Advertise on podcast: The Lesbian Breakup Podcast

Hi, everyone, it’s Zara Barrie. And this week on The Lesbian Breakup Podcast, we’re ~breaking~ the format. My brilliant and talented co-host, Elina Street, is hard at work shooting magical things in Ireland, so it’s just *you* and *me* today, getting raw, real, and in ~our feels~ in this cozy solo little episode. Part confessional and part coaching session, this episode is a candid discussion on the messy, non-linear journey of grief—whether it be from death, a romantic breakup, a friendship breakup, a family breakup, or a breakup with a job or a version of yourself. Together, we stare our suffering right in the eye, hand the microphone over to the pain we’ve been silencing, and identify what’s really going on beneath the layers of anger and longing. We figure out what’s keeping us stuck, challenge those limiting beliefs, and find a way to move one tiny step forward—while still honoring the truth. We also talk about how the current state of the culture is squashing our sense of self-trust, how to overcome the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, and how to start putting ourselves out there again, without overthinking. You’ll leave this episode with tangible tools to help heal your heart and start to get your sparkle back. This is for anyone who has ever experienced any form of loss or is sick of curation and is down for a real conversation. Come feel it all. The Lesbian Breakup Podcast is sponsored by Jaegermeister, supporting queer nightlife and the LGBTQ+ community year-round, from Save the Night at the Lesbian Bar Project to the bars and spaces we call home after dark. 21 and over. Please drink responsibly. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Is she the love of your life—or are you just *high*... on the possibility of her? This week on The Lesbian Breakup Podcast, Zara Barrie and Elina Street get into anxious attachment, the unexpected STING of the FLING, and dating after heartbreak without handing your entire f*****g life to someone you met last night at the lesbian bar. ALSO: Elina turns 35 with a pretty pink princess cake, a MAJOR career win, and a newfound appreciation for a lover who can put on the brakes without killing the vibe or judging us lover girls. Meanwhile, Zara asks what dating someone “on your level” ACTUALLY means: emotional compatibility, self-awareness, and a partner who celebrates your ambition instead of quietly resenting it. A psychic is fabulous, darling. But she cannot be your girlfriend’s entire mental health team. Get a licensed shrink, please and thank you. Plus: blocking the ex you secretly want watching your stories, outgrowing emotional vampires, and the much-anticipated update on Elina’s French Kristen Stewart. There are goats, g strings and finally a direct question. (Peep more on the Lesbian Bar Project Substack—new essay from Elina coming soon!). Can you have fun with someone without eventually falling in love? That is our final question. Asking for a friend…AKA US. The Lesbian Breakup Podcast is sponsored by Jaegermeister, supporting queer nightlife and the LGBTQ+ community year-round, from Save the Night at the Lesbian Bar Project to the bars and spaces we call home after dark. 21 and over. Please drink responsibly. Follow us on Instagram: @lesbianbreakuppod @zarabarrie @elinastreet Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Zara + Elina are finally BACK and recording from the South of France, where the rosé is cold and the grief is hot. In this *very* personal episode, Zara opens up about returning to her mother’s favorite place without her, the “unhinged stage of grief,” and why loss can leave you with zero tolerance for small talk. Zara and Elina get into the difference between boundaries and low emotional capacity, why the truth can calm your nervous system even when it hurts, the cruelty of ghosting, and jealousy versus intuition. PLUS: Elina has a South of France lesbian sleepover and must decide whether to tell her, “I think you’re cute.” Come for the heartbreak and stay for the grief privilege, fabulous/chic storm-outs and Mediterranean lore. The Lesbian Breakup Podcast is sponsored by Jägermeister, supporting queer nightlife and LGBTQ+ spaces all year long through Save the Night. For listeners 21+. Please drink responsibly. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

This week, as per usual, The Lesbian Breakup Podcast is reporting from two very different lesbian frontiers: Elina’s finally back in ~Brooklyn~ after undergoing a cinematic reunion with an old lover in Miami, and Zara’s in the crystalline waters of French Polynesia and ~Hawaii~ having a mermaid rebirth (grief is strange, babes). Elina recounts reconnecting with the ex who once moved to Saudi Arabia, accepting a little princess treatment at the World Cup, and realizing that sometimes the most grown-up ending isn’t a breakup—it’s evolving from lovers to friends. Meanwhile, Zara swims with sharks, gets humbled by a boogie board, sheds her hair extensions, and slowly begins to feel joy after years of survival mode. We yap about unavailable lovers, the safety of long-distance fantasy, writing people back into existence, and the strange, beautiful moment when grief finally makes room for laughter. Plus: a very special announcement about our August break and our upcoming reunion in the South of France. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Elina Street and Zara Barrie are joined by BaZi and Feng Shui expert Jessica Oros — former film industry insider turned Chinese metaphysics specialist and founder of Feng Shui for the Soul—for a ~deep dive~ into BaZi, the ancient art of the Four Pillars of Destiny. Jessica breaks down what everyone’s been buzzing about: the Year of the Fire Horse. Spoiler: it’s a year to move fast, trust your gut, and be radically authentic (the fire puts a spotlight on everything, so hiding isn’t an option, darling). We get into: What the Fire Horse year actually means (beyond the memes) *The five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and what they reveal about your personality, relationships, and career *A month-by-month energy forecast for the rest of 2026 from the gentle goat of July to the spectacular fire monkey of August and the big rat-horse clash coming in December *Why your birth chart is like an onion—and what your partner’s chart can tell you about who they are behind closed doors The ideal episode for us queers to quench our thirsts when it comes to readings, charts, and astrology. Book a session with Jessica at Feng Shui for the Soul and remember to feel it all. https://www.getfengshuiforthesoul.com/ Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode, hosts Elina Street and Zara Barrie are joined by Elina’s best friend, the one and only award-winning writer-director Erica Rose. Erica and Elina also co-created the Emmy and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries The Lesbian Bar Project. What was supposed to be a breakdown of breakup scenes in lesbian film turns into something way better: a deeply honest, hilarious, and moving conversation about the romance of queer friendship, the difference between passion and true intimacy, rejection sensitivity, love addiction, and why depth and vulnerability are the ultimate superpowers. We break down what true intimacy looks like and why it can be so much *scarier* than lust and passion. We get into the origin story of Elina and Erica’s friendship, which begins, naturally, with a bag of sex toys and a tumble up the stairs. Erica and Zara wind up giving relationship advice to Elina, and this episode quickly becomes the unofficial therapy session of our wildest best-friend dreams. This episode is funny, raw, real, and DEEP. Come feel it all with us. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Lesbian Breakup Podcast, Zara and Elina are joined by writer, professor, former podcast co-host, and Zara’s platonic life partner, dayna troisi. What begins with tube-top-gate (it was actually underwear), giant strap-ons, failed threesomes, and lesbian chaos quickly becomes something much deeper: a conversation about friendship, divorce, self-medicating, codependency, chosen family, and the relationships that teach us what love is not supposed to feel like. We talk about the marriages that almost swallowed us whole, the friends who carried us through heartbreak (sometimes literally, in wheelchairs), and why the right relationship should feel more like hanging out with your best friend than escaping from your life. It’s funny. It’s messy. It’s super raw. And it’s one of our most personal episodes yet. Feel it ALL with us. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Pride, darlings. In this Pride Month special, Zara Barrie and Elina Street swap cautionary tales from Prides past, including breakup relapses, ex-girlfriend run-ins, disastrous fashion choices, and questionable rainbow accessories. Along the way, they discuss the emotional chaos of Pride, the unique experience of seeing exes in the wild, why Brooklyn and Manhattan lesbians can sometimes be wildly different species, and whether Los Angeles is actually less judgmental than New York. Plus: Pride survival tips for newly-out lesbians, first-time Pride attendees, queer late bloomers, and anyone wondering how to navigate LGBTQ+ community spaces without losing their phone, their friends, or their mind. Topics include: Pride Month, lesbian culture, LGBTQ+ community, queer nightlife, lesbian breakups, ex-girlfriends, coming out later in life, Brooklyn Pride, NYC Pride, LA Pride, queer friendship, lesbian dating, Pride mistakes, and surviving your first Pride. Because sometimes Pride is liberation. And sometimes it’s relapse sex, heatstroke, and a rainbow bowtie. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to episode 9 of The Lesbian Breakup Podcast. This week, after emotionally detonating ourselves in last episode’s grief spiral, we decided to offer both you AND ourselves a tiny reprieve. So naturally, we did the only logical thing: rank the formative gay experiences that turned us into lesbians. From Cleopatra to Gia, summer camp intensity to devastating dark friendship betrayals, France to suburban America, Elina and Zara each reveal the top five moments that made us realize, in increasingly dramatic fashion, “Oh. I’m not straight at ALL.” Then, because we are deeply unwell and extremely opinionated list-lovers, we *merge* our lists together into one definitive shared Top 5 Lesbian Awakenings ranking. This episode is funny, nostalgic, slightly heartbreaking, deeply revealing, and painfully earnest in the way only youth can be. A chaotic little trip down memory lane full of yearning, cinematic gay drama, and baby lesbian confusion. Come feel it all with us! Available on ALL platforms. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Co-hosts Elina Street and Zara Barrie are *finally* back together and feeling it all… What happens when grief becomes a privilege? On this week’s episode, recorded on Zara’s 40th birthday, we get deep on grief, loss, and the unexpected clarity that comes after everything burns down. Zara opens up about what it meant to be a full-time caretaker for her mother, the surreal “business of death” that nobody warns you about, and why the silence after loss can feel both terrifying and like the first real breath you’ve taken in months. We talk about grief brain, the friends who show up and the ones who don’t, and why giving people space is not always the gift you think it is. We also get into grief privilege; the idea that knowing loss lets you into a different playground entirely, one where things that used to matter suddenly don’t, and the things that do matter become unshakeable. Whether you’re navigating a breakup, losing a parent, processing a friendship that fell apart, or just trying to find yourself on the other side of something hard — this one is for you. Grab a tissue, and know that you are not alone, and remember to feel it all. Crying is sexy. Every other Tuesday. We love you and thank you so dearly for your support. AVAILABLE ON SUBSTACK, SPOTIFY, AND APPLE PODS. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

In this raw, unfiltered episode, Emmy-winning director and co-host Elina opens up about navigating rejection (professional and romantic), writing a love letter that never arrived, and why she’s still hung up on someone she probably shouldn’t be. But this isn’t a spiral, it’s a Virgo’s dream, a well thought-out list that will especially help if you’re currently healing from a situationship. Elina breaks down her 10 Rules for Avoiding a Bad Lesbian Breakup: from situationships that were never actually casual, to why saying “I love you” too soon is an oxytocin trap, to the one question she now asks herself before tolerating anything — would I let a friend get away with this? Plus: the bag of rice theory of relationships, why first impressions are everything, and what it actually means to own yourself on a Friday night. Zara is dearly missed — we will be back together very soon. 🎙️ All are welcome. Because no one understands heartbreak like a lesbian. Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we’re breaking the format. It’s your Lesbian Breakup Podcast cohost, Zara Barrie and I’m going solo for an intimate, no-filter episode. But *don’t* worry, the brilliant and enigmatic Elina Street will be back next week. In this episode, I open up about what it’s been like caretaking for my mother in the final stages of hospice, and how living this close to loss has completely reshaped the way I think about love, heartbreak, and what actually matters in this crazy, whirlwind life. I answer your questions about relationships and breakups, share the most iconic advice my mother has passed down to me (that I’m so honored to pass down to you), and reflect on the haphazard, complicated, VERY human ways we survive the most harrowing chapters of our lives. I’m talking growth—real growth—the kind that’s not pretty or “aesthetic.” The kind of evolution that’s non-linear, complicated, and f*cking messy. I’m talking about letting go of victim mentality and turning our pain into our purpose. And yes, of course, I wax poetic about my own slew of screw-ups in love, life, and sex. I’m grieving. I’m raw. I’m not sugarcoating a damn thing. This is the realest you’ll ever get me, darlings. If you’re in the mood for something intimate, unpolished, and RAW—this one is for you. Support our Substacks: The Lesbian Bar Project + MASCARA LESBIAN Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Zara Barrie and Elina Street take you on a wild adventure into the glittery institutions that raised us: the lesbian bars of New York and Los Angeles. From Zara sneaking into The Abbey at 18 in full Lindsay Lohan cosplay to Elina walking alone into Cubbyhole and getting waterboarded by a blunt New Jersey lesbian asking, “What’s your deal?”—this episode is a true love letter to the spaces that cracked us open and unearthed the lesbian within. We get into why sapphic sex is rarely casual (if you cum, you’re at high-risk of booking a cross-continental flight), the ~oxytocin spiral~ that turns a random hookup into a fantastical love story, and how much easier (and boring) life is when you don’t orgasm. We talk about toppy aggressive femmes, power bottoms, twin f*ckers, and the jarring whiplash of realizing your type might not be attracted to the type that is you. Topics include: • First lesbian bar experiences (LA vs NYC) • Attraction, rejection and type theory • Queer self-esteem, style and identity Want more? Check out The Lesbian Bar Project and Mascara Lesbian on Substack. Be sure to follow us on Instagram: @lesbianbreakuppod @zarabarrie @elinastreet @lesbianbarproject Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

#4: Some people grow up with SCIENTIFIC sex education. Charts. Condoms on bananas. Clinical vocabulary lectured by an awkward gym teacher who is clearly DYING inside. Cohost Zara Barrie grew up with something else entirely: “KITCHEN TABLE SEX EDUCATION.” Which is what happens when you’re the youngest child in a house where chatty adults openly debate LOVE, SEX, AFFAIRS, HEARTBREAK, and TERRIBLE MEN over wine…while you sit there quietly absorbing everything like a tiny lesbian anthropologist in training. Meanwhile, Elina Street grew up in FRANCE, where sex education includes something Americans tend to leave out entirely: LOVE. Not just anatomy. Not just mechanics. But romance and relationships, too. In this episode of The Lesbian Breakup Podcast, Zara and Elina compare their wildly different upbringings, unpack the long and wild journey of finding your lesbian self, and revisit the ex-boyfriends who were…let’s just say…important stepping stones. We talk locker-room myths, cultural confusion, early awakenings, and that life-altering moment when you walk into a lesbian bar and suddenly think: Oh. Right. THIS is where I belong. Feel it ALL with us in Episode 4: Finding Your Lesbian Self (Eventually) This episode includes the topics of: Figuring out who you are and where the hell you fit in queer cultureEx-boyfriends who mysteriously end up living in France (same location, different stories)The messy and cathartic experience of taking our mothers to the dyke barThe beautiful, unhinged glory days of being a BABY LESBIAN Support us by becoming subscribers to The Lesbian Bar Project, Elina Street and MASCARA LESBIAN Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe

Episode three of The Lesbian Breakup Podcast explores what happens when real life crashes into your love life. From themes of grief, hospice, to bad timing, Zara and Elina still find a way to weave in stories about getting the ick or faking orgasms. And of course, the terrifying concept of pressing PAUSE instead of BREAKUP Zara opens up about being in anticipatory grief while caring for her mother and what it means to love someone deeply while having nothing left to give. We talk about putting a relationship on hold out of love. Not avoidance. Not drama. LOVE. Elina returns from Paris to a literal flood, resurrected diaries, and a brain full of questions about independence, pedestal dynamics, and being a strong woman who still wants to be tucked into bed like a princess. We end deep diving into what it means to be a princess and the resentment we harbor when our loves don’t get it. We get into: *lesbian breakups *queer relationships *grief and dating *pausing a relationship *sudden repulsion syndrome This episode is funny. Tender. Brutally honest. You don’t have to be a lesbian to be here. You just have to be someone who loves to feel it all! Support us on Substack: The Lesbian Bar Project and Mascara Lesbian Get full access to MASCARA LESBIAN at zarabarrie.substack.com/subscribe