<![CDATA[Standing Out]]>Standing Out is a home for the queer community's stories — the ones we don't always get to hear.

It's for anyone who's ever felt lonely, left out, or like everyone else had a map to life that they never got handed. So many of us end up sticking to people just like ourselves because it feels safe — and without realising it, barely get to know anyone outside that circle. This show was born from wanting something different: a space that's open to more than just one kind of story.

Each episode is one honest conversation, built around three questions: what does authenticity actually mean to this person, how have they built a life on their own terms in a world that wasn't designed with them in mind, and what would they want a younger queer person to know that they wish they'd known sooner.

Guests come from all over — film, sport, activism, business, and beyond — because there's an infinite number of ways to be queer, and no single story covers it. No polish, no pretending everyone's fine. Just curiosity, respect, and people talking honestly about what it costs and what it gives back to live as yourself. New episodes weekly.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:05:01 GMTThu, 13 Aug 2026 13:57:32 GMT600d457d10-9b9b-11f1-974b-6feeee5900e5Christopher Allen<p><b>Standing Out is a home for the queer community's stories — the ones we don't always get to hear.</b></p><p></p><p>It's for anyone who's ever felt lonely, left out, or like everyone else had a map to life that they never got handed. So many of us end up sticking to people just like ourselves because it feels safe — and without realising it, barely get to know anyone outside that circle. This show was born from wanting something different: a space that's open to more than just one kind of story.</p><p></p><p>Each episode is one honest conversation, built around three questions: what does authenticity actually mean to this person, how have they built a life on their own terms in a world that wasn't designed with them in mind, and what would they want a younger queer person to know that they wish they'd known sooner.</p><p></p><p>Guests come from all over — film, sport, activism, business, and beyond — because there's an infinite number of ways to be queer, and no single story covers it. No polish, no pretending everyone's fine. Just curiosity, respect, and people talking honestly about what it costs and what it gives back to live as yourself. New episodes weekly.</p>episodicChristopher Allenchristopherthomasallen1@gmail.comyes<![CDATA[Standing Out, Explained: My Theory & My Why]]>Welcome to the very first episode of Standing Out. Before diving into guest conversations, host Christopher takes a moment to explain the theory and personal story behind the show — why it exists, why "queer" is the word he's chosen to reclaim, and the psychology that's shaped his own experience of otherness.

Drawing on minority stress theory (developed by psychologist Ilan Meyer) and a concept Christopher calls "queer silo safety," this episode unpacks why queer people are statistically more likely to feel lonely, where that loneliness actually comes from, and what it took to move from feeling broken to building something for the community instead.

Christopher also shares the story of meeting Richard and Graham — an older gay couple whose relationship reshaped how he thinks about queer visibility across generations — and lays out the four questions that will guide every future guest conversation on this show.

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts — it's free, and it genuinely helps this reach more people who need it.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Standing Out
01:47 Who This Podcast Is For
02:42 My Favourite Podcasts & Reclaiming the Word "Queer"
03:55 Where the Idea for Standing Out Came From
07:52 The Loneliness Statistics: Why Queer People Struggle More
09:10 Meeting Richard & Graham: Queer Elders
11:39 Queer Silo Safety, Explained
13:00 Minority Stress, Explained (Ilan Meyer)
14:04 How Standing Out Was Born
14:40 What I Ask Every Guest (4 Questions)
15:24 Meet Your Host & First Guest: Jonathan Blake

]]>ed493a5a-fa31-495a-9c3c-1026cd00acc1Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:00:00 GMT<p>Welcome to the very first episode of Standing Out. Before diving into guest conversations, host Christopher takes a moment to explain the theory and personal story behind the show — why it exists, why "queer" is the word he's chosen to reclaim, and the psychology that's shaped his own experience of otherness.</p><p></p><p>Drawing on minority stress theory (developed by psychologist Ilan Meyer) and a concept Christopher calls "queer silo safety," this episode unpacks why queer people are statistically more likely to feel lonely, where that loneliness actually comes from, and what it took to move from feeling broken to building something for the community instead.</p><p></p><p>Christopher also shares the story of meeting Richard and Graham — an older gay couple whose relationship reshaped how he thinks about queer visibility across generations — and lays out the four questions that will guide every future guest conversation on this show.</p><p></p><p>Follow along on TikTok and Instagram @christopherallenofficial, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts — it's free, and it genuinely helps this reach more people who need it.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters:</b><br />00:00 Welcome to Standing Out<br />01:47 Who This Podcast Is For<br />02:42 My Favourite Podcasts &amp; Reclaiming the Word "Queer"<br />03:55 Where the Idea for Standing Out Came From<br />07:52 The Loneliness Statistics: Why Queer People Struggle More<br />09:10 Meeting Richard &amp; Graham: Queer Elders<br />11:39 Queer Silo Safety, Explained<br />13:00 Minority Stress, Explained (Ilan Meyer)<br />14:04 How Standing Out Was Born<br />14:40 What I Ask Every Guest (4 Questions)<br />15:24 Meet Your Host &amp; First Guest: Jonathan Blake</p>yes00:16:551Standing Out, Explained: My Theory & My Whyfull