The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina

Laverne Cox, Part 1: ’90s NYC Nightlife & Her Memoir

Laverne Cox is here, and she's giving us two full episodes. This is the conversation we've been waiting for! Laverne sits down to talk about 1990s New York nightlife, trans visibility, and her new memoir, Transcendent (out June 9, available for presale now).  Before the Emmy nominations and the global recognition, Laverne was on the downtown dance floors during one of the most electric eras in New York City club culture. The stories do not disappoint. We talk about what it actually felt like to navigate that world as a Black trans woman in the '90s—the joy, the complicated politics of race and access, the relationship between downtown club culture and the ballroom communities uptown, and the messy shift that happened when bottle service moved in and something essential moved out. There's also some serious sparkle in here: Laverne on the dance floor at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Oscar party. Lina DJing Laverne's 50th birthday celebration which was perfectly timed to the release of her Barbie doll. The whole conversation about chosen family and community-building in a world before social media. Laverne’s memoir opens up about trauma, shame, dissociation, family secrets, and healing.  Part 1 is Laverne at her most reflective, funny, vulnerable, and expansive. And part 2 picks up right where we left off. Click here to order Laverne’s book Transcendent: A Memoir [https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Transcendent-A-Memoir/dp/B0FY6TJJJL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17VT6OCC9DKCD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e6GYEqNzAQYJ_7F5jPLYsKyMmR2Q-1ggYkDn7i1dfJoAaHt4RC9YgRK_CFbiXMf7nlt1llODR6gdvp8iURF0ceCa5xBIlXyCeMtQ8jk_3CLhP07HGfSlvWl7PR11cbQcC8bryz5OElykSfGLR-MgbX24tbBkfZoJ5aWJTIxaOvz6ky6MyvT0VhAidS_S4Naln3KuW9rPK5iv0NAreYzF2KYz6MeSVqma_bAjzHu8zcg.bh009JvEa9xNR3vWogOLDCbeWDvSlvgWBuoPbtGkMTU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Laverne+cox&qid=1779970890&sprefix=laverne+cox%2Caps%2C228&sr=8-1] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 [https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10] iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901]  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com [Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Why Real Conversations Still Matter (NYC Edition)

This week, Connie and Lina welcome Zach Miller, host of the podcast Before We Cheers, and the vibes are very New York, very cultured, and just a little chaotic (in the best way). Zach describes Before We Cheers as “the emotional truths we tell before the toast.” The show was inspired by writing his best friend’s wedding speech, that vulnerable, unfiltered moment before everyone raises their glass.  We talk: * The origin of Before We Cheers * Building community in New York’s creative scene * Growing up born-and-raised NYC with culture and travel * Dating apps in 2026 and avoiding catfishers * The right way to do a first date * Slow dinners, Italian-style  * And the scent of a perfect night out (dirty martinis, pizza, Byredo’s Alto Astral, and a Sunday at The Eagle) Zach also shares how he started his podcast to spotlight his peers in the New York creative community—not celebrities, but the people shaping culture in real time. Follow Zach’s show @BeforeWeCheers and also @iamzcm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 [https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10] iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901]  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com [Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

What NYC Nightlife Was Like in the 90s (Before Social Media)

What was New York nightlife really like before phones, influencers, and bottle service? This week on The Cutting Up, we sit down with East Village legend DJ Gant Johnson to relive the chaos, glamour, and dance-floor magic of 80s and 90s NYC club culture. We’re talking: 🔥 Crowbar Tuesdays  🔥 Boy Bar  🔥 Salon Wednesdays (1993–1999)  🔥 Pat Fields era fashion  🔥 Sugar Babies, the legendary Monday night party. And yes — the time Lina was electrocuted on stage… and the crowd thought it was part of the show. We get into how nightlife changed when: 📱 Phones hit the dance floor  📸 Social media killed mystery  💸 Pay-for-position replaced organic scenes  🔐 Privacy disappeared Was the energy better back then — or just different? For Gant and Lina DJing isn’t just music — it’s spiritual. It’s community. It’s bringing people together. This episode is a true love letter to the East Village that raised us. Click here to support his ride for Housing Works- to End Homelessness and AIDS https://pro.gofundme.com/fundraiser/7212007 Click here to support him on the Empire State Ride. NYC --> Niagra where he will be raising money for  cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center https://give.roswellpark.org/site/TR/SpecialEvents/General?pg=personal&px=1730543&fr_id=2130 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 [https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10] iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901]  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com [Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Peppermint on Survival of the Thickest, Trans Rights, and Celebrity Traitors

Peppermint joins The Cutting Up, and the gloves are OFF. The icon, activist, and 2026 NYC Pride Grand Marshal comes through for what starts as a springtime kiki, and ends up being one of our most honest, most necessary conversations yet. From shouting out Sinners to going all the way in on Caitlyn Jenner's cheerleading for Trump, travel bans hitting the community, celebrity non-apologies, the TLC/Chilli tour mess, and the very specific double standards Black queer people have to navigate. Peppermint says what she says. ☕🔥 We talk about her return to Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, and she introduces us to something we didn't know we needed: Transcendence Tea, her caffeine-free vanilla-mint blend made in collaboration with Chicago’s queer Black-owned Moody Teas. And it’s blue! A portion of proceeds goes to Advocates for Trans Equality, the organization that helps Peppermint through her own name and document changes. She celebrates:  ✨ Being named NYC Pride Grand Marshal  🎬 Her return to Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest  🌈 Why representation in Harlem still matters Messy. Meaningful. Unfiltered. No mercy for hypocrisy. Full love for the community. Press play. 💅🏽🔥 For more about Peppermint you can follow here at @Peppermint247 Click HERE [https://brands.moodyteas.co/2025/11/01/introducing-transcendence-peppermint-x-moody-teas/] to order Pep’s tea Transcendence. And remember a portion of each purchase goes to support Advocate For Trans Equality. Click HERE [https://transequality.org/] for more information on Advocates For Trans Equality.  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 [https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10] iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901]  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com [Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Cleansing Curses, Taking Leaps & Owning Your Power

This week on The Cutting Up, Connie and Lina are welcoming our brother-in-chaos and Pride royalty himself, David Correa. Shall we start with outfits and an I Love Lucy tangent? Yes, we shall. David and Lina go way back—all the way to 2016, when he booked her as the resident DJ for NYC Pride’s Pride Island, a year that honestly shifted everything in terms of diversity, visibility, and who gets to take up space. From WorldPride to Hudson Yards to the moment he told Lina (to her face!) that the community elected her as a Pride Grand Marshal! Then we talk about the real leap. David opens up about leaving NYC Pride, freelancing with his husband’s support, and stepping into his next chapter as a pop-culture entertainment correspondent and executive producer/co-host of the ABC Pride broadcast. And we get into the concept that changed everything: Unshrinking. Why do we make ourselves smaller? How do bullying and trauma follow us into adulthood? What does it actually mean to take up space — especially in media and within the LGBTQ community? We talk representation, diversity in media, career pivots, and turning trauma into strength. It’s heartfelt. It’s chaotic. It’s empowering. And always a cackle. So, Sugar, if you’ve ever felt like you were “too much” or “not enough,” this one’s for you. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 [https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10] iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901]  Write to us at Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com [Kiki@TheCuttingUp.com] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.