{"id":12151,"date":"2020-09-01T18:37:36","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T22:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=12151"},"modified":"2023-02-10T13:54:15","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T18:54:15","slug":"lgbtqia-podcast-fans-celebrate-pride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/01\/lgbtqia-podcast-fans-celebrate-pride\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBTQIA+ Podcast Fans Swap ‘Coming Out Boxes’ for Pride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"LGBTQIA+<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As summer soon turns to fall, it\u2019s hard to believe it has been over five months since we first heard the two words that would come to define 2020: social distancing<\/em><\/strong>. Way back when, as we abruptly hit pause on \u201cnormal,\u201d our hearts grew heavy as we physically extracted ourselves from each others\u2019 lives. Our minds looked for ways to connect while focusing on being vigilant about our health and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here we are — our wiser selves — and we\u2019ve all learned new, more creative ways to connect. In fact, earlier this summer, the search term \u201csocial distancing get together ideas\u201d spiked 600% in popularity, according to a tweet from Google Trends<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And these days, we thrive on the inspirational stories of communities coming together<\/a> to spread joy. These moments of hope, love and generosity are certainly a welcome distraction from the reality of these complicated times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying tuned in<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Luckily for fans of the pop culture podcast Binge Mode<\/a>, the show went on. Since its inception in June 2017, Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion have developed a tight-knit community of fantasy-loving listeners who hang on every word of their lively discussions and deep dives into all things Game of Thrones<\/em>, Harry Potter<\/em> and Star Wars<\/em>. Thousands of eager listeners tune in to the podcast as each season is released — a full season at a time — allowing for Netflix-like listening. Bring on the binge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how Time<\/a> described Binge Mode as it took spot #4 on its list of Top 10 Podcasts of 2018<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If \u201cHarry Potter\u201d spin-offs like \u201cCursed Child\u201d and \u201cFantastic Beasts\u201d haven\u2019t sated your longing for more stories about J.K. Rowling\u2019s magical universe, this exhaustively researched, ridiculously fun show should do the trick. Hosts Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion meticulously recap every single Harry Potter book, chapter by chapter. They highlight Rowling\u2019s careful plotting and discuss how her themes of tolerance and resistance feel more relevant than ever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying connected<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And in this year of uncertainty, staying connected is more important than ever. Especially to support those who may be struggling in ways those in their \u201creal world\u201d may not understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a challenging time to stay positive and connected during the pandemic,\u201d says Jazmine Rodriguez of Washington, DC, who is a member of the Binge Mode fandom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBinge Mode is a very popular podcast and covers a lot of pop culture including Harry Potter<\/em>, Game of Thrones<\/em> and Star Wars,<\/em> so we are all fans of one or more of those properties and found the main Binge Mode Facebook group<\/a> (over 30,000 members) in one way or another to fangirl over the podcast, the covered shows\/movies\/books and general pop culture,\u201d Jazmine explains. \u201cI discovered Binge Mode during the last season of Game of Thrones<\/em> and became a huge fan of the hosts, Jason and Mallory, and went back and listened to the Harry Potter<\/em> episodes and joined the Facebook group to connect with other fans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Binge<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe main Binge Mode Facebook group is huge and LGBTQ+ members wanted a space where we could have discussions that don\u2019t always happen in the main group so a few people formed an offshoot Facebook group around the beginning of the quarantine,\u201d Jazmine says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince then the LGBTQ+ group has grown to over 600 members. We discuss many of the same shows\/topics as the larger group but with more of a focus on queer characters and shows and we can have deeper discussions on things like JK Rowlings transphobic comments in a safe space. Some people live in towns without a big queer community so it\u2019s also been a good way for people to connect with others LGBTQ+ people in general online,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing Equality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This Facebook community embraces equality, inclusivity and serves as a safe space for all:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Binge Mode: LGBTQIA. This is a group for us fellow Binge Heads to have a safe space to openly discuss queer literature, TV shows, and movies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This group is open to any who identifies as queer in any way or is an ally.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n