Elizabeth, Hannah, and Ilana want to make sure Queerly Natural makes science as accessible as possible. For that reason, every episode will be accompanied by a transcript which includes citations and links to definitions for any science jargon we use.
Enjoy the trailer of Queerly Natural.
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I: Hi, and welcome to Queerly Natural! We’re a biology podcast that focuses on exploring queerness in the natural world. The show will focus on the many, many species out there that have behaviors, physiology, or morphology very similar to queer identities we see in human society. We’re here to show listeners that being queer is queerly, sorry clearly natural!
H: Every episode we’ll start by talking about the basic facts of a species, like what it looks like, where it lives, and its role in the ecosystem. Then about halfway through each episode we get into what makes the species queer and have some cool discussions about what the science says. We dig through the research so you don’t have to!
E: We’ll also be featuring other scientists who are queer or study queer species to talk about who they are, their career paths and personal journeys, or their expertise in a queer part of nature. We’re super excited to bring more diverse voices and perspectives to the conversation!
I: Meanwhile, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Ilana, a PhD student studying ecology with a focus on beneficial plant-fungal interactions, a lot of what I like to study is below ground. So, you’re not going to see it too often. And I have done work with environmental NGOs including running one for awhile. And I’m ace, my pronouns she/her.
H: I’m Hannah! I have a background in mycology and botany. I’ve done some forestry work in Missouri and some graduate research in Ireland. I think that plants and fungi are the most important organisms in the world. I’m also a nonbinary lesbian, and I use they/them pronouns.
E: And I’m Elizabeth. I’ve studied environmental science and ecology, worked seasonal fieldwork jobs in three states and two countries involving plants, birds, more plants, sea turtles, and- tada!- even more plants. I’m now studying tortoises, so I’m kind of the jack-of-all-trades of the group I think! I’m somewhere on the spectrum between lesbian and pan, and I use she/her pronouns.
H: So we’re coming from a lot of different places to tell you about a topic we’re all passionate about- queer ecology!
I: Definitely. If you wanna learn about organisms doing their own queer things, this is the place for you! We talk about pan apes,
E: female hyenas being themselves,
H: gay and polyamorous swans,
I: fish with three genders,
H: a mushroom with more than 23,000 sexes,
E: lesbian lizards with only one gender - female,
I: plants that change gender based on the age of the flowers,
E: gay dolphins,
H: and so much more!
E: I wish unicorns were real so we could do an episode on them… talk about an LGBTQIA icon.
I: There’s tons of real animals that were mistaken for unicorns in the past, though!
H: Ooh, yeah! How about rhinos?
E: Or narwhals! Does anyone know if narwhals are queer? Hmm, we’ll have to look it up…
I: Come back to find out I guess!
H: But most of all, just remember:
E: Love who you are,
I: Be who you will,
H: and know, you’re queerly natural!
I: See you on the show! Fungi-s, fungals, and fun-nonbinary pals.
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