The Pink House with Sam Smith

Trixie Mattel is a drag queen with an empire: a makeup line, a renovation show and a country music career. But before Trixie there was Brian Firkus, a small-town Wisconsin boy who played with Barbies and yearned for a life with the same potential and beauty. Trixie tells Sam stories about her upbringing, the first time she ever performed drag, and what her bff Katya has taught her about working less and playing more.  Follow Trixie Mattel on Instagram and TikTok @trixiemattel Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  This episode was produced by Claire Jones. Mixing and sound design by Rachel Lightner. Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Sugar changed the world of animation with their hit Cartoon Network show, Steven Universe. It redefined what stories children deserve to experience with themes of self love and family trauma. And it was groundbreaking for its representation of queer, nonbinary characters - it even included one of the first same sex marriages to appear in a cartoon for young people. Rebecca joins Sam to share how the animated series helped them process their own identity and what they’ve had to overcome to write music for their first solo album, Spiral Bound.  Follow Rebecca Sugar on Instagram and TikTok at @rebeccasugar Listen to Rebecca’s album Spiral Bound Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  This episode was produced by Isaura Aceves. Mixing and sound design by Rachel Lightner. Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Visage always wanted to be a star. Those around her could tell she was destined for it too. From voguing in New York’s ballrooms in the 80’s to her top charting band Seduction, Michelle never took no for an answer. She tells Sam about how her ballroom family gave her the confidence she needed to be herself and how she carried that all the way to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Follow Michelle Visage @michellevisage on Instagram Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ocean Vuong first shared his poetry at open mics in New York City. Since then, he’s become a New York Times best-selling author and is one of the most celebrated poets, essayists and novelists of our time. In this emotional interview, Ocean joins Sam to chat about the women who raised him and how he copes with loss. He also shares his journey to success and how he’s paying it forward by creating an art residency for his queer community.  Follow Ocean Vuong on Instagram at @ocean_vuong Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  This episode was produced by Isaura Aceves. Mixing and sound design by Rachel Lightner. Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jari Jones was the first Black, trans model to be featured in a Calvin Klein ad. She’s a creative powerhouse who attributes a lot of her charisma and drive to her late grandfather Billy Jones, who was a famous model in the 1970s. Jari shares with Sam how she grew up going to ballroom-style parties and how transitioning allowed her to be herself in front of the camera. Plus, she tells Sam how she’s building her village, a community of queer folks who consider her to be a second mom.  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Platt may have won a Tony for his performance in Dear Evan Hansen, but he says nothing compares to the excitement he felt during opening night in high school. In this episode, good friends Sam and Ben chat about growing up in the theater and their deep appreciation for the community that surrounds it. They share stories of onstage flubs and nervous habits, and discuss how negative reviews can sometimes be a good thing. Plus, Sam and Ben explore how the chaos of being onstage can actually often quiet an anxious mind.  Follow Ben Platt on Instagram at @bensplatt.  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  This episode was produced, mixed and sound designed by Rachel Lightner. Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joel Kim Booster didn’t expect to get his start in showbiz through stand-up, but he made a name for himself by laying it all out there on stage with his “hot idiot persona.” Joel takes Sam back to his suburban roots with a story about how he first found his queer community working at Cold Stone Creamery. Plus, he shares how he met Bowen Yang and the inspiration behind his film Fire Island. Follow Joel Kim Booster on Instagram and X @ihatejoelkim. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  This episode was produced by Isaura Aceves. Mixing and sound design by Rachel Lightner. Illustrations by Chris Larson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gloria Estefan has been a muse to the queer community for decades, with disco beats made for the club and looks that have inspired drag queens. Sam chats with her about life before stardom, how music was a respite to her after escaping Cuba as a kid, and how queer culture was ingrained in her upbringing. Gloria also shares how she’s still learning to be a true ally to her daughter Emily, who came out in 2017. You can follow Gloria on Instagram @gloriaestefan Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliot Page has played many roles on screen over the course of his life, but his favorites were the ones he created alone in his bedroom as a kid, where he was free to be his authentic self. Today, Elliot joins Sam Smith to chat about his upbringing in Canada, his breakout role in the film Juno, and how seeking time away from it all has helped him embrace a whole new, exhilarating life.  Find Elliot’s book, Pageboy, at your local bookstore. Now available in paperback.  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org  Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Sam met fashion stylist and “Queen of the Scene" Donté McGuine at The Roxy in New York City several years ago, they became inseparable, and their meaningful friendship endures today. In this episode, Sam chats with Donté about how they found their people at New York City discos, what Donté learned from their first queer experience on a private jet in Las Vegas, and how having patience is key to surviving all of life’s ups and downs.  You can follow Donté McGuire on Instagram @donte_mcguine. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. The Pink House Foundation is intended to provide support for people within the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink House is about building a better, safer world for all of us. Follow us on Instagram @ThePinkHouse.  This series is sponsored by Hopelab. Hopelab envisions a future where young people live joyful and purposeful lives. Hopelab works to advance the mental health and well-being of young people through uncovering knowledge and evidence, investing in innovators, and funding youth-centered solutions. Learn more at http://hopelab.org Illustrations by Chris LarsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singer and songwriter Sam Smith grew up in a literal pink house. It was a magical place of warmth and love where they felt safe enough to find their authentic voice. Now, on The Pink House, Sam re-creates the warmth and safety of their childhood home in a podcast format. Join Sam in conversation with icons and friends like Trixie Mattel, Gloria Estefan, Elliot Page, Joel Kim Booster, Ben Platt, Rebecca Sugar and Michelle Visage. The Pink House is out June 13th, wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.