by Lorie Lewis Ham

As we come to the end of Pride Month, we close it out by interviewing the hosts of local podcast It’s A Queer Thang, Chris Jarvis and Kaylia Metcalfe.

KRL: How and when did this podcast come to be?

QT: The It’s A Queer Thang Podcast evolved out of the It’s A Queer Thang Radio show, which is the longest running show on KFCF FM 88.1. The radio show is at 32+ years now and was previously hosted by Jeff Robinson of Community Link in Fresno.

When Jeff passed away, in March of 2022, Chris connected with the manager of the radio station and talked about taking over the show so that it would not be lost. Chris took over the live radio show (3rd Fridays of each month) in May of 2022 and brought Kaylia Metcalfe on as co-producer and co-host starting in June of 2022. We both felt the radio show needed to evolve into a podcast, so that it can be accessible anytime to the community and beyond. We have listeners now from around the world. The live radio show is converted into a podcast the following day, and we record additional episodes each month.

KRL: What is this podcast about? What all do you talk about?

QT: We cover politics, entertainment, LGBTQ+ book/movie reviews, and all local issues related to the LGBTQ+ community. We try to have at least one personal interview per episode with special attention paid to local LGBTQ+ owned or friendly businesses. We have interviewed nonprofit managers, business owners, the Fresno Chief of Police, and Congressman Jim Costa as well as other local politicians, authors, and activists. You can find a full back catalog of our podcast episodes HERE (Click to follow the link.)

KRL: Can you tell us a bit more about who you interview?

QT: We interview members of the LGBTQ+ community, politicians, businesses and organizations. We’ve interviewed Paco Balderama, the Fresno Chief of Police, Congressman Jim Costa and local City Council Member Analisa Perea. We’ve also interviewed drag performers (both local and across the country).

We’ve done several pieces on book censorship including interviews with authors such as George M Johnson, author of All Boys Aren’t Blue, as well as lawyers from PEN America, who are involved in lawsuits pertaining to book bans and censorship. We’ve interviewed representatives from both the Clovis and Fresno City school districts regarding library censorship and the forced outing of trans students. Again, we feature an interview in almost every episode.

KRL: Why do you feel this podcast is important right now?

Chris Jarvis and Kaylia Metcalfe

KRL: What are your day jobs?

QT: Chris Jarvis works at a local wheelchair manufacturer. He also works as a volunteer with the Qistory project qistory.org to document and record the history of the local LGBTQ+ community in Fresno and the Central Valley.

Kaylia Metcalfe is a freelance podcast producer, audio editor, and copyeditor. She is also a full-time stay-at-home mom.

KRL: Do either of you have a background in media?

QT: Chris has been a writer his entire life and has written and worked for several blogs and nonprofits over the years.

Kaylia was a long-time contributor on local and national blogs. She has also written for online and print outlets both local and national. She was a regular contributor to a small radio show in Santa Cruz in the early 2000s. As part of her freelance work, she has done social media campaigns for local small businesses, as well as creating promotional materials and press releases.

Both Chris and Kaylia have given multiple news interviews over the years.

KRL: What are your future goals with this podcast?

QT: We want to reach more listeners and to help support voices across the nation that need a platform. We are constantly working to highlight the injustices against not just our community, but all disenfranchised communities. In 2024 we plan to expand the podcast to other platforms such as YouTube and local media groups like CMAC.

KRL: Where can people listen to your podcast?

QT: You can find our episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts. Our podcast is free to anyone, anytime. Apple podcasts, SoundCloud and Stitcher are some of the options. For a catalog of all our previous episode please visit kmmamedia.com/podcasts/its-a-queer-thang

KRL: Where can people find you on social media?

QT: We’re on Facebook and Instagram. We will be expanding to YouTube this year.

KRL: Kaylia, I notice you have some other podcasts you are involved in, and a blog, can you tell us more about that?

Kaylia: Currently the Pages and Popcorn podcast is on hiatus, but Ghosthropogy keeps me busy. I don’t really blog anymore. My short story collection was published over ten years ago, and I have been working on a follow up collection as well as a novel. I do some ghostwriting and some web page development in my “free” time.

KRL: Anything you would like to add?

QT: We met at the Fresno LGBTQ Community Center almost thirteen years ago when Kaylia, fresh from a move from Santa Cruz, walked in looking for community. We became instant friends, and together we helped run a nonprofit, watched this city grow and change, and become fixtures in the activism side of Fresno. Both of us are lucky to have wonderful partners and a very supportive community. We are excited to see where the podcast will go in the next decade.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today! I hope everyone who reads this will go check out this awesome podcast!

Check out more local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novels, One of Us and One of You, are set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!<