503: Queeriography with JJ Niemann

Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) sit down with Broadway actor and TikTok star, J.J. Niemann (@jjniemann) to talk about how he went from musical theatre gay to TikTok fame.

From J.J.’s baby theatre days in Charlotte’s Web to his freshly post college Broadway debut with Book of Mormon, we chat about how musical theatre has always been a safe space for queer people and how he knew from an early age that acting was his calling. We also talk about how it led him to TikTok stardom with his videos that give folks a peek behind the curtain and resonate with the theatre kid that still sings within many of us. We dive into how unique TikTok is as a platform and why queer people tend to find positive community more easily on TikTok than they do on other platforms. We also discuss censorship of queer content creators by social media platforms and the issue of cyber bullying within the community.

Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod).