Queering the self: Finding the space to show up as you are

Queering the self: Finding the space to show up as you are

Author: Charts & Leisure June 4, 2025 Duration: 38:32

In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White sits down with poet, playwright, and social worker Britt Billmeyer-Finn to unpack the ideas and impact of queer theory. Far from being just an academic concept, queer theory is presented as a lens that challenges societal norms around gender and sexuality, invites curiosity, and honors fluidity in how we relate to ourselves and others. Kurt and Britt delve into the pressures of hetero-cisnormativity, the psychological toll of rigid social expectations, and the role of agency, joy, and community in healing and liberation. This conversation is part of our special Pride Month series.

Britt is accepting clients in Massachusetts and can be reached at bebfinn.psychotherapy@gmail.com.

Also check out the Stonewall Center at UMass Amherst

The conversation on YouTube between James Baldwin and Maya Angelou that Brit mentioned can be found here.

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This episode version replaces an earlier recording, and includes some re-recorded segments. This is due to a mistake explained in the intro segment. 


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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