20 LGBTQ-hosted podcasts to check out

Diving back into his boy band roots, N’SYNC’s Lance Bass is giving teeny boppers of the ‘90s and early ‘00s all the feels on Frosted Tips as he books guests that filled the pages of Tiger Beat alongside him back in the day from Backstreet Boys to 98 Degrees.

Almost every show has a podcast attached to it, and with Spongebob Squarepants being Nickelodeon’s pride and joy, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to sit down and binge it from the beginning. While Frankie Grande and Hector Navarro only got through 45 episodes, they’re still worth checking out as they were joined along the way by Tom Kenny, the man who’s voiced the yellow icon since its 1999 debut.

Friends from way, way back, RuPaul and Michelle Visage teamed up to not only dominate television with RuPaul’s Drag Race but also their podcast, RuPaul: What's The Tee with Michelle Visage.

Willow Smith joined her mother and grandmother on Red Table Talk, in which the three got into everything from relationships to trauma bonding and beyond. Facebook canceled the popular series in April 2023, but Jada Pinkett Smith tweeted to fans that she and her team "are in talks of finding a new home."

Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang and actor/comedian Matt Rogers are self-proclaimed culture consultants who came together to talk about not only everything related to pop culture but also celebrity interviews with the likes of Yellowjacket’s Melanie Lynskey, What We Do in Shadows’ Harvey Guillén, and so many others.

Jinkx Monsoon took home the big win on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and since then has become one of the most dominating forces in entertainment with holiday specials on Netflix, sold-out tours around the world, and their podcast Hi Jinkx!

Kalen Allen started going viral for his food reactions, leading to being on Ellen. Since then, his star has just continued to rise, and now he’s living every ‘90s kid's dream come true by podcasting alongside talk show legend Ricki Lake. They talk about her show and all the talk shows of that era.

Jillian Michaels became a primetime favorite in the early 2000s appearing on NBC's The Biggest Loser. A lifelong fan of fitness, her podcast focuses on wellness in all forms.

Hosted by two winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race and real-life best friends Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change, Sibling Rivalry is a hilarious hour that offers up a variety pack of entertainment from recaps of they previously dominated to advice to insightful conversations about everything from race to bathhouses.

Younger star Nico Tortorella has been living their best life since opening up about their sexuality in 2016, and as a gender-fluid individual had a lot to say about the world around them on their podcast, The Love Bomb with Nico Tortorella.

Jonathan Van Ness was an instant favorite when Netflix rebooted and revamped Queer Eye in 2018, and the comical host used that career-changing opportunity to, well, make more opportunities that included book deals, comedy tours, and Getting Curious. Even on the show, viewers get an insight into how much Van Ness cares about political and societal issues, and on their show, that’s what fans who tune in can expect.

Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon are two of the most respected drag performers working today. Because of their history on the original season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, it was pretty much written in the cards that they had to connect in the podcast realm to talk drag, career moves, and anything else that comes to mind.

When podcasts started to pop off, comedians were at the forefront, with the likes of Joe Rogan and Marc Maron leading the way, but since then, so many other people who made a career out of being funny have stepped in, including Cameron Esposito. On QUEERY, Esposito doesn’t just sit down with fellow comedians but rather people in the LGBTQ community who are doing amazing things.  

Anderson Cooper has been a well-known name in the news since the world rang in the new millennium, so one would assume his podcast would cover war zones and politics. Instead, All There Is focuses a lot on loss and the grief process as the CNN anchor explores the death of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and the loved ones his guests have said goodbye to.

Those who want the truth and nothing but the truth regarding RuPaul’s Drag Race had better tune into Race Chaser because Alaska is the superfan who won, and Willam is one of two queens disqualified from the reality series. So the conversations, they’re must-hear.

With almost a dozen seasons of Will & Grace to his name, Sean Hayes is a small-screen dynamo who now podcasts with two other actors who haven’t done so bad for themselves: Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. Their infectious friendship helped propel the show into popularity, and their A-list statuses helped them book some of the biggest names in Hollywood, like Jennifer Garner, Brendan Fraser, Natasha Lyonne, and so many others.

The Good Place star Jameela Jamil has never been afraid to air her thoughts on the world around her — good or bad. This led to I Weigh, a podcast that pairs Jamil up with fellow actors, authors, influencers, and more to explore neglectful childhoods, asexuality, glucose, and a heck of a lot more.

Not everyone is naturally witty, but drag performers Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo are not everyone. Apart they are amazing, but together they are a riot worth every second of one’s time.

Ira Madison III and Louis Virtel pride themselves on serving up the best insight on pop culture and beyond, with well over 200 episodes and counting.

Several Drag Race alums have kicked off podcasts that dive into the show, but Shea Couleé decided to take on another reality show giant, America’s Next Top Model. Fans of the show that taught the world to smize are highly encouraged to tune into this fashionista’s walk down memory lane.