Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast: Visibility For The Invisible Community

 Finding podcasts that are ear worthy comes from a multitude of sources - friends, family, co-workers, articles, social media, and even the Ear Worthy Substack site where podcasts are reviewed and recommended daily.

 In the case of Our Black Gay Diaspora podcast, I discovered it on the excellent Substack newsletter, BlkPodNews™, which was launched two years ago.

The newsletter's stated mission is "to help readers / listeners learn about and listen to new Black podcasts, new podcast seasons, and best episodes from Black Podcasting Awards’ winners in this weekly spotlight. It is 'The Podcast Industry Trade Paper For Black Podcast Creatives & Professionals.'"

You can sign up to be on their email newsletter list here. 

On the newsletter, I came across an article about Our Black Gay Diaspora podcast. 

 It is a fascinating independent podcast. Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast is a podcast (video and audio) where Black LGBTQ professionals share stories about their lives, countries and professions. Creator / Host Erick Taylor Woodby interviews individuals who inspire and educate others about who they are, highlighting a population often overlooked by mainstream LGBTQ+ and Black media outlets. 

Woody is attempting to offer greater visibility in a world that often tries to make underrepresented communities invisible is such a large task. 

Here is an Apple review that sums up the view on this podcast.

"Erick has presented an amazing and diverse group of world citizens with wide-ranging experiences, it is fascinating to hear these stories of how these People Of Color (POC) move in the circles of their lives, embracing their Blackness as well as their place within the LGBTQ+ community. It is so important to share this visibility, so everyone can come to understand the full length and breadth of POC/LGBTQ+, the work they are doing, and how they are shaping the world. This podcast is not just for POC, it's accessible to everyone and benefits people of all ethnicities with the stories being shared. I applaud Erick for realizing this gap existed, and I think he is doing an amazing job of filling in the blank spaces. Kudos to you! :)"

 

Erik Taylor Woodby is the creator, host, and producer of the global biweekly Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast. As a contributing writer for the Swedish Krull Magazine, he shares stories and diverse histories chronicling the lives of individuals making a difference in their countries and professions.

Woodby is a writer, podcast producer, and graphic designer with over 20 years of experience working in media from logo and print design to multimedia, collaborating with clients that include a BAFTA-winning documentary protagonist, an award-winning yoga instructor, and an international investment banking firm.

In his bio, Woodby says: "My love of creative communication extends to learning languages and travelling the world as a digital nomad. I’m proficient in conversational Spanish and basic Swedish. And have visited Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Mexico, Latvia, Norway, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. Stockholm, Sweden, and Brighton, UK are two of my favorite cities."

 

Since starting the podcast in late March 2021, Woodby has produced 76 episodes, which is a remarkable feat for an indie podcast. Clearly, because of Woodby's design and media experience, the podcast has slick graphics, excellent sound quality, and the music and is created, produced, and distributed at a high level of quality. Kudos to Woodby for using his multiplicity of skills in podcasting. It's clearly paid off.

On the show, Woodby interviews guests including
Executive Director at PEOPLE Magazine Jeremy Helligar, Palmira Koukkari Mbenga, Swedish journalist, actor, and script editor for Netflix’s Young Royals, and Gamal ‘G’ Turawa, the protagonist in the 2022 BAFTA-winning British docudrama The Black Cop. 

One of my favorite episodes was #6 when Woodby interviewed L.A.-based lawyer Thomas DeBoe. Imagine making an episode speaking to a lawyer about business contracts, family law, and joint ventures? zzzzzzzzz. But Woodby's calm, curious style transformed the episode into a fascinating look in DeBoe's life and career.

If you check out the episode roster of Woodby's show, you'll notice that the show length averages about 40 minutes. I personally love that sense of editing and respect for the listeners. Too many interview podcasts believe they can duplicate Joe Rogan and conduct interviews that run for an hour or two. They can't. Woodby has an innate sense of conversational flow.  

Woodby is clearly an advocate of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who once said, "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." 

As a host, Erik Taylor Woodby is understated like low-impact aerobics. You still get the benefits but without the histrionics. His interviewing style is gentle but probing, and his cosmopolitan lifestyle has enabled him to glide without friction through numerous countries, ethnic backgrounds, and belief systems.

Two of my favorite episodes are the January 31, 2024 show with Pax Ahimsa Gethen, who is an American transgender vegan atheist, pacifist, blogger, photographer, and Wikipedia volunteer editor. In August 2023, Pax was awarded Wikipedia’s 2023 Media Contributor of the Year. Through their blog site, funcrunch.org, Pax is a dedicated advocate for marginalized communities, highlighting transgender and Black social justice causes and cultural milestones.

 In episode 65 in September 2023, Woodby interviewed Rob Berkeley, who is the founder and managing editor at BlkOutUK.com, “a not-for-profit social enterprise run and owned by a volunteer collective of black gay men.” He's also a writer who contributed to the 2014 anthology Black and Gay in the UK. His story is titled The Brotherhood Dilemma. Described as an educationalist with interests in media, creativity, and the arts, Rob has a desire to disrupt power dynamics for the betterment of those on the margins of society.

At the beginning of the show, Woody says of Berkeley, "He is willing to upset the power dynamics for the benefit of those in marginalized communities." That's courage and passion.

Check out Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast. You don't have to be gay, black or different in any respect to enjoy the show and learn something from the show.

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This review is part of an ongoing series of reviews, recommendations, and essays about Indie podcasters -- their craft, their challenges, and the critical role they play in podcasting. These entrepreneurs display skills as disparate as hosting, sound production, graphic design, scriptwriting, interviewing, marketing genius, and financial watchdog. They are the heart and soul of podcasting.