UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton

Ketamine, Gay Men and Trauma: One Man's Story

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Ketamine use is on the rise among Americans. But if you’re a gay man, that probably comes as no surprise. Gay and lesbian adults are almost four times more likely to use ketamine than their heterosexual counterparts, and a 2011 study from the U.K. found that queer men were over three times more likely than queer women to use the drug.

For many gay men—who disproportionately suffer from trauma and other mental health disorders—ketamine can offer short-term relief. But longer term use can have the opposite effect.

When Lucas Pearson first tried ketamine at 23 years old outside a nightclub in Louisville, Kentucky, he felt a sense of euphoria melting away his anxiety, depression and “sense of pain” he carried with him growing up as a gay kid in a religious household. At first, the drug was an easy escape that numbed Pearson from reality. Then, it became an addiction that impacted his mental and physical health, fueling feelings of paranoia and fear and leading to self-isolation.

In the third episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Pearson shares his story with ketamine addiction and his journey with recovery.

“UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton” is a new podcast by Uncloseted Media, an investigative LGBTQ-focused nonprofit news publication. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. YouTube // Spotify // Apple

For all of our journalism and for links to all our coverage, go to UnclosetedMedia.com

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or substance use, resources can be found here.

CREDITS:

Host: Spencer Macnaughton

Audio Production Intern: Bella Sayegh

Reporting: Sam Donndelinger

Editor: Taya Strauss

Social producer/Design: Sophie Holland

Special thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Journalist Spoke with Eight Trans Women in Prison. Here’s What She Found.

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order that banned all forms of gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons. Six months later, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) from enforcing the order. This block is still in effect today.

Despite the judge’s order, Uncloseted Media’s Hope Pisoni spoke with eight incarcerated trans people and reviewed legal statements by several more over the course of a monthslong investigation that found that the BOP is still denying access to gender-affirming accommodations at prisons across the country. Pisoni also found that the women who stood up for themselves reported being met with intense retaliation, from lengthened sentences to physical violence.

In the second episode of “UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Pisoni breaks down the investigation.

For all of our journalism and for links to all our coverage on trans people in prisons, go to UnclosetedMedia.com

CREDITS:

Host: Spencer Macnaughton

Audio Production Intern: Bella Sayegh

Reporting: Hope Pisoni

Editor: Taya Strauss and Sam Donndelinger

Social producer/Design: Sophie Holland

Special thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Katy Faust, the New Leader Coming for Gay Marriage

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

When Katy Faust was 10 years old, her parents divorced. After that, her mom began a relationship with another woman.

Faust says she loves her mom. So it may surprise you to learn that she’s now at the helm of The Greater Than Campaign, a new coalition of at least 47 anti-LGBTQ groups fighting to overturn gay marriage. Faust and her campaign argue that children are victims when raised by same-sex couples.

In the premiere episode of "UNCLOSETED, with Spencer Macnaughton,” Faust speaks about her campaign, her motivations—both professional and personal—and why she believes her efforts are the “right-wing boogeyman” LGBTQ media has long feared.

For all of our journalism and for links to the studies referenced in this interview, go to UnclosetedMedia.com

CREDITS:

Host: Spencer Macnaughton

Audio Production Intern: Bella Sayegh

Reporting: Hope Pisoni

Editor: Taya Strauss

Special thanks: Jennifer Moroz and Leital Molad

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to "UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton"

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:11:39 GMT

LAUNCHING MARCH 25th:

UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton is a new podcast that investigates the people, money and power behind America’s anti-LGBTQ ecosystem. Join Spencer each week as he interviews Uncloseted reporters as well as the leading voices on issues facing the LGBTQ community today. From highlighting the voices of people fighting back against systems of injustice to covering breaking news current to the moment, Uncloseted’s reporting provides you with rigorous, objective LGBTQ reporting to better understand the world we live in.

Spencer Macnaughton is a Gracie Award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist. He has written and produced for 60 Minutes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Vice, Vox, Time, NBC News, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone, and he teaches LGBTQ journalism at New York University. Read more at Unclosetedmedia.com and follow @unclosetedmedia

#podcast #podcasts #newpodcast #lgbtq #lgbtqia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.