Shannon Beveridge seems to be a force of nature in queer media, seamlessly merging personal storytelling with advocacy to create a vibrant tapestry of representation for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Known for her dynamic YouTube channel, “nowthisisliving,” she first gained recognition for her candid discussions on LGBTQ+ issues, culminating in accolades such as the Best LGBTQ+ YouTube Channel at the Shorty Awards in 2017. Over the years, Beveridge has become an influential voice, using her platform to shed light on identity and sexuality through a creative lens.
Her original journey from content creator ultimately expanded into the realms of photography and directing, with Beveridge collaborating with high-profile artists including singers Ariana Grande and Fletcher (who also happens to be Shannon’s infamous ex-girlfriend). This has been a core tenet of Beveridge’s career. Professional partnerships have allowed her to explore storytelling beyond her own experiences, yet they’ve also intertwined with her romantic relationships. This duality has been a double-edged sword; the transient nature of love can often lead to public breakups that leave an indelible mark on her work. However, Shannon has embraced these lessons. Drawing from her relationships, she has used her insights to enrich her relationship and sex podcast, “exes & o’s,” transforming heartache into humor and understanding.
Now, Beveridge is hitting the road with her podcast, bringing her digital discussions into an interactive live experience at SF’s The Independent on March 19. With a mission to cultivate safe spaces, particularly for lesbians who often find themselves longing for community, this tour promises a lighthearted blend of audience participation, games, and heartfelt conversations.
Beveridge sat down with us to delve into the nuances of queer relationships and the importance of connection in today’s world, especially in a city with such a rich LGBTQ+ history.
Q: What can attendees expect out of your tour, and what are you personally hoping to get out of it? What’s the mission of this tour, in a sense?
A: The primary aim for this tour is to create a safe space. Lesbians in particular are somewhat lacking queer spaces and queer events that are catered specifically to them. Obviously its open to everyone in the community, but lesbians typically have less event-wise. The show itself will be a light hearted version of the podcast, plus games and audience interaction, so you can feel like you’re part of it. My goal is also to facilitate people in the audience getting to know each other, so they have that space and those friends to take home with them after the show.
Q: Your podcast is a mix of jokes and genuine exploration of queer sex and relationships. How do you blend humor into your podcast without detracting from the serious conversations at hand?
A: Well, I never intended my podcast to be an interview. I don’t want it to be me just grilling some guest. I want it to be more conversational, and anything more conversational is inherently more humorous and it helps facilitate deeper conversations. Incorporating humor lightens the situation and you can go deeper with guests, because it feels safer. I want my podcast to be informative but also lighthearted and like an enjoyable hour of your day.
I also want it to be very digestible to anyone. I always think about how my mom is probably the first one to watch every week, and she’s just an ally, but i want to make the conversations informative to her and to people like her, so that anyone could tune in and learn something. I want everyone, straight, gay or whatever to be able to learn something, because we all have breakups, and we all have sex, right?
Q: Well no, not everyone, but I understand your point, and yes, most people are having some amount of sex. That’s a core theme of podcast- that’s the “o’s” of “exes and o’s.” Can you tell me a bit about the purpose of having these open conversations about the nuances of queer sex? Why does it matter?
A: It matters for me personally, because growing up, I only ever heard about lesbian sex through a very sexual lens. It was always very sexualized. I didn’t hear many conversations of people discussing sex, queer sex specifically, in a non sexual lens. We’ve had podcasts like ‘Call Her Daddy,” where they talk about how to perform a certain sex act, but it’s not sexualized. It’s meant to be informative, and I have felt like our community doesn’t have as much of that. I mean, we don’t have as much of anything, usually.
Q: As you prepare for the tour stop in San Francisco, how does the city’s rich LGBTQ+ history resonate with you and your work?
A: I think S.F. is so inherently queer. I think of it and I just automatically get a mental image of rainbow flags. I hope to bring something with this tour that S.F. hasn’t gotten to hold before. I do think it has such a rich history already, but I hope this can be something special to add to that list of history. My guest in S.F. is queer sex therapist Casey Tanner, so it should be one of my more sexual conversations of the tour, which I also think makes perfect sense for S.F.
Q: With the recent rise of live tours for influencers and podcasters, there’s something to be said here about parasocial relationships — the inclination of fans to latch onto entertainment personalities and develop one-sided personal bonds. Where do you think your tour fits in this conversation? Is it part of the problem, or do you think having a queer audience, a community that historically has lacked spaces to gather, somewhat change the rules on that a bit?
A: For sure. I think the rules are different for queer people in general, because no one is catering to us. We have to cater to ourselves. We have to create these spaces for ourselves. I also think that in a way, sometimes, oddly, that face to face interaction can kind of break down that parasocial third wall thing, because fans can be like “Oh my god, you’re a real person, not just a perfect, edited face on a screen.” So my hope is also that in being face to face with my community, they’ll remember that I’m not just a character.
Q: You first toured live with Rebecca Black back in 2017 on the “Love is Love” tour. As someone with an explosively public dating history, as well a podcast on relationships, when is love not love?
A: Love is not love when that love is completely selfish, because at the core of love, whether it’s romantic love or friendship love or family love, is that it is selfless. So when love is selfish, it’s not really true love.
Q: In addition to Rebecca, you’ve worked with many other big names in queer media including Fletcher and Zolita. I recently interviewed Zolita for her tour, which had a heavy prom aesthetic, and I asked her what her prom sash title is. She said Lesbian Supreme. I’m wondering what your sash title would be?
A: Your ex’s favorite ex.
Q: You’ve also collaborated with honorary gay icon Ariana Grande. Grande is one of the leading ladies of the recent queer-coded hit musical “Wicked.” I’m curious, are you an Elphaba or are you a Glinda?
A: I’m Elphaba, but like, Elphaba who is in love with Glinda.
Q: So, Elphaba then.
A: Yeah. just without any of Cynthia Erivo’s talent.
Q: Aside from all the creative partners I’ve just mentioned, as well as the guests from your podcast. Is there anyone you’re dying to work with in the future? Who is your dream collaboration?
A: Doing this podcast, I’ve had the pleasure of talking to all kinds of people- athletes, singers, therapists, ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ contestants- people from all different kinds of backgrounds. When I started, my answer to that question may have been more obvious. But now, I’m like, wow, there’s so many queer people that I am unaware of, or haven’t heard of before, and they aren’t necessarily the Ellen DeGeneres’s of the world. So, my dream podcast guest is maybe someone I don’t even know or know of yet.
