What do you do when a single moment — a woman's hand on your thigh at a work dinner — unravels 45 years of the story you thought was yours?

That's exactly what happened to Kathy Houston. A West Point graduate, U.S. Army officer, 30-year retail leader, wife, and mother of two — Kathy spent decades doing everything exactly right. She married the day after she was commissioned. She left the military to raise her kids rather than deploy to Desert Storm. She built a career, a family, a life. And she had absolutely no idea she was gay.

Until she did.

In this rich, funny, deeply honest conversation, Anne-Marie and Kathy talk about what it really looks like to come out at 50 — the five years of doing nothing after the first spark of awareness, the open marriage, the first relationship that cracked her heart open, the lesbian gatekeepers who told her she "wasn't really gay," and the neuroscience-backed mindset work that helped her finally build the life she couldn't have imagined but absolutely deserved.

Kathy is now a later-in-life coming out coach, a TEDx speaker (What Lies Are You Telling Yourself?), and a certified Positive Intelligence coach. She brings the same discipline that got her through West Point and Desert Storm to helping women face the biggest truth of their lives — with clarity, courage, and a whole lot of hard-won wisdom.

This episode also marks the re-launch of Coming Out & Beyond with a sharpened focus on women coming out later in life — late-blooming lesbians, married women questioning their sexuality, and women navigating midlife identity shifts after 30, 40, 50, and beyond. If that's you, you are home.

In this episode:

1. The Kmart training trip that changed Kathy's life forever — and the woman she never saw again
2. Why she did nothing for five years after realizing she might be gay
3. Opening her marriage, her first lesbian relationship, and what "limerence" actually is
4. Lesbian gatekeepers — and why they're becoming less common
5. What the brain does to keep us stuck, and how neuroscience can help us get unstuck
6. Her TEDx talk and the three questions she wants every woman to ask herself
7. Building a modern family (and best-friend status with her partner's ex-husband)
8. Why the end — the happiness on the other side — is absolutely worth it
9. 
   
10. If you're spinning, you don't have to do it alone. Authentically Us is a private community for women questioning their sexuality and coming out later in life. Come find your people: www.annemariezanzal.com
11. Find Kathy Houston at runyourlife.biz — and watch her TEDx talk, What Lies Are You Telling Yourself? https://youtu.be/2h4YKR8Gmsg?si=Rxi1haeq-_KAFP6B

#LateBloomingLesbian #ComingOutLaterInLife #AuthenticallyUs #QueerWomen #MidlifeAwakening

Are you ready to date — or do you just want to be? There's a difference, and this episode of Coming Out and Beyond is here to help you figure that out.

Anne-Marie is joined by the wonderful Barbara Rowlandson — dating coach, psychotherapist, and co-host of our monthly dating segment — for an honest, warm, and often hilarious conversation about what it really takes to step into the dating world as a woman who has come out later in life.

From the chaos of the "messy middle" to love bombing red flags, from building queer community to figuring out who you even are after decades of partnered life — this episode covers it all.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. Why building community should come before dating (and where to find yours)
2. The time and energy dating actually requires — and how to know if you have it
3. What it means to know yourself well enough to say no to the wrong person
4. Red flags and why being ghosted is actually a gift
5. The importance of vulnerability — and the brick walls we don't know we've built
6. Why the queer dating pool is smaller, and why that changes the rules
7. Catalyst relationships: what they are, what they open up, and how to survive them
8. Intimacy, readiness, and what "getting it on" really means for women like us
9. The surprising role of menopause in why so many women come out in their late 40s and 50s

Next month's dating episode: We're talking about dating while you're still married — and what love bombing looks like and how to protect yourself. Don't miss it.

📥 Dating Readiness Guide (free download from Lavender Dating) — Self-assess where you are on the readiness scale before you dive in. 👉 www.lavenderdating.com

📥 Maybe I'm Not Straight Guide — The best of our work on coming out later in life, all in one place. If you're in the messy middle, this one's for you. 👉 https://annemariezanzal.com/maybe-im-not-straight-guide/

🌸 Join Authentically Us — Our Mighty Networks community for women navigating identity transitions later in life. Community, connection, and people who get it — ready and waiting for you. 👉 annemariezanzal.com

🗓️ This Authentic Life Cohort — Our 16-week group coaching program starts in May. Come through the messy middle with a whole cohort beside you. 👉 annemariezanzal.com

💌 Work with Barbara Rowlandson — Dating coaching for women in exactly this season of life. 👉 Book a free connection call here: https://calendly.com/lavender-dating-team

This Authentic Life is a transformative course designed specifically for late-blooming LGBTQIA+ women (and non-binary people comfortable in women's spaces) who are navigating the complexities of identity, relationships, and future steps. If you're in the process of changing your life to align with your LGBTQIA+ identity and are having challenges reconciling pieces of your old 'straight' life with your new life, this course can help you find clarity and confidence. Visit https://bit.ly/thisauthenticlife for more information and to sign up. NEW COHORT STARTS JAN 15th 2026, next cohort begins late spring, 2026. This is our final week of accepting new participants; sign up today to start in January!

It's a new year and we have a new monthly segment for you all: U-Haul University! On the second Friday of the month, school is in session, and your dating professor Barbara Rowlandson will be here with host Anne-Marie Zanzal to talk about sapphic dating conundrums. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Barbara have plucked posts from Reddit boards by lesbians who are looking for a little clarity in their search for love. In this episode, they explore the challenges faced by plus-sized women in the lesbian dating scene, the dynamics of intense attraction, and the complexities of exploring one's sexuality later in life. It's a lively episode that offers thoughtful advice sprinkled with personal insights, encouraging listeners to embrace their true selves and navigate the world of dating with confidence.

❓ What to Expect in This Episode:

✨Real-life dating questions from the internet, answered with warmth and honesty.

✨Explanations of why lesbian relationships can be so INTENSE.

✨Encouragement to explore biases about dating and curiosity about where they come from.

✨Tips for building strong, meaningful connections in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Need dating/new relationship support? Barbara Rowlandson offers coaching for women and non-binary people who are looking to level up their love life! Book a free 30 minute consultation with Barbara here: https://calendly.com/barbararowlandson/30-minute-workshop-call-barb

Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us

💬 Join the Conversation:

Are you a sapphic who is struggling to find success in dating? Tell us about it! Drop your conundrum in the comments and we may feature your question on an upcoming episode!

🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]

🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/

Lesbian dating – specifically when a long-time out lesbian dates a newly out lesbian – is the topic of this week's episode, featuring guest conversationalist, Tonda McKay. In addition to being an award-winning photographer and community advocate, Tonda holds a very special role of distinction: she is wife to podcast host, Anne-Marie Zanzal! Tonda and Anne-Marie met just as Anne-Marie was beginning her coming out/divorce journey. In this engaging episode, Tonda and Anne-Marie talk about the benefits and challenges of the long-out/newly out dating dynamic, the hurdles they have overcome, and the rewards of perservering through what can sometimes be characterized as a difficult pairing of long-out/newly out lesbians. This is an episode that will be of great interest to anyone who is embarking on a dating journey later in life!

Tonda McKay earned her bachelor's degree in photography at Middle Tennessee State University and has been a professional corporate photographer for over 35 years. She has worked for several Fortune 500 companies, including Philips/Magnavox and DESU, LLC. While working at Philips she received two ADDY awards, which recognizes and rewards the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. In 2001, her coffee table book, A City In Harmony, on Nashville was published. This was a two year collaborative project with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Tonda also won several national magazine awards (Best Cover - National Magazine Association) for her editorial work on Business Nashville and Nashville LifeStyle. While architectural photography (including Matterport 3D Imaging) and drone photography is her niche now, Tonda has worked in every imaginable area of photography, from jewelry, furniture, editorial & photojournalism. Tonda likes to say there isn’t anything she hasn’t done in photography and she still enjoys learning new processes and information. She has gone from shooting on an 8x10 view camera to HDR digital photography. She believes photography is ever changing and it is always a journey of learning and growth. When not photographing Tonda enjoys kayaking, travel, and of course scenic photography.

To learn more about Tonda and her work as a photographer, visit https://tondamckay.com/

A song that has special meaning to Tonda are 'She Keeps Me Warm' by Mary Lambert. https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=1c3fLiKIE5Rogo0T

A book that has impacted Tonda and she recommends to others is 'Another Mother Tongue' by Judy Grahn. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/64767

Nita Agustin is a Queer and gender affirming clinical counselor based in Burnaby, B.C., Canada. Their jam is helping Queer youth and young adults find alignment within themselves so they can feel confident showing up in their own skin. This is accomplished by finding words to name their experiences and discover ways to live on their own terms. In this episode, Nita describes coming out in the pressure-cooker scenario of the pandemic, being Queer in Southeast Asian Indonesian culture, emerging and moving on from Catholocism, what it's like working with Queer youth, and much more!

You can find Nita online and learn more about her work at nitaagustincounselling.com

Nita's coming out songs are You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift, and Born This Way by Lady Gaga.

A book that inspired Nita is Me, Myself and They by Luna Ferguson. A show that has inspired Nita is I am Jazz.

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we introduce you to media PR expert, April Mason.

April is the President of Violet PR, a busy agency that utilizes new and traditional media tools to craft powerful stories for their clients that shine a spotlight, attract new business, and enhance their public identity. April is also a later-in-life lesbian who learned to embrace all facets since the end of her marriage. Tune in and learn April's coming out story, how she stepped into her power after divorce, and her journey as a leader and business owner.

Learn more about April and Violet PR at https://www.violetpr.com/

In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with transgender advocate and educator, Ben Greene.

Ben is a sought after speaker who has spoken at international events and conferences about topics surrounding transgender inclusion. After coming out in 2015 living in a small town in Connecticut and givng a popular TEDx talk at Brandeis University, Ben has dedicated his career to spreading empathy, education, and storytelling around the trans experience. He has spoken to groups at companies, hospitals, schools, religious organizations and government entities sharing what it means to be transgender and how to show up as an ally. He is a fierce advocate for transgender youth, regularly speaking up for them at the Missouri state capital. When he is not speaking during working hours he is delivering free presentations to parent support groups around the country and spending hours speaking one-on-one with families with newly-out transgender loved ones. He is passionate about educating others from a place of compassion, no matter where they are starting from.

In this episode, Anne-Marie and Ben talk about Ben's coming out experience, what it's like to be queer in New England, the importance of sharing positive and 'normal' transgender narratives and much more.

Ben's coming out song is 'Riptide' by Vance Joy: https://youtu.be/lYoWuaw5nSk?si=BHa6bqGR1y_K1M01

A book that resonates with Ben is Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.

Ben's book is called 'My Child is Trans, Now What?' You can pre-order it on his website here: https://www.bgtranstalks.com/preorder

You can find Ben online at bgtranstalks.com

This week, we welcome back psychotherapist Miriam Grace to the podcast! Miriam first joined us in Season 2 to discuss catalyst lesbian relationships and recovering from the end of a first lesbian relationship. Miriam has over 30 years of experience as a humanistic therapist and primarily works with women to tackle life problems associated with sexuality, the end of relationships, empty nest, loss of a parent, and other challenges associated with midlife. Miriam's work focuses on promoting diversity and inclusivity, challenging others to throw out old paradigms, and allow lesbian voices to come through to disrupt profoundly corrupt definitions of "healthy relationships"

In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Miriam Grace explore themes surrounding the experiences of women in mid-life and coming out later in life. They underscore the biases in psychotherapy that cause queer and middle age women to fall through the cracks and subjugate their voices, lesbiphobia in psychotherapy, the vitality and gifts associated with mid-life, Miriam's research and scholarly publications on the later-in-life experience, challenge destructive lesbian tropes like 'U-Hauling" and "lesbian bed death" and much, much more!

Listen to Miriam's first appearance on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast (Season 2) here: https://annemariezanzal.com/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories-support-season-2-episode-6-miriums-sto...

Miriam contributed a fantastic piece to Anne-Marie's blog in 2020 about overcoming your first lesbian relationship: https://annemariezanzal.com/getting-over-your-first-lesbian-relationship/

You can learn more about Miriam, her psychotherapy services and her scholarship on her website: https://blue-skies.org.uk/

Miriam recently contributed a chapter to a collection of scholarly articles, "Queering Gestalt Therapy: An Anthology on Gender, Sex & Relationship Diversity in Psychotherapy." You can purchase this book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queering-Gestalt-Therapy-Relationship-Psychotherapy/dp/1032371099/ref=sr_1_...

CiCi Reagan is a published author and copywriter who found her calling in message strategy and alignment for all types of businesses, from entrepreneurs to billion dollar corporations. She's also an international advocate for addiction and domestic abuse survivors, covered in Newsweek, Metro, and several award-winning podcasts. CiCi uses their vast life experience, cultivated writing talent, and innate intuition for people to channel her clients words into mind-blowing marketing copy. CiCi teaches and coaches those who want to learn the mechanics of messaging in a simple, straightforward way. Her goal is to help others find clarity in their messages so that they can do what they love and find fun and freedom in business.

Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with CiCi Reagan about their early years of addiction, finding sobriety, surviving domestic violence, and finding joy when under adversity.

Listen on

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vY29taW5nb3V0YW5kYmV5b25kLw?sa=X...

You can learn more about CiCI Reagan's work and coaching services at www.reaganeyes.com

#comingout #comingoutandbeyond #comingoutlgbtqiastories #comingoutlaterinlife #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #2slgbtqia #lgbtqpodcast #queer #queerpodcast #podcast #lgbtqauthors #queerauthor #author #antioppression #antiviolence #addiction #addictionrecovery#healing #communication #copywriting

This week, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes Dr. Roxy Manning and Sarah Peyton to the show. 

Dr. Manning is a clinical psychologist and a certified Centre for Nonviolent Communication trainer. She brings decades of experience to her work, interruping explicitly and implicitly oppressive attitudes and culture norms. Dr. Manning has provided consultation and training across the U.S. and internationally to businesses, non-profits, and government organizations wanting to move towards equitable and diverse workplace cultures. She also works as a psychologist in San Francisco serving the homeless and disenfranchised mentally ill populations. She is the author of "How to Have Anti-Racist Conversations: Embracing Our Full Humanity to Challenge White Supremacy," and co-author of the companion text written with Sarah Peyton "The Anti-Racist Heart: A Self-Compassion and Activism Handbook."

Sarah Peyton is a certified trainer in non-violent communication and neuroscience educator who integrates brain science and resonant language to awaken and sustain self-compassion, particularly in the face of difficult issues like self-condemnation, self-disgust, and self-sabotage. She teaches and lectures internationally and is the author of the "Your Resonant Self" book series. She is Dr. Manning's co-author, as mentioned above.

Tune in as Anne-Marie, Roxy and Sarah about anti-oppression, and anti-racism, compassion, connecting with others in a broken world, how to have hard conversations, and how to have non-violent communication.

Find out more about Dr. Roxy Manning and her work on her website: https://roxannemanning.com/

Learn more about Sarah Peyton and her work on her website: https://sarahpeyton.com/

Dr. Manning's coming out song is " I Sing the Body Electric" from Fame. https://youtu.be/tG-wl2qqD7Y?si=xco-qyfPemNJQA_D

Sarah Peyton's 'power song' is Purple Rain by Prince. https://youtu.be/TvnYmWpD_T8?si=Y-n30GrnARjH13C2

Books that have inspired Dr. Manning are the fantasy series by Mercedes Lackey: https://www.goodreads.com/series/list?id=8685.Mercedes_Lackey

A book that has inspired Sarah Peyton is The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4887.The_Drama_of_the_Gifted_Child

For years Michael "Tate" Barkley lived his life in shame—of living in poverty, of alcoholism and addiction, of being a closeted gay man. His story may sound familiar to anyone who struggles with feeling “less than.” Now sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, he wants to share his story in the hopes that it will help others to leave their shame behind and discover the peace that they deserve.

His memoir, Sunday Dinners, Moonshine and Men, recounts Tate’s troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome shame and the scarcity mindset that blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers readers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina, to his family’s struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas. He details his attempts to repress his sexuality and control his escalating drinking as he became a successful attorney, only to hit rock bottom and lose it all. Tate’s story will resonate with readers as they follow his quest to accept himself and find peace.

Learn more about and follow Tate Barkley at https://tatebarkley.com/

Tate's coming out song is 'Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson: https://youtu.be/PivWY9wn5ps?si=goz_6apWwWpdDtY6

Author Melissa Giberson was a suburban housewife and mother of two who always felt something was missing in her life but couldn't define what that missing piece was. Her catalyst relationship experience caused her to stop and have a head-spinning revelation that she never expected – that she was, in fact, a lesbian. Melissa's incredible journey forced her to consider how much she was willing to risk for authenticity. 

On this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, Melissa talks with host Anne-Marie Zanzal about the revelation that dramatically changed her life, her journey of coming out to herself and others, her relationship with faith, and where's she's at today.

You can learn more about Melissa and her work on her website, www.melissagiberson.com

You can find Melissa's book, "Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self in Mid-Life" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Late-Bloomer-Finding-Authentic-Midlife/dp/1647425190

A book that that influenced Melissa is Sing YouHome by Jodi Picoult: https://www.jodipicoult.com/sing-you-home.html

A movie that inspired Melissa was City of Angels: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120632/

Lisa N Alexander is CEO of the award-winning creative agency, PrettyWork Creative. Lisa and her team work with clients to help tell their amazing stories through video, strategic marketing communications, and PR. She has directed and produced three documentaries for non-profit agencies and has written her first feature film, "My Father, the Queen." The film is in pre-production, has already won Best LGBT Screenplay from the Best Script Awards London, Best Script from Cannes International Shorts, was a semi-finalist in the Paris Women Festival, and was a BLK Screenplay Semi-Finalist in 2023.

In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a conversation with Lisa about what it was like growing up with a closeted father. Lisa shares how her real-life experiences were the jumping off platform for writing her screenplay and talks about identifying and healing generational trauma.

You can learn more about The film My Father the Queen here: https://myfatherthequeen.com/

Learn more about Lisa and her work here: https://lisanalexander.com/

A book that has inspired Lisa is the Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz: https://www.miguelruiz.com/the-four-agreements

Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-experience/

Happy New Year! In our first episode of 2026 host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes special guest, queer entrepreneur Anna Empey. Anne-Marie and Anna have a long history of working together, but in this episode Anne-Marie draws on Anna's personal story of deconstructing internalized homophobia and conditioning from a conservative faith tradition. In this compelling conversation, they explore the complexities of coming out and the ongoing journey of self-discovery. They discuss the pressures of societal expectations, the emotional landscape of coming out, and the importance of finding queer community and support. This episode is a poignant reminder that coming out is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of growth and change, highlighting the need to cultivate resilience, self-reflection, and finding joy in the journey.

❓ What to Expect in This Episode:

✨Understanding that change happens over time in layers and conversations.

✨Deconstruction is about asking what can be discarded from our 'before' life and what is worth carrying forward.

✨Why coming out is never 'once-and-done' but rather a continuous journey.

✨How opposite things can be true, like grief and relief that coexist in the coming out process.

Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us

💬 Join the Conversation:

Are you someone who is deconstructing the lessons of your life prior to coming out? What are your takeaways from this episode? Let's talk about it in the comments!

🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]

🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/

👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!

Laurie DeJong Zuverink (they/them) is a 53-year-old gender-non-conforming later-in-life lesbian who crashed into the full acceptance of their identity five years ago. Laurie is the descendant of Dutch settlers, and until 2020 engaged in the conservative Protestant Christian community of West Michigan where they lived in the assumption of heteronormative culture while at the same time pressed against them. 

Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with Laurie about their powerful coming out journey, overcoming the constraints of conservative culture and heteronormativity, their gender and sexual journey from struggle to self-acceptance, their experience of ordination into ministry, the spiritual abuse they experienced upon coming out, and eventual path back to an affirming faith community.

Laurie's coming out album is the sountrack to The Greatest Showman, in particularly the song Tightrope: https://youtu.be/He5NctQPXK8?si=lD04DkzXSn-r-pDN

Laurie's coming out book is Richard Rohr's Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life.: https://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Upward-Spirituality-Halves-Life/dp/0470907754

Amy Nielsen is a divorce attorney and coach with a decade of experience as a family law attorney. Amy is an expert in navigating the emotional, logistical and legal aspects of restructuring families. She is a licensed attorney in the state of California but serves people all over the country as a certified divorce coach. Amy is also a later-in-lifer who came out in her late 30s after 10 years of marriage to a man. She now co-parents her two kids and rescue dog, Pepperoni, with her ex-husband who lives 5 houses away. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with Amy about her later-in-life journey, the challenges and considerations that come with divorce, collaborative divorce, mediation and much more.

Amy's coming out 'song' is actually the entire Frozen 2 soundtrack, which you can listen to here: https://youtu.be/dpza2z4jmDk?si=KEnQEC6pNqvB2-64

Amy's coming out book was Untamed by Glennon Doyle: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52129515

You can find out more about Amy's services at https://www.bloomlegalcoach.com/

Mallory Kiersten is a self-love and 'unstuck yourself' coach, Akashic Records reader, joy seeker, and Erotic Blueprint coach in training. Mallory helps her clients connect with their guides, divinity and their higher selves. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with Mallory about her coming out experience, emerging from conservative Catholicism, internalized homophobia, shedding gender norms and expectations, and embracing sexuality and sexual pleasure.

Mallory's coming out song is 'Closer to Fine' by Indigo Girls: https://loom.ly/T89tbGQ

A movie that changed Mallory's life is Imagine Me and You: https://loom.ly/YS2LsbI

You can connect with Mallory on her website: https://loom.ly/ivGR-2Q

Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers is a therapist, sex educator with a Ph.D. in clinical sexology, author, and Medical Director for the Northwest Institute on Intimacy. Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal has a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Schermer Sellers about sexuality, gender identity, the harmful repercussions of purity culture on sexuality and relationships, and society's shift towards acceptance of diverse identities. 

A film that has inspired Dr. Schermer Sellers is Fantastic Fungi, which can be found on Netflix and YouTube. You can view the trailer here: https://youtu.be/bxABOiay6oA?si=PuezRCCTuuygLoCp

Connect with Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers at www.tinaschermersellers.com

In this special New Year's Day episode of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and guest Barbara Rowlandson share details on their upcoming free workshop about coming out later in life. Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the grief and joy, the questions and the experiences that lead people to question whether or not they are straight.

To sign up for the free coming out later in life workshop, visit www.comingoutsupport.net

Well, that's a wrap on Season 4! And what a remarkable year it has been.

In the final episode of the year, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson talk about the podcast episodes whose stories impacted them the most. Listen and we guaranteed to be inspired by the incredible journeys of some truly remarkable LGBTQIA+ people! They also talk about Anne-Marie's second podcast Queer Business Success, that launched earlier this year, and a free educational series for women (cis or trans) and non-binary people who are at the beginning of their coming out later-in-life journey.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and new year! Thank you for being a listener; if you'd like to give us a small, meaningful gift, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you!

Dr. Robin Sesan is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist specializing in working with lesbian/queer couples. She has recently developed an online coaching program for lesbian couples. Listen as host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Robin about her coming out later-in-life experience, challenges that are unique to the later-in-life experience, lesbian couple dynamics, and how to make your relationship go the distance.

Visit Robin's websites for her therapy practice: www.securelesbiancouples.com and www.thebrandywinecenter.com

Follow Robin on Instagram @securelesbiancouples 

Robin's coming out songs are Defying Gravity from the musical "Wicked" https://youtu.be/MslDnwerQRA?si=AL_c2AD4287DAdsf and The Power of Two by Indigo Girls https://youtu.be/hj0yVN8pFNw?si=I4uiTd7GH2YrJhZJ

A book that validated Robin's perspective on life was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

We're back for Part 2 of Anne-Marie Zanzal's conversation with Casandra Jones, a.k.a. Mistress Cas, interSEXtional educator, therapist and scientist from San Antonio, Texas. For those of you who missed Part 1 where Anne-Marie and Cas talk about polyamory, you can catch that episode here: https://youtu.be/Fl9zLT_cQeA?si=eQaWVRu731I1FnsO

Casandra Jones is a queer, polyamorous slut who aims to advocate for sex-positive cultural practices in all settings. She works as a therapist for Respark Therapy/Foundation and provides education/trainings on various mental health, relationship health, and sexual health topics to diverse individuals and healthcare professionals. Tune in as Anne-Marie and Cas shift the conversation from polyamory to kink and kink culture, where to start when exploring the world of kink, kink and consent and much more!

Cas's coming out song is Strut by Emeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IDTWfLNnJE

A book that changed Cas's perspective on life is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)

Find Cas on Instagram: @ mistress.cas

YouTube: @IntersectionalMistressCas

and for more ways to connect, visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/boldlycasandra

Casandra Jones, a.k.a. Mistress Cas, is an interSEXtional educator, therapist and scientist from San Antonio, Texas. She is a queer, polyamorous slut who aims to advocate for sex-positive cultural practices in all settings. She works as a therapist for Respark Therapy/Foundation and provides education/trainings on various mental health, relationship health, and sexual health topics to diverse individuals and healthcare professionals. Tune in as Anne-Marie talks with Cas about her journey in discovering her Queer and polyamorous identities. This is a fantastic episode for anyone interested in learning more about polyamory! Anne-Marie continues her conversation with Cas in a follow-up part 2 episode (drops Nov 24, 2023), where she and Cas dive into the topic of Kink.

Cas's coming out song is Strut by Emeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IDTWfLNnJE

A book that changed Cas's perspective on life is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)

Find Cas on Instagram: @ mistress.cas

YouTube: @ IntersectionalMistressCas

and for more ways to connect, visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/boldlycasandra

Lora Brown is a self-proclaimed hippie Jew, the owner of a small business, a wife and mother, dog mom, activist, a corporate dropout, and LGBTQIA+ ally. She is an active supporter of women-owned, LGBTQIA+ owned, and black-owned businesses. Lora is also actively involved in animal rescue and volunteers as a District Captain for the ASPCA. Tune in to hear Lora's journey as she recounts being raised in the 70s and 80s by her hippie, lesbian mother and alongside her lesbian sister, and talks about the intersections of culture, ethnicity and feminism in her life.

Connect with Lora online:

www.odaavirtualassistant.com

Facebook https://loom.ly/Vnq0r-8

Shopify store: proceeds got to help non profits in animal rescue

https://loom.ly/HEsaHnE

LinkedIn https://loom.ly/2s_dBf4

Fempreneur True Confessions Podcast https://loom.ly/6nQC9l8

Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-experience/

It's that time of year again, when we wrap up the reflections on a year's worth of episodes! Join host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barbara Rowlandson as they reflect on what they loved the most about this year's show and special guests. This year in review episode is an annual tradition now at Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, and it's a light-hearted look back at all we've accomplished, plus some tantalizing tidbits of what's in store for 2026!

❓ What to Expect in This Episode:

✨Anne-Marie and Barb share the episodes that stuck with them the most.

✨Sneak peeks at future plans for the podcast and programs for women who are exploring their sexuality.

✨Exploration of a wide range of topics, including dating, internalized homophobia, and the importance of community support.

✨Understanding why the conversation around queerness should focus on identity beyond sexuality.

Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us

💬 Join the Conversation:

What were you favorite episodes of Season 6? Did you have a fave guest? Share your thoughts in the comments!

🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]

🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/

👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!

This week we welcome Amanda Ferrat to the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Podcast!

Amanda is the founder of Value Yourself Counseling. Amanda is a certified advanced EFT Tapping Practioner, wellness counselor, and international speaker. For two decades, Amanda has supported others with various needs in the field of human development and social services, including those in crisis or healing from trauma. Amanda now helps women and teens that feel lost or out of sync with themselves get back to a place of deep self-knowing, unburdened by guilt or shame. Amanda supports them on their journey to empower their "inner badness" by combining her empathy, knowledge, lived experience, passion, and professional skills to create safer, braver spaces, deeper healing and personal growth. Amanda identifies as a fat, Queer, neurodivergent, disabled woman, and wants to show the world that those with marginalized identities deserve to be seen, heard and safe within their community. 

Amanda's coming out song is Meghan Trainor's "BadAss Woman." 

A movie that has inspired Amanda is Labyrinth , which first intrigued her because of David Bowie's gender non-conformity.

You can find out more about Amanda and her services at https://valueyourselfcounseling.com/

Amanda is on Instagram and TikTok as @valueyourselfcounseling

This week on the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, we are thrilled to feature film and television producer and storyteller, Frank McGowan.

TW: Frank's story relates anecdotes from his lived experience that describe homophobic-based violence, physical and mental trauma and CSA. Listener discretion is advised. 

Frank McGowan's remarkable life represents a mix of hardships and triumphs. Frank, who was born and raised in North Glasgow, was a sensitive, creative child in a culture that vehemently rejected Queer people. Frank's main childhood ally – his mother, Eileen – instilled in him a sense of pride that sustained him through dark days of violence and rejection. Frank has emerged from adversity to become an award-winning filmmaker. As Executive Producer of Bad Pony Media, Frank and his team produce content across all genres for the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Braw TV in Scotland - which will be available around the world for FREE from late 2023. Frank tells authentic stories across series drama, factual entertainment, comedy, documentary and children’s programming - and aims to engage, entertain and inspire.

To connect with Frank and Bad Pony Media online, visit:

Instagram: @glasgowfranko81 | @badponymedia_

Twitter: @glasgowfranko81 | @badponymedia

Web: www.badponymediagroup.co.uk 

Creative Blog: www.badponymediaproductions.webs.com/apps/blog/

Books that have inspired Frank are: 

Armistead Maupin (prolific LGBT writer) - "Tales of the City" - https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/TALECITY/tales-of-the-city

and

Sheila Lavelle (fellow later in life coming out story) - "Holiday with the Fiend" - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holiday-Fiend-Lavelle-Sheila/dp/0140385665

Frank's coming out song is "Horny Horny Horny" by Moose T. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6muYHRX90

In addition to being a filmmaker, Frank is also a musician in a band called Eric and the Bunny Boilers. You can catch their music on the following platforms:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_XuThHy-O8

Amazon Music - https://www.amazon.co.uk/15ft/dp/B07DLFM22W

Live @ King Tuts EP - https://soundcloud.com/bunniesontour

Kristin Jones (she/they) is a genderqueer and bi parent of 3, spouse, speech-language pathologist, and small business owner. They are passionate about social justice and human rights. In their 15-year career, Kristin has worked in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient clinics in major medical centers, specializing in neurological distorders that impact speech, language, voice, and cognitive skills. In recent years, Kristin has added a new area of expertise: serving the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary communities through providing accessible Gender-Affirming Voice Training. 

In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond, host Anne-Marie Zanzal asks Kristin to share their coming out story, and Kristin reveals what it was like to come out as bi and genderqueer within a straight-presenting marriage, their journey in overcoming OCD, and speaks to the affirming nature of voice training for the trans community.

Music that Kristin associates with coming out is anything by Brandi Carlile, but especially 'The Story.'

A book that has changed Kristin's perspective on life is Pema Chodran's 'Comfortable with Uncertainty.'

You can find Kristin Jones online at www.vocespeechtherapy.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/vocespeechtherapy/

Dr Keith Brown is a speaker, teacher, coach, author, podcaster, and theologian with over 30 years of experience within the LGBTQ+ arena. He is a married, bisexual man who’s mission is to help LGBTQ+ individuals age 45+ turn their hurting into healing and their healing into happiness.

Anne-Marie and Keith – who are both ordained ministers – dive deep into themes and spirituality as related to their religious professions. Keith shares openly about how he feels God called him to support LGBTQ+ people, how difficult it was in his early career to be a Queer person and a minister in the Southern Baptist church , how this difficulty was compounded by negative attitudes towards gay people in the 1990s, and the work he does with Queer clients today.

Keith didn't have a coming out song per se, but a song that resonates with him and that speaks to his journey is "My Way" (Elvis)

The book that has most influenced Keith is the Bible.

You can find Keith Brown online at www.jkeithbrown.com, Instagram: @thejkeithbrown, TikTok @thejkeithbrown, and on his podcast, Coffee with Keith.

Jennifer Boudrye is the founder of Parent With Care LLC where she helps parents of LGBTQ+ youth, teens, and young adults to understand, connect and celebrate their kids through 1:1 coaching, group coaching, workshops, and presentations. Jennifer is a Safe Zone trained Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Faculty Advisor, a certified coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting, the Education Director for Equality Loudoun (an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit in Loudoun County, VA), and she facilitates a parent support group for the Ryan Bartel Foundation (a nonprofit working to end teen suicide).

As the founder of Parent With Care LLC, Jennifer is committed to helping parents develop and implement compassion, awareness, respect, and empathy in their parenting. She most enjoys supporting parents through the turbulent teen years because she recognizes that if her parents had the necessary tools she might not have been such a hellion in her teens! She is the parent of 3 adult children, one of whom is bisexual, and the bonus parent to a transgender man who is dad to an adorable 1-year-old. She has unique, personal experience, perspective, and understanding of parents of LGBTQ+ youth and the paths they take alongside their kids' journey.

Jennifer's favorite anthem is "Red Dress" by Maia Sharp: https://youtu.be/f-GDoaa6Csk

Books that have changed Jennifer's life are "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz and "Furiously Happy" by Jenny Lawson.

You can find Jennifer online at:

www.parentwithcare.com

https://www.facebook.com/ParentWithCare

https://www.instagram.com/parentwithcare

John Sovec is a therapist, coach and counselor based in Pasadena, California. He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. John is the author of Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond. He is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQIA+ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and consultation on LGBTQIA+ competencies for community agencies, schools, and non-profits. He is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ adolescents with his work featured on The Rikki Lake Show, OWN, FOX, The Advocate, Bravo, LA Talk Radio, The Washington Post, and columns for Huffington Post, Medium, and Good Therapy. John is the host of OutTalk, a monthly web series for OutCare Health.

In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal talks with John Sovec about all of the thoughts, feelings, and considerations families experience when a child comes out as Queer or trans. John helps us understand the sometimes bumpy road to acceptance, gives great advice on how to respond when your kid comes out, and explains the nuanced differences between the experiences of having a child come out as Queer and having a child come out as trans.

You can learn more about John Sovec and the good work that he does at www.JohnSovec.com and www.GayTeenTherapy.com.

You can purchase John's book, Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond, here: https://www.amazon.ca/Out-Parents-Supporting-LGBTQIA-Through/dp/1839974249/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LA72EGXF...

A coming out song that John loves is Cher's 'Believe.' You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXRV4MezEw

You can follow John on Instagram: @JohnSovectherapy or on Twitter, @JohnSovec

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we have our first ever man as a guest! Mike Iamele has a remarkable coming out later in life story. Mike thought he was straight his entire life. But a life-changing illness forced him to challenge that notion head-on when he fell in love with his male caretaker. And the two of them went on a years-long journey to explore sexuality and fluidity to figure out if the relationship could work.

When he chose to blog about his relationship, he had no idea that 100,000 people would share the post overnight, and he’d wake up to millions of people talking about his sex life. Or that his story would be made into an off-Broadway musical today.

For most of the past decade, Mike has helped hundreds of people to explore their own sexuality, identity, and purpose by mapping their experiences and understanding who they are inside and outside of labels.

Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal digs into some important topics with Mike Iamele, including internalized homophobia, holding boundaries, being open to big life changes, and, of course, his incredible coming out story.

You tune in to this podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and on Anne-Marie's website, www.annemariezanzal.com. 

Find Mike Iamele online and learn more about his coaching program for Gay, Bi, Trans and Queer men at https://mikeiamele.com/

Follow Mike Iamele on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeiamele

To learn more about the musical based on Mike's life, visit www.straightforwardmusical.com

Mike's coming out song is Life by The Avett Brothers, and you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/ZWgmtmIiomI

A book that has greatly helped Mike is Louise L. Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life": https://www.amazon.ca/You-Can-Heal-Your-Life/dp/0937611018

This week on the Coming Out & Beyond podcast we're back with part 2 of our interview with Rev. Leela Sinha. Leela is a genderqueer, spiritually grounded, Queer-as-fuck entrepreneur and principal at the Intensives Institute, an organization dedicated to executive leadership and development.

In part 2 of this special episode, Anne-Marie and Leela talk about Leela's experience growing up atheist and in the UU, what it was like having a call to ministry, and expand on the language and constructs surrounding gender. It is a fascinating episode, not-to-be-missed for anyone who is interested in gender and trans issues.

Learn more about The Intensives Institute at www.intensivesinstitute.com

Rev. Leela Sinha is a genderqueer, Queer-as-fuck entrepreneur. Ze is intense, spiritually grounded, real, funny, compassionate, and mostly interested in creating a better world with more pleasure and less pain. To that end, Leela coaches and consults to uplift intense people (if you're told you're "too much" that means you!) and creates leadership, companies, and systems where the bottom line is robust and everyone's needs get met.

In this special 2-part episode, Anne-Marie and Leela take a fascinating meander through subjects such as the profound impact of Leela's upbringing in the Unitarian church, the contrasting messages they received surrounding sexuality during their formative years (Anne-Marie was raised Catholic, while Leela learned about sexuality through the Unitarian "About Your Sexuality" (AYS) program), the early 2000's reclamation of the word "Queer" and the shifting climate surrounding that word today, how language around gender has changed the coming out trans experience over time, how the experience of coming out and living as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community differs regionally in the United States, how Leela both lost and gained a community after cutting hir hair and much, much more. Their deep dive into topics surrounding Queer, trans and lesbian experiences as they relate to history, culture and religion continues in a part 2 episode, to be released on July 7th, 2023.

Leela's coming out song is In or Out by Ani DiFranco. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/track/57RddpbPMFxeR20eonC0gH?si=98cbf96c72db48d4

Leela hosts PowerPivot, a business podcast showcasing the best ideas out there for changing the way we work (and live) for the better.  https://open.spotify.com/show/6Q1oG5PtdIOWdW2HswVK4l

The PowerPivot podcast is an extension of Leela's coaching/consulting business, The Intensives Institute. The Intensives Institute exists to encourage and develop intensives – that's people are strong-minded, innovative thinkers – to develop in leadership and executive roles. You can learn more about The Intensives Institute here: https://intensivesinstitute.com/

Some of Leela's reading recommendations are:

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Exhibitionism for the Shy by Carol Queen

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion by Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow

Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rebecca Ann Parker and Rita Nakashima

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes certified parent and life coach Dr. Lulu

Dr. Lulu is Queer, Nigerian-born, a pediatrician, mom of a transgender daughter, and TEDx speaker. Her work centers on coaching parents of Queer children, helping families overcome the shame and fear that often comes with learning a child is Queer. Dr. Lulu's mission is youth suicide prevention particularly amongst LGBTQIA+ youth. She is a bestselling author of 7 books, including "How to Teach Your Children About Racism” and other books in the nonfiction genre. Her next book: “Invited In, How to Become the Parent Your LGBTQ+ Child Needs”, is due out summer 2023.

In this episode, Dr. Lulu shares with Anne-Marie her coming out (or "letting in") story, the common concerns of parents who learn that their child is Queer, underscores the unique perils that threaten black transgender women, discusses the roots of and harm caused by internalized homophobia, and talks about how she helps clients change their mindset, moving from a place of fear to acceptance.

A song that resonates with Dr. Lulu today is Who's That Girl by Eve: https://youtu.be/8N9PL3Iz3xc

Some books that Dr. Lulu recommends are:

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid Menon https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Gender-Binary-Alok-Vaid-Menon/dp/0593094654

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill https://www.amazon.ca/Think-Grow-Rich-1937/dp/B07Q5B3FVF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Think+and+Grow+Rich+by+...

Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno, MD https://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Back-Pain/dp/B071L5C7S5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PRNGHPEC89MO&keywords=Healing...

You can find Dr. Lulu on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter as @drlulutalkradio, on Facebook as Moma Trician, and on LinkedIn as Uchenna "Dr. Lulu" Umeh.

Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-experience/

This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes author and entrepreneur Lydia Coulter. Lydia writes queer fiction and has developed a luxury BDSM brand, Kilter, offering accessories that consider women's needs. Lydia shares her coming out story, her experiences in complicated relationships with women who were not out and experiencing internalized homophobia, and how BDSM has served as a tool to explore her identity. Lydia emphasizes the need for self-discovery and the positive impact of being true to oneself on overall happiness.

❓ What to Expect in This Episode:

✨Exploration of the challenges of dating someone who is not out.

✨Why BDSM is often misunderstood and can be a way to explore identity.

✨Why queer womanhood encompasses more than just sexual identity.

✨Understanding how life changes when you make choices that align with your authentic self.

Lydia's Instagram: @lydiacoulter

Lydia's website: www.lydiacouter.com

Check out Lydia's BDSM products: www.bykilter.com

Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us

💬 Join the Conversation:

Have you dated someone in the closet? Has BDSM improved your life and helped you to discover more about yourself? Let's talk about it in the comments!

🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]

🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal chats with Lynda Spann and Lisa Yaeger about the nuances of lesbian relationships.

As therapists and creator/facilitators of the Lesbian Couples Institute, Lynda and Lisa have tapped into the lesbian couples counseling niche after recognizing there was a need for lesbian-specific therapy services. As lesbians and a couple of 18 years, Lynda and Lisa blend their professional experiences as therapists and life experiences as members of the LGBTQIA+ community to serve lesbian couples in a way that few therapists can. In this episode, Anne-Marie, Lynda, and Lisa explore some common themes that arise in lesbian relationships and address common challenges lesbian couples experience.

You can find The Lesbian Couples Institute online here: https://lesbiancouplesinstitute.com/

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenCouplesInstitute/

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal digs deep into the topic of co-dependency with special guests Carla Romo and Sherry Gaba.

Carla, a certified Life and Dating & Relationship Coach, and Sherry, LCSW & coach, are experts in the area of relationships and co-dependency. As hosts of The Love Fix, a podcast dedicated to dating, healing from codependency, and toxic relationships, Carla and Sherry bring a wealth of insight and wisdom to this week's episode. Anne-Marie, Carla, and Sherry explore themes surrounding codependency, including why people fall into co-dependent relationships, how to recognize codependency in yourself and others, challenge old tropes about lesbian relationships and codependency, and how to start on a journey of recovery from codependency. Carla and Sherry's 30 year age difference brings an array of perspectives to the conversation.

You can find Carla and Sherry's podcast, The Love Fix, at www.thelovefix.com, or wherever you normally tune in to your favorite podcasts. You can also find the relationship quiz Carla and Sherry refer to at thelovefix.com.

You can find Carla Romo's book, "Contagious Love" and Sherry Gaba's book "Love Smacked" on Amazon.

For the first time on the Coming Out & Beyond Podcast, we welcome...a Straight Ally!

Host Anne-Marie Zanzal and her guest, Kwavi, have a great deal of sympatico in their work lives. Both work to help women overcome ageism, the constructs of heteronormativity, build courage and blow past their comfort zones. Where they diverge is in the populations they serve – Anne-Marie works with women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond to come out later in life, and Kwavi works with women from all walks of life who are 50+.

Kwavi is a certified life coach, speaker, author of the book "50 Questions to Answer When You Reach 50," and a life-long member of "Team Have Fun!" Her mission is to help empower women to take control of their lives on their own terms, and embrace their next chapter as a fascinating and exciting journey. She is a wife, a mother of 2 teenage boys and has been featured on CBS, NBC, ABC, Best Self Magazine and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

As you watch/listen along to this episode, you'll feel the positivity and confidence that radiates from Kwavi. Kwavi's message is an important one: she reminds us that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow, our time on Earth is short, and that we have a duty to live as our authentic selves – for our sakes, the sake of the people we love and for the world.

The book that most inspires Kwavi is "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" by Don Miguel Ruiz.

You can purchase Kwavi's book, "50 Questions to Answer When You Turn 50" on Amazon.

You can connect with Kwavi via her website, www.kwavi.com

Watch Kwavi on her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/kwavitv

Follow Kwavi on social media:

Instagram: @ kwavi_tv

TikTok: @ kwavi_tv

This week on the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, you'll meet Hannah Jones. Hannah is a self described 35 year old "gaybaby!" She came to the realization she is gay during a stay in drug rehab 3 years ago - and has remained sober ever since! - and describes the process as a "slow awakening to always knowing."

Hannah and Anne-Marie dive deep into topics of how the architecture of fundamentalist religion is built on misogyny, shame, and internalized homophobia. Hannah speaks candidly about her experience being immersed in a restrictive faith community, and how leaving the church and embracing sobriety brought her to a place of happiness, liberty and self-acceptance.

Hannah is a licensed professional counselor at a community mental health center service people who do not typically have access to quality mental healthcare. She is mom to her awesome 4 year old son, Truett, and dog mom to 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks who think they are lapdogs. In her spare time, you're likely to find Hannah immersed in nature, camping, backpacking, bikepacking, marathon running, nature photography, kayacking - anything that gets her outdoors! Other hobbies include reading non-fiction, drumming, roller derby, and daydreaming about one day having girlfriend - all of which are pursuits she wouldn't enjoy today if she hadn't embraced her authentic self! Hannah's story is an inspiration for anyone who feels held back by their religion, demonstrating to all of us that a life of vibrancy and fulfillment awaits us when we start living as the people we were made to be.

Hannah's coming out songs are:

"Waking Up" by MJ Cole

"I am" by Satsang

and "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor

The books that have had the greatest impact on her life are

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

Thy Queendom Come: Breaking Free from the Patriarchy to Save Your Soul by Kyndall Rae Rothaus

Affirming: A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Staying in the Church by Sally Gary

and Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story by Julie Rodgers.

In the podcast, Hannah and Anne-Marie talk about the 2010 film 'Elena Undone.' You can find the trailer for this film on YouTube.

In this episode of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast, Anne-Marie Zanzal speaks with trans activists Pastor Lazarus Jameson and Nick Mundwiller. Laz and Nick share their personal coming out stories, they're calling to work in ministry serving the Queer community, talk about the work they are doing to protect and re-home trans people in the state of Missouri who are at risk of persecution from trans-erasing laws, and emphasize the urgency required to keep trans people safe in a political and social climate of anti-trans sentiment.

Pastor Lazarus Jameson (they/them) is a queer and non-binary chaplain out of St. Louis Missouri serving trans people and other underserved lgbtq folks in St. Louis, Missouri through their org Lot’s Wife Trans and Queer Chaplaincy. They have a masters of divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and an undergraduate degree in teaching woodshop from North Carolina State University. They live with two large elderly orange cats with anxiety and are currently learning to make stained glass art as a hobby. Nick Mundwiller (they/them) is a queer activist, educator, and organizer who recently left Missouri in search of safer pastures and more opportunities in Fresno. Nick has a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School where they studied the intersection of religion, ethics, and politics and has been involved in activism through education and change work across the country. Nick is a gamer, comic-nerd, and historical cooking fanatic!

To support Laz and Nick's work to protect trans people in Missouri, visit https://www.patreon.com/lotswife.

Amy is an expert in facing fears and overcoming insurmountable obstacles. Through what she thought was the darkest time in her life, she began to wake up to aspects of her life she didn’t know existed. These realizations sparked an utter dismantling of her life, but was also what she needed to begin to rebuild.    Her Coming-out story is intertwined with her "coming out" of a toxic and abusive church and "coming out" of a 30 year relationship with her childhood sweetheart. For a time, she was consumed with grief, guilt and shame, while also grappling with her belief system and her very identity.   Now, Amy is a Transformational Life Coach, helping others to face the adversities in their lives and thrive despite them.

Connect with Amy:

www.amykvaughn.com  

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

Listen to Amy's coming out songs, Right to Be Wrong and Free Me by Joss Stone on YouTube.

Find more information and the link to sign up for our Catalyst Relationship Recovery Workshop here.

Download our free guide "5 Places to Start When Coming Out" here.

Schedule a free Connection Call with Anne-Marie.

On this week's episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, we're getting some good energy flowing with Linda Moore!

Linda Moore's vocation in life is healing others. She has a long career in nursing and, in recent years, has turned her attention to energy healing. Linda is a Reiki master and energy healer who uses multiple modalities to help others restore their health. Linda discovered energy healing after incurring a shoulder injury and the experience launched her on a path of learning and discovery. Linda credits energy healing for 'peeling back the layers' of learned behaviour that does not align with her authentic self. After diving into the arena of energy healing, Linda became healed enough to accept the fact that she is a lesbian. In this episode, Linda and I have an in-depth conversation about how energy healing can be of immense benefit to those coming out later in life. After several years of working with Linda on her late-in-life journey, I am thrilled to share with you all that she is now our "in-house" energy worker at Lotus Group Coaching.

After March 1st, 2023, anyone who signs up for Lotus Group Coaching has access to Linda for a Reiki session. Lotus Group Coaching is a program designed for women/non-binary people who are reevaluating their sexuality later in life. Wondering if Lotus Group Coaching is right for you? Book a free Discovery Call with Anne-Marie today: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/anne-marie-zanzal-connection-call?month=2023-02

You can listen to this and other episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube and on Anne-Marie's website: https://annemariezanzal.com/coming-out-stories-beyond-
podcast/

Questioning your sexuality and not sure where to start? We have a free Coming Out Guide available to download: https://annemariezanzal.com/free-guide-where-to-start-your-coming-out-journey/

Follow Anne-Marie on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annemariezanzal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

Ready for some laughter, tears, and lots of wise, loving advice? Our final Share the Love February episode of the Coming Out & Beyond podcast has dropped, and it's a good 'un!

Every Friday in the month of February in 2023, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson have been sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Barb cover alllll the feelings and share their best advice when it comes to catalyst relationships, including:

-defining 'what is a catalyst?' in the context of the coming out later in life experience,

-why catalyst relationships are often profoundly joyful in the beginning, and earth-shatteringly painful when they end,

-how catalyst relationships can often become all consuming,

-separating your new Queer identity from your catalyst,

-picking up the pieces and healing after a catalyst relationship ends,

and more!

In this episode, Barb shares her catalyst experience with listeners and offers reflections on the good, the bad, and the ugly about catalyst relationships. Anne-Marie offers tons of wise, loving advice on how to navigate these relationships, and what to do if your catalyst relationship ends.

You can catch episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com

Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01

Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/

For context, here's a link to that 1993 photo of kd lang and Cindy Crawford. Photo by Herb Ritts for Vanity Fair magazine: https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/qynov7/a_little_throwback_kd_lang_and_cindy_crawford...

In the podcast, we refer to Tonda McKay's articles on the origins of the 'convert a straight woman, win a toaster oven' joke and relationships between long-out and newly-out lesbians. You can find these articles here:

https://annemariezanzal.com/whats-up-with-the-toaster-oven-by-tonda-mckay/

https://annemariezanzal.com/when-this-long-time-out-lesbian-dated-a-newbie/

We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! This episode is all about finding, celebrating, and cultivating joy after coming out later in life.

Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb dive into the topic of joy, including:

-The infectiousness of joy,

-The joy of shedding old beliefs and expectations to live as your true self,

-Celebrating the independence that comes with coming out later in life,

-The unparalleled feeling of joy that comes with being accepted by Queer community,

-Stepping into courageousness,

-The multi-layered joy that comes with intimacy in Queer relationships,

and more!

Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community. Our final Share the Love episode drops on February 24th when we unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships. Anne-Marie and Barb will share lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.

You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com

Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01

Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/

We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! This episode is dedicated with love to all of you in the late-in-life community who are struggling with grief surrounding your coming out experience.

Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb tackle the topic of grief, including:

-Why it's normal to grieve your old, married/hetero life,

-How, sometimes, we can find ourselves grieving a life we didn't live,

-Finding someone to talk to about your grief other than your partner,

-The truth about how long it takes to grieve,

-Feeling joy and grief simultaneously,

-Why the grief journey never travels in a straight line

and more!

Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community:

February 17th - Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the joy that comes with coming out later in life

February 24th - We unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships, with lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.

You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com

Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01

Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/

Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-experience/

Exploring sexuality – what does that even mean? And how do you do it, especially after having been in a long term relationship? In this episode, Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barbara Rowlandson discuss the complexities of exploring one's sexuality, particularly for those who may be coming out later in life or questioning their identity. Anne-Marie and Barbara emphasize the importance of curiosity, courage, and self-reflection in this journey, while also addressing societal expectations and the concept of compulsory heterosexuality.

❓ What to Expect in This Episode:

🔍How compulsory heteronormativity affects many people's perceptions of their identity.

🪞Why self-reflection is crucial in understanding one's sexual orientation.

🗺️How personal experiences can serve as catalysts for exploration.

👥Understanding one's feelings and sensations is key to exploration.

✨ Why This Matters:

It's important when exploring your sexuality to investigate the impact of patriarchal norms on women's identities and relationships, the importance of exploring one's sexuality, and the role of media in shaping perceptions of queerness. This episode underscores the need for self-discovery, curiosity, and community support in navigating the complexities of sexual identity, particularly for those coming out later in life.

Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us

💬 Join the Conversation:

Can we have a conversation about exploring sexuality? If you've done this already, how did you go about it? What came up for you? What did you have to unlearn?

🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]

🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/

👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!

Oh, and if you want to check out that lovely woman who chops wood, her handle is @NicoleCoenen - you're welcome! ;)

We're sharing the love in February with podcast listeners! If you're someone in the late-in-life community who needs some loving encouragement about getting a divorce, this is a must-listen episode!

Every Friday in the month of February, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and podcast producer Barb Rowlandson will be sharing lots of loving advice and encouragement with the late-in-life community. This week, Anne-Marie and Barb cover a multitude of topics surrounding divorce, including:

-Whether or not to disclose your newly (re)discovered sexual identity to your husband,

-When to see a lawyer,

-Whether or not mediation is right for you,

-Flipping your mindset from 'I am destroying my family' to 'I am changing my family,'

-Why divorce can ultimately be very good for kids.

-Pushing past fear and getting out of your comfort zone.

Share the Love February continues with more loving advice and encouragement for the late-in-life community:

February 10th - This episode focuses on navigating grief when coming out and/or divorcing

February 17th - Anne-Marie and Barb talk about the joy that comes with coming out later in life

February 24th - We unpack the complexities of catalyst relationships, with lots of loving advice about overcoming heartbreak and stepping into self-love.

You can also catch these episodes of the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and at www.annemariezanzal.com

Want to book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie? You can select a time for a call here: https://calendly.com/annemariezanzalcoachingllc/discovery-call?month=2023-01

Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here: https://annemariezanzal.com/lotus-group-coaching/

Joan Alexander is a Spiritual Director & Supervisor who came out as a lesbian in her mid-forties. Twenty years later, she is here to share a bit of her life story...how she worked in The Anglican Church of Canada, told her sons she was queer via email, met the love of her life (a same-gender priest) in The Church, was disowned by her siblings for making this "choice" and...how today she serves others on similar journeys in her practice of spiritual direction and supervision.

Visit Joan Alexander's website: www.joanalexanderspiritualdirector.com

Joan's Contemplative Circle for Queer Women is a six-session opportunity to practice and participate in contemplative listening within a community of queer women who are coming out later in life. Coming from a variety of spiritual/religious backgrounds and perhaps in the processes of deconstructing and reconstructing lives – all will be welcome here! This group will meet on:

DATES (Tuesdays):

March 7 & March 21, 2023

April 4 & 18, 2023

May 2 &16, 2023

6:30 p.m. Mountain Time

If you'd like to participate, please reach out to Joan at alexander.joan9@gmail.com. 

Book a free Discovery Call with Anne-Marie.

Download the free Coming Out Guide here.

Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here.

Follow Anne-Marie on Facebook and Instagram.

Listen to the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and on www.annemariezanzal.com 

Stephannie Weikert is a Certified Yoga Therapist and creator of the Make Peace with Stress method. She wants to live in a world where all women flourish because she knows that when women thrive everyone benefits.   She mentors women who feel stuck and struggle with overwhelm and self-doubt to incorporate the time-tested wisdom of yoga into their daily lives so that they can be balanced, calm, and confident.  When she's not teaching women to use life’s challenges as catalysts for growth, she can usually be found hiking or planning to hike all the trails, reading, practicing ukulele, or working on her first book about how to make peace with stress.   Discover more about Stephannie and Make Peace with Stress at makepeacewithstress.com.

Follow Stephannie on Instagram 

Follow Stephannie on Facebook 

Book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie 

Download the free Coming Out Guide