Gushing with Gabby is a series of live radio shows in which host Gabriela Cala-Lesina brings in and shows love to those artists, drag kings & things, curators, DJs, archivists, poets, and party starters that have given us life, contributed to our queer evolution, education, and enjoyment. We hear from LGBTQIA+ people, collectives, and organisations doing amazing work. We learn about our guests’ queer growth, how that could inspire our own—to be more bold, brave and proud. How do we imagine alternative queer futures and spaces? How do we honour and remember our queer elders, ancestors and histories? What sounds, poems, films, exhibitions are our queer family making right now?
In collaboration with Montez Press RadioEpisode 9: Queer Spaces after Ugly Duck
As legendary queer art space Ugly Duck prepares to close its doors, Gabby brought together three visionary artists, organisers and leaders to reflect on its enduring legacy, and to imagine what comes next. In this special episode of Gushing with Gabby: Queer Stages after Ugly Duck, we heard from Deen Atger, Artistic Director of Ugly Duck, Oduenyi Nwike, Nigerian Irish born Director, Warrior Poet and musician and founder of Tribe, and Biogal, T*S Anarcho-Showgirl, Writer & Organiser. Together we asked: what does the future of queer stages and community spaces look like after Ugly Duck? How can performance act as a radical tool for change, activism and world-building? We invited you to imagine what the next chapter might hold.
Recording of Gushing by Gabby @gacalales for @montezpressradio, pictures by Eda Sancakdar @edasan, A Collective Archive, curated by Deen Atger @Deen_atg, Ugly Duck 2025
Episode 8: On London's Lesbian Renaissance
In this live radio and in-person event at The Divine, Gushing with Gabby: on London’s Lesbian Renaissance, Gabby brought together the hottest and most radical agents in lesbian theirstory today: Alex Loveless, founder of London’s coolest Lesbian bar La Camionera, An(dre)a Spisto, a neuroqueer clown, performance artist and co-producer of Brazilian Wax XXL, a sex-worker led queer Latinx dance party, and Shivani Dave, co-founder of the radically grassroots Dyke March. We explored key questions on the tip of every Lesbian’s tongue: How many exes have you spotted at the lesbian bar? How do you get thousands of hot Dykes to march, ride and dance their way across the streets of London? How many times have I said hot? We explored why the term Lesbian Renaissance is contested, and learned about the queers that have used protest, dance and natural wine to inspire us into politics, protest and poppers.
All images below by Christa Holka
Episode 7: Queer on the Dancefloor