This week I spiraled out with actor, writer & activist Theo Germaine! (The Politician, Work in Progress, They-Slash-Them.)   We talked growing up queer/trans in the Midwest, shame embodied as a lanky, hungry bear, the relationship between shame and surviving trauma, navigating sharing vulnerably about yourself when you're a public person, and sooooo much more.  Plus, Theo tells a shame story about being impacted by negative reviews of a film they were in, which hurt extra hard because the harshest critiques came from their own queer community -and were basically the opposite of what Theo was hoping for.    Follow Theo on Instagram and Twitter @theogermaine!  And you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.   Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925 Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!  twitter.com/podshamespiral instagram.com/podshamespiral instagram.com/elykreimendahl tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl twitter.com/elykreimendahl