Queer Fiction Podcasts

I will admit I only began listening to podcasts in 2017. Before then I only had the vaguest idea of what podcasts even were, let alone how to listen to them. Today, I've listened to literally hundreds of podcasts, both fiction and non-fiction, that covered a wide array of topics and genres. I love podcasts because of how convenient they are. Not just for listeners, but for creators as well.

Podcasts are inexpensive for starting out, easy to make, and fairly accessible. All a novice really needs is a voice, a mic, and an internet connection. This is great for amateur and professional creators alike that want to share their stories with the world. That being said, it's no wonder that podcasting has become the medium where LGBT+ representation goes above and beyond our expectations, especially compared to more mainstream forms of entertainment.

These wonderful, talented people worked hard to bring their ideas to life through fiction podcasts. I strongly recommend that you listen, subscribe, and if you can afford to, donate to these podcasts. If you like what you hear, please contribute however you can so these creators can continue to provide free entertainment to their audiences.

Welcome to Night Vale

Created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, and narrated by Cecil Baldwin, Welcome to Night Vale is one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world. For over eight years, Joseph and Jeffrey share stories of a strange town in the American Southwest where every conspiracy theory is true. They currently have over 170 episodes, eight live shows, four script book collections, and three stand-alone novels, as well as a recap podcast called Good Morning Night Vale, so there's plenty of content to dive into.

While neither of the co-writers are LGBT+, that hasn't stopped them from creating amazing LGBT+ content and working with LGBT+ actors, including Cecil Baldwin, Dylan Marron, and Mara Wilson. They have several openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters in the show, as well as two non-binary characters (one of whom is voiced by a trans woman). This is my favorite podcast, and I highly recommend you listen to this one if you haven't already.

The Magnus Archives

This podcast has gained popularity in the past year now that they're wrapping up on their final season. Written by Jonathan Sims and produced by Alexander J. Newall, The Magnus Archives is a horror fiction anthology podcast. The main character, Jonathan Sims (voiced by his namesake, Jonathan Sims) is the head archivist of the Magnus Institute, and he and his employees research the supernatural and weird, where they end up facing horrors beyond their imaginations.

Their representation includes several WLW and MLM characters. The main character, Jonathan, shows romantic attraction to both men and women and is confirmed as asexual during the season 4 Q&A. Several background characters are also confirmed to be queer, including one non-binary character in season 5. Listeners of the show should be warned that while the creators are trying to avoid the "bury your gays" trope, at least one named bisexual character dies later on, along with several other named characters. It's a horror podcast, after all. This is one that I also highly recommend you listen to, especially if you're a fan of horror.

The Adventure Zone

If you've heard of the McElroy family, or their hit podcast, My Brother, My Brother, and Me, then you have likely heard of their RPG podcast, The Adventure Zone. Three brothers, Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy play DND with their dad, Clint McElroy. Each arc is its own session with new characters and mysteries.

Their first and most popular arc, Balance, is being adapted into an ongoing series of graphic novels. Three are available now so far, and the fourth book in the series will be released next year.

All the major campaigns, Balance, Amnesty, and Graduation, each have LGBT+ representation in both main characters and NPCs. This includes MLM and WLW relationships, a trans woman, an asexual character, and non-binary characters.

They have made the mistake of using the "bury your gays" trope in the Balance and Amnesty arcs, but they have done their best to correct this while continuing to play immersive tabletop RPGs with their family and their listeners. The McElroy family are also advocates for LGBT+ rights and Dr. Sydnee McElroy, Justin's wife, is openly bisexual.

The Penumbra Podcast

The team behind The Penumbra Podcast believe that people deserve to see themselves in stories, which is why the stories in The Penumbra tend to break societal normals on gender stereotypes and presentation, and almost all main characters in their major arcs are LGBT+ in some way, shape, or form.

This podcast breaks into multiple arcs, each with unique worldbuilding and characters:

There's the Juno Steel arc, where Detective Steel solves mysteries on Mars while attempting to catch the elusive homme fetale thief.

Or there's The Coyote of the Painted Plains, where an engaged school teacher, Mary Anne, is kidnapped by a bandit named Chance after she stopped Mary's train.

Then there's the Second Citadel arc, where Sir Caroline must lead her team of knights to fight against monsters, even the ones they may have fallen in love with.

The Penumbra Podcast would have to rank #1 in terms of LGBT+ representation in my book. They have gender-non-conforming characters, non-binary characters, asexual and polyamorous characters, and an abundance of WLW and MLM representation.

Honorable Mentions

Unfortunately, I don't have time to go into too much detail on all LGBT+ fiction podcasts that I want to recommend. So I'll list the rest of these podcasts below. Most of these podcasts are either completed stories or are on hiatus. These are still worth checking out if you have time.

• Adventures in New America
• Alba Salix, Royal Physician
• Alice Isn't Dead
• Archive 81
• ars PARADOXICA
• Caravan
• Dark Dice
• Dreamboy
• EOS 10
• Kaleidotrope
• King Falls AM
• Liminal Apocalypse
• Old Gods of Appalachia
• StarTripper!!
• The 12:37
• The Dark Tome
• The Orbiting Human Circus
• The Orphans
• The Strange Case of Starship Iris
• The Two Princes
• Within The Wires
• Wooden Overcoats