Unpacking The Closet

The Politics of Pleasure: From Heated Rivalry to Bridgerton and the Double Standard of Desire

By now you've probably heard of Heated Rivalry, the steamy queer hockey romance that became one of streaming's biggest hits, driven overwhelmingly by a female audience. And if you've been paying attention, you've also clocked the very different reaction some of those same women had when Bridgerton announced its first WLW season. Dr. Yamissette Westerband is here to unpack all of it: what female desire actually looks like when women have the freedom to explore it, why queer male stories feel safe in a way queer female stories apparently don't, and what it means that two shows in the same cultural moment are revealing very different things about whose pleasure we're actually comfortable with. We post new episodes every tuesday and you can follow us on all socials: @unpackingthecloset Have a question or want to be on the show?! Message us by going to our website: www.unpackingthecloset.com #heatedrivalry #bridgerton #ThePoliticsOfPleasure #UnpackingTheCloset #FemaleDesire #FeministPodcast #QueerRepresentation #WLW #QueerRomance #GenderStudies #PopCulturePodcast #MediaAnalysis #LGBTQPodcast #WomenAndCulture #PodcastRecommendations #Franchaela #FrancescaBridgerton #MichaelaStirling #ShaneAndIlya

Stonewall, Juneteenth, and the History of Pride

Pride didn't start as a parade, it started as a riot led by Black and brown trans women who were tired of surviving. This episode is about knowing whose shoulders we're standing on, what they actually built, and how we honor that by refusing to be quiet about our joy. #Pride #PrideHistory #Juneteenth #blackhistory #queerhistory #June

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