth Goshorn
Storytellers: Tori Force, Sammee Jackman, Simon Taylor, Rose Kelly
Music: Whispering through - Asura
Birthday cake - jahzzar
Enthusiast - tours
Night owl - broke for free
Air Hockey Saloon - Chris Zabriskie