Volunqueers

Episode 16 - Cai Thomas (RPCV Mongolia)

In this episode, we are joined by Cai Thomas, an RPCV who served in Mongolia from 2011 to 2014. While Cai’s role was to teach English, their most enduring legacy was a grassroots partnership with a local disability center. In a region where individuals with disabilities were often overlooked, Cai and a fellow volunteer helped break down barriers by launching awareness trainings and building a bridge between local youth and people living with disabilities, fostering a culture of empathy that changed the lives of everyone involved. Tune in to hear how Cai navigated life in rural Mongolia, the pivotal relationship that supported their own coming-out journey, and how they turned a small community project into a powerful, lasting lesson on visibility, inclusion, and the resilience of the human spirit. ------ A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠ [http://www.lgbtqirpcv.org]. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠podcast@lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.

Episode 15 - Katie Waldo (RPCV Rwanda)

In this episode, we are joined by Katie Waldo, an RPCV who served in Rwanda as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer from 2018 to 2020. Katie arrived with a plan to implement Rwanda's critical 'first 1000 days program,' leveraging her expertise as both a food scientist and a postpartum doula focused on the needs of the mother. But her most important project began when she had to abandon her Peace Corps mandate—building 787 kitchen gardens—to instead figure out what her community truly needed, rebuilding relationships along the way.  Tune in to hear how Katie navigated the complexities of project misalignment, the isolating reality of being a queer volunteer in the field, and the dramatic, inside perspective of the evacuation during 2020, relying on the strength of the Peace Corps queer community to get home. ------ A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠ [http://www.lgbtqirpcv.org]. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠podcast@lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.

Episode 14: Lauren Cashmore (RPCV Georgia)

In this episode, we are joined by Lauren, an English Education volunteer whose service in Georgia was anything but "by the book." After a snap decision on a train and a quick "Hey Siri" to find her destination on a map, Lauren arrived as a seasoned LGBTQIA+ advocate—only to find herself back in the closet in a country where the lines of safety were shifting daily. When a landmark police raid on a queer-safe nightclub sparked nationwide protests, Lauren had to navigate a delicate dance: fielding blunt questions from her community while orchestrating a first-of-its-kind task force in Georgia to protect her fellow volunteers. Tune in to hear how she helped turn a summer camp into a thriving international NGO and why Lauren believes the Peace Corps must evolve to protect its queer voices. ------ A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠ [http://www.lgbtqirpcv.org]. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠podcast@lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.

Episode 13: Syd Merz (RPCV Armenia & Philippines)

In this episode, we are joined by Syd Merz, a double-tour RPCV who served in both Armenia and the Philippines. Syd’s journey began with a thick envelope and a country she couldn’t place on a map, landing in a Soviet-era airport that felt more like a scene from Star Trek than a welcome gate. But one service wasn’t enough. With only a whirlwind 11-day break, Syd swapped the snowy mountains of Armenia for the tropical heat of the Philippines, facing a whole new spectrum of challenges! Tune in to hear how Syd managed two full tours back-to-back and why their advice on bringing your "Best Self" instead of your "Authentic Self" might completely change how you view advocacy abroad. ------ A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠ [http://www.lgbtqirpcv.org]. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠podcast@lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.

Episode 12: Bea Russo (RPCV Ecuador)

In this episode, we are joined by Bea, who served as a Youth and Families Development Volunteer in Ecuador. Bea had her bags packed for the remote island nation of Timor-Leste, but a sudden notification in her Peace Corps portal rerouted her. She faced a new set of hurdles: navigating "machismo" culture as a queer woman, fielding blunt questions from students about her gender, and balancing a new romance in uncharted territory. Tune in to hear how she navigated the local chisme (gossip) and why a simple question from a 10-year-old became her most profound moment of advocacy. ------ A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠ [http://www.lgbtqirpcv.org]. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠podcast@lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.