When Beck and Dash felt lonely and disconnected from their Appalachian roots, a single word popped into their mind that would change everything: Queernecks. That moment of inspiration became a podcast that's challenging everything people think they know about queer life in rural America.
"We're not self-hating queers and we're not self-hating Appalachians. We can love and appreciate both those pieces of our identity."Dash, Queernecks co-host
On this episode of Translucent, host Lee Wade speaks with Beck and Dash, co-hosts of the Queernecks podcast, about their mission to amplify queer Appalachian voices and reclaim the word "redneck" from its use as a slur. The conversation explores how Appalachia is stereotyped in mainstream media, why representation matters beyond trauma narratives, and how queer and trans people are leading grassroots activism throughout the region. Beck and Dash discuss using humor as a tool for building community and resistance, the history of class-based discrimination in America, and what they hope listeners—both inside and outside Appalachia—will take away from their work. This is a story about identity, resilience, and the power of authentic storytelling to bridge divides and challenge assumptions about who belongs where.
This story was produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO. Translucent is made possible with support from The Rubi Girls Foundation.
