Advertise on podcast: The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina

This week we welcome Dr. Demetre Daskalakis for a conversation that goes from NYC nightlife nostalgia to speaking truth to power, including his decision to leave the CDC.  Connie, Lina, and Dr. D. revisit their shared club roots and the lessons that followed Demetre from the dance floor into medicine: read the room, build trust, and meet people where they are. Their takeaway? Knowing the science matters. Knowing how to talk to people matters, too. They dig into LGBTQ+ healthcare at Callen-Lorde, and why Dr D. champions messaging rooted in joy and empowerment. His prescription? Find your people. Make some noise. Give a damn. @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

This week we’re cutting up with Sutton Stracke, talking Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, life after divorce, and finding your power without pretending you’ve got it all figured out. First, we revisit that woozy reunion moment—because bronchitis and a corset were never going to be a dream team. Sutton gets candid about healing, motherhood, loss, and learning to care a little less about everyone else’s opinions. We get into turning 55, building a better relationship with ourselves, and why personal growth does not come with express shipping. Then we talk Sutton Brands, sustainable fashion, cashmere, clothing rentals, and giving fabulous clothes a second act. It’s all fresh starts, fewer apologies, and finding yourself without losing your flair. @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Raquel Willis, author, activist, and co-founder of the Gender Liberation Movement, joins us for a powerful conversation on trans rights, Black queer liberation, Southern organizing, civil disobedience, and the courage it takes to bloom. Raquel reflects on growing up in Augusta, Georgia, how her Southern and Catholic roots shaped her activism, her arrests during direct actions for trans rights, the work of the Gender Liberation Movement, building support spaces for families of trans and non-binary youth, and her memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom, now available in paperback. It’s all a powerful reminder that gender liberation is for everyone. Order Raquel’s book The Risk It Takes to Bloom here @raquel_willis  @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support. Order Raquel’s book The Risk It Takes to Bloom here @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Actor, director and Tony nominee Brian J. Smith joins Connie and Lina for an episode that starts with some crazy Barbie banter and somehow ends somewhere between Sense8, Texas trauma, Broadway nerves, and a very chaotic fishbowl Q&A. (Well, it IS The Cutting Up afterall.)  It’s funny, sometimes heartfelt, slightly unhinged, and full of stories from Brian’s life and career — from growing up in Texas and finding theater, to working with the Wachowskis on Sense8, to teasing his role in the upcoming series The Boys: Vought Rising. Brian is then joined by producer Joe Conforti and they dive into their beautiful Fire Island documentary, A House Is Not a Disco, which premiered at SXSW and captures the island across all four seasons. The film explores Fire Island beyond the party mythology — its queer history, community, legacy, the impact of the AIDS crisis, and what it means to preserve a place that has meant so much to generations of LGBTQ+ people. Come for Brian J. Smith. Stay for the chaos, the couture, and the Fire Island feelings. You can find A House Is Not A Disco on: GATHR Apple TV Google Play And right here on YouTube DON'T MISS IT, Sugar. @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Puppeteer extraordinaire Basil Twist joins Connie and Lina for a colorful, hilarious, deeply magical hang about puppets, chosen family, and downtown NYC lore. Less "interview," more old friends catching up over rainbow looks, fabulous nails, nightclub memories, and puppetry sorcery throughout. Basil talks about falling for puppets, the legends who shaped him (Jim Henson, Julie Taymor, Mummenschanz), and why bringing an object to life still feels like magic — plus his showbiz family history and the downtown scene that raised them all. And because this crew can't stay on topic: astrology, stage fright, "gay moms," and chaotic fishbowl questions. @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Season 2 is here, Sugar, and we are starting off with a bang! The one and only Mila Jam joins us for a hilarious, and completely unfiltered kickoff full of Pride stories, dating confessions, nightlife memories, snack debates, and trans excellence. Mila spills on her whirlwind Pride season, from making history as the first Black trans woman to headline Boston Pride to being invited back to Cincinnati Pride, performing in Broadway Bares for HIV/AIDS fundraising, landing the cover of The Advocate Pride issue, and appearing as herself on Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest. Then things get spicy: mile-high confessions, "first timer" protocol, diva demands, the four-boyfriends theory, and real talk on dating as a trans woman, chosen family, and why queer joy is an act of resistance. It’s part kiki, part confession, all celebration—and the perfect way to launch Season 2. And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Before we launch into our shiny new Season 2, Connie and Lina and everyone at “The Cutting Up” take a look back over the past year. Our “Previously On…” romp through Season 1 features producer Matthew Breen (also known as “HR”) and co-producer Josh Rosenzweig (aka “Palmolive’). We look back on the unforgettable guests, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and the growing community that made it all possible. It’s honest conversations, chosen family energy, queer joy, drag history, pop culture obsessions, and a safe space where guests could truly open up.  The Season 1 lineup was ah-maaah-zing, and included icons, legends, artists, activists, and culture-makers, including Nicole Ari Parker, Dianne Brill, Kerri Colby, Susan Powter, Joy Reid, Carson Kressley, Joey Arias, Kevin Aviance, Shequida, and many more. Lina and Con-Con celebrate the magic of these conversations while sharing gratitude for the fans, guests, and team behind the scenes. Baby, Season 2 is coming up and it’s gonna get ya, with Mila Jam, Raquel Willis, Basil Twist, Sutton Stracke, Dimitri Daskalakis, and Brian J. Smith with JJ discussing their documentary A House Is Not a Disco.  Pour yourself a little drinkie-drink and join us all (including hair stylist Mariah Molina and photographer Shane Reynolds) as we all raise a toast to the bomb-ass kiki that is our crazy little show. Honey, we are just getting started.  Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Hair by Mariah Molina.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

We’re joined by David Dalrymple, designer, downtown fashion legend, and longtime House of Field creative force, for a kiki about iconic New York nightlife and the looks that shaped downtown culture, from Patricia Field’s collaborations with the Keith Haring Foundation to the jumpsuit inspired by Grace Jones’ body-paint era. We trace the origins of House of Field and working with Pat Field, from scotchlite and girdle-fabric magic to the iconic push-up “carnival” bra, then dive into Boy Bar’s “Space C**t” era with Mona Foot and Lady Bunny stories, Matthew Kasten’s curation of that nightlife community, designing for the Brooklyn Nets, Knicks, and the Liberty’s mascot Ellie, dressing drag legends and rising stars, a last-minute Bette Midler costume rush, and rag rug couture. It’s fashion history, queer nightlife nostalgia, and drag excellence, all wrapped in chaos in the best way. Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

This week, we're CUTTING UP with Dr. Lee Phillips @drleephillips): sexologist, former psychotherapist, comedian, and professional shame-dismantler. Nothing is off the table. We trace Dr. Lee's path from mental health and substance use treatment to sex therapy and social media, and how he's built a platform that makes talking about sex feel normal, and funny. Because if you can't laugh about it, you're probably still ashamed of it. The conversation moves fast: moving back to NYC in 2021 and reclaiming main-character energy, '90s club kid nostalgia, and why humor disarms sexual shame better than anything else. We get into being kink-affirming and sex-work affirming, how cruising migrated from clubs to gyms, and why dating apps function like casino algorithms built to keep you swiping. From there it's ghosting, decision fatigue, the situationship epidemic, Sniffies, steam rooms, dad bod discourse, and how COVID rewired the way we date and connect. There are bathhouse stories. There is seafood boil chaos. There is a fishbowl question game that could have gotten us canceled in 2004. And underneath the laughs, a real conversation about pleasure, connection, and why we deserve better than breadcrumbing and confusion. Smart. Messy. Educational. Unhinged in the best way. Out now. @drleephillips  Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

What happens when fashion photography, AI, dating apps, and stem cell therapy end up in the same conversation? Chaos. Insight. A little shade. Legendary fashion photographer Ezequiel De La Rosa (Ez to his friends) joins us for a no-filter talk on art, AI, and where creativity is headed, from capturing someone's true essence through a lens to what "photographer" even means now that everyone has a phone. We dig into AI's creep into art and acting, how phones and social media are reshaping dating and real connection, and whether love bombing is just a digital sport now. Then Ez pivots hard: a recent stem cell treatment for hip and knee pain, and whether regenerative medicine is the future of pain relief. We close with thrifted fashion finds, vintage obsessions, and friendships born from random encounters. Fashion. AI. Dating. Wellness. Vintage style. Thoughtful, funny, chaotic, real. Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Summer vibes only!  Lina, Connie, and Producer Matt take Summer by storm. It’s all music, cookout food debates, beach energy, Fire Island plans, tan lines, and how you know summer has really started (hint: shirtless runners and sandals). They kick things off riffing on The Pointer Sisters, Cher, florals (groundbreaking), and the ultimate summer playlist soundtrack — from Donna Summer and the B‑52’s to “Summertime Sadness,” “Summer Breeze,” bossa nova, and Jessie Ware. If you need songs of the summer inspiration, we’ve got you. Then it’s cookout chaos: 🍗 What are you bringing to the BBQ? Potato salad? Mac & cheese? Ribs? Curry goat? Watermelon‑feta‑mint salad? Tuna‑pickle pasta? Barbecued shrimp?  🍹 What are we drinking, babes? Ginger beer, gin + fizzy lemonade, or our chaotic Fire Island special: Corona + tequila + lime.  We are serving peak summer energy. Drop your go‑to summer song and cookout dish in the comments 👇 And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and send this to your favorite BBQ guest. Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Pop icon debates, queer history deep dives, and insider cultural storytelling! This week Connie and Lina are joined by writer-producer Jess Rothschild. First up, Madonna’s Confessions Two album. What do we know and what do we really want Madonna to deliver? Plus a deep dive on mother’s discography: Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, her stunning debut, and early classics like “Burnin’ Up” and “Borderline.” Then Jess talks Finding Fire Island, her documentary podcast series now streaming: her first Cherry Grove trip in 2008, falling for The Pines a decade later, why nobody had made an accessible Fire Island history before, and the work of tracking down longtime residents for oral history. Lina closes it out with her own return to The Pines including anniversary events, a new residency, and how female energy is reshaping the island's culture.  Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Photography by Shane Reynolds. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

Buckle up. This week we’re joined by debut filmmaker Elliot Tuttle, director of Blue Film, one of the boldest queer indie films in recent memory. The film follows a cam boy hired by an anonymous client who turns out to be his disgraced former middle school teacher. It’s not comfortable and it was too scary for some LGBTQ film festivals.  This conversation goes deep, into queer loneliness, empathy vs. morality in film, voyeurism, adolescent desire, and whether art is allowed to be messy. Elliot talks about low-budget filmmaking, festival resistance to his movie, and landing a theatrical run (that keeps getting extended!) at NYC’s IFC Center plus a New York Times Critics’ Pick. It’s queer cinema, but really it’s about being human. It’s messy, contradictory, and a little unhinged. Go see Blue Film. Support queer artists.  Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.  Photography by Shane Reynolds.  Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

This week on Cutting Up:  Roxy. Boy Bar. Mars. Absolute chaos. The legendary Shequida joins us to spill iconic ’90s NYC nightlife tea — from first seeing Lady Bunny at Mars to getting into The Roxy on opening night and navigating the East Village vs. big‑club wars. We get into:  ✨ Boy Bar boyfriend drama that sparked a full confrontation  ✨ Connie’s extreme corset era (and the trauma that followed)  ✨ The ongoing Fluevog shoe saga (broken… then stolen)  ✨ Being the first drag queen in a recurring national TV role on One Life to Live Plus gatekeeping, attitude accusations, shoe wars, shared men tea, and why holding the door open for others to enter matters the most. It’s New York drag history. It’s ’90s nightlife warfare. It’s glamorous survival. Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.

What does it actually take to defend trans rights in 2026? This week, Connie and Lina sit down with Victoria Foster James of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) to talk about the legal, political, and cultural fight shaping transgender equality in America.  Formed from the merger of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF), A4TE combines federal lobbying, direct legal services, name-change support, and impact litigation into one powerhouse organization. More than 700 anti‑LGBTQ bills were introduced in 2025. This conversation breaks down what’s happening, why it matters, and how advocacy organizations are responding in real time.  Plus: fashion banter, Barbie name lore, astrology detours, and a chaotic fishbowl to close it out. Learn more: transequality.org Follow: @transequalitynow If you value conversations that connect policy, culture, and real impact, make sure to follow, rate, and share the show. It helps more people find these stories. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901  Write to us at [email protected] And follow us on instagram: @TheCuttingUp @TheRealConnieGirl @TheLinaBradford @PrideHouseMedia “The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production. Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen. Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond. Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.   Production Design by Darryl Dickens.  Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.