Feeling Like a Woman, Looking Like a Man (Ep. 267 - Josephine Baker/Shawntae Arnette)

My guest this week has had a lot of families — some good, some bad. Shawntae Arnette dreamed of being a performer all their life, after seeing a documentary about the famous dancer Josephine Baker. But there were roadblocks to that dream, from unsupportive biological family, to a period of homelessness, to a chosen family that turned toxic. Drifting and aimless, Shawntae joined a job program and was surprised to discover not only a career, but a group of queers that felt like a true family — a family who got Shawntae on a track to becoming a parent and the performer they always dreamed of being. We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers. And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode. Also I hope you’ll join me for our next fun friendly livestream on January 4. It’s a laid back brunch-time chat about the books and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. There’s a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. And by the way, if you like LGBTQ podcasts you may enjoy my other show, Queens of Adventure, a comedy-adventure podcast that stars drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. That’s at QueensOfAdventure.com.