The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina
Welcome to The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie and Lina, a new weekly podcast hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford and fashion legend Connie Fleming, the show offers unprecedented access to the icons, secrets, and untold stories that shaped queer culture. Lina and Connie are both trailblazing women of transgender experience, with deep backgrounds hosting and performing in NYC’s most storied clubs—and pioneering on fashion runways. They bring their knowledge, stories, and relationships to “The Cutting Up,” offering audiences a backstage pass to authentic conversations that can only happen between true friends and industry legends. “The Cutting Up” goes d...
Alvaro Takes Us Inside 80s NYC Art & Fashion: Antonio Lopez, Naomi & The Golden Club Era
Okay, first of all… yes. The camera betrayed us last time. But like true legends, we came back hotter. On this episode, we welcome back the incomparable Alvaro, an artist, fashion insider, South Bronx original. And this time the cameras stayed ON. Not only is his art all over our “studio,” but he literally presented Connie with a gorgeous original portrait. Because we keep company with icons only.
We get into…
✨ Growing up in the South Bronx with big dreams and bigger manifestations
✨ How he engineered...
Music to Kiki By: Disco, House & the Albums That Raised Us
This week we are joined by producer Matthew Breen (who also doubles as HR, Sugar). We all spiral from the iconic Justin-Britney denim lewk into a full jukebox of memories.
It’s all about MUSIC. The albums that raised us, the songs that cracked us open, the disco divas who built community, the house tracks that baptized us on dance floors, and the very specific art of a “seal the deal” sexy playlist.
Because music is memory, identity, resistance, heartbreak, healing… and foreplay.
We talk about the chil...
Kevin Aviance on Black Queer Legacy, Beyoncé, and Club Kid History
It’s a birthday episode and we are celebrating all month, Sugar and we’re setting intentions.
Connie and Lena kick things off with a mystical little “circle of three” blessing before summoning the icon, the legend, the voice you definitely know — Kevin Aviance — for the ultimate backstage Kiki.
We get into why our work is political (yes, even the glam), how assimilation has dulled parts of LGBTQ+ culture, and why movements that centered white gay men too often erased Black and trans pioneers like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. We talk about how Black Lives...
Joey Arias Unfiltered: Nightlife, Mugler & a Legendary Downtown Life
This week on The Cutting Up, Connie and I are kiki‑ing in Washington Heights like it’s a downtown séance — and our guest? Only a living, breathing piece of NYC nightlife history: the one and only Joey Arias.
Yes. That Joey Arias.
Performance art legend. Mugler muse. Warhol era mischief-maker. Billie Holiday channeler. Downtown royalty.
We kick off doing what we do best: manifesting peace on earth, success, spiritual elevation… and obviously a hot man. Priorities.
From ther...
Glam, Grit & Glisten: Our Convo with Wilson Cruz
Baby… this episode? A whole mood.
Wilson Cruz dropped into The Cutting Up and we started where all important conversations start: backstage glam. Because if we’re going to talk about surviving late-stage capitalism and political chaos, we’re at least doing it moisturized.
But don’t get it twisted — the kiki got real.
We talked about what it means to trust timing in a career that’s feast‑or‑famine. Wilson’s been in this game for decades, and instead of spiraling when the...
Our First Times: Crushes, Chaos & A Married Man
This week’s kiki starts creamy… but quickly turns into a full-blown “the first time I…” chaos! .
Yes, we open with creamsicles, Charlie perfume, and a head-to-toe cream moment (because aesthetics matter). But the real meat of this episode? Our firsts. We play a rapid-fire game of:
First crushFirst best friendFirst heartbreakFirst album that changed our personalityFirst celebrity crush (problematic? nah!)First concertFirst time getting in troubleFirst fight (and why Webster Hall still...Kiki, Chaos & Crisco (Yes, THAT Crisco): Backstage with Connie & Lena
Oooh Sugar, we are back and bring you a peek “backstage” - it’s unfiltered, off-the-rails and spiritually protected, okay?? Because why did we start the episode spraying “Go Away Evil” like we were cleansing demons… and almost took ourselves out in the process. I nearly gagged. Connie was no help. Pure chaos from the jump.
Then we get into these MEN…
Listen, we are not here to be fetishized. We are not here to be gaslit. And we are definitely not here for “so… what surgeries have you had?” over appetizers.<...
Psychic Tea & Protection Spells
Hey Sugar, we’re back! 💋
This week on The Cutting Up, Connie and I start with a cute little backstage kiki — you know, just casually spiraling from Diane Freis dresses and YSL fantasy to vintage perfume memories and our retro TV crushes. As one does.
But then… the energy shifts.
I start talking about listening to that inner voice (because mine does not whisper, she announces), grounding in nature, and this magical fog-meets-sunlight moment I had on a mountain that felt like the earth...
Love Bombs & Trash‑Bag Exits: The Dating Red Flags We Missed
🚩 If he says “I don’t really give compliments…” baby, that’s your cue. 🚩
This week on The Cutting Up, we’ve got outfit breakdowns, supermodel nostalgia, and mental Versace campaigns. But then we unpack our prophetic dreams and talk about men who should’ve been sent packing.
We get into red flags we ignored, love bombing, men who order for you at dinner like we’re on Mad Men, and that very specific “you owe me” hint after they pick up the check. And wha...
Connie & Lina’s Valentine’s Day Survival Guide
Okay Sugar, it’s Valentine’s Day and we are serving opinions and giggles. This episode is basically a heart‑shaped box of chaos.
First up, dating apps that test my patience, then subway crushes that live rent‑free in our minds. What are the romantic gestures that actually matter? And why honesty in relationships is non‑negotiable , even when it’s awkward. We answer your questions, overshare a bit (#toetrix), and sprinkle in sisterly banter like it’s our love language.
Whether you’re coupled up, single by choice or circumstance...
Cutting Up with the Cosmos: David Odyssey Reads Lina & Connie
On this episode of The Cutting Up, we went full cosmic with David Odyssey from Heavenly Bodies. Honey, that’s a crossover! And it felt magical, grounding, and just plain fun.
We started out reminiscing (yes, The B‑52s DID come up 💃) before diving into what was really in the air: astrology, tarot, and the energetic shifts happening both collectively and personally right now. David led us through powerful tarot readings that opened up conversations about authenticity, transformation, love, and self‑discovery, and honestly… the cards did not hol...
Hollywood, Casting & Life as a Trans Actress
This week on the pod, Connie and I are doing what we do best: talking fashion, reliving auditions we absolutely should have booked, and unpacking the absolute circus that is today’s news cycle. We get into door‑knocker earrings (obviously), guilty pleasures, iconic roles, and the very real gymnastics trans actors have to do just to exist in Hollywood.
We’re joined by the fabulous Matthew Breen, who helps us connect fashion, media, and those unforgettable NYC nightlife moments (yes, Jackie’s 60, we see you). From MTV memories to club cha...
More Than Makeup: Beauty as Trans Power
Okay Sugar, strap in! This episode of The Cutting Up is serving beauty, history, and a whole lot of truth.
This week, when the gong rashes, guess who it is… the iconic Bradley Miller—makeup artist, educator, and all‑around force—and she sits down for a kiki that starts with nostalgic movie obsessions and legendary lipstick moments, and quickly turns into something deeper, but no less fabulous.
Bradley spills on her journey through the cosmetics industry, what it really means to be visible as a trans pe...
Training the Body, Feeding the Soul: A Kiki with Celebrity Trainer Kacy Duke
We were already in full kiki mode, but once fitness icon Kacy Duke stepped into the chat? Baby. It became a juicy, feel-good, soul-stirring conversation about fitness, confidence, and loving the skin you’re in, no matter the season.
We talked about how our bodies survived the pandemic, laughed about our favorite throwback ’80s workout queens, and confessed what fitness really looks like for us these days. It's not always cute, but it’s got to be honest.
Kacy has trained legends like Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, and Lenny Kravitz, and sh...
Carson Kressley: Style with Heart
Slip on your favorite heels and settle in, because this episode is everything. We are spilling fashion tea from the early 2000s—the era that gave us questionable shoes, plaid overload, and confidence we maybe didn’t earn. And just when you think it can’t get better, Carson Kressley struts into the conversation like the gorgeous gay icon he is.
Carson dishes on everything from his Queer Eye for the Straight Guy days (life-changing, culture-shifting, no big deal) to his time twirling through RuPaul...
Connie & Lina’s Holiday Hot Takes
This week, our brother and producer Matt joins us to ring in the new year!
We share some of my favorite holiday memories from childhood gifts to traditions that still bring the vibes. We talk about how we actually like to spend the holidays, debate overplayed Christmas songs, and give Mariah Carey her flowers. The diva is THE DIVA after all.
We also touch on holiday shopping chaos, festive cocktails, squeezing in that New Year’s jump off, and what drama we are all happily leaving beh...
Connie & Lina's Christmas Pajama Party
What’s the first thing a girl’s to do on a jubilant Christmas morning? Call a sistrix, of course! Sugar, this is unfiltered Christmas energy because if anyone is going to tolerate me before caffeine, it’s a sistrix.
Your girl Lina woke up like this and your girl Connie Girl answered the call, sounding exactly as you’d expect: just risen from the coffin, half asleep, half delighted, and fully confused. What starts as a “Merry Christmas and a Happy Nude Rear!” turns into a full‑blown recap of 2025, complete with laughter, mild emotional...
Pirate Boots & Punk Roots: Connie & Lina’s Tribute to the Iconic Vivienne Westwood
Okay Sugar, buckle up—because this episode was basically mine and Connie’s Olympics. From the moment we hit record, the energy was high, the accessories were rattling, and Vivienne Westwood was in the house hovering over the conversation like the patron saint of chaotic glam.
We kicked things off with a little accessory talk (because of course we did), and before long,we were deep in our feelings about our Westwood babies—yes, the squiggles, the pirate boots, and those corsets. Con and I traded stories - spiraling into memories of punk’s electric...
Joy Reid Unfiltered: Black Identity, Bold Truths, Fashion, and a Little Paranormal Tea
Buckle up, because this episode goes off the rails the way only our show can. Today we have Joy Reid! Yes, Joy freakin’ Reid, the first Black woman primetime news anchor, New York Times bestselling author, and the woman who tells it like it is. We jump right into the deep end with, what else, dolls! It’s an obsession in this house, as you all know. We talk Mr. and Ms. Potatohead, Baby That–a-Way, custom dolls, and then we go thataway talking about Joy’s ascendance to make primetime news history, and how her Jamaican godmother won’t le...
The Insanity Redux! A Wild, Candid Conversation with Susan Powter
Connie and Lina get to sit down for an incredible, off-the-freaking-chain chat with the legendary Susan Powter. And trust, she holds nothing back, sharing her wild origin story, rise, and fall—and now her return to the stage. We’ve got exclusives! Powter went from being a broke single mom who stripped at the Million Dollar Saloon in conservative Dallas, Texas, and rose to completely shake up the fitness world. They get real about what it means to be a powerful woman, bouncing back from tough times, and why it's so important to just be yourself. Susan gives the...
We're Serving You Stuffing, Quaaludes & Paper Airplanes This Thanksgiving
Gobble gobble, everyone! Connie and Lina welcome producer Matt for their special Thanksgiving episode — which, as usual, goes completely off the rails. From cocktail conversations to family traditions, sharing their favorite traditions, questionable recipes, and chaotic holiday stories — it is a holiday treat that can ONLY come from Connie and Lina!
So join them for this slightly unhinged holiday escape.
As discussed in this episode
Movies:
Home For the Holidays
How to Make an Airplane Cocktail
T...
Fashion, Friendship & a Little Bit of Chaos: A Cutting Up with Kelly Bensimon
Get ready to laugh, strut and pick your jaw up off the floor — because this week’s episode of The Cutting Up is giving full runway meets “girl chat” . Hosts Connie and Lina are in the house, joined by none other than the fabulous Kelly Bensimon — author, fashion icon, reality legend, and all-around powerhouse.
From epic fashion throwbacks to must-have travel pieces, these women serve insider tea and killer advice for owning your look (and your life). Expect laughs, nostalgia, and several “did she really just s...
First Jobs: We Work Hard for the Money, Honey!
This week ladies are delivering fashion highs, hair flips, and hilarious flashbacks, and they are joined by their adorable and ever‑patient producer, Matthew Breen.
From jaw‑dropping outfits to legendary first gigs, Connie Girl and DJ Lina compare their first gigs, unforgettable club nights, and the art of the outfit. Connie is looking very Studio 54, very DVF—while Lina is doing her best Cindy Crawford.
These two never forget a look! Plus music‑video mayhem, backstage chaos, legendary Boy Bar Beauties competitions, and the heartbreak of a shoe haunting.
Dolls, DJs, and Zooted Yorkie: A Kiki with Kerri Colby
Before we turn to our regularly scheduled kiki, Lina has some household safety advice: Keep your houseguests’ THC cookies away from nosey little Yorkies. Bashert got zooted, honey!
And we’re back! Drag Race double-alum and blonde goddess Kerri Colby must have heard the super doll signal because she descended from the heavens to talk about her new DJ career and a new single! Connie offers sage advice on being a show pony and keeping the door open for the trans women who follow you.
https://www.ke...
Warhol, Ryan Murphy, and Falling off the Catwalk: A Kiki with Dianne Brill
We jump right into the wars—the fashion wars! Connie and Lina break down the rivalry between big NYC fashion designers—which models could walk for whom? And who were you disrespecting if you sat with whom? Child, the anxiety lingers! And then—ding dong!—enter the fabulous fashion designer, model, author, O.G. club kid, and the forever “It” Girl, Dianne Brill! Dianne dishes on her pal Andy Warhol, the myth and the reality (and his endowment), the problem with Ry*n M*rphy (we don’t need to get sued, honey), and what it takes...
Silk and Soul Food: A Kiki with Nicole Ari Parker
OK honey, we get right into it, with just a little side swerve into what the girls are fighting over, grammar lessons, The Eyes of Laura Mars, the commercial for DiAnes hair extensions, our “Labiquita” (LGBTQIA) community freedom fighters, and—ding dong!—star of And Just Like That, Nicole Ari Parker! Nicole pays us a visit to dish on her character’s unforgettable fashion moments, her swoonworthy hubby Boris Kodjoe, school uniforms, and fifteen feet of silk chiffon! And we go fishin’.
The Kiki Kick Off: Connie & Lina Have Something to Say
What happens when two women who’ve seen everything in NYC nightlife—from the Club Kid era to the 2025 Met Gala—finally get to tell their stories? Get ready to laugh, learn, and love with The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina. In this glittering debut episode, your fabulous hosts, NYC nightlife legends Lina Bradford and Connie Fleming, invite you into their world—a delightful mix of pop culture, real-life tea, and personal triumphs, served with a heaping spoonful of humor, sass, and sisterhood.
Lina and Connie kick things off by s...
