The Priesthood of All Queer Believers - The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Loud, Proud, and Full of Grace: Brock Leah Spears on Drag, Dance, and Belief

Drag queen and former pro ballet dancer Brock Leah Spears (Britton Spitler) joins Anny and Tym to talk community, queerness, and faith—from the Trocks to DanceFix, from Catholic trauma to joyful spirituality, and why worship shouldn’t be a chore. Grants, glitter, and gospel… in one fierce hour. 
Topics: 
Pro ballet to drag: Les Ballets Trockadero, stage names, and slapstick Swan Lake. 
Leaving harmful church spaces; finding spiritual practices outside buildings. 
Community as sacrament: DanceFix as “gather • transform • send.” 
Giving back: why tipping street neighbors is part of Brock’s spirituality. 
Coming out (or not): consent, timing, and Love, Simon. 
“Worship shouldn’t be a chore.” 

Finding Your People: A Conversation with PHDee on Queer Joy, Community and Drag

Drag artist PHDee joins Anny and Tym for a tender, laugh-out-loud conversation about coming out, finding community, and why drag carries both joy and righteous rage. From a Jeep-Liberty driveway confession to a mirror-leotard first performance, PHDee traces how the stage persona gave “Josh” real-life confidence—and why drag is more than a party or paycheck. The trio also wrestle with faith, harm, and the work of building affirming spaces where people can be both/and. Plus: queer joy, book-club nerdiness, and Denali sightings. Whether you’re churchy, drag-obsessed, skeptical, or all of the above, this episode is a love letter to chosen family and the communities that hold us. 

From Salons to Supper Clubs: How Drag Shaped the Queen City

Anny is back from vacation, Tym recaps last week’s Cincinnati queer history episode with guest co-host Jake Hogue, and we launch our Drag Series with Jake’s riveting crash course on drag in Cincinnati and the Midwest. You’ll hear about early female and male impersonators, how minstrelsy and sexology shaped public perception, why some performers went mainstream while others were erased, and how drag threaded through churches, clubs, fundraisers, and everyday life long before modern politics tried to define it. 
 We also preview upcoming interviews with local drag performers about art, calling, and spirituality. 
Content note: This episode includes historical references to blackface minstrelsy, anti-cross-dressing laws, and police harassment, discussed critically and contextually

Activism, Faith, and Cincinnati’s Queer Roots with Jacob Hogue-Cincinnati’s Queer Historian

Cincinnati has always been queer—long before Stonewall. Tym sits down with historian Jacob Hogue, author of Cincinnati Before Stonewall, to unearth hidden histories: Unitarian allies hosting the first gay rights meetings, FBI surveillance of affirming churches, obscenity trials, drag before baseball (!), and how the pendulum of progress swings—fast. 
They also name the church’s role (good and bad), why inclusive pulpits still matter, and what effective activism can look like right now. 

Queer Youth - Part 2

In this second conversation on queer youth, Tym and Anny dive deep into what it means for the church to create safe, joyful, and authentic spaces for young queer people. Together, they reflect on their own experiences, the importance of co-creating community with youth, and how scripture calls us to the narrow way of radical love rather than condemnation. 
From laughter-filled lock-ins to the wisdom of living authentically, this episode explores how the church can move beyond shame and judgment to truly embody the gospel. Tym and Anny share stories, offer encouragement, and lift up the truth that being queer is not a sin but a sacred gift. 
The episode closes with a powerful queer blessing for youth — a reminder that you are not alone, you are sacred, and the future is yours. 
 👉 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear they are sacred and not alone. 

Queer Youth - Part 1

🌈✨ In this powerful episode, Anny and Tym dive deep into the lived experiences of queer youth navigating faith, identity, and belonging. Through honest conversation and personal storytelling, they explore the challenges and joys of growing up queer in faith communities, the importance of radical inclusion, and the transformative power of unconditional love. 
Key Topics Covered: 
What queer youth wish they’d heard about faith, queerness, and the future 
The call for radical inclusion in churches and spiritual spaces 
The impact of being able to be “out” in faith communities 
Why youth are full members of the church—not just the future 
How summer camp can offer a model of unconditional love and acceptance 
Why Listen? Whether you’re a queer youth, an ally, a faith leader, or someone seeking to understand, this episode offers insight, affirmation, and hope. Anny and Tym’s stories remind us that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated—just as they are. 
Connect & Share: If this episode resonates with you, share it with your community and join the conversation using #QueerYouth #QueerYouthVoices #PriesthoodOfAllQueerBelievers #QueerBelievers #LGBTQ #FaithAndInclusion #Episcopal #EpiscopalChurch 

This is Our Work: Love in the World (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation on Love in the World, Anny and Tym dive deeper into what it means to embody love beyond the walls of the church. We talk about community organizing, stewarding our resources, and how individual callings intersect with the vision of the church. 
From Redeemer’s mission to karaoke drag queens, queer baby showers, rainbow cowboy hats, and Lindsay Bonadonna’s be. café Pride event — this episode celebrates the many ways God’s love takes shape in the world around us. 
✨ Themes you’ll hear: 
Mission as community organizing with God at the center 
Balancing priorities, values, and resources in our faith communities 
Local vs. global callings — and why both matter 
Redeemer’s mission statement as a living, breathing vision 
Queer joy in karaoke, drag, Pride, and family 
Stay to the end for Tym’s drag debut as Ariana Venti Soy, No Foam Latte — and a celebration of queer joy in the everyday. 
Follow us: 📲 Instagram: @queerbelievers_pod 📲 Follow Lindsey Bonadonna’s be. café: @nourishatbe 
Subscribe, share, and review — it helps spread the word about queer believers dreaming of a more just and joyful church. 

This Is Our Work: Love the World (Part 1)

In this episode, hosts Anny Stevens-Gleason and Tym House dive into what “mission” really means in the life of the church today. Drawing from listening sessions at Church of the Redeemer (Cincinnati), they reflect on how the church is called to form and send disciples who carry love into the world — not just through official church programs, but through their everyday lives, passions, and vocations. 
Together they explore: ✨ Why mission is more than service projects ✨ How faith formation empowers us to act  ✨ The balance between church-led initiatives and community-led work ✨ What it looks like to “be love in the world” in 2025 
This is the first in a two-part conversation on mission, faith, and community. 
The Priesthood of All (Queer) Believers is where stories, sacredness, and queer joy meet at the altar of community. 

Queer Joy Report — Sleeve Garters, Porch Swings, and the Sacred Ordinary

In this special Queer Joy Report, Tym and Anny bring you a whole bouquet of joy — from Marketplace porch swings to perfectly fitting tuxedos, from epic Cincinnati nights out to tender family moments. They share the magic of creating intentional home spaces, discovering the wonder of sleeve garters (yes, that’s a thing!), and savoring the sacred ways joy shows up in church life. 
You’ll hear about: 
The slow transformation of a house into a true home (with bargain-hunting brilliance) 
The delight of queer community nightlife in Cincinnati 
Partner discoveries during church leadership training 
Moments of joy with visiting family — including kids running the bases at a Reds game 
Liturgical language shifts that expand how we see God 
TV shows, music drops, and more that are giving us life right now 
We wrap up with a prayer for queer joy — the kind that resists, resurrects, and reminds us that celebration is holy work. 
Whether you’re here for the cozy vibes, the sacred reflections, or just to find out what a sleeve garter actually is, this episode will leave you smiling. 

Drag is Sacred: Queer Belonging, Beauty, and the Church

In this vibrant and vulnerable episode, Tym and Anny dive deep into the world of drag as sacred art and explore the intersections between drag, liturgy, creativity, and queer joy. From childhood dress-up bins to RuPaul’s Drag Race, from drag kings in college bars to the sparkling stages of Cincinnati, this conversation honors the power of drag as both performance and protest. 
Anny and Tym share their earliest experiences of drag, the transformations it has inspired in their lives, and how drag has shaped their sense of self and spirituality. They reflect on how the church can learn from the drag community—in unconditional welcome, radical belonging, and the art of showing up with one’s full self. 
The episode crescendos with a stunning prayer for drag performers, blessing the sequins, stilettos, and sacred resistance they embody.