AMPLIFY | The Podcast

Queer hosts Niamh and Maia talk about their first date, queerbaiting and lost cats. Joined by poet Troy Cabida.

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Please note this episode contains explicit language, references to homophobia and sexual references.

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Host Bios:

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Niamh Haran (they/them) is a queer non-binary poet/writer from North London. They are a Roundhouse Poetry Collective alumnus with poems in Bath Magg, Perverse, The Interpreter’s House, The Babel Tower Notice Board and Ink Sweat & Tears among others. They are currently doing an English BA at King’s College London. Twitter @niamhjerrie Instagram @niamh.haran

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Maia Yolanda Wagener (she/they) is a Dutch/Indian writer and student living in London. An English major, Maia enjoys writing poetry and plays, and hopes to combine academia and playwriting. You can find Maia on instagram, @m.wagener.s, and twitter, @maiaywagener.

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Guest Bio:

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Troy Cabida is a Filipino poet and producer for open mic night Poetry and Shaah. His pamphlet, War Dove, was published by Bad Betty Press in May 2020 and can be found at: https://badbettypress.com/product/war-dove-troy-cabida/

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Produced by Arden Fitzroy (they/them) @ArdenFitzroy

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The RISE Collective

Website: www.therisecollective.org.uk

Twitter: @RiseAmplify

Instagram: @therisecollectiveuk

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Music: Pembroke

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Transcript:

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Arden: Everybody welcome! You’re listening to the AMPLIFY podcast, brought to you by The RISE Collective. We champion creatives and build collectives at the forefront of social change. I’m Arden Fitzroy, Lead Producer, and this is Queer Joy, the second series of AMPLIFY. This series was created by the next generation of creative leaders and changemakers. These are our own stories, on our own terms.

Maia: Hello everyone and welcome to AMPLIFY's episode of The Niamh and Maia show where we, Maia—

Niamh: and Niamh—

Maia: will be talking about queer love, more specifically, we'll be looking at queer relationships, with both other people, and with our own queerness.

Niamh: I like the sound of that.

Maia: The word queer is actually a new one for us, isn't it.

Niamh: Yeah, it definitely is, I mean I love the word but some of my families can't seem to say it yet because they still think of it as an insult, we only started using it relatively recently because it just became more apt for us I think as individuals, and I believe in our relationship. For me it started to bridge the gap between gender and sexuality.

Maia: I definitely agree. I think the word has become more suitable I definitely feel a lot less restricted using the word queer despite having uncomfortable feelings about it in the past, I think link to like you said, people haven't previously used that as an insult, maybe.

Niamh: Yeah, I mean personally I rejected the term for quite a while, but in the last year or so, I've been engaging with people who embrace the word so much. It just gives me some sense of relief when some days I don't know what I am because it allows for that uncertainty that not knowing, and the potential for movement and experimentation without what feels like the same level of emotional consequence.

Maia: Yeah I definitely agree, despite all the uncertainty, we are going to try and make this podcast as positive as we can. Most representation is so focused on the difficulties of navigating identity and relationships and we really want to offer something a bit different, with a bit of joy.

Niamh: Yeah, I mean I think we're a bit tired of talking about the hardships, queer love is something that deserves to be celebrated and holding on to that joy is so important, and shouldn't be overlooked.

Maia: Absolutely, who thought you'd be so sentimental Niamh!

Niamh: Well I wouldn't push it.

Maia: Well, yesterday we were singing Maroon 5 together so don't try too hard to play cool.

Niamh: Well those lyrics needed some updating, instead of saying she will be loved we were singing, they will be loved. I think it feels very empowering to share queer love in all its forms sentimental or otherwise, with other people, with our listeners.

Maia: Which is why we'll also be interviewing our first very talented guest today, Troy Cabida, poet and producer whom we both have the pleasure of knowing. We’ll be chatting with him about the relationship between queerness and creative work feelings around representation and what inspires him.

Niamh: We will, which is really exciting. We will also be chatting about some fairly recent queer representation and our thoughts around it. So we will also be talking some more about ourselves, most likely.

Maia: And we're at least semi qualified to do so, we are in a queer relationship after all, with each other.

Niamh: I hope so, at least I think we are. I wonder how many times we're going to be saying the word queer in this podcast.

Maia: Many, many times Niamh.

Niamh: Yeah I'd say being in a relationship, we know a thing or two! But more on that in a minute.

Niamh: Welcome back listeners. As I was saying, Maia and I are in a relationship, and have been for about a year and a half I think. I literally lived in Maia's uni accommodation for this time, got free food, so I'd say it's been alright.

Maia: It's really crazy to think year and a half ago we just met.

Niamh: I know. We met in Camden for our first date on a very rainy Tuesday, Maia had already eaten and made me eat alone which was which was quite a stressful experience.

Maia: I was just really nervous, I don't think I'd have been able to stomach anything anyway. I think Niamh will say I was mean but I was just trying to be cool, I think it's really daunting trying to impress someone you already know you like, we've been speaking already for a couple of months. So it was just all very overwhelming. I even tried to pretend I didn't want to go on a second date to seem cool, you know, go with the flow, we can guarantee I'm not, but Niamh was so cute and drank from a straw like a cat drinks milk, and brought out my sentimental side straight away.

Niamh: We actually tried to adopt a cat recently but the shelter was ageist and said we were too young.

Maia: Makes no sense but I guess we've got more important things to do than clean the litter tray.

Niamh: Like what?

Maia: Like watching Grey's Anatomy.

Niamh: That is true. We have been binging it for a couple of months now. Maia is basically a surgeon, I'd say I'm getting there, but not quite.

Maia: Maybe not now, in a past life. I did used to try and figure out what was wrong with patients on Grey's, but I didn't get very far.

Niamh: To be fair, sometimes I do wish I was an architect, I'm just obsessed with looking at converted shipping containers that have now become literally kind of every other...