UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton

LGBTQ kids make up a third of the American foster care system and transgender kids enter it at five times the rate of the general population. But in 2026, there are few legal protections for LGBTQ youth in the system.Uncloseted Media’s Sam Donndelinger spoke with case workers, advocates and survivors of the foster care system and uncovered why it’s failing trans kids. In this episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Spencer sits down with Sam and breaks down the story’s key findings. “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 CREDITS:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghEditor: Taya StraussSocial producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

Peter Boykin founded Gays for Trump 10 years ago as an organization to “get out the vote” for gay Trump supporters during the president’s first run for office. The organization grew fast by creating Facebook campaigns and hosting events at the Republican National Convention. Now, over one year into Trump’s second term, Boykin’s group is smaller but still boasts 11,000 members. In this episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Spencer sits down with Boykin to learn about why he remains “hopeful for Donald Trump” despite his disagreements about how the president has been handling LGBTQ issues.“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 Credits:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghEditor: Izzy StokesSocial producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

In 1992, James Dale sued the Boy Scouts of America after they kicked him out for being gay. The case lasted nearly a decade and made it all the way to the Supreme Court. While SCOTUS ultimately ruled against Dale in a 5-4 decision, his case paved the way for LGBTQ inclusion across the organization. In 2014, the Boy Scouts started allowing gay boys to join the organization. Three years later, the organization began allowing trans boy scouts, and a year later, girls became eligible for membership. But today, Scouting America is presented with a new challenge as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has put the organization “on notice,” and has threatened to pull Pentagon support if the they fail to erase what he calls “an insidious radical woke ideology,” which includes allowing trans scouts and girls to join the organization, and promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. In this episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Spencer sits down with Dale to talk about his experience suing the Boy Scouts of America and why he’s ready to speak out against the new challenges created by Hegseth, who he describes as a “terrorist.” “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 Credits:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghEditor: Taya StraussSocial producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

Matt Bernstein, also known as Mattxiv on Instagram, where he boasts 2.2 million followers, is one of the most influential Internet voices for young queer progressives in the U.S. Through vertical videos, uniquely curated social posts and a podcast called “A Bit Fruity,” Bernstein tackles the most pressing—and controversial—issues of our time, but presents them in an accessible and bite-sized way that meets the moment of how consumers want to receive information in 2026.  In this episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Spencer sits down with Bernstein to talk about why far-right podcasters are dominating the Internet, the state of the Democratic party on trans issues and why “nobody [his] age cares about legacy media.”“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 CREDITS:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghEditor: Izzy Stokes Social producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

On March 31, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) voted 8-1 to overturn Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy. In their ruling, which was seen has a huge blow for LGBTQ rights, SCOTUS sided with lawyers from the Southern Poverty Law-Center designated anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom and in turn paved for 23 other states and D.C. to overturn bans.More than half of the 700,00 Americans who have experienced conversion therapy in the U.S. are minors. And the discredited practice is linked to depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts.Sami Tacher and their father Greg Tacher have experienced the devastating impact of conversion therapy first-hand. Greg, a former elder at The International Churches of Christ in Seattle, initially rejected Sami’s gay identity and supported their journey through years of a conversion therapy program that would result in unbearable loneliness, suicidal ideation and trauma that they still deal with today. Through this time, though, Greg slowly deconstructed his faith and has since left the church. Today, the father and son duo say they’ve come full circle and are “best friends.” In this episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Sami and Greg share their story. “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 This story contains mention of suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know needs support, resources are available here: https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/lgbtq-mental-health-resourcesSami’s essay about their experience in conversion therapy can be found here: https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/i-live-in-colorado-conversion-therapy CREDITS:Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghEditor: Taya StraussSocial producer/Design: Sophie HollandSpecial thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

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

When Katy Faust was 10 years old, her parents divorced. After that, her mom began a relationship with another woman. Faust says she loves her mom. So it may surprise you to learn that she’s now at the helm of The Greater Than Campaign, a new coalition of at least 47 anti-LGBTQ groups fighting to overturn gay marriage. Faust and her campaign argue that children are victims when raised by same-sex couples. In the premiere episode of "UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Faust speaks about her campaign, her motivations—both professional and personal—and why she believes her efforts are the “right-wing boogeyman” LGBTQ media has long feared. “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 // AppleFor all of our journalism and for links to the studies referenced in this interview, go to UnclosetedMedia.comCREDITS: Host: Spencer MacnaughtonAudio Production Intern: Bella SayeghReporting: Hope PisoniEditor: Taya StraussSpecial 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