With so many podcasts to choose from, it can be incredibly difficult to listen to all the less-than-stellar podcasts to get to the good stuff. Similar to the Black LGBTQ+ blog explosion that occurred in the early aughts—if you have a computer, a microphone, and a closet to generate the best sound quality, anyone can produce a podcast. But it takes a unique personality along with great content and a distinct point of view to attract listeners and keep them engaged. 

It should come as no surprise that Black LGBTQ+ podcasters are dominating the podcasting scene and are behind some of the most listened to and culturally relevant podcasts in the market today. 

On The Reckoning, we’d like to eliminate the chore of listening to multiple episodes to determine if a podcast is a good fit. So we’ve compiled a list of eight Black LGBTQ+ podcasts that we think should be added to your rotation if they’re not already. While this list is not exhaustive, the consistency in publishing new episodes, along with dynamic content and consistently engaged listeners, landed all eight of these podcasts on our list. Get into our picks below. 

THE READ

This weekly podcast from queer hosts Kid Fury and Crissle West has set the standard in Black podcasting for nearly a decade. The hilarious duo offers their take every Thursday on hip-hop’s most trying celebrities. Throwing shade and spilling tea with a flippant and humorous attitude. No star is safe from Fury and Crissle unless their name is Beyoncé. (Or Blue Ivy). The Read is part of the LoudSpeakers Network and can be found wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

FANTI 

Every Tuesday, entertainment journalist and “authoress” Tre’Vell Anderson and multi-hyphenate talent (writer, journalist, producer) Jarrett Hill get into the complex and “complicato” conversations about the gray areas in our lives on FANTI. Sometimes the people, places, and things we love don’t love us back. We’re fans, but we also have some ANTI- feelings toward them. Every week on FANTI, Anderson, who identifies as trans/non-binary, and Hill, who identifies as queer, bring their pop culture and political expertise to things we must stan and stand up against.

Queer News 

Anna DeShawn, a Chicago-based radio personality, social entrepreneur, and founder of E3 Radio, hosts Queer News—a daily podcast that centers on news relevant to the Black LGBTQ+ community. DeShawn describes her podcast as “an intersectional approach to a daily news podcast where race & sexuality meets politics, entertainment, and culture.” Listeners can expect new content five days a week for seven minutes each day. 

The Friend Zone 

On Wednesdays, you’ll want to be in The Friend Zone. Dustin Ross, HeyFranHey & Assante hosts this weekly podcast that explores mental health, mental wealth, and mental hygiene. Because who in the hell wants a musty brain? Right? If you enjoy The Read, then The Friend Zone is a podcast you should check out. It makes sense that Fran and Crissle are friends. The humor pierces through the speakers from both hosts. Laughter is a requirement in The Friend Zone. 

Queue Points 

DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray host this weekly video podcast with the intent to inform and celebrate Black Music creatives through meaningful dialogue. Merging cultural critique with their vast knowledge of music history, these two Black gay creatives never sacrifice entertainment for enlightenment, yet somehow, they manage to do both, and their listeners can’t get enough. 

Surface Level 

The Surface Level podcast is hosted by three NYC-based Black queer friends: Damon Epps, Tony Jermin, and Jordan Randall. The men have created a podcast to serve what they call the “curious progressive.” “Queer folx of color and our allies who constantly seek out opportunities to expand their perspective and deepen their understanding of the world around them and the humans who inhabit it.” 

The TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones 

With anti-trans violence and political backlash at all-time highs, award-winning journalist Imara Jones hosts this podcast where trans people and allies talk back about what matters most and discuss how to create a fairer world for all. TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones is a Spotify #2020Wrapped Honoree and a 2021 WEBBY Awards nominee.

Reggee’s Expressions 

Host Reggee takes listeners inside his world in Florida as a married Black gay man to his Latino husband Carlos as they embark on the journey to expand their family. Of course, Reggee opines about everything else in between. From interviews with southern rappers to barbershop talk, the self-described empath thrives off of conversations with people who hold different perspectives.