Avoiding My Anxiously Attached Boyfriend

We’re joined by Shaden, a fearless Arab comedian and outspoken voice on identity, politics and freedom of expression, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about queerness, culture and resistance.
In this episode, Shaden opens up about growing up in the Arab world and navigating the tension between cultural identity and personal freedom. From challenging taboos around sex, religion and language to confronting censorship and societal expectations, she shares what it really means to speak openly in environments where silence is often enforced.
She reflects on the complexity of being both Arab and queer, pushing back against the idea that queerness is a “Western concept” and exploring how colonialism, politics and religion have shaped modern narratives across the Middle East. 
Alongside this, she opens up about mental health, relationships, identity and the realities of living between cultures, offering a deeply honest perspective on what it means to exist, resist and find moments of joy in a complicated world. 
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We’re joined by Cliff, Editor-in-Chief of Attitude Magazine and Rolling Stone UK, for an honest and insightful conversation about identity, media, community and what it really means to create cultural impact.
In this episode, Cliff reflects on his journey through the media industry. From working in queer nightlife magazines to leading some of the most influential publications in the UK. He shares how his early experiences in the LGBTQ+ scene shaped his perspective, and how community, activism and storytelling became central to his work. 
We explore the evolution of representation in media, from a time when covers were dominated by a narrow idea of masculinity, to a more diverse and inclusive landscape today. Cliff opens up about the responsibility of storytelling, why representation still has a long way to go, and how small shifts in perspective can create real cultural change. 
He also talks about identity and belonging, growing up in a working-class immigrant family, finding his place within the queer community, and the power of chosen family. From chaotic club culture to quiet moments of “doing nothing”, Cliff reflects on how his relationship and personal life helped him find balance. 
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We’re joined by Joris for a powerful conversation on neurodiversity, identity & the systems shaping our understanding of the world.

In this episode, Joris shares his perspective as a neurodivergent creator, unpacking how autism, ADHD and mental health are often misunderstood through a purely medical and Western lens. As part of Autism Awareness Month, we explore what it really means to be neurodivergent, and why many of the labels we use are deeply shaped by culture, power and societal norms.

We dive into the idea that “nothing is neutral”  from psychology to identity and break down how coloniality and capitalism influence the way we define what is “normal”. Joris explains how neurodivergence can be perceived completely differently across cultures, and why some behaviours are pathologised in the West but accepted elsewhere.

The conversation expands into identity, race and global culture, exploring the complexity of blackness across the diaspora, the tensions between different lived experiences, and why dominant narratives often flatten nuance.

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We’re joined by Drew Demetry, founder of NAFS, for a powerful conversation about SWANA identity, queerness & community.
In this episode, Drew shares his journey growing up between Denmark and Egypt, navigating religion, culture and sexuality. He opens up about being outed, family rejection and reconciliation, and how those experiences shaped his understanding of identity and belonging.
We also explore his career across fashion, art and luxury, where he experienced racism, homophobia and systemic exclusion: leading him to build NAFS, a platform dedicated to uplifting SWANA queer creatives. Drew breaks down the importance of creating financial ecosystems, safe spaces and community-led platforms that actually serve people.
From queer Arab club nights in London to the tension between culture and sexuality, we dive into the realities of navigating multiple identities, the challenges within the queer community itself, and why true community requires accountability.
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We’re joined by Saleem Haddad, novelist and writer, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, masculinity, love and what it means to belong.

In this episode, Saleem shares his journey growing up across the Middle East, navigating queerness in conservative environments and the complicated relationship he had with masculinity. From being drawn to traditional ideas of masculinity to later challenging them, he reflects on how identity, culture and sexuality shaped his experiences.

He also opens up about being forced back into the closet while working in Yemen, discovering queer spaces in Beirut, and how those environments offered both freedom and contradiction. 

We also dive into his new novel Floodlines, a multi-generational story exploring art, family legacy and identity. Inspired by Iraqi history, mythology and real artworks, Saleem shares how writing the novel became a way of understanding his heritage, exile and the complexities of belonging. He also reveals how unexpected influences, including The Real Housewives, shaped the dynamic between the characters.

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