Our latest guest is a force of nature, a total hoot, and a huge part of Edward Enninful’s new look Vogue Magazine, it’s the AMAZING writer Paris Lees! She tells Chris and Alan all about the sweet delight of getting one over on transphobic newspapers, we have a giggle about what she’s been missing during lockdown, and we find out why she might just be upping sticks to France... Paris is someone we at Homo Sapiens have an abundance of love and admiration for, so press play to hear her trailblazing...
May 20, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 126
Face mask alert! On this week’s Homo Sapiens Extra, we’re combating discrimination on dating apps, which according to you lovely bunch, is extremely prevelant! Whether it be discrimination against your gender identity, height or even body hair, it’s rife and you lot have got some good ideas of how to tackle it. Plus we’ve got another wonderful Culture Club, where we pick through your best recommendations in film & TV, music, books and cooking, Chris’s laptop is on the blink and he’s wonderin...
May 13, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 125
Has your background, race or culture infiltrated and shaped your queerness, or vice versa? Well, this week’s guest the writer, community organiser, and instagram superstar Adam Eli is here to tell us all about how he uses his Jewish upbringing as a blueprint to enrich his queerness, and how we’re all connected through our queerness, like one big family who look out for each other. Does that make Barbara Streisand my aunty? Basically yes. All that and a ton of laughs with one of New York’s most c...
May 06, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 124
Has your background, race or culture infiltrated and shaped your queerness, or vice versa? Well, this week’s guest the writer, community organiser, and instagram superstar Adam Eli is here to tell us all about how he uses his Jewish upbringing as a blueprint to enrich his queerness, and how we’re all connected through our queerness, like one big family who look out for each other. Does that make Barbara Streisand my aunty? Basically yes. All that and a ton of laughs with one of New York’s most c...
May 06, 2021•27 min•Season 5Ep. 124
“Not since Karl Lagerfeld did a collab with H&M has there been such a mad rush”. Do you know who said that? It was our very own Chris Sweeney on this episode of Homo Sapiens, as seemingly all of Canada and many more have once again been in touch! Can you maintain queer friendships without crossing *that* line? How many of your friendships have developed from starting out as (cringe) lovers? As well as answering all of this and more, Chris tries to tackle a takeaway pizza and a loving phone c...
Apr 29, 2021•54 min•Season 5Ep. 123
Why isn’t Queer Netflix a thing? What was it like working with Harvey Weinstein? As it’s finally Oscar season, we are joined by the incredible woman behind your favourite movies like Carol, Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig & The Angry Inch - the Christine Vachon! Plus Alan’s got a shocking take on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Chris’s husband is doing some very strange acrobatics. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P O D C A S T is Hosted By: Alan Cumming and Chr...
Apr 22, 2021•21 min•Season 5Ep. 122
Why isn’t Queer Netflix a thing? What was it like working with Harvey Weinstein? As it’s finally Oscar season, we are joined by the incredible woman behind your favourite movies like Carol, Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig & The Angry Inch - the Christine Vachon! Plus Alan’s got a shocking take on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Chris’s husband is doing some very strange acrobatics. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P O D C A S T is Hosted By: Alan Cumming and Chr...
Apr 22, 2021•27 min•Season 5Ep. 122
You are going to LOVE this week’s episode. We deep dive into your favourite LGBTQ+ moments in TV & Film and find out why Death Becomes Her is an iconic film for trans women, why Brokeback Mountain is a complicated beast, and what exactly is the Kill Your Gays trope? Plus, Emma Gannon teaches many life lessons with a single quote, the whole of Canada has been in touch and we find out if Chris sleeps in the nude. This episode has been brought to you in partnership with NOW . Thanks for your su...
Apr 15, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 121
Well well, who do we have here? We are joined by Oskar Hansen and Zak Riding, a glittering drag queen and emerging DJ, as they share their inspirational story about the creation of the first LGBTQ safe space cafe in Edinburgh, Greenwood Cafe. We talk about why these types of spaces are essential to the LGBTQ community and why we need more of it! If you are ever in the area please give them a visit, you won’t regret it x Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P...
Apr 08, 2021•23 min•Season 5Ep. 120
Well well, who do we have here? We are joined by Oskar Hansen and Zak Riding, a glittering drag queen and emerging DJ, as they share their inspirational story about the creation of the first LGBTQ safe space cafe in Edinburgh, Greenwood Cafe. We talk about why these types of spaces are essential to the LGBTQ community and why we need more of it! If you are ever in the area please give them a visit, you won’t regret it x Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P...
Apr 08, 2021•25 min•Season 5Ep. 120
So many questions this week... Has Lil Nas X broken the internet? Is Chris a football referee now? Is scheduling sexy time a good idea or a bad idea in a relationship? @TheSexDoctor aka Karen Gurney joins us for a fascinating chat about cohabitation, doing the dirty and everything in between. Plus, we buck science with Lesbian Bed Death, Disco takes over Culture Club and we learn why jealousy is a good thing. 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P O D C A S T 📍NEW EPISODE Every Thursday 📍Come play with us ...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 119
What is it like to go home to Texas during a pandemic when you’re a gender non-conforming writer & performer who looks incredible in a dress with big shoulders? This week’s guest, the hilarious and wonderful Alok Vaid-Menon did exactly that, and the answer will surprise you. Alok is one of those people who makes you laugh out loud one moment, then the next moment properly makes you think. We hear about starting a queer gym in a parking lot, the chequered history of the gender binary, how to ...
Mar 25, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 116
What is it like to go home to Texas during a pandemic when you’re a gender non-conforming writer & performer who looks incredible in a dress with big shoulders? This week’s guest, the hilarious and wonderful Alok Vaid-Menon did exactly that, and the answer will surprise you. Alok is one of those people who makes you laugh out loud one moment, then the next moment properly makes you think. We hear about starting a queer gym in a parking lot, the chequered history of the gender binary, how to ...
Mar 25, 2021•32 min•Season 5Ep. 118
FASHION WARNING! Chris has some new “high fashion’ additions to his wardrobe including a “fly net face mask” ohhh la la! We grab an extra big portion of popcorn for culture club and for Topic of the Week we flex our muscles with Olympic Gold Hockey star Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE to discuss all things LGBTQ+ SPORT and gender, including the tragic rise in transphobic hate speech in sport. Plus a touching Agony Uncle session on parenting and some rather beautiful messages and voice notes from you l...
Mar 18, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 117
Who else could take you from talking about straight people being obsessed with omelettes to a fascinating discussion on why it’s a privilege to fail? It could only be comedian Tom Allen. This chat was a really lovely surprise to me. I knew Tom was incredibly funny and he sure does deliver, but it is his incredible honesty about his version of the LGBTQ+ experience that you will all love, particularly so much interesting stuff about unspoken complexities of being single / not single that I think ...
Mar 11, 2021•20 min•Season 5Ep. 116
Who else could take you from talking about straight people being obsessed with omelettes to a fascinating discussion on why it’s a privilege to fail? It could only be comedian Tom Allen. This chat was a really lovely surprise to me. I knew Tom was incredibly funny and he sure does deliver, but it is his incredible honesty about his version of the LGBTQ+ experience that you will all love, particularly so much interesting stuff about unspoken complexities of being single / not single that I think ...
Mar 11, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 116
Bow chicka wow wow…. That’s right dearest listeners, this week we are headed between the sheets, or on top of them, no judgement here. We are looking at how LGBTQ+ sex scenes are portrayed in film and TV. Sometimes ridiculous, sometimes biologically impossible and sometimes accurate and honest too, we hear your opinions and “The Bisexual” creator Desiree Akhavan calls in to give us her take on the debate. Plus, why is Chris being pursued by poisonous sticks? Has a charity shop purchase led Chris...
Mar 04, 2021•40 min•Season 5Ep. 115
Do you like glitter? Feathers? A wicked sense of humour? Well, we’ve got just the guest for you. This week we are joined by the utterly hysterical Liz Carr. You will probably know Liz as one of the stars of Silent Witness, but that is just scratching the surface: high priestess of camp, campaigner for disability rights, oh and she’s written her own musical. Whatever you do - don’t call her an inspiration!! Listen now to find out why. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S...
Feb 25, 2021•32 min•Season 5Ep. 114
Do you like glitter? Feathers? A wicked sense of humour? Well, we’ve got just the guest for you. This week we are joined by the utterly hysterical Liz Carr. You will probably know Liz as one of the stars of Silent Witness, but that is just scratching the surface: high priestess of camp, campaigner for disability rights, oh and she’s written her own musical. Whatever you do - don’t call her an inspiration!! Listen now to find out why. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📍H O M O S...
Feb 25, 2021•32 min•Season 5Ep. 114
Dear Listeners, something different for you. Alan and I have done a really fun collaboration with the brilliant Art podcast ‘Talk Art’ hosted by Russell Tovey and Robert Diament. We’ve basically made a mash up episode chatting about the giants of Queer Art like David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe plus we get all the intel on the next generation of trailblazing Queer artists like Catherine Opie and Kehinde Wiley. And it wouldn’t be Homo Sapiens without the usual highbrow chatter like ...
Feb 23, 2021•39 min
Fire alarms! An emergency evacuation! Chris climbing over a wall to escape! All via some v handsome firemen... it’s a drama filled episode of Homo Sapiens Extra this week and once the drama is over Chris hears from you all about this week’s topic - Queer people having kids. Do you want them? Do you feel pressured to have them these days? Are you happier sipping a martini and being child-free? We hear from all sides of the fence and phone up bisexual author R.O. Kwon to talk about her Guardian ar...
Feb 18, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 113
Meet the man who outsold Michelle Obama. Adam Kay shot to fame when he published ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ his secrets diaries of being a junior doctor in the NHS that were side-splittingly funny, completely shocking, but also sparked a huge conversation about mental health for doctors that has led to an incredible career of activism as well as many more books such as his new one Kay’s Anatomy . Adam joins us to spill the beans on Matt Hancock, bringing medicine up to date for LGBTQ+ people and we...
Feb 11, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 112
Meet the man who outsold Michelle Obama. Adam Kay shot to fame when he published ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ his secrets diaries of being a junior doctor in the NHS that were side-splittingly funny, completely shocking, but also sparked a huge conversation about mental health for doctors that has led to an incredible career of activism as well as many more books such as his new one Kay’s Anatomy . Adam joins us to spill the beans on Matt Hancock, bringing medicine up to date for LGBTQ+ people and we...
Feb 11, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 112
Did you know there are two words for LOVE in Hungarian? This week we are asking: Does Love At First Sight Exist? Your response has been massive and Chris will be making his way through your luuuurv stories, your salacious fling stories, and he even ropes in relationship GURU Nedra Tawwab for her take, including a whole heap of insights on LGBTQ+ relationships. Plus… why does Chris fancy himself to be Indiana Jones? Pre-order Nedra’s Book “Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yoursel...
Feb 04, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 111
KNOW YOUR WORTH! POSE sensation MJ Rodriguez joins us this week and let me tell you... it was the giggle we all needed. We hear about how she started changing the world at age 7 (yes, you heard me, 7!), her high school days of Voguing, and the hidden meanings of comics for LGBTQ+ people. Enjoy! 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P O D C A S T is Hosted By: Alan Cumming and Chris Sweeney 📍NEW EPISODE Every Thursday 📍Come play with us on socials Facebook & Instagram @Homosapiens 📍Email us: Hello@homos...
Jan 28, 2021•19 min•Season 5Ep. 110
KNOW YOUR WORTH! POSE sensation MJ Rodriguez joins us this week and let me tell you... it was the giggle we all needed. We hear about how she started changing the world at age 7 (yes, you heard me, 7!), her high school days of Voguing, and the hidden meanings of comics for LGBTQ+ people. Enjoy! 📍H O M O S A P I E N S P O D C A S T is Hosted By: Alan Cumming and Chris Sweeney 📍NEW EPISODE Every Thursday 📍Come play with us on socials Facebook & Instagram @Homosapiens 📍Email us: Hello@homos...
Jan 28, 2021•30 min•Season 5Ep. 110
BONUS TREAT! 'It’s A Sin' is the b-rilliant new Channel 4 show that has been making many headlines this week, and so of course the creator Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk, A Very English Scandal) zoomed in to give us the full skinny. The show stars Olly Alexander from Years and Years among many others and is about a group of friends coming of age in the 80s, in the shadows of AIDS, who are determined to live and love more fiercely than ever. Russell tells us all about the show, plus his own expe...
Jan 25, 2021•27 min
BONUS TREAT! 'It’s A Sin' is the b-rilliant new Channel 4 show that has been making many headlines this week, and so of course the creator Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk, A Very English Scandal) zoomed in to give us the full skinny. The show stars Olly Alexander from Years and Years among many others and is about a group of friends coming of age in the 80s, in the shadows of AIDS, who are determined to live and love more fiercely than ever. Russell tells us all about the show, plus his own expe...
Jan 25, 2021•29 min
Body Image. WOW, this one really got everyone going. Body confidence, the unrealistic porn aesthetic, body hair and... why was Chris the only person in a nightclub with his top ON? We hear the good, bad and that: there is no ugly. Plus Chris gets on the blower to someone he adores: Scottee aka @ScotteeIsFat on Instagram who, as always, brings his truly brilliant take on the body image conversation. Plus we hear some wonderful news about Eddie Izzard and get a very welcome new list of your Cultur...
Jan 21, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 110
Hello Listeners, I want to tell you about a wonderful new podcast Broccoli Book Club. It’s great for any book enthusiasts' or anyone looking to expand their horizons. Every month they’ll be reading and discussing books that they believe push us to be inquisitive and give us a better understanding of society today. Hosted by multimedia journalist Diyora Shadijanova (@thediyora on Twitter and Instagram), the podcast features one book every month and will be released in two-part episodes. Part one ...
Jan 19, 2021•2 min•Season 5Ep. 109
