She Comes With Baggage
Kirstie Pike is your host of the LGBTQ+ podcast She Comes With Baggage! She’s opening the mic to incredible LGBTQ+ creators, artists, and advocates, and allies. Guests share their journeys, identity struggles, and how they’ve turned challenges into success.
Tune in for candid conversations about love, queer friendships, chosen family, self-discovery, and the real, messy, beautiful parts of life. Each episode celebrates LGBTQ+ voices, builds community, and empowers listeners to embrace their authentic selves.
Subscribe to She Comes With Baggage anywhere you listen or watch podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.
"We’re more alike than we might realize. So get comfy, stay curious, and let’s get into it."
Episodes
26 episodes
Robbie Simpson: LGBTQ+ Representation on Hallmark's Finding Mr. Christmas
Today’s guest is Robbie Simpson — an actor, director, producer, and educator based in New York City. Robbie serves as the Director of Creative Development at Midnight Theatricals and the Director of Musical Theater at the Stell...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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1:06:39
Tony Morrison: Using Storytelling to Spark Change
Today’s guest is Tony Morrison — a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, media strategist, and founder of Morrison Media Group, a venture helping brands and changemakers activate through storytelling and cultural influence. To...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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1:03:00
Kinley Clark: Teaching in the South & Fighting Homophobia
Today’s guest is Kinley Clark — a proud queer creative who once taught in the South, where she faced more homophobia than anyone should have to. After leaving the classroom, she turned her energy toward her passion project, her podcast <...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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1:00:33
Manda Malina: The Dark Side of the Music Industry & Reclaiming Her Power
Today’s guest is Manda Malina—a Swedish singer, songwriter, and queer artist based in Los Angeles. Her hit song Her Ocean took off on TikTok in 2023, leading to headlining solo shows including EDC Las Vegas and performances at t...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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1:09:15
Victor Ramos: The Power of Living Boldly & Unapologetically
Today’s guest is Victor Ramos — a vibrant creator whose mix of beauty, pop culture, and comedy has earned him a loyal following on Instagram and TikTok. Beyond his viral makeup tutorials and hilarious skits, he’s also a host on The Q...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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1:04:13
Kelly Hrebenar: Breaking Lesbian Stereotypes
Today’s guest is Kelly Hrebenar — a femme lesbian content creator based in Los Angeles. Kelly shares stories about life after coming out, mental health, and the ups and downs of figuring it all out—while breaking down lesbian stereotypes...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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1:04:07
Rose Montoya: Reclaiming Her Story & Building a Life of Trans Joy
Today’s guest is Rose Montoya — a trans Latina creator, model, actor, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Known for her captivating presence and her fearless advocacy, Rose uses her platform to champion equity, mental health, and bodily autonomy. T...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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1:05:23
Maartje Hensen: Exploring Queer Fluidity, Self-Expression & Destigmatizing Kink Culture
Today’s guest is Maartje Hensen (they/she) — an Amsterdam-based queer traveler, photographer, and author of The Pride Atlas. Soon-to-be coach and full-time storyteller, Maartje is known for their vibrant, fairytale-like imagery ...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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1:16:58
Madison Werner: Breaking Barriers in Beauty & Redefining Trans Visibility
Today’s guest is Madison Werner — a self-proclaimed “trans glam girl,” beauty content creator, and human rights activist. She made history as the first transgender face of a Covergirl campaign, and as a born-and-raised Jewish valley girl, she b...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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1:10:55
Brooke Ventre - Pursuing Creativity and Community
Today’s guest is Brooke Ventre — a multifaceted creator with a deep passion for animals and the ocean. Beyond her creative pursuits, Brooke has acting credits in productions like “Girl Lost” (2016) and “Drib” (2017). On...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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45:44
Scott Frenzel: Redefining Pop, Mental Health & Breaking Gender Norms
Today’s guest is Scott Frenzel - a rising pop artist who first gained traction on TikTok and YouTube Shorts with his debut single “Sugar High”, which went viral as the number one song on YouTube Shorts with over a million fan-created videos. Si...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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1:03:30
Blair Imani: Intersectionality of Bisexuality, Islam & Fearlessly Herself
Today’s guest is Blair Imani - a historian, educator, and the brilliant mind behind the viral web series Smarter In Seconds. She’s also an LA Times bestselling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and if you’ve ever seen her co...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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1:16:57
Mariah Counts: Music, Healing & the Journey to Self-Power
Today’s guest is Mariah Counts, a genre-blending artist whose dynamic sexuality and musical versatility mirror her personal journey. From her early days as an athlete to her fearless rise in the music industry, Mariah has always led with grit a...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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1:11:07
Ashamad Heard - Chasing Dreams & Creating Without Limits
Today, we’re sitting down with the insanely talented ally Ashamad Heard, a DIY fashion creator, musician, and streamer who’s making waves in the creative world. You might have seen him on Buy It Now or Beast Games on Amazon Pr...
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54:58
Lexie Peters: Building Inclusive Community & Embracing Masculinity
Today’s guest is Lexie Peters - a creator and community-builder navigating identity, love, and what it means to show up authentically. From growing up more of a tomboy to finding balance in her masculinity today, Lexie’s story is about embracin...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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1:06:02
Michael Amanor (Mikestyle): Creativity, Allyship & Building a Brand
This season is full of LGBTQ+ voices and perspectives, but today I wanted to include a conversation with one of my close friends and longtime allies. Michael may not be queer himself, but his story of creativity, identity, and showing up authen...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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59:14
Noa Taieb: Breaking Gender Norms, Embracing Culture & Building a Purposeful Brand
Today, I’m sitting down with my friend Noa Taieb - a lifestyle creator, entrepreneur, and storyteller. Originally from Paris and now based in LA, Noa has built a platform sharing his journey through content, creativity, and self-discovery. H...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:08:58
Melanie Posner: Queer Friendships & Turning Art Into Healing
Today’s guest is Melanie Posner - an LGBTQ+ muralist, portrait artist, and creative force based in Los Angeles whose bold, unapologetic work centers around empowerment, identity, and mental health. Through large-scale murals and intimate por...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:00:17
Carolina Gutierrez: Trans Visibility, Resilience & Chasing Dreams
Today’s guest is Carolina Gutierrez—an award-winning Colombian actress, advocate, and proud Latina trans woman who is making waves both on screen and off. From her breakout roles to her most recent short Buscando Alma—which just qualif...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:09:55
Dexter Mayfield: Plus-Size Representation & Queer Joy
Today’s guest is Dexter Mayfield—a dancer, actor, plus-size model, and fierce force of queer joy and self-expression. From his early roots in Dallas to performing with icons like Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry, Dexter has built...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:09:07
KITTENS: Iranian-American DJ Spinning Identity & Untraditional Love
Today’s guest is Lauren Abedini—aka KITTENS. She’s a powerhouse DJ, music producer, podcast host, creative strategist, and an unapologetic voice for intersectional feminism. With Iranian-American roots and a deep conne...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:13:55
Kelly Balch: Understanding Non-Binary, Two-Spirit & Going Beyond the Norms
Today’s guest is Kelly Balch—a queer, nonbinary artist, filmmaker, and intuitive storyteller whose work feels like both a mirror and a portal. With over 15 years behind the lens as a photographer and director, Kelly’s creates mediums for us ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:11:57
Matt McKenley: Growing Up In A Religious Household & Finding Your Voice
Matt McKenley is a model, actor, and content creator whose bold blend of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle has made waves across TikTok and Instagram. But beyond the aesthetic, Matt shares something much deeper—his journey of growing up gay in ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:07:38
Dominic Pérignon & Carter Nelson: Unpacking Trans Joy and Friendship
Hey everyone, welcome back to She Comes With Baggage! Where we unpack the real, unfiltered experiences that shape who we are. My hope is that through these deep conversations and laughs, we realize we’re all more alike...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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1:10:55