"I'm proud of the communities that I'm part of. To meet so many incredible people. And to be part of their stories, and to be part of their lives. Yeah, they make the world feel less alone and more beautiful."

Community is fundamental to Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir (she/her). From growing up in Nigeria surrounded by family through to what she's doing now in her professional and volunteering roles.

Aisha is the Director of The Common Press, London's Queer & Intersectional Bookshop, Cafe & Events Space. It's a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ individuals & groups across the capital to learn, come together and find the communities that people are looking for. And right now, The Common Press is crowdfunding so that it can continue to exist, champion LGBTQ+ writers & underrepresented voices and maintain itself independently as a hub of crucial activities, resources and, as Aisha explains, a place where movements can be built to create change. Your support can make this is a reality and you can find the crowdfunding link at the bottom of this page.

Before finding herself at The Common Press, Aisha worked in scientific research and we chat about this big flex in her career as well as her volunteering advocacy & experiences which led to her becoming Head of Community Engagement for UK Black Pride. As someone who appreciates the richness that volunteering has brought to my life, Aisha's commitment to this really resonates.

This conversations also highlights Aisha's passion for united action and she iterates the need for the LGBTQ+ community to come together more to protest queer spaces, advance our rights & stand up against forces that seek to de-stabilise us. We have the resources, says Aisha, but we're not quite where we need to be in terms of working as one.

We dive into cultural joy and representation of African countries too - how there's often misrepresentation, a lack of appreciation for their richness and misguided opinions. As well as the impact of colonisation and the need to decolonise queerness.

The three words Aisha uses to describe her origin story are 'Compassionate. African. Queer.' And I loved the pride in which she shares these when asked.

We also chat about Aisha's pride at getting through university, being at ease with coming out on her own terms & in her own time, how she very nearly pursued a career in football and building a beautiful married life with her wife, Lexie. And more! Enjoy peeps - it's a gorgeous conversation!

HELP SAVE THE COMMON PRESS! Donate here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-the-common-press

It was a casual conversation with a friend about teaching when they asked this week’s guest if they’d want to give it a go. “Yeh alright then” she said. And so began her career in education - one that has seen her change lives, pivot, innovate & create.

Laila El-Metoui (she/her) is now a DEI consultant, educator & public speaker. She’s the founder of Pride in Education, Embassy Model Summit & SWANA Queers. She began her teaching career back in 1992 and has worked for a number of London’s most-loved colleges including Hackney Community, Southwark, Morley and City & Islington. During her teaching career, she taught English & literacy to refugees & migrants and survivors of domestic abuse. Laila’s strong sense of independence, even since she was a child, meant equipping women with the skills to live an independent life was something she was incredibly passionate about.

Her parents instilled in her the power & love for education at a young age - and this shines through today. She grew up in Paris & recalls sitting on the steps of the Sacre listening to all the tourists speaking different languages, and saying to her mum “I wish I could communicate with everyone in their language”.

Laila is as enthusiastic about equality & community as she is about education & learning. She shares how she was an early activist and reflects on how the French are far more effective when it comes to protest than the UK. Indeed! “I thought I could change the world” says Laila. And though she now recognises that meaningful change is slow & requires both time & effort, that doesn’t prevent her from showing up. Whether for the LGBTQ+ community, the people of Gaza & refugees, Laila is there with boundless energy & hope. She’s a big believer in local action, global impact.

From dispelling myths around migration through sharing lives experience & lessons in history through to her DEI work, she harnesses her early teaching skills, creativity & an interactive approach to bring people up to speed, challenge ways of thinking & amplify the voices of those most marginalised & oppressed.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode including the impact of the Section 28 on education, Britain’s history of welcoming refugees & the joy Laila gets from community & her pug Rainbow (who is gorgeous).

I have so much appreciation & respect for Laila & the way she shows up. Always with authenticity and she’s not afraid to be vocal or vulnerable. “Everything I have been through has made me who I am today. Every single trauma from childhood & relationship has shaped me. My deep empathy & understanding. I’m still building & learning.” Laila uses the words ‘passionate, organise & resilient’ to describe her & her origin story.

As Laila & I discussed during the podcast, Pride in Education is offering a series of FREE webinar covering an array of themes including sex education in schools, trans+ inclusion & activism featuring a brilliant line-up of speakers in partnership with some wonderful organisations. Find out more & RSVP here: https://www.prideineducation.co.uk/

Please note: Some of the topics we cover during this podcast are sensitive. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.

“What I’ve learned to be true is my intuition has never lied to me once. It doesn’t know how to lie”.

Barry Brandon (he/ they/ her/ ze) aka The Queer Indigo lives at the intersections of advocacy & creativity, empowerment & entertainment. It’s Barry’s intuition that has landed him there - as a content creator, influencer, public speaker, emcee & host, community builder & LGBTQ+ leader. I’ll also throw iconic fashionista in there too! And it’s an exciting time for Barry as you’ll hear in this episode of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’

As The Queer Indigo, Barry harnesses social media as a canvas for awareness, expression & connection blending aesthetic appeal with meaningful content that transcends conventional boundaries to a global audience. I’ve followed & loved his Instagram page since its early days several years ago so when our paths crossed through We Create Space, I was overjoyed. The content - bold, empowering, stunning - has helped me to embrace myself more, celebrate my body, femininity & style. It’s a journey as it is for many of us in the LGBTQ+ community and I loved hearing Barry talk about its beginnings as a “dumb walk” and has been able to most past seeing it as simply fun & frivolous through to the realisation of how much impact it has.

This podcast very much explores two origin stories. The origin of The Queer Indigo - as a result of life-changing three hour conversation with a stranger which he describes as “an absolute disruption to my entire life” - and that of Barry’s life before then.

As an 8 open-heart surgery survivor with operations spanning from birth to aged 27, Barry was acutely aware from a young age that “tomorrow was not necessarily promised”. He spent much of his childhood in hospitals looking out of the window simply wishing. Much of his experiences have resulted in Barry’s fearless approach to life (his only fear is “getting dead”) along with an early yearning for justice, a sense of ridiculous at situations around him at times and confusion at the state of the world.

Whether in hospital as a child or throughout life, Barry has always been surrounded by people - it’s something we see in his content now with his love of creating community. He talks about the pride he has in his friendships and how as queer people, we’re “better when we’re together”

As a creative force, I probe Barry about choosing a life of graft following a particular job that paid him an obscene amount of money. “It wasn’t a choice” he replies. Whether producing exquisite content, organising show-stopping events or launching his new magazine ICONIQA, Barry is focused on celebrating queer excellence & joy, amplifying others and empowering everyone to follow an unapologetic of self expression. He’s truly passionate about the queer community and has learned that although our languages, political systems, cultures & traditions may differ, we’re often aligned in our identities, moral compasses, values & search for freedom.

Barry is incredibly humble. He sees himself as a vessel for lifting up & championing others, enabled by his lack of ego & jealousy. Barry expresses how discovering self joy & the adventure of self exploration has led to his happiness, peace & self-value, both professionally & personally.

The three words Barry uses to describe him & his origin story are ‘Resilience. Dreamer. Courageous’. This episode is packed with so many wonderful moments and it was a dream to sit down with Barry for my first in-person recording whilst he was in London. We explore Barry’s love of Oprah, his queer awakening in Berlin & a hilarious childhood anecdote that speaks to both his humour, love of performance & fearlessness. Enjoy!

Please note: Some of the topics we cover during this podcast are sensitive. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.