Bob Harper is a reality TV legend (trust us, we remember being mesmerized by his hotness in primetime). The globally known fashionista, photographer, author and celebrity trainer starred first as a fitness coach on NBC’s The Biggest Loser and then as a host in the revival of the series. This, in turn, has thrust him to a special kind of stardom. His whole world nearly collapsed four years ago when, while in peak shape, he fell to a gym floor after suffering a heart attack. On this week’s...

We don't use the term icon loosely. But if singer, actor, activist and author Mx. Justin Vivian Bond (Viv for short) aren’t deserving, then no one we know is. As an NYC entertainment mainstay, their stage performances, sultry vocals and searing humor have kept a generation of New Yorkers in check. On this episode of Why Here, they explain what it was like trying to make people pay attention to pronouns decades ago, share how they intend to "sleigh" Christmas this year and respond to the...

As a child in Afghanistan, Qais Munhazim says their queerness was something they were allowed to embrace. For many other queer and trans Afghans, Qais suggests it's a similar story. Still, the Taliban's recent return to power has left the fates of women, trans and queer people in question. On this week's episode, Qais helps us learn what everyday life holds for LGBTQ+ Afghans, how the world's perception of the country is often tainted and what it's like to move from a queer life in...

When Dempsey Jara told her parents she was a girl and not a boy (which she was presumed to be at birth) a light went off in their heads. They could either get behind their young daughter or fight it. They chose the former, and what unfolded is a journey that has literally changed the narrative on how trans kids are perceived in the U.S. and the world (as proved by a lot of media coverage). On the Season 3 opener of Why Here, hosts Benton and Tristan chat with 10-year-old Dempsey and her...

There is a question that has baffled scientists and scholars since the dawn of time: Is Scissoring A Thing? Well, finally the world has bonafide experts to answer it. Enter Daryn Carp and Liz Culley, the hosts of Scissoring Isn’t A thing, one of 2020’s breakout podcasts. On the season two finale of Why Here, the two join us to talk about scissoring, help us shed light on the technical term “baby dyke” and answer another huge question: can the gays and the lesbians really be friends? If this...

Actor, writer and director Colman Domingo has received a GLAAD Award, has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years (If Beale Street Could Talk, Lincoln, Selma, Birth of a Nation) and has played a role alongside Zendaya in HBO’s critically acclaimed Euphoria. On this week’s episode of Why Here, Colman joins us to talk about his passion for telling important stories, his take on kindness, his gardening obsession and he shares what #PRIDE means to him. In short, we’re hooked....

It easy to have an extreme crush on Wilson Cruz. Not only is he smart, thoughtful and a shining example of queer pride, he is one of the Grand Marshalls of NYC Pride this year. They’re big shoes to fill, but he takes it all in stride, as he does his role as Dr. Hugh Culber on Paramount+’s Star Trek: Discovery. On this week’s episode of Why Here, Wilson shares his take on queer representation in outer space (and on American TV since the 90s) and he explains what it was like being a young...

In celebration of Pride month it’d be hard to find a campier, more brilliant light than THE Rufus Wainwright. The legendary queer performer and creator joins Why Here hosts Benton and Tristan to talk Pride, Lil Nas X’, Judy Garland (who he’s once again channeling for an upcoming show ) and he even sings a children’s song for us. 

When Diane Anderson-Minshall began her career as a journalist in small-town Idaho she had to plead with someone to hire her. Now she's literally at the top of the LGBTQIA publishing world.  The queer, Indigenous journalist, editor, author and activist, who has received numerous awards for her work, now helms Pride Media Inc. and is the editorial director of its titles, which include The Advocate and Out magazines. On this week's episode of Why Here, she shares the stories behind the Pride...

Life as a quadruple threat is a challenge, but Kat Cunning takes it all in stride. The actor, dancer, vocalist and musician has already graced TV screens (on HBO's The Deuce), concert halls, Broadway stages and many of our playlists (and you may not even know it!). On this week's episode of Why Here, hosts Benton and Tristan go deep with Kat and learn that a three-year-old can actually know exactly what they want to be, how a father's love can mean letting his child leave home at 14 to follow...

Eden Espinosa may have gotten her start singing nearly every Disney princess ballad for Disneyland park-goers, but that was just the beginning. She's now one of the best-known contemporary stage actresses in the world and has had lead roles in iconic shows including RENT and Wicked. On this week's episode of Why Here, hosts Benton and Tristan chat with Eden about her humble Orange County beginnings, her political and social activism, her Mexican American heritage and the admittedly comical...

Imagine: You're living your life in New York City, then mom moves in — with you and your partner. Director Sian-Pierre Regis doesn't have to imagine. His film "Duty Free" is a sort of love letter to his mother Rebecca Danigelis, who, at the age of 75, was fired and evicted. With nowhere to go, she was left to rely on Sian-Pierre to help her find more work. What she instead found was a chance to write (and complete) her bucket list and live a life she had always dreamed of, with her son by her...

The past year has introduced the world to many folx who’ve helped us understand what our blind spots might be. One of them is Sis, an actor, activist and sister to many who’ve felt left out of crucial conversations about race, identity and gender. On this week’s episode of Why Here, she talks to hosts Benton and Tristan about growing up in Texas, how she helped call out the entertainment industry and the ultimate way to get back at a misbehaving roommate (don't worry, they've long since made...

On this week's episode, Tristan McAllister turns the mic on himself and lets co-host Benton Whitley embarrass him on the eve of his birthday. Tristan talks about growing up in Alaska, his big gay wedding (and divorce), a chance run-in with Clay Aiken that changed the course of his life and first kisses.

On this week's episode of Why Here, actor Casey Thomas Brown joins Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister to talk about finding humor in the middle of a pandemic and if he thinks Queen Elizabeth might have actually watched him play her in a now-famous viral video.

On this week’s episode of Why Here, HIV/AIDS activist Luke Ray Kelly joins hosts Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister to talk about why he decided to go public with his status and #endthestigma.

What were you doing at the tender age of eight? While most of us were busying ourselves with My Little Pony and Lego sets, Australian-born Jeremy Heimans was focused on things a bit headier, like nuclear non-proliferation and global poverty. He sits with Why Here hosts Tristan McAllister and Benton Whitley to dicsuss how his identity drove his passion for creating a better world..

Broadway star and founder of The Broadway Collective Robert Hartwell sits down with the Why Here hosts to talk about Black excellence, a home purchase that went viral and a "spam" email that led to him appearing in a music video with Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams.

TV, film and stage star Sandra Caldwell sits down with Why Here hosts Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister to talk about her transition from Hollywood lady to LGBTQIA icon.

Filmmaker Sian-Pierre Regis and his mother Rebecca Danigelis join Tristan and Benton to talk about the fans that slip into her DMs and traveling the world together to fulfill a bucketlist.

On this week's episode of Why Here, Korean-American comedian and writer Joel Kim Booster shares how he tactfully navigates conversations about race and sexuality with humor ... and what his "first time" sounded like. It's a conversation that proves why James Corden, Conan O'Brien and Comedy Central have all invited him to perform, and why shows like Big Mouth put him in their writer's room.

Why Here's very own home chef, stuffing expert and food & lifestyle contributor Dan Pelosi joins hosts Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister to talk turkey, tradition and gratitude.

It's been a big year for Charlie Carver, the openly gay actor and activist who is currently starring in The Boys In The Band and Ratched on Netflix. On this week's episode he talks all of this, his four-month London quarantine and much more with hosts Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister.

On this week's episode of Why Here, Nigerian activist, journalist and artist Wana Udobang joins hosts Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister from Lagos to talk about a youth uprising, LGBTQIA rights, radical self love and what #BlackLivesMatter looks like from afar.