This episode features Yam Yam (@itsyamilpr), winner of Survivor 44![00:00:00] This is Amy Poehler. My new movie, Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2, is coming to theaters June 14th.
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[00:02:46] Hello.
[00:02:47] Hello.
[00:02:47] This is Franny from Season 44 of Survivor welcoming you to the Pride Has Spoken podcast.
[00:02:54] You're here.
[00:02:55] You made it and wishing you a happy Pride Month.
[00:02:59] Enjoy.
[00:03:01] Welcome back to the Pride Has Spoken.
[00:03:04] Another exciting year.
[00:03:06] The gayest podcast on Robinson's podcast.
[00:03:08] My name is Grace Leder.
[00:03:09] Of course, I'm not alone.
[00:03:10] I'm here with Matt Scott.
[00:03:11] Matt, how you doing?
[00:03:12] I'm so happy to be here.
[00:03:14] Happy Pride everybody.
[00:03:16] Grace, wonderful to be here with you, but we are not alone.
[00:03:19] It's not just the two of us.
[00:03:21] No, we are joined by the one, the only Dr. Evy Jagoda.
[00:03:28] Hello friends.
[00:03:29] It's really such a pleasure.
[00:03:31] You know, summer is coming when the Pride Has Spoken is back.
[00:03:35] And just a quick pronoun check for those of you that can't see our pronouns on the video.
[00:03:40] Matt, what pronouns are you using these days?
[00:03:42] I am using he him pronouns and Grace, what pronouns are you using?
[00:03:48] I'm using she her pronouns.
[00:03:49] Evy, what about you?
[00:03:51] I'm using they them pronouns.
[00:03:53] Yeah, and it's really just so wonderful to have a once a year time when the three of us are talking more.
[00:03:58] So selfishly also, I'm very, very glad that we're only allowed to speak.
[00:04:04] In the month of June, actually.
[00:04:06] Yeah, all gay people just wait on a shelf right until until June.
[00:04:10] Yeah.
[00:04:10] Yeah, blowing their thumbs off.
[00:04:12] Yeah, a little.
[00:04:13] Really blow the dust off.
[00:04:14] Yeah.
[00:04:15] No, that's not true.
[00:04:16] Actually, we all saw each other in Chicago.
[00:04:18] We have a picture together, proof of evidence.
[00:04:20] We saw many lovely people who listened and wore our t-shirt at the live events in Chicago.
[00:04:27] And it's been a great year.
[00:04:28] I feel like we wanted to take this a little time to have a little bit of,
[00:04:32] I guess, state of the LGBTQ union.
[00:04:36] Yeah. Is there a gay or I feel like union is such a straight.
[00:04:40] But that's that's true.
[00:04:42] That's true. Well, I think it's a good gay year for Survivor.
[00:04:46] I mean, it's like this.
[00:04:47] Okay, first of all, we got our two new newly out queer lady queens winners in poverty and Erica.
[00:04:58] And that is so freaking cool.
[00:05:00] We just retroactively added to two women to our to our gay winter camp.
[00:05:07] And that's fucking awesome.
[00:05:09] Huge iconic and and and to recap, you know, Erica, we hear from Erica.
[00:05:14] Oh, so happy the first queer woman to win.
[00:05:17] And then poverty is like, no, no, no.
[00:05:19] Hold my beer. And we're just also very gay, you know, like a little one.
[00:05:26] Yeah. Yeah. So gay.
[00:05:28] We love it. We're about a year removed from Jam Jam being a Survivor winner as well.
[00:05:34] Yes, it has been the first queer person of color to win.
[00:05:40] And of course, that was the most queer season.
[00:05:42] We probably talked about this a year ago on the podcast, but still amazing.
[00:05:48] Also amazing. We should mention that Kenzie is our first out while playing bisexual winner of Survivor.
[00:05:56] What other queer stuff has been going down in the Survivor land?
[00:06:02] Well, you know, and, you know, we got a lot of LGBTQ plus players in the last two seasons,
[00:06:07] especially in Survivor 45. And some of those stories,
[00:06:12] you know, those people exist and are awesome and queer.
[00:06:15] And some of those stories of their their queerness really wasn't shown on the show.
[00:06:18] So that's will give this year one demerit in that in that regard.
[00:06:22] But but I think what's really cool is you're going to get to hear from some of those folks throughout the season
[00:06:28] and get to hear a bit more of their their story.
[00:06:30] And so, you know, this is the service we provide.
[00:06:33] So I will say I do feel like the show was really just,
[00:06:37] you know, holding those stories off so that we could cover them.
[00:06:39] Like, thank you so much, Survivor producers for saving the queer stuff for us.
[00:06:45] If that's true and they're listening that we're good. You can get it on the show.
[00:06:51] Appreciate it. But also just put it on camera for millions of people in front of I'm assuming like the million people who listen to us.
[00:06:59] I don't know. Yes. Yeah, we do about it. We have about a million. Yeah.
[00:07:02] Yeah. Okay. Well, this is I think has been a very important platform for not just us,
[00:07:09] but I think it's been very enjoyable. I appreciate Rob Cicerino for giving us this platform.
[00:07:13] Everybody behind the scenes, Tricky and Derek and Jess and Scott and everybody who does work behind the scenes.
[00:07:20] There's a very exciting revelation. I think over the past two years,
[00:07:24] folks have been buying the prize of spoken t-shirt and we've seen them in public live at the public.
[00:07:29] And every time I see someone wearing one, I'm like, wow, I should have got that color every time because you can get in any color.
[00:07:36] You would like comes in children sizes. It's great.
[00:07:39] It is for sale again and is all year round and the proceeds from that shirt will go to charity,
[00:07:45] which we'll tell you about in a second. We have an exciting update.
[00:07:48] Matt, do you want to share the news with our oh my gosh, I feel so honored.
[00:07:52] So it's just been such a joy like seeing people with the shirts,
[00:07:56] but this is Survivor and so without bearing the lead we decided to have buffs to have the pride has spoken buffs.
[00:08:05] And so we're really hoping that this community that all the listeners will get them for yourselves get them for your friends.
[00:08:13] You could wear them on pride like, you know, the bando type of brando bando type of situation,
[00:08:21] you know, like there's so many ways you do that. And so Grace,
[00:08:24] I know has more details about the logistics behind that, but we're going we're going full buff, baby.
[00:08:33] Yeah, in the buff.
[00:08:36] Thank you for the punch up. Yeah, the buff is so gay.
[00:08:39] It has a few pride flags on it. Actually, just in the logo and it has flaming flames
[00:08:45] and then also logo is on the side. So here is the deal with the buff.
[00:08:50] We have we I said we have the bus. We actually don't have the best
[00:08:54] because we do need a hundred pre-orders to be able to actually purchase the buff.
[00:09:00] That's the minimum order and we would like to make sure we get them
[00:09:03] and buffs are a little more expensive if you're familiar with the shirts from the store.
[00:09:07] We can like drop. I don't know what the proper I don't I don't do the Mercer,
[00:09:11] but they can like be printed and then be shipped out to you
[00:09:13] and the buffs have to be all ordered in a bulk order.
[00:09:16] So we need to do a pre-order. So the website is Rob is a website.com slash pride buff.
[00:09:21] If you go there, you can find the information where you can pre-order.
[00:09:26] There'll be no payment information yet. Once we had a hundred pre-orders,
[00:09:30] we will send an email out with a link where you can actually then pay for it.
[00:09:34] It's going to be $35 plus shipping.
[00:09:35] We know it's a little pricier than obviously some of the other products on the store.
[00:09:40] But again, it's a little pricier of an item and you can see a mock-up of the buff there.
[00:09:44] So we need a hundred pre-orders. So people should go and fill out the pre-order form immediately.
[00:09:50] The link is in the show notes as well. Yes, get on it.
[00:09:53] And as Matt said, you know, it's a buff. So you're getting a headwear.
[00:09:57] You're getting a shirt. You're getting, you know, it can be used for so many things.
[00:10:02] I believe this is a called a verse. It's a verse.
[00:10:05] What? Wait.
[00:10:08] It's versatile. And I swear for all you aspiring Survivor players out there,
[00:10:13] something I literally did before I went on the show was practice,
[00:10:16] you know, okay, how do I look in it as a headband?
[00:10:19] How do I look in it as a, you know, you're not going to have a mirror out there.
[00:10:23] You know, this is your chance. Get the Pride is Spoken buff.
[00:10:26] Live it up and try it at home.
[00:10:29] You bring up a good point though, because you could wear it as like a skirt,
[00:10:33] a nice verse bottom. You could wear it as a top, a verse top, as a hat even,
[00:10:38] you know, it's like we have a lot of options. It's very wholesome.
[00:10:42] Great. So not just that we're selling the buff this year,
[00:10:45] the proceeds for the t-shirts and the buffs,
[00:10:49] all of our proceeds will go to a non-profit, a charity.
[00:10:53] Ebby, do you want to let us know where the proceeds are going to go to?
[00:10:55] Yes, the proceeds from the buff are going to an organization called Point of Pride.
[00:11:01] The mission of Point of Pride is to provide gender-affirming,
[00:11:06] life-saving health care for trans people and they have fantastic services.
[00:11:12] They have an actual transgender surgery fund.
[00:11:15] So money from this could actually go directly to a trans person
[00:11:19] who is in need of help covering those health care costs.
[00:11:22] They have an HRT access fund. They give people free chest binders.
[00:11:27] You can actually donate your old binders if you don't need them anymore.
[00:11:30] And it's just an absolutely amazing organization that really helps trans people
[00:11:34] get the health care that we need. And yeah, this is extremely close to my heart right now.
[00:11:40] People who follow me on social media will know that we're about three months out from when I had top surgery
[00:11:47] and it was absolutely an amazing decision for myself.
[00:11:50] I'm so happy and it was like just it's just the best feeling to I feel like every year I get on here.
[00:11:57] I'm like everyone. I'm more self-affirmed than ever.
[00:12:00] That is that is the journey of being a queer person that gets to grow up
[00:12:06] and just keep uncovering more parts of yourself
[00:12:08] and doing more things to have your full embodiment and I'm really on that journey
[00:12:13] and I was extremely freaking lucky when I had my surgery
[00:12:16] that it only ended up costing me $500 out of pocket because I have good insurance
[00:12:21] and that is not the situation for the majority of people in this country and around the world.
[00:12:26] Certainly. So this is a really, really amazing organization.
[00:12:30] That's really going to directly directly help people help people with their health care.
[00:12:35] And yeah, it's amazing. I feel really, really proud that we get to support this work.
[00:12:39] We're so proud. We're proud of you first of all. I know Grace was a race.
[00:12:43] Well, it's a big year for the pride of spoken crew.
[00:12:46] That's right. Well, you got gender-affirming surgery early this year.
[00:12:49] I'm getting gender-affirming surgery this month.
[00:12:53] Was that planned to be Pride Month?
[00:12:56] But sometimes the health care system messes up and you a happy little accident happens.
[00:13:01] So I just I remember when you shared that you were having gender-affirming surgery
[00:13:06] and I remember it resonating with me so much about this idea of like sharing
[00:13:10] and I feel like yeah, it is like surgery. It's a big it's a big deal and very like intimate
[00:13:14] and but there is this piece of what I think is so important about what you shared at the time
[00:13:19] was that we need to make sure we are celebrating like these moments when of trans joy
[00:13:24] when they happen to for people to hopefully understand how important it is that people have access to them
[00:13:30] when they want them and choose them and it's medically safe for them to do
[00:13:34] So this myth that it's like happening to just happening on a whim is not true, you know,
[00:13:41] and so I'm so I'm so excited that point of pride is where the profits are going my hope.
[00:13:47] I also I live in a country where it is covered completely by health care
[00:13:53] and that is incredibly lucky and fortunate and I'm very privileged at like my parent.
[00:13:57] I'm going to stay at my parents for a bit
[00:13:58] and recover and like I don't worry about like, you know,
[00:14:01] really anything in terms of like recovery time
[00:14:04] and that is not the situation for so many people
[00:14:07] and there are so many groups and organizations and I would say to her actively trying to remove any of this
[00:14:12] from being possible let alone be able to like financially afford it.
[00:14:16] So hopefully we are moving in a direction where like the point of pride is like less needed
[00:14:21] but until it until it's still needed that's where we're going to donate the money to
[00:14:24] and I think we'll shout out some different charities on the course of the month,
[00:14:26] but that's where our proceeds are profits for the shirts and the bus will go.
[00:14:30] So what an exciting year for our little crew by the way, just a big shout out to both of you.
[00:14:36] I feel like I'm just sitting here getting emotional as you share.
[00:14:41] What gender-affirming surgery are you going to you could get you can have your lips done you can.
[00:14:47] I'm going to get something you should get something really.
[00:14:50] I really want to think about that because I feel a little left out on
[00:14:54] and I think it is by to get the third.
[00:14:56] I was just going to say so if you want, you know,
[00:15:02] the work wow, I was going to say something wholesome,
[00:15:10] which is just that I we talked about being in Chicago just a few weeks ago together
[00:15:17] and what was so cool was I remember talking with somebody who is also having gender-affirming surgery a listener
[00:15:25] and just to be able to say like, oh my gosh, like they're like Evie's here like Grace is here.
[00:15:30] Like you have so many other people even in this community who are going on this journey,
[00:15:36] but also like visibly going on this journey.
[00:15:39] And I mean Evie I think so often, you know, it's easy for us especially
[00:15:43] because you're on Survivor to think about that representation and visibility,
[00:15:47] but just like shout out to both of you for a grace also for just being visible
[00:15:53] and helping our viewers on a journey.
[00:15:55] And I know we've met many phenomenal viewers along the way viewers.
[00:15:59] Is that what we're doing viewers? We are on YouTube.
[00:16:01] Yeah, I'll go there.
[00:16:02] Listers mostly and some viewers, but yeah, just big shout out
[00:16:08] and I'm thankful that you two exist is the thing.
[00:16:13] So yeah, thanks Matt.
[00:16:15] And I can't really really can't wait for next year when Grace you've had your surgery
[00:16:20] and yeah, I'm just really excited for you and you'll get to listen to this while you're recovering probably.
[00:16:25] That's true. That's what I'll be doing.
[00:16:26] I'll just listen to it on endless repeat.
[00:16:28] Yeah, actually going to put it on in the surgery room.
[00:16:30] I think no, it's so exciting.
[00:16:33] We have such a great lineup this year.
[00:16:36] I'm so excited for people.
[00:16:37] We're going to leave some mystery except for obviously the one today
[00:16:40] where it's probably already in the YouTube title of the five.
[00:16:42] So they always think that it's a jam jam.
[00:16:45] So what a lovely way to kick off Pride Month is with last year.
[00:16:47] Not well two seasons ago.
[00:16:49] Is it true now?
[00:16:50] Yes, that was last year.
[00:16:52] Wild. That seems wild.
[00:16:53] Yeah, one two seasons ago, but yeah, but yeah, we got jam jam.
[00:16:57] It's amazing. I think I really hope that y'all enjoy the interview
[00:17:01] and I just were so lucky to live in a time where jam jam is a winner of Survivor.
[00:17:06] We've got this beautiful, wonderful gay man who is just so himself.
[00:17:10] And really you'll hear in this interview.
[00:17:12] He talks a lot about his journey to self-love and things like that.
[00:17:15] And I just feel like we are blessed and may us may we never have to wait
[00:17:20] whatever the length between Todd and jam jam is to have another gay winner
[00:17:24] because yeah, it's so special.
[00:17:26] We won't that's definitely true.
[00:17:28] Yeah, there we go. All right.
[00:17:30] Well, that's it. Let's send it to the interview and we'll see you all after that.
[00:17:37] We took it all we brought them to this night Ember hot and icy cold the rage of the earth.
[00:17:49] We made this curse.
[00:17:52] Carved it in the blood on our backs.
[00:17:55] We did not see we could not but she did and in the end what will I become?
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[00:20:09] It is my absolute pleasure to welcome to the Pride has spoken the winner of Survivor 44 our queer King Jam Jam.
[00:20:21] Hey everybody.
[00:20:24] Hi, I'm doing amazing.
[00:20:25] Thank you for including me today.
[00:20:27] Oh my God. I cannot believe we get to talk about this.
[00:20:30] The tribe has spoken Pride Month.
[00:20:32] Every man I feel amazing.
[00:20:34] Thank you so much means the world to me.
[00:20:36] So from the bathroom of Philadelphia, let's get it on.
[00:20:42] We weren't going to say anything about the bathroom,
[00:20:44] but I will say this feels amazing though.
[00:20:48] Like it's incredible to have you on obviously a Survivor Legends.
[00:20:53] I won't even say a Survivor New Era Legend because let's be honest like you you've changed the game.
[00:20:59] There you are. There's no asterisk here.
[00:21:02] No, no, no. There we go.
[00:21:08] But yes, we're excited to have you and it's so funny.
[00:21:12] Like I'll just say it out loud since we're saying things like this is Evie
[00:21:16] and I's first interview together for the pride has spoken.
[00:21:20] So we don't know what we're doing, but clearly you do.
[00:21:24] I don't know. Jim Jim. What do you want to talk about today?
[00:21:26] I don't know. Is that where we start Evie? Oh my God.
[00:21:30] The thing that I think is the most important is that stuff like this is happening
[00:21:34] and like you guys effort for the tribe has spoken.
[00:21:37] It's amazing. I mean being a young gay kid, you know watching Survivor,
[00:21:42] you know, I'm a little bit older than you guys are,
[00:21:45] you know, I'm 37 and I've been around the blog maybe like an extra decade.
[00:21:52] But don't tell anyone I did not. I don't know why you said that.
[00:21:55] But the thing is that I've seen the growth from the beginning
[00:21:58] because I was already like aware of my queerness and my gayness.
[00:22:04] When Survivor started, right? So it was I was already aware of how lacking it was around,
[00:22:11] you know, like when Richard came out, I was like, oh my God,
[00:22:14] he's gay and my father is talking about him being gay
[00:22:17] and I'm gay and oh my God, what's going to happen?
[00:22:20] You know, like are they going to ask me because Richard is gay?
[00:22:24] So it's like it was like real time, real, you know, stuff
[00:22:27] and then coming all the way up to here,
[00:22:29] like us being part of the Survivor queer community on the game,
[00:22:36] outside the game and then getting, you know, having this little pride logo.
[00:22:40] It looks so pretty. I'm excited. Look at that.
[00:22:43] Yeah. I mean there's so much there, Evie.
[00:22:46] Yeah. Yeah. No, absolutely. I mean, I love that you,
[00:22:50] you know, broaden your experiences watching it as a kid there
[00:22:52] and like I think, you know, for so many of us queer people,
[00:22:56] it's so special that the, you know, the first winner was a gay person,
[00:23:00] you know, and that that's really cool.
[00:23:01] And it's, you know, I wasn't watching it as a kid.
[00:23:04] So I had a different experience of learning that later
[00:23:08] and I guess I'm wondering if you could say a bit more about,
[00:23:10] you know, so you were watching it. I guess were you rooting for Richard?
[00:23:13] It's that you were nervous of your family would ask you,
[00:23:15] did they end up asking you in relation to Richard?
[00:23:18] Like how much was that a part of your queer story as a youth?
[00:23:24] So the thing is like to start like the thing with my family per se,
[00:23:27] is like my mom is a hairdresser. My mom is a very important hairdresser in Puerto Rico.
[00:23:32] So back in the late 90s, early 2000,
[00:23:36] my mom was like very much involved in the gay community, right?
[00:23:40] So when there was like a pride parade in San Juan,
[00:23:43] the floor would come in front of her business and scream her name out.
[00:23:46] And I was a little kid, you know, not a little kid, a teenager.
[00:23:50] So my family has always been very, very, very involved in the gay scene.
[00:23:56] So all my mom's friends or her employees would tell her, damn, is gay, damn, is gay, damn, is gay.
[00:24:01] And so I was like, oh, whenever he's ready, whenever he's ready.
[00:24:05] But there was definitely a kind of nervousness when it's a subject that it's
[00:24:11] talked about in a TV show that we're all watching because, you know,
[00:24:14] like we are a little kid, like queer as folks, the L world.
[00:24:18] I will watch like hiding in my room.
[00:24:20] But Survivor was something that my dad was sitting next to me, my brother, my mom.
[00:24:26] And it's Richard, the archetype for what I wanted to be as a grown up.
[00:24:32] Not other than when he's Survivor.
[00:24:36] But it is powerful to see a gay guy waiting in like next to all these people
[00:24:44] and be a badass, you know, at the end of the day, because he was not the token gay.
[00:24:49] He was not this like flowery character, which is also awesome.
[00:24:54] But it was the only thing that we would see.
[00:24:57] I mean, yeah, he would get naked and that's what I'm talking about.
[00:24:59] But it was a powerful mastermind.
[00:25:03] And it was cool to see another kind of person there, you know?
[00:25:08] Yeah, and he was absolutely and he was the you know, he was the provider.
[00:25:12] He's the hunter. Like he really had so much of the kind of like strong man,
[00:25:16] masculine stereotypes in addition to being naked and being called queer derogatory.
[00:25:23] So it's a mixed bag for sure.
[00:25:26] And I watched my father like root for him.
[00:25:29] Which now that I'm a little bit more like all these memories come back.
[00:25:34] It's like Jamie from my sister says, memory unlock.
[00:25:39] So it's cool. It's cool to think about it, you know, and then there was Mitch in Australia.
[00:25:45] And then he was like Brandon, which I was in love with in Africa.
[00:25:50] I mean, also everybody in Africa was gorgeous. Marquise was the Norse.
[00:25:57] You know, I I follow it. I follow it.
[00:25:59] You know, I'm a fan, new era player, whatever.
[00:26:04] Yeah, I love this though because it also relates to this something that comes up for me so much as a black queer man that like there's intersectionality too.
[00:26:13] So obviously so many people when they talked about you as a winner when they still talk about you as a winner,
[00:26:19] they'll reference Richard, they'll reference Todd.
[00:26:22] But I also recognize that there are so many others like other Puerto Rican players
[00:26:27] that you might see yourself in or just other players you resonate with.
[00:26:30] Were there like certain players in your fandom that made you think like,
[00:26:35] oh, I could do it and I could win because I mean you did it.
[00:26:39] I feel like you had to know you were going to win.
[00:26:42] But like when who were the people that you saw that you just really connected with and resonated with?
[00:26:49] I mean, since the moment I saw the game, the first episode,
[00:26:53] I knew I was going to play there was something inside of me and I told them during the casting process
[00:26:57] and I said this in my first interviews. I knew I was going to play the game.
[00:27:01] I was going to be part of it. I was going to be a dream team or a production editor something.
[00:27:06] I was going to play something was going to happen, right? It took forever,
[00:27:10] but it took 24 years, right? Or 21 years for me to play.
[00:27:15] But people that I like saw myself as here's the thing with me.
[00:27:24] I root for girls, I root for women, powerful women.
[00:27:28] I didn't see a lot of myself in the men, right?
[00:27:31] And I think it has to go back to what my mom is as a powerful woman, right?
[00:27:37] I love Celine Dion. I love Barbra Streisand. This is why I'm here in the car, you know.
[00:27:42] You know, powerful icons, right? So to me, Sandra is an icon.
[00:27:47] Yes.
[00:27:49] Ceri is an icon. At a certain time, Elisa, maybe not anymore.
[00:27:56] I'm kidding! I'm kidding! But people from back in the day that are like,
[00:28:05] you take it, boom, you know, and that's the thing because to tell you the truth,
[00:28:11] there was not a lot of like gay men that were amazing, right?
[00:28:18] It was Richard and then Todd. Like in terms of like an exciting game,
[00:28:24] there were people that tried to do it, but they would not make it really far.
[00:28:28] So it's not like ingraining my brain like the characters or the people that I told you about.
[00:28:34] So I definitely like shaped my game for that.
[00:28:37] Even when I was playing the game, like when I was talking to Caroline or Sarah and Tika,
[00:28:42] I would be like, you're the kind of people I root for. Like I don't root for myself.
[00:28:47] So it's a little bit of, you know, of my scale, you know.
[00:28:54] What's in here? I don't know.
[00:28:59] So you don't feel like you root for yourself?
[00:29:01] Do you feel like that is still the case now?
[00:29:05] So, yes. I mean, I was rooting for you watching the show, you know,
[00:29:09] and so I really hope that you, you know, can let yourself root for yourself directly a little more
[00:29:14] because I mean, you're wonderful and we're so glad to have had you on the show
[00:29:18] and you're a fantastic winner. So I really, I really hope you got used to that.
[00:29:23] I think, I think, of course, I was rooting for me.
[00:29:31] I never saw myself on the game. It never saw me what it was like me.
[00:29:37] So I don't know how would that would feel like.
[00:29:42] I remember when I was in casting, your season maybe was coming up
[00:29:47] and I would talk a lot about you and Ricard during my casting as people that,
[00:29:51] oh my God, I want to like, you know, carry the torch from what they're doing.
[00:29:56] So and I would, yeah, talk about that and because it's very different,
[00:30:03] you know, I'm a little bit older. I'm 34, I'm 33.
[00:30:06] Yeah, I'm not like as deep into like obsessed with the show as I was when I was younger,
[00:30:12] but I definitely saw a positive change in the new era where our story was more like real
[00:30:22] and it was more explained. Like, look at this random fact about this person,
[00:30:31] you know, it was something like, oh, this is what this person is about,
[00:30:35] you know, and I was like, you can be a gold farmer with a wife.
[00:30:42] You know, like it's just as a real our life.
[00:30:45] This should but I didn't see that before 40.
[00:30:50] Yeah, no, I really feel that and even even the thing you're saying of like,
[00:30:53] you're watching my season and you can say,
[00:30:55] okay, there's Evie and Ricard and you know, also Jeannie in the pre-merge, right?
[00:30:58] And you can actually say, oh wow, there's actually even even if none of them are me,
[00:31:02] at least there's a couple options to choose from,
[00:31:05] you know, and that makes such a difference than,
[00:31:07] you know, having just, you know, Richard.
[00:31:09] He's the one example and he is naked. That sucks.
[00:31:12] You know what I mean? Like and I really do think I mean,
[00:31:16] I think that was something that was really special about your season.
[00:31:19] There were so many people with different LGBTQ identities
[00:31:23] and I loved when you all made that pride shirt,
[00:31:26] which I don't know if you can still buy that
[00:31:28] but I thought that was super special to just see the representation in there.
[00:31:32] And I don't know was that something you all were talking about in the game
[00:31:35] or is that something more that came out after?
[00:31:38] Well, I hope that you can get all of them in it
[00:31:41] so they can talk about, you know, their story.
[00:31:45] But we definitely felt a sense that our season was special
[00:31:50] and we were open about it and we were like,
[00:31:53] because you know, there's always people, you know,
[00:31:54] like even the fact that Arvati and Erika has come out of a square
[00:32:00] after they played and it aired. That can still happen.
[00:32:05] So it might be more than six in our season, you know,
[00:32:08] I'm not talking about percent my season
[00:32:09] but I'm talking about other seasons might have a lot of people too.
[00:32:12] But the fact that we were talking about it openly
[00:32:14] and talking about what it means and talking about how it value
[00:32:17] and the fact that at least there were two per tribe.
[00:32:19] I think it was, it was three in one, three, two.
[00:32:25] But we were very, very, very open
[00:32:28] and not always it was shown as part of the story like Caroline
[00:32:32] that part of her wasn't shown
[00:32:34] but I do remember day two talking about it with her.
[00:32:38] Definitely when I met Claire after, when I met,
[00:32:41] we knew about Matthew, we knew about Josh, we knew about me.
[00:32:43] Hello, we were wearing bright shirts in Ponderosa all of us.
[00:32:50] I don't know what's up with like gay married man of color.
[00:32:54] Well, no, Matthew is not of color, but he has a tan.
[00:32:58] Yes. We cannot get along.
[00:33:01] We cannot get along. It's like girls alliances are nothing.
[00:33:06] Like the way girls alliances don't work,
[00:33:07] women alliances, gay men alliances, forget about it.
[00:33:12] That's never going to happen.
[00:33:14] I loved that because it was it showed that no group is a monolith.
[00:33:19] Like people are just expecting, oh, these people are the same identity.
[00:33:23] Like they are going to work together
[00:33:25] and it was really cool to see like, oh, no, no, you thought you knew
[00:33:30] but it's not that like it's so much more complicated
[00:33:33] because you could be out there.
[00:33:35] I don't know another time and have like the same identities
[00:33:39] and yet just with different personalities,
[00:33:42] like maybe you would actually gel.
[00:33:44] So I thought that was really cool actually just
[00:33:46] because people expect like, oh, they're going to work together,
[00:33:51] but like that's not that simple.
[00:33:53] So I feel like a lot of people learned a lot just by seeing that conflict
[00:33:58] and butting heads and it was really entertaining to just like selfishly
[00:34:02] to see the struggle and the beads jam jam and the beads.
[00:34:08] Call it what it is, the cattiness.
[00:34:10] The cattiness and the beads falling apart
[00:34:13] because they were poorly constructed all that shout to Josh,
[00:34:16] lots of love to Josh.
[00:34:17] But yeah, no, I just think I think that that's like the beauty of it.
[00:34:21] I want to ask though because we're kind of getting into like the conversation.
[00:34:25] Before I interrupt you because I want to say something
[00:34:28] and I know that you need to another one.
[00:34:31] I think it's very, very important because of what you just said.
[00:34:36] Because I don't know where you're going,
[00:34:37] but you would imagine a male gay married would get along
[00:34:46] or at least most people exactly.
[00:34:48] That's just so amazing.
[00:34:50] The first thing you would say about me,
[00:34:51] Josh or Matthew is that we are gay married men.
[00:34:54] That's how you would like put it in a little box.
[00:34:57] But other than that, we are like polar opposites.
[00:35:01] So that speaks to the amazingness of having the three of us in the same scenario
[00:35:07] at the same time. See, it doesn't matter.
[00:35:10] That doesn't matter because at the end of the day,
[00:35:11] that's what we're trying to do. This is why we have pride about it.
[00:35:14] This is who we are, but we are a lot more and this is amazing
[00:35:19] and it was such a proof of everything.
[00:35:23] I mean, maybe on that note though,
[00:35:25] what was it even like just having a season that was the most like queer season of Survivor
[00:35:33] considering everything we've talked about?
[00:35:35] Like what was that like for you, especially after the fact?
[00:35:39] Because I don't like did you know that it was as queer as it was
[00:35:43] because obviously you didn't interact with everyone the same on the island.
[00:35:49] But yeah, I'm curious about that.
[00:35:52] Well, you don't meet everybody at the same time.
[00:35:54] You definitely spend a little bit of time before you start playing together.
[00:35:57] So you start making a guess of what the other person might identify themselves as.
[00:36:04] There's also people that get voted out before you can meet them in the mirror.
[00:36:07] So you just hear their story through somebody else.
[00:36:10] There's people that you think have more to say, but don't say it.
[00:36:15] So it's a never-ending story. You know, it keeps evolving.
[00:36:19] It definitely did not affect our gameplay. It did not affect the strategy.
[00:36:23] It did not join us. It didn't make us powerful because we were there together.
[00:36:27] If anything, the opposite. But it was definitely something to be proud of,
[00:36:33] especially after I won. There was an article somebody that interviewed me the day after
[00:36:39] and he says, how does it feel to be the first POC queer winner?
[00:36:43] And I was like, oh my God, that's a lot of way that I have to carry.
[00:36:48] Like what does that mean? You know, do I have to be perfect?
[00:36:51] Or do I have to be what I have to be inspirational?
[00:36:54] Because, you know, I have many attributes that maybe are not inspirational,
[00:36:59] but you know, but it is a lot of weight in my shoulder.
[00:37:05] But now I get to carry with Erica. So thank you.
[00:37:09] That's right. That's right. I just want to resonate like I really feel that whenever you're the first
[00:37:14] or the only it's so much pressure because then you need to be the example.
[00:37:19] I think about this all the time. Like if I do something as a non-binary out person that is representing that,
[00:37:25] if I do it wrong or differently than some people do it, that's going to be how everyone learns it.
[00:37:29] And that's so stressful. And like first of all to say,
[00:37:33] I think you're doing an amazing job just as a survivor winner in general.
[00:37:36] But like it is so special. Yeah, that you know now we have Erica to hold that
[00:37:41] and she is obviously like a completely different person than you,
[00:37:44] you know, and holding different identities within that as well,
[00:37:47] you know, and we just need that's what we need more queer winners,
[00:37:50] more queer POC winners, just more, more, more.
[00:37:52] And then, you know, yeah, it just takes the pressure off everyone
[00:37:56] and you get to see like, yeah, even in your season,
[00:37:58] you're not even the only queer POC married man.
[00:38:02] Like, you know, that's perfect. Like a Josh is a very different than a jam jam
[00:38:05] and that's wonderful, you know, and I think that it's so clear,
[00:38:09] you know, I would you know, it's so clear when people watch the show.
[00:38:12] I think they really do often like look for the person that whatever in whatever way feels like them
[00:38:16] the most and whether it's that direct identity comparison or just,
[00:38:21] you know, vibes, you know, you vibe with Sandra like that makes total sense to me.
[00:38:26] I see that completely and just I just really do feel like the more different people,
[00:38:30] the more stories the more fans get to have people to root for like it just makes the show
[00:38:35] actually a better experience for every single person involved players viewers everybody,
[00:38:41] you know, amen. So that's my soapbox. It wasn't a question to you.
[00:38:47] I agree a hundred percent a hundred thousand percent.
[00:38:51] Yeah. No, it's I think it's beautiful and like all this makes me think
[00:38:55] because there's the show and what we get and I do think even in the new era like from your season
[00:39:01] Evie to jam jams like we've seen the stories evolve
[00:39:04] and get more dynamic and I think the you know,
[00:39:08] the story producers and the show is learning how to tell more dynamic stories.
[00:39:12] I also think they're getting more comfortable with that.
[00:39:14] But I want to ask jam jam like in your words,
[00:39:18] like who who are you because I mean obviously we know who you are.
[00:39:23] That's why we're here. But who are you that maybe we didn't get to see in the rest of the rest of the show?
[00:39:32] I think a very important part of my journey
[00:39:34] and this is something that Evie you remember when they went to casting like something you have to repeat it 1600 times.
[00:39:42] Yes. So it's like a here we go again.
[00:39:46] Okay, so my story is new for us.
[00:39:50] Yeah. When you when I came out and I talked a little bit to Josh about it.
[00:39:57] They show at that same episode of the Idol.
[00:40:02] I didn't feel pretty when I was a kid, right?
[00:40:04] So I've always carried that with me a little bit.
[00:40:08] I does not what I present normally. I do have moments where I feel like enough.
[00:40:15] Every time less because as you get older you are you learn to like handle that.
[00:40:21] But growing up in a family where we were surrounded by a lot of people of the community pretty people like gorgeous models.
[00:40:30] Like hello, the elite of the elite of the gay community in Puerto Rico like Baba Boom.
[00:40:38] I was like and I'm supposed to be gay and like date them like how like they're never gonna never look at me.
[00:40:45] Right? So it took me a long time.
[00:40:48] I would say like after college for me to feel like acceptable.
[00:40:54] Yeah, who's else you know go to a bar like pretty I do have I did made a really big friendship after college of someone that taught me how to be gay at a bar because you know,
[00:41:06] you might see myself now, but if you go back 14 years, I didn't know how to ask for a drink.
[00:41:16] Right? Because you're so scared and something that you learn with life and something that you learn how to be confident,
[00:41:24] but you don't learn how to be confident by changing yourself.
[00:41:27] You need to be confident about like learning how to deal with who you are.
[00:41:33] And a lot of what I was on the island and a lot of what I did on I keep doing in life is like remembering that you are what you are.
[00:41:44] What are you gonna do? Take a little magic wand and change it.
[00:41:47] I mean there's stuff we can change. We can change our shirt. We can change no different stuff.
[00:41:51] But here in between here is the most important part because it's like I say it's like I would tell this to the younger people in the show during my season,
[00:42:05] like younger people. I'm Caroline and I would talk about it and Jamie to them because we were older.
[00:42:11] I was like, once you know what confidence feels like, once you know what it means, when you know the effect it has on people, it's magical.
[00:42:21] It's like pixie dust that was like put onto your body. Nobody's going to take it off.
[00:42:27] It's like the dog smell, you know, the dog smell fear, like people smell confidence.
[00:42:32] And that's something that I wish maybe was shown a little bit more during the game because we did have conversations with the younger people from our season that they were young.
[00:42:43] I mean, I'm talking about people 15 years younger than me, right?
[00:42:47] 13 years younger than me, 11 years younger than me that were amazing, are amazing, are going to be greater than, I think are greater than me and are going to be even greater.
[00:42:58] But there's that thing of the confidence and the story of confidence and how I manage myself and how I interact with people and how I do business and how I socialize.
[00:43:07] That was not portrayed enough on the show because I think it was taken for granted because how loud I am.
[00:43:15] But it all has to go hand in hand with who I am and what my how my purpose of how I walk into stuff and what I do.
[00:43:26] Carries itself, something like that.
[00:43:31] No, that makes so much sense.
[00:43:32] That makes so much sense.
[00:43:33] And I want to like really uplift.
[00:43:35] I feel like a thing I hear often from people who are newer in their queerness or, you know, struggling to come out is kind of this.
[00:43:43] Oh, well, you know, am I queer?
[00:43:45] I think I'm queer, but I've never kissed someone or I've never dated someone.
[00:43:48] So like maybe I'm not or or even like it doesn't count or I'm not allowed to identify that way if I haven't had that validation with with someone else.
[00:43:57] And I think what you're really speaking to is how much, you know, it's all about you and yourself and you know yourself.
[00:44:04] And if and you know, and and also self-learning and knowing is a is a lifelong journey.
[00:44:10] I also really believe, but that it starts from you, not from other people.
[00:44:13] Right.
[00:44:14] And so I think, you know, often people.
[00:44:17] Yeah, really, you know, that can be a helpful part of the queer process of like, you know, trying things out and experimenting with people.
[00:44:24] But it's not it's not doesn't have to be the beginning step.
[00:44:27] It doesn't have to be a core step because at the end of the day, like the process you're going through of finding yourself is that really like, I don't know, coming out story and moment.
[00:44:36] And I think of like all these times in my life where I was like feeling feelings towards girls and like, oh, just shut that down.
[00:44:43] There's nowhere to ever put that like on that.
[00:44:44] Like what do I even do with that?
[00:44:46] I love, you know, like and then dating men was easy because there's a script for that that I knew this.
[00:44:51] Yeah, you know what I mean?
[00:44:52] And so I just yeah, you just have to like feel it in you and and not be afraid if you can to just own that in yourself, you know?
[00:45:01] Yeah.
[00:45:01] And at the same time, like to build on what Evie what you just said to like there's feeling in you and also like so many of the images, so many of like the stories and the people we see like jammed him everything you said to about like just what you're feeling resonates so much for me, not only as a black man, queer man, but like also as someone who like does not have like the six pack abs right now.
[00:45:26] But who knows?
[00:45:26] Like maybe they'll decide to show up someday.
[00:45:29] I don't care.
[00:45:29] I like to learn to love yourself just as you are and accept yourself in all those ways, as Evie was saying is beautiful.
[00:45:38] And I think that just like I have even more of an appreciation for you sitting here because I'm like, oh my gosh, like jam jam already from the start of the season, just in who you are and your personality like gave so many people including myself so much life.
[00:45:54] But then seeing you succeed in spaces that we don't always like get to see people who we relate to succeed, like is amazing.
[00:46:03] And who knows?
[00:46:03] Like maybe we would have fought out there.
[00:46:05] Maybe I would have been just like Josh.
[00:46:06] Maybe I would have been making some janky beads and I don't know why I can't get away from that.
[00:46:11] But I'm just saying like it's beautiful because you this is so corny, but this is what this podcast is for.
[00:46:19] Like you matter and your example not only has mattered to me, but like so many people it's mattered to.
[00:46:26] So I don't know where to take it.
[00:46:28] See, we're not big on the questions here.
[00:46:30] We're just big on the observations and like the love.
[00:46:34] Yeah.
[00:46:35] I appreciate it.
[00:46:38] It's it's.
[00:46:41] Going in between what you both are saying, like there's stuff, you know that.
[00:46:46] Like you're trying out or you don't know or you question yourself and you don't have to know the answers, right?
[00:46:52] Like you just go for it.
[00:46:53] And if you need to reach out to me, reach out to me, go to my Instagram DM me.
[00:46:57] I'm pretty sure Evy and many others that you met.
[00:47:00] That's right.
[00:47:01] What am I like answering a question?
[00:47:03] It might take like a say hello or like meet at a party like two seconds.
[00:47:07] Talk about it.
[00:47:07] To have that little approval like some sense of approval like within yourself that can help you be a little bit happier.
[00:47:19] Including the fact that you're saying that you need a six-pack or you don't need a six-pack.
[00:47:23] Let me tell you, I never had a six-pack.
[00:47:26] I don't need a six-pack.
[00:47:28] I'll never get a six-pack.
[00:47:30] I'll do it.
[00:47:31] I tried to do the, you know, the Shangela thing.
[00:47:36] We love.
[00:47:38] Because if you have not yet know that somebody out there enjoys yourself, somebody out there enjoying me, somebody there enjoying Evy,
[00:47:49] somebody out there enjoying Matt.
[00:47:51] If you don't know this yet people go out there.
[00:47:53] You're looking in the wrong place, baby.
[00:47:57] There's somebody that's going to be like type up and describe you just need to, you know, go for it.
[00:48:04] A hundred percent and exactly as you're saying also like the most attractive quality is comfort with yourself.
[00:48:11] Right?
[00:48:12] And like people can feel when you know, you're wanting to be someone else or trying to be something different and like that that having that.
[00:48:20] That's not like I literally eat the day.
[00:48:22] Okay, talk about myself a lot.
[00:48:24] But literally like the day after I kissed a girl for the first time genuinely.
[00:48:29] So this is, you know, had some external validation there.
[00:48:32] I literally just like looked at myself in the mirror and had that sense of like, holy shit.
[00:48:36] I was trying so I was trying and failing in my head.
[00:48:39] I was always trying and failing to be something and now I look at the exact same image of me and I'm like, oh, I'm hot.
[00:48:44] I'm a hot lesbian.
[00:48:45] I'm not a hot straight girl like and that's and I you know, probably some people did think I was hot as a straight girl, whatever.
[00:48:52] But like for me, it was that gear click and if you could just reimagine like, oh, I'm not hot guy with six-pack.
[00:48:59] I'm like hot sexy bear like whatever I am, you know, like as you.
[00:49:02] As you fucking are and you know, like yeah, it's just like everyone's beautiful and that that innate self-confidence just like really, really, really is so beautiful.
[00:49:14] And every queer person out there listening like wherever you are in having that you will have that one day.
[00:49:19] I really like truly believe that for you.
[00:49:22] And I do think like age helps trying different things, helps eating more people, helps and just like you are beautiful.
[00:49:29] Like no matter like how weird and funky you think you are, like someone likes that.
[00:49:33] I like that, you know, like and like really funky.
[00:49:36] Somebody like funky.
[00:49:37] Yeah.
[00:49:40] Yeah, that's right.
[00:49:42] Though truly, truly, truly.
[00:49:43] And I do think again, that is like the really cool thing about having so many different queer people on these shows.
[00:49:48] It just gives you a whole range of like look at all these beautiful, sexy, hot Island people that you know, like, you know, you might not have known was a type, you know?
[00:49:59] I agree.
[00:50:00] No, that's.
[00:50:01] I don't know.
[00:50:01] You love Island sexy.
[00:50:04] I think I think during the game look prettier than when they're in the jury.
[00:50:08] Oh, me too.
[00:50:08] I always ask you.
[00:50:11] You look amazing.
[00:50:13] Always know that.
[00:50:14] But the panhandle.
[00:50:16] How?
[00:50:19] Well, I always I always tell Rob, please use an in-game picture for me.
[00:50:22] I like I was so I just because I was so nervous in the pregame, you know, you're so uncomfortable.
[00:50:28] Like you're like, they're taking these pictures of me like.
[00:50:34] Pictures are the worst.
[00:50:37] Like one, one person, maybe a season gets a picture.
[00:50:41] I remember watching Amazing Race as a young kid.
[00:50:44] I always see like people will go like this back to back.
[00:50:47] And you remember that?
[00:50:48] They go like corny.
[00:50:51] And I was like, if I ever, you know, me like thinking I would have never done it.
[00:50:55] And then I did it.
[00:50:56] If I ever get on those shows, I'm never going to cross my arms.
[00:50:59] First 30 seconds taking the pictures.
[00:51:02] You're not even thinking.
[00:51:06] But speaking of your picture, actually something I want to bring up,
[00:51:10] which is the thing that you jam and you have in common is just the shirts
[00:51:15] because you have this epic shirt.
[00:51:19] I'm gonna have to find a picture of it.
[00:51:21] But you were wearing this like beautiful purplish cat shirt.
[00:51:26] Where is the shirt?
[00:51:28] Why don't you wear it all the time?
[00:51:30] And Evy, I feel like I'm surprised you didn't bring this up sooner as somebody
[00:51:34] who's known for your shirts.
[00:51:37] Loud shirt game.
[00:51:38] Let's go.
[00:51:39] Yes.
[00:51:40] I remember I don't know about you, but like I was like, oh my God,
[00:51:43] I'm gonna wear this shirt in front of everyone and they don't know me.
[00:51:49] Like who do I think I am wearing this shirt?
[00:51:54] Other people are like, because they iron it.
[00:51:56] I mean, I'm not supposed to talk to them, but whatever.
[00:51:59] They iron that those those pictures, right?
[00:52:01] And then I have a different picture.
[00:52:03] And then when I'm going to do the photo, I put it on and everybody goes
[00:52:07] like, and I'm like, oh shit, what I did to myself.
[00:52:14] I really yes.
[00:52:15] It's so true because you know, you're in the pregame and everyone's I mean
[00:52:19] people in general probably are trying to like not give stuff away or like
[00:52:22] not do too much, you know, so you're wearing just like t-shirt whatever.
[00:52:25] And then as James I'm saying then there's one day where everyone's like
[00:52:28] wearing their game clothes all of a sudden or like your pregame pictures
[00:52:31] also where you're like really trying to represent your personality.
[00:52:35] Here we go.
[00:52:35] The beautiful Jam Jam fit and like yeah, it is so different and you're
[00:52:41] really like exposing your personality in a whole new way.
[00:52:43] It's the first chance that you don't even get to talk to people about it.
[00:52:47] But I'm sure I mean was like I forget exactly what Matt and Josh were
[00:52:51] wearing but was that a moment where you were able to clock each other a
[00:52:53] little bit of like, okay, we've got some good vibes here or Jam Jam Jam Jam
[00:52:58] was the last and the day that I took that cat shirt.
[00:53:03] I would want a guest pride shirt like yes in rainbow letters and as soon
[00:53:12] as I come out from breakfast Josh like we're like separated.
[00:53:19] We cannot talk to each other.
[00:53:19] He goes past me and he sees the shirt of the rainbow.
[00:53:22] He goes like are we calling that a side eye for the for the audio?
[00:53:29] Yeah, I mean now we're like super bestie.
[00:53:36] I've stayed in his house with my mom.
[00:53:38] He stayed in my house with his husband like we are super friends, but
[00:53:43] because he was like a little ballerina walking around like, you know, and
[00:53:47] then Matthew was like wearing this over shorty short shorts with a little
[00:53:51] like, you know everything showing and I was like, oh my god.
[00:53:56] There's three gay people here, but you know because I carry myself a
[00:54:01] different way unless I open my my voice people don't know right and
[00:54:06] and I want to wear that shirt and I was like, oh I got the side eye from
[00:54:10] One of my people.
[00:54:12] Yeah, that's sad.
[00:54:14] That's sad.
[00:54:15] And that really like, you know, especially when you're looking for that
[00:54:17] connection moment and then it gets a little rejected, you know that
[00:54:21] that's rough, but I'm glad that you all have patched it since the show.
[00:54:26] I want to ask you I know we're approaching our end here, but you know,
[00:54:30] it is Pride Month and I like to I love a good queer love story.
[00:54:35] And I'm wondering if you could tell us a little bit about your husband
[00:54:37] and I also know that you all recently did a vow renewal.
[00:54:41] Is that right?
[00:54:42] And yeah, if there's anything you'd like to share about that.
[00:54:46] Of course.
[00:54:47] So my husband is from Mexico, right?
[00:54:49] His name is Karim.
[00:54:51] He's actually the one he's a fashion designer and he did all my clothing
[00:54:54] for the show.
[00:54:55] So if you guys like any look go to his webpage black lagoon dot mx.
[00:55:00] So actually right regarding pride and me meeting him.
[00:55:07] I would travel every summer with my mom and her best friends, which I
[00:55:11] consider my uncles somewhere incredible.
[00:55:15] And one year we went to Mexico and they liked it so much.
[00:55:18] We always change the location, right?
[00:55:20] That the next year we return to Mexico, but we went for pride and me
[00:55:24] being the party animal that I am because if you know something about
[00:55:28] jam jam jam, like some party.
[00:55:30] I went to I had a hangout like Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
[00:55:39] Tuesday and then all my gunkles which are like my mom's age.
[00:55:43] They were like damn we're like tired.
[00:55:46] We're not going to go out with you tonight.
[00:55:48] Like you go all by yourself.
[00:55:49] I was like, we're in Mexico.
[00:55:51] Let's go.
[00:55:51] Then I'm going to go by myself.
[00:55:54] So I go to Mexico City Wednesday night and there's a club that has
[00:56:00] moved location, but it still exists and it's one of the best ones
[00:56:02] in my opinion.
[00:56:04] It's called baby like baby the club and he has like super like
[00:56:09] pop music like like Britney Spears and stuff like that.
[00:56:13] Right?
[00:56:14] And it's always the same music but it's always amazing and the
[00:56:17] crowd is a little bit younger.
[00:56:19] But here's the thing with gay people you go where you're like
[00:56:24] appreciated, right?
[00:56:26] So I know people that might be a little bit younger than me.
[00:56:32] I do appreciate the jam jam.
[00:56:35] So that's how we met.
[00:56:37] So we went I went to that bar.
[00:56:40] I went to that bar and a drag queen comes by pass me and she
[00:56:45] goes like my friend is looking at you and he thinks you're hot
[00:56:50] and I go like well tell your friend to say hi to me then nice
[00:56:55] and this guy comes by say hi, but keep walking go to the bathroom
[00:56:59] and then comes back when the drag queen is talking to me and
[00:57:02] he's the guy and that happens to be my husband.
[00:57:04] So well, we I stayed in Mexico one more day.
[00:57:09] I left the next day but I was going back to the to the summer
[00:57:13] trip with my uncles to Puerto Vallarta instead of Mexico City
[00:57:16] and I was like, I'm gonna come back to Mexico, but I'm gonna
[00:57:19] go be going to Puerto Vallarta which is a three hours flight
[00:57:22] from Mexico City.
[00:57:22] I was like, would you like to join us?
[00:57:25] So the second time I saw him ever was in the airport of Mexico
[00:57:30] City on our way to Puerto Vallarta where he met all my uncles
[00:57:33] and my mom the second time ever.
[00:57:36] Wow, brave pressure.
[00:57:39] Yeah, it's a lot of pressure.
[00:57:41] I'm crazy.
[00:57:42] I'm crazy.
[00:57:42] I don't know why I do this shit.
[00:57:44] I'm crazy, but it worked out, you know, we kept talking then,
[00:57:50] you know, I traveled back and forth a few times then he came
[00:57:52] to Puerto Rico and then the second time he came to Puerto
[00:57:55] Rico was the pandemic and we were supposed to travel to New
[00:57:58] York, Miami, you know, to go to Disney like stuff and he was
[00:58:03] in Puerto Rico for five days and they closed everything around
[00:58:06] the world.
[00:58:08] Wow.
[00:58:09] Wow.
[00:58:09] So he stayed the whole time he could because everything in
[00:58:14] Mexico was Mexico didn't close like the US people still were
[00:58:18] because there was not this and not the same helps that we got
[00:58:24] but I was like you kind of work like what's the point like
[00:58:31] just stay here, right?
[00:58:33] And we're gonna be fine.
[00:58:34] I mean and then we got married and we're married for three
[00:58:39] years now and because we got married during the pandemic.
[00:58:43] That's why we did the vows for renewals in Mexico, which is
[00:58:46] probably what you saw that Heidi Jamie and Helen went to so
[00:58:52] I had one from each tribe with me there and it was beautiful.
[00:58:57] It was a bit of gorgeous.
[00:58:58] That's so sweet.
[00:58:59] Wow.
[00:59:00] So covid really like forced the U-Haul on you.
[00:59:04] Yeah, that's what we actually like met met met right?
[00:59:10] Like what we're supposed to do in a studio or a bar room with
[00:59:14] no doors.
[00:59:15] The only door was the door to the bathroom.
[00:59:17] So there was like no walk into the room was like so if we
[00:59:21] wouldn't want to talk to each other one of us has to go into
[00:59:23] the bathroom.
[00:59:24] Yeah, right, right, right, right and here we find you in the
[00:59:28] bathroom again.
[00:59:28] So things really do come full circle.
[00:59:33] Oh, I'm so happy for you.
[00:59:35] And I'm glad that the you got to do a ceremony also and had
[00:59:38] some your castmates.
[00:59:39] It's really sweet.
[00:59:41] Oh, that queer love that queer love.
[00:59:44] And so now that it is, you know, okay full disclosure behind
[00:59:48] the curtain.
[00:59:48] We are recording but in May but you're listening to this in
[00:59:52] June jam jam.
[00:59:53] Do you have any big pride plans coming up or that you have
[00:59:58] already done by the time people are listening to this my
[01:00:01] favorite question?
[01:00:03] I think Mexico City pride is so much fun.
[01:00:06] I always go to Mexico City.
[01:00:09] So I will be in Mexico City the same weekend of pride in
[01:00:12] New York, but they celebrated on Saturday instead of Sunday.
[01:00:17] And yeah, that's where I'll be.
[01:00:19] I last year I was in the bear float cause my brother-in-law
[01:00:27] loves the bear bars.
[01:00:28] So he wrote to them and he was like that we're not survivor
[01:00:32] is my brother-in-law and he's a bear and he put us on the
[01:00:35] float.
[01:00:36] She was crazy.
[01:00:38] Was that fun?
[01:00:39] It was fun.
[01:00:40] It was a blast.
[01:00:41] I was I was dressed as a Viking which was like, oh my gosh,
[01:00:47] I feel like I need to find the pictures or video or something
[01:00:50] of this but I'll start.
[01:00:52] I'll start looking you'll have to you'll have to share them
[01:00:56] or like post them.
[01:01:00] I'm not a very shy person what I don't know, you know, but
[01:01:04] everything else I post.
[01:01:06] That's right.
[01:01:07] I once stumbled into I went to Provincetown which is like
[01:01:11] gay Mecca in Cape Cod for people who don't know and it just
[01:01:14] happened to be bear week didn't know that that was going
[01:01:16] to be happening there.
[01:01:17] But yeah, I feel like you could have been you could have
[01:01:20] definitely been King there.
[01:01:20] So I mean July 15 16 17.
[01:01:23] Are you coming?
[01:01:25] Okay, hit me up in Boston on the other side.
[01:01:27] Oh, I can't go.
[01:01:29] I can't go because I'm gonna be that weekend.
[01:01:39] In drag con with my own booth.
[01:01:43] Wow.
[01:01:45] What an announcement.
[01:01:46] I feel like you want to go meet me in drag con LA July 18
[01:01:51] and 20.
[01:01:52] Damn.
[01:01:52] Damn is gonna be there as this to your survivor winner.
[01:01:55] We are.
[01:01:56] Yes, that's so fun.
[01:01:57] And will you be in drag or you will be in?
[01:02:00] Oh my God.
[01:02:00] I didn't even think of this.
[01:02:03] I mean, I'm gonna I'm gonna wear my survivor outfits and
[01:02:06] have merch and have I think I'm gonna travel with my torch
[01:02:10] so people take pictures.
[01:02:13] Yeah, I'm looking forward to it because I love RuPaul is
[01:02:16] like my second TV show.
[01:02:17] So I've been lucky enough to go to these award shows like
[01:02:20] queer award shows like the Clearties or the glad I went
[01:02:24] to the Emmys and we always lose to RuPaul but I'm like,
[01:02:28] oh we lost but then I say RuPaul and then oh survivor and
[01:02:31] RuPaul.
[01:02:33] Yeah, your two loves.
[01:02:35] Yeah, either way you're a winner, you're a winner both ways
[01:02:39] and because I get that.
[01:02:41] I mean not obviously have not been on either of those but
[01:02:46] I get the tension of that fight.
[01:02:48] I was really pulling for a first survivor and all but
[01:02:53] you know what?
[01:02:53] It happens.
[01:02:54] It happens.
[01:02:55] I thought maybe maybe but it's all about traders this year.
[01:03:01] Let's see what happens.
[01:03:03] I was gonna say that'd be the next the next place we need
[01:03:06] to see you if anything, so I don't know.
[01:03:09] I don't know.
[01:03:12] I don't know what you're thinking about.
[01:03:14] That's right.
[01:03:15] That's right.
[01:03:16] Well, you could do it all you could do it all so yeah,
[01:03:20] is there anything else that the listeners should should
[01:03:22] follow it should look for coming out places to follow you
[01:03:25] anything else you want to plug for us?
[01:03:28] Well, you know, I always have my Instagram.
[01:03:30] I put everything there on my Instagram is my real name,
[01:03:33] which is Jamil Y A M I L P R from Puerto Rico.
[01:03:37] You can find everything on my web page jam jam PR calm.
[01:03:41] I'm always on my hair salon in Puerto Rico.
[01:03:43] So if you're ever in Puerto Rico and you want to get your
[01:03:45] hair nails lashes barber, whatever you want done.
[01:03:48] I'm there you can take a picture with me or visit me or just
[01:03:51] say hi.
[01:03:52] You don't have to buy anything.
[01:03:53] I like talking to people in Puerto Rico and I'm always
[01:03:56] a viewing party.
[01:03:57] So price and window or anything like survivor viewing party
[01:04:01] or whatever viewing party or even like I'm trying to crash
[01:04:05] like one of the queer parties in New York.
[01:04:08] Let me see that next year what I do.
[01:04:10] Yeah, so jam jam lives in Puerto Rico, but there's airplanes.
[01:04:15] So fantastic.
[01:04:19] There we go.
[01:04:20] Yeah, thank you so much for joining us and I look I'll give
[01:04:24] an exclusive like I heard that we have a special deal for
[01:04:29] your salon that if people go in and they get you know, whatever
[01:04:33] they want done they could get the second for the same exact
[01:04:36] price. So it's perfect.
[01:04:38] Oh my God.
[01:04:38] I love it.
[01:04:40] I was so scared.
[01:04:41] I was like, thank you.
[01:04:46] For free.
[01:04:47] I give stickers to children and you'll get free stickers.
[01:04:52] If you're a child, thank you.
[01:04:54] Incredible.
[01:04:55] Thank you so much jam jam.
[01:04:56] It was so so so nice to talk to you and truly like that.
[01:05:00] It's so great to have queer winners of this show and really
[01:05:04] really grateful for you.
[01:05:05] So, you know, thank you for winning a million dollars for
[01:05:08] me, you know, I you welcome.
[01:05:15] I'm Grace leader.
[01:05:15] Are you she her pronouns?
[01:05:17] You can follow me on social media at high from Grace and make
[01:05:19] sure you buy a buff from Rob is website.com slash pride, but
[01:05:23] Yes, and I am Matt Scott.
[01:05:25] I use he him pronouns.
[01:05:27] You could follow me on social media at Matt Scott GW and you
[01:05:31] could get a pride has spoken shirt at Rob has a website.com
[01:05:36] slash store and I'm heavy to go to I use they them pronouns.
[01:05:40] You can find me at instant on Instagram at Evie Jag and on Twitter
[01:05:44] at Evie Jagoda.
[01:05:45] And as a reminder, all the proceeds from both the shirt and
[01:05:48] the buff will go to point of pride.
[01:05:50] Please buy a product today.
[01:05:52] This was the pride has spoken.
[01:05:58] It's so much spoken.
[01:06:00] We did it.
[01:06:00] We did just record.
[01:06:04] Can we just do it like one?
[01:06:05] Just sure to say that last.
[01:06:07] Yeah, I know one more time.
[01:06:09] I don't know why I'm making us do this.
[01:06:11] No, that's good.
[01:06:13] This was the pride has spoken.
[01:06:17] Matt, you say it so slow.
[01:06:19] Wait, wait, wait.
[01:06:20] One more time.
[01:06:21] We're done.
[01:06:23] This was the pride has spoken.
[01:06:27] It's my way.
[01:06:28] One more.
[01:06:28] I'm starting to pass.
[01:06:30] This was the pride has spoken.
[01:06:36] Leave all these leave them all in.
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[01:06:55] No, no, nothing like that.
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[01:07:46] Okay, round two.
[01:07:47] Name something that's not boring.
[01:07:50] Laundry?
[01:07:51] Ooh, a book club.
[01:07:53] Computer solitaire, huh?
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