Hello and welcome to the September edition of Outward. I'm Brian Lauder, editor of Outward,

and I'm here with your annual reminder that summer is not over until the 22nd of September,

exactly a week from when this episode drops. So don't let the haters tell you any different.

Thank you, Brian. I needed that. Yeah. I'm Christina Cotterucci, a senior writer at Slate,

and I would like to extend a hearty welcome to the person who recently posted on the DC Queer Exchange

Facebook group that she was giving away some of her pride gear, free to a good home,

including her by pride flag. Nothing wrong with the flag, she wrote. I'm just a lesbian now.

So I just want to take a moment to congratulate anyone who's changing flags these days,

whatever those flags may be. Yeah, I think that was really modeling good behavior,

and that arena. Nothing wrong with the flag. No, my definition has changed, and that's fine.

Everybody's great. Okay, so this is usually the point in the show where we share our

prides and provocations, but this month we've got a provocation to discuss that is so provoking,

that it's the only one we have the time or emotional energy honestly to handle.

Listeners, we are provoked profoundly by the sad and sorry fact that Ramon Alam, our beloved

co-host is leaving us. Ramon, why are you hurting everyone like those?

I'd like to call you in. I really thought you were winding up to talk about

Pete Buttigieg or something, a sort of more reliable provocation. I'm provoked by my own

departure from outward. It has been such a great period of time. I mean, how long? I think

has it been a year? I don't even. More than a year, because you were started before the pandemic,

I think. The pandemic is how I measure time now. That's right. Getting together once a month,

or once every couple of weeks to chat with you guys has been such a balm. It's technically

been work, but it's also just been really fun to kind of have someone who is not in my immediate

...