UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton

Ketamine use is on the rise among Americans. But if you’re a gay man, that probably comes as no surprise. Gay and lesbian adults are almost four times more likely to use ketamine than their heterosexual counterparts, and a 2011 study from the U.K. found that queer men were over three times more likely than queer women to use the drug.For many gay men—who disproportionately suffer from trauma and other mental health disorders—ketamine can offer short-term relief. But longer term use can have the opposite effect.When Lucas Pearson first tried ketamine at 23 years old outside a nightclub in Louisville, Kentucky, he felt a sense of euphoria melting away his anxiety, depression and “sense of pain” he carried with him growing up as a gay kid in a religious household. At first, the drug was an easy escape that numbed Pearson from reality. Then, it became an addiction that impacted his mental and physical health, fueling feelings of paranoia and fear and leading to self-isolation.In the third episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Pearson shares his story with ketamine addiction and his journey with recovery.“UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton” is a new podcast by Uncloseted Media, an investigative LGBTQ-focused nonprofit news publication. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. YouTube // Spotify // Apple For all of our journalism and for links to all our coverage, go to UnclosetedMedia.com If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or substance use, resources can be found here.CREDITS:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghReporting: Sam DonndelingerEditor: Taya Strauss Social producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order that banned all forms of gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons. Six months later, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) from enforcing the order. This block is still in effect today.Despite the judge’s order, Uncloseted Media’s Hope Pisoni spoke with eight incarcerated trans people and reviewed legal statements by several more over the course of a monthslong investigation that found that the BOP is still denying access to gender-affirming accommodations at prisons across the country. Pisoni also found that the women who stood up for themselves reported being met with intense retaliation, from lengthened sentences to physical violence. In the second episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Pisoni breaks down the investigation.“UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton” is a new podcast by Uncloseted Media, an investigative LGBTQ-focused nonprofit news publication. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. YouTube // Spotify // Apple For all of our journalism and for links to all our coverage on trans people in prisons, go to UnclosetedMedia.com CREDITS:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghReporting: Hope PisoniEditor: Taya Strauss and Sam DonndelingerSocial producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

LAUNCHING MARCH 25th:UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton is a new podcast that investigates the people, money and power behind America’s anti-LGBTQ ecosystem. Join Spencer each week as he interviews Uncloseted reporters as well as the leading voices on issues facing the LGBTQ community today. From highlighting the voices of people fighting back against systems of injustice to covering breaking news current to the moment, Uncloseted’s reporting provides you with rigorous, objective LGBTQ reporting to better understand the world we live in.Spencer Macnaughton is a Gracie Award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist. He has written and produced for 60 Minutes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Vice, Vox, Time, NBC News, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone, and he teaches LGBTQ journalism at New York University. Read more at Unclosetedmedia.com and follow @unclosetedmedia#podcast #podcasts #newpodcast #lgbtq #lgbtqia