The Local Lens: Storytelling, Bike commuting, Civic life with Helen Krieger

Beltane: Time to Bloom

Beltane falls on May 1st, the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. It marks the ancient Celtic beginning of summer: a fire festival rooted in themes of fertility, desire, abundance, and permission. For this show, those themes translate into something deeply personal: what do you allow yourself to want? What do you keep caged, and why? #beltane #summersolstice #solstice #mayday #firefestival #unpackingtheclosetpodcast

The Power of Being Seen with Kelly Balch

Kelly Balch has spent a career asking people to be fully present in front of a lens and what they've learned is that the camera is only part of the story. In this episode, we go deep into the emotional and psychological architecture behind Kelly's docuseries, what it means to witness someone's truth and hold it with intention, and how their own journey as a nonbinary, queer artist has shaped the way they move through the world and the work. This is a conversation about creativity as a spiritual practice, storytelling as activism, and what becomes possible when we finally let ourselves be seen. You can find Kelly here: https://kellybalch.com/ And you can support us being liking, following and sharing! @unpaqckingthecloset on all social platforms! #beingseen @queerphotography #queerphotographer #queerpodcast #unpackingtheclosetpodcast #lqbtqpodcast

When Girls Get the Tools with Christina Yoon

What changes when girls, and especially queer girls, girls of color, and girls at the margins, are given real access to education, resources, skills, and spaces of creation and leadership? Christina Yoon has spent nearly two decades in construction and engineering asking that exact question. In this episode, we explore the systemic gaps that have historically shut girls out of the trades and STEAM fields, what intentional access and mentorship look like in practice, and the quiet revolution that happens when someone who was told "this isn't for you" picks up a tool and builds something anyway. You can support Girl Buildrs by visiting their website https://www.girlbuildrs.org and following them on social media @girlbuildrs You can support use by liking, commenting, and sharing! Helps us grow our community and reach more folks! And follow us on social media @unpackingthecloset #girlsinstem #girlswhobuild #girlsinengineering #girlsinconstruction #girlbuildrs #girlswithtools #girlsinstemfields

From Gladiator to Guru: Strength, Shame & Relearning with Tiffaney Florentine

Tiffaney Florentine has done everything right, by every external measure. Veteran. CIA. Management consultant. American Gladiator finalist. And still, she hit a wall. In this episode, we explore what happens when high-achieving women realize that success was never the thing they were actually chasing, the difference between performing strength and embodying it, and how the "hustle for love" pattern keeps so many of us stuck no matter how much we accomplish. You can find Tiffaney here: Instagram @tiffaney.flo Website tiffaneyflorentine.com And you can listen to us anywhere you get your podcasts or follow us @unpackingthecloset on TikTok and Instagram!

The Local Lens: Storytelling, Bike commuting, Civic life with Helen Krieger

What do a writers room, a bike commute, and Hurricane Katrina have in common? For Helen Krieger, they're all chapters in the same story: one about community, what it costs to lose it, and what it takes to rebuild it. In this episode, we explore how storytelling became Helen's entry point to both craft and civic life, and what it means to reclaim your queer identity when the world has quietly made you feel like you don't quite count. You can learn more about Helen here: https://www.helen4weho.org #UnpackingTheCloset #UnpackingTheClosetPodcast #TheLocalLens #QueerPodcast #LGBTQPodcast #QueerStorytelling  #Helen4WeHo #HelenKrieger #WestHollywood #WeHo #WestHollywoodCityCouncil #CityCouncil2026 #WeHo2026 #KriegerForWeHo #TVWriter #WritersRoom #Screenwriter #LocalPolitics #CivicEngagement #BiVisibility #BiIdentity #QueerBelonging #QueerCommunity #BiRepresentation #HousingAffordability #RenterRights #BikeAdvocacy #BikeCommute #NewOrleans #HurricaneKatrina #AffordableHousing #ArtistHousing #QueerVoices #RepresentationMatters #LGBTQPolitics #QueerActivism #WomenInPolitics #QueerLeadership #CommunityBuilding #LocalGovernment