LGBTQ+ News, Bert & Ernie and the Hallmark or Queer Film Game

We are an LGBT podcast and on this episode of Let's Be Perfectly Queer, we're diving into the politics of queer visibility — from Pride bans to census questions — and how the fight to be seen is far from over.

We’re breaking down everything from the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Australian census to the backlash against Pride flags in Utah, and what’s really going on with Hungary’s recent Pride event ban. 

Sound heavy? Don’t worry — we play a round of Queer Film or Hallmark Movie? — Archie shares synopsis from movies and Katie has to guess if it's a Queer Film or Hallmark Movie, do you think you could beat Katie's score?

Here’s what we cover in this ep:

• Why being counted in the census is about more than numbers – it’s about rights
• Hungary’s Pride ban
• Utah’s attempt to hide LGBTQIA+ flags
• Puppet politics?? Yep – we’re talking Bert & Ernie and The Wiggles
• Intersex inclusion, identity labels, and why terminology still matters
• Legal rulings and political moves impacting queer lives around the world
• Queer Film or Hallmark Movie game

🎧 So grab your headphones, hit play and learn something new.

and until next time, stay perfectly queer!

Archie & Katie 🌈

Chapters

• 1:13 The Australian Census News
• 4:58 Hungary Pride ban
• 6:18 Wiggles song - Friends of Dorothy
• 7:48 Utah bans Pride Flag
• 10:57 Judge rules against trump in Trans Military Ban
• 20:24 Queer Film or Hallmark Movie

Transcript

Podcast: Podcast

Episode Title: LGBTQ+ News, Bert & Ernie and the Hallmark or Queer Film Game

Host(s): Archie, Katie

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Archie (Host) | 00:00:04 to 00:00:14
Welcome to let's Be Perfectly Queer, a. Queer podcast creating space to talk about all things queer. My name is Archie. And I'm Katie. And we are your hosts.

Katie (Host) | 00:00:14 to 00:00:32
Questions of how you identify, seeking answers to clarify whether a queen or somewhere in between. Let's be perfectly queer. And we're back. And if you're listening for the first time, thank you so much for tuning in. And if you're joining us again, you are an absolute legend.

Archie (Host) | 00:00:32 to 00:00:45
Thanks for sticking along for the ride. And I just want to do a quick shout out to our new listeners from around the world. We have new listeners in the Bronx, New York, Corlette in New South Wales, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Oh, that's awesome. I love that.

Archie (Host) | 00:00:45 to 00:01:03
Yeah. So this episode is going to be a chill one. We'll talk about some news and play a game called Queer Film or Hallmark Movie, and I'll fill you in about what that is when we get to it. That's exciting. So would you like to go first for the news or would you like me to go first for the news?

Katie (Host) | 00:01:03 to 00:01:12
How are you feeling news wise? Are we wanting positive news, negative news, neutral news? I've got a bit of both. Okay, maybe you go first. Okay.

Archie (Host) | 00:01:12 to 00:01:29
So the first news is the census. The Australian census. So in season two, episode 14, we talked about the Australian census and we have great news. The inclusion of questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in the next census has been confirmed. Oh, that's awesome.

Katie (Host) | 00:01:29 to 00:01:52
I'm so happy. Yeah. So Equality Australia will continue to advocate for the inclusion of intersex people in future census, but for now, this is a major step forward. The census has been around since 1922 and has told the national story of our changing community, but it has never included LGBTQIA Australians in the Census. So in 2026, this will change.

Archie (Host) | 00:01:52 to 00:02:44
And that's amazing news for all of our queer community out there to finally be counted in the Australian census. And to. I would be really interested to see exactly how much the percentage of Australia do consider themselves as part of the LGBTQ community. Yeah, I'm really intrigued at what their questions are going to be because it's quite a fine tightrope between asking a question in a way that you're wanting to collect data while making sure that you're not encroaching on people's livelihoods as well as you've got to ask the question in the right way. Yeah, I can understand that this being something that they have put money into because, like, you know how there's the legislation or there's the the work that's being done in the health ministries towards supporting trans youth.

Katie (Host) | 00:02:44 to 00:03:05
Yeah. So I can imagine that this probably goes hand in hand of, like. All right, there's a whole portfolio to support youth in their gender and sexual diversity. I think it's a good amount of work to be able to identify what kind of diverse people we've got out there, so how they can support them. So I can understand that they're changing the census and I look forward to it.

Archie (Host) | 00:03:05 to 00:03:22
Yeah, same. I'm interested to see what the exact. I think from memory and from our last episode, we did say that was just going to be one question, so it's probably just going to be like, do you identify as part of the LGBTQ community? I reckon that's what it's going to be. Do you reckon it's going to be LGBTQ plus or LGBTQIA plus?

Archie (Host) | 00:03:22 to 00:03:39
I don't reckon they're going to include the I, since they said there's still need to advocate for the inclusion of intersex. Yeah. So I don't think so. It'd be great to see it in there, but I don't think so. But also because, like we've mentioned before, there are some individuals who are intersex who don't consider themselves a part of the LGBTQIA community.

Archie (Host) | 00:03:39 to 00:03:57
So if you have noticed. I'm not sure if people have noticed. I've started to say LGBTQ more often than lgbtqia, unless it's written specifically in something that I've found. I am trying to be more aware that there are people who are intersex who don't include themselves as part of the queer community. It's a bit hard because.

Katie (Host) | 00:03:58 to 00:04:20
Missing out on the A, because asexuals tend. Because asexuality is still. You can see how we fit in with the community because we're gender and sexually diverse and all that kind of stuff, whereas intersex tends to get cut off as more of a biological thing that people think about. People are like, oh, that's just biology. It's got nothing to do with this.

Katie (Host) | 00:04:21 to 00:04:35
So it's hard because I feel like lgbtq and then you got ia. It's a shame that A comes after I. Yeah. Because I'm like, sorry, asexuals, you're on our plus plus, like us pannies. Anyway, you got pansexual people never get included in the.

Katie (Host) | 00:04:35 to 00:04:48
Yeah. Do you know what? I'm not going to speak for all pansexuals, but it doesn't really bother me just because I feel like for so long, I identified as bisexual that I was like, you know what? Bi is enough to represent what I am. Yeah.

Katie (Host) | 00:04:48 to 00:05:01
Even though it's not everything I am. It's a term that you can relate with, but it does not generally describe who you are as well as your sexuality. Yeah, exactly. Well put. The second piece of news I have is Hungry Pride ban.

Archie (Host) | 00:05:02 to 00:05:29
So, on March 18, Hungary passed a law that will outlaw Pride and similar events. This means that supporting the LGBTQ community means you will get penalised. How so? So the law further allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify both attendees and organisers who will face fines of up to 500 Euro, which is about 860 AUD at the time of recording this episode. And this is based on the grounds of child protection.

Katie (Host) | 00:05:29 to 00:05:40
Child protection. The Prime Minister said the intention of the law is to ban pride. The law was submitted by the President in just one day. I. I was a bit confused because I did look up, do they have a Prime Minister and a president?

Archie (Host) | 00:05:40 to 00:06:00
But they do. So they have a president and then the president elects the Prime Minister or chooses the Prime Minister. So I'm not sure exactly what role they play. So this is the latest move by the Hungarian government to attack and scapegoat LGBT people. In 2021, the government adopted a law banning the portrayal and promotion of LGBT content to children.

Archie (Host) | 00:06:01 to 00:06:17
That law resulted in anti LGBT smear campaigns and this led to the EU Commission having to bring a case against Hungary in the EU Court of Justice. Go the eu. It's a disappointing thing, isn't it? Yeah. But then again, I'm kind of not surprised.

Archie (Host) | 00:06:17 to 00:06:33
So the last piece of news is not really news, but have you heard the new Wiggle song? Yeah. Friend Of Dorothy. So Friends of Dorothy is a new Wiggle song and it features Orville Peck. So Orville Peck is a country music artist and I do believe he is an openly gay man.

Archie (Host) | 00:06:34 to 00:06:52
So this has got the socials and the Tiktoks talking, whether they think that the Wiggles are trying to promote a queer message or not. Because they're singing Friends Of Dorothy. And if you remember, we did an episode about what Friends of Dorothy means. Do you remember what you said? Yeah, of course.

Katie (Host) | 00:06:52 to 00:07:06
Friends of Dorothy is something that people used to say to each other to try and suss out if they were queer or not. To be like, hey, you a friend of Dorothy? And if someone's like, yeah, I am, it'd be like, nah, gay. So it's almost like, hey, are you a friend of Dorothy? Are you queer?

Archie (Host) | 00:07:06 to 00:07:20
And so that's kind of. Yeah, I thought that was quite an interesting little bit of news there. And I, you know, it's kind of a way for the Wiggles to say, hey, we do appreciate who you are. And yeah, I love the Wiggles. They're Australian.

Katie (Host) | 00:07:20 to 00:07:31
They're unproblematic. They're great. They're very supportive. Yeah, I love it how they are very. They are very subtly political at times.

Katie (Host) | 00:07:31 to 00:07:38
Yeah, I think that really great for diversity in general. They understand that. It's beautiful. You ready for my news? I'm ready for your news.

Katie (Host) | 00:07:38 to 00:07:59
I got a couple of news articles. Okay. I think we've talked about them briefly, like little snippets of news on our previous news agendas, but still. So I've got an article from ABC News which is, Utah becomes US first state to ban LGBTQIA Pride flags in. In government buildings and schools.

Katie (Host) | 00:07:59 to 00:08:14
So we have heard about this previously. There is like a long and short of it. In essence, if you looked at this. This topic and just took the actual clickbaiting of it, you'd be like, shit, they're singling out Pride people. That's not necessarily what's happening.

Katie (Host) | 00:08:15 to 00:08:33
So in essence, in Utah, there's been. And Utah is a Republican state, so there has been a bill that has gone through that the. What is it, Minister? No, I always forget how the American system works. But in essence, there's a bill that's gone through, Governor, anyway.

Katie (Host) | 00:08:33 to 00:09:12
So in essence, the governor, whose name is Spencer Cox, said that he could not reject the policy despite his serious concerns with it, because his veto would likely be overridden by the Republican control legislative. So I can see it's not necessarily just for queer people. It's actually just. But in essence, what the ruling is actually saying is that under the new flag ban, any state or local government in Utah flying a flag other than the United States flag, the Utah state flag, military flags, or another short list of flags approved by politicians, we find 500 USD. So that's approximate at the moment to 795.

Katie (Host) | 00:09:12 to 00:09:58
So this also means that they're not able to fly the Make American Great flags either. They're not able to fly any other propaganda flags, but then subsequently they're also not able to fly Pride flags because they're not in the way something that's been okayed by the US government. So I can see how initially it's pretty shitty in the fact that with Pride coming up in June for America and usually Utah as well as, I mean specifically Salt Lake City, they've said that Salt Lake City do tend to put on a huge show. They have flags, they have lights everywhere, they make sure that their support for the queer community is very well known. But I can see how it's going to be a bit difficult because it is, in essence, banning Pride flags.

Katie (Host) | 00:09:58 to 00:10:20
But it's not just Pride flags. It is hard because, you know, LGBT people are a marginalised community. And seeing the flag, the Pride flag, is not a sign of division and hate, like the Make America Great Again flag or anything like that. But I did see recently, I think it was on social media, that the Pride event from Salt Lake in Utah has been moved to another state. Yeah, I'm not surprised.

Katie (Host) | 00:10:21 to 00:10:52
And it's difficult in that way. Yeah, I can see why the governor found it really difficult, because no matter what, it's going to be the Republicans who push it through with their legislature. There's only so many things you can do. And at least in one way, it's not that you can't have the Make America Great, because that would be one thing I'd be more scared of, is that even though you can't have Pride flags, I'd be more scared if there was the MAGA flags everywhere. Another one of the news articles I was looking at today as well was from the Guardian.

Katie (Host) | 00:10:52 to 00:11:13
So judge rules against Trump in several cases, including trans military ban. So there's been thousands upon thousands of governmental workers who have lost their jobs with the Trump administration. And there was meant to be a reinstating of those jobs, which has never happened. So it's one of those things that I think it was. There we go.

Katie (Host) | 00:11:13 to 00:12:03
Reinstate more than 17,000 probationary employees, which means employees that have worked under one year or two years within the governmental sector. So in essence, it's people who, like, haven't been working for too long. But 17,000 employees were meant to be reinstated and nothing has happened about that. Upon that, it's also looking at the disbandment of any employees within the defence forces that have been identified as trans or identified as sexually or gender diverse. So they're wanting, in essence, what Trump government is wanting to do is put in a mandatory surveying of staff, that it will happen annually and if you identify as having any form of gender dysphoria is what they put, then they can actually, in essence, fire you.

Katie (Host) | 00:12:03 to 00:12:36
Yeah, it just turns into that manhunt again. I know we've done so many, many, many episodes ago, we did an episode on how the US government has done this previously. I can't remember how long ago I think it was like 1960s or 70s, something similar to that, in which there were thousands and thousands of queer employees that were witch hunted and then fired, secondary to being called sexually diverse, even if they weren't. And so they went on this witch hunt. And I feel like you just had to be accused.

Katie (Host) | 00:12:36 to 00:12:48
Yeah, you just had to be accused. And so I feel like this is happening all over again. Yeah, history repeating itself. It is history repeating itself. And I don't see a point in like, a mandatory survey that annually says, oh, have you been diverse?

Katie (Host) | 00:12:48 to 00:12:58
Nobody's going to be like, oh, yeah, I've been diverse. No, if it's going to lead you to losing your job, it's just going. To send people back in the closet and into hiding. That's all it's going to do. Yeah, it really is, isn't it?

Katie (Host) | 00:12:59 to 00:13:22
And I think that's the purpose of it. No matter what. If, even if people aren't stating that they're queer, or if they are stating that they're queer, then get rid of them. And if they're not stating they're queer, then in essence, you're forcing them back into the closet. I just think it's honestly that people like Trump are scared because smaller minority groups are starting to be more open.

Archie (Host) | 00:13:22 to 00:13:47
And therefore people who maybe in the past wouldn't have come out are now coming out. And it's changing the status quo of what Americans or, you know, what some people in America believed to be. And so people don't like change, and people don't like changes to the status quo. And people who are in power want to stay in power, want to keep power. And for some of those people, LGBT people are a threat to them.

Katie (Host) | 00:13:47 to 00:13:56
That's what it is. It's that whole analogy of like, we can all have a piece of the pie. It's not. If I take a piece of the pie, it takes away from your piece of the pie. It doesn't.

Katie (Host) | 00:13:56 to 00:14:12
That's not how it works. Giving a voice to somebody doesn't take some away, some of your voice. So it's just I'm always in this sound of mind of, like, having more voices means that you have more people represented. I think that's a good thing. Yeah.

Katie (Host) | 00:14:12 to 00:14:41
And having a consensus or at least some form of understanding between people to allow everybody to be understood and have their backgrounds being taken into account for a conversation is good. It's never going to be good with one person not listening to anybody, making judgments or making calls that affect other people because they don't understand. And A lot of the time what we're seeing is that they don't understand, they don't want to understand and they don't care. And that's. That's what's happening right now.

Archie (Host) | 00:14:41 to 00:14:52
Privileged people or privileged identities and so are just scared of losing that privilege. That's all it is. It's not about anything else but losing their power and their privilege. That's what it is. It's simple as that.

Katie (Host) | 00:14:53 to 00:15:00
Yeah. So true, isn't it? So true. All right, let me tell you, this last article. So this last article is actually from Star Observer.

Katie (Host) | 00:15:00 to 00:15:18
So if you don't know who Star observer is, it's. It's queer journalism in essence. So it's LGBTQIA plus a journalism which I find really interesting. But anyway, they had this great article that says Republicans attempt to ban Elmo Burton Ernie over extreme homosexual agenda. I saw this.

Archie (Host) | 00:15:18 to 00:15:44
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is from March 2025. So I had this great read and I really enjoy it. So, in essence, in a move that has sparked both outrage and ridicule, Republican lawmakers have pushed to defund the Public Broadcasting Service pbs, with some suggesting the beloved Sesame street characters Elmo, Bert and Ernie are part of an extreme homosexual agenda. It's so amazing.

Archie (Host) | 00:15:44 to 00:15:51
It's ridiculous. It is. And I feel like this has been a conversation that's been going on for ages. But the more and more I read. Of this article, I was like, even though last.

Archie (Host) | 00:15:51 to 00:16:04
In a previous episode, you said you didn't realise that everybody said Bert and Ernie were a queer couple. No, I didn't. Yeah, I really didn't. I was like, geez Louise, I didn't realise this was a conversation that's been going on for such a long period of time. Yeah.

Katie (Host) | 00:16:04 to 00:16:19
Anyway. The controversy arose during a congressional hearing on March 26th where GOP. Don't know what that stands for. Sorry. Made a case for cutting public funding to PBS and the National Public Radio, citing alleged left wing bias.

Katie (Host) | 00:16:19 to 00:16:58
Among the most vocal critics was Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who accused PBS of indoctrinating children with progressive ideas, going as far to claim that the broadcaster was involved in transing children and brainwashing children about agenda. Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia quickly responded to the hearing with sarcasm, highlighting he saw it as absurdity of the Republican position. These two guys actually living together, they're friends, they're supportive of each other, said Garcia, referring to Bert and Ernie. He also had some really other great comments which were. Now that might be triggering to our chairwoman.

Katie (Host) | 00:16:58 to 00:17:11
Are Bert and Ernie part of an extreme homosexual agenda. The American people want to know, is Elmo now or has he ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States? Yes or no? It's just. I fucking love it.

Archie (Host) | 00:17:11 to 00:17:24
It's ridiculous. It's just so good. Anyway, it goes on, in essence, a lot of satire coming from the Democrat Party, which was really great. And that, I think is the only way to really take it. If somebody is having such a crazy idea behind something that is puppets.

Katie (Host) | 00:17:24 to 00:17:40
And that's actually what was showcased back in many of the criticisms towards Sesame Street. Some of the writers and some of the creators have been like, they don't have an agenda, they don't have any sexual orientation. They're puppets. Yeah. And then specifically there is one.

Katie (Host) | 00:17:41 to 00:17:57
This is just the best thing ever. There is one writer. Sesame Street's former writer Mark Saltzman revealed in 2018 that they were written as a same sex couple and that he had written Bert and Ernie's interaction based off his own relationship with his partner. I love that. I love that too.

Katie (Host) | 00:17:57 to 00:18:18
I just thought that it's kind of crazy that we're talking about all these things and that the conversations that are getting talked about is bloody Sesame Street. Yeah, right. I'm like, are they going to kind of come for the Wiggles? I reckon after they work out what Friends of Dorothy song means, they're definitely going to come after the Wiggles for sure. I mean, the problem is Wiggles banned.

Katie (Host) | 00:18:18 to 00:18:38
From the us, which to be honest, I think that would be the greatest thing ever and they should get those. If that ends up happening, I will literally buy the newspaper and frame it and shove it on our walls. Yes, I would love to see that. It would just be like a day of wins and be like, yeah, the Wiggles, they are a little bit political. They've got more money than anybody else.

Archie (Host) | 00:18:38 to 00:18:54
Before we start the little game, I just. I saw this quote on social media and I think. I can't remember, I think it was Freedom Centre or something like that or what's the other one? The big -18. So I think it was either Freedom Centre or -18 or organisation like that shared this quote.

Archie (Host) | 00:18:55 to 00:19:18
And it is, you're only as inclusive as your least inclusive employee. Oh. And that got me thinking. Yeah, that means a lot of the organisations that I've worked for are very non inclusive because it does raise a point, like, you're only as inclusive as your least inclusive employee. Because there is, you know, they do have that saying, like, you know, you're only as strong as your weakest Link.

Katie (Host) | 00:19:18 to 00:19:30
Yeah. Because that one week link can destroy the whole chain. So I thought about that and I thought that was a good discussion point. And yeah, if you're listening at home, leave a comment on our post. And what do you think?

Archie (Host) | 00:19:30 to 00:19:46
Do you think that's true or is there some grey area in that? It's an interesting topic. What's your thought? I think it's true, looking at it, because it doesn't come under people's own ideologies. It's about how they value individuals.

Katie (Host) | 00:19:47 to 00:19:56
Like, how to put this better? You can have your own thoughts. That's fine. Have your own thoughts. But if you're not being inclusive at the workplace, that's affecting.

Katie (Host) | 00:19:56 to 00:20:23
There is little microcosms of homophobia or transphobia or just those slide comments will affect your other employees. It's the little jokes. It's the little jokes that plant the seed of like, this isn't safe here. I've definitely been privy to it. And it's those little things that start getting worse and worse and it starts creating cracks in the organisation which makes people who are queer not feeling comfortable.

Katie (Host) | 00:20:24 to 00:20:41
Yeah, yeah, I've seen it. So we're gonna play a game. Yes. All right, so this game is called Queer Film or Hallmark Movie? The way it works is I'm going to give you a synopsis from a movie and you have to tell me whether it is queer or whether it is Hallmark.

Katie (Host) | 00:20:41 to 00:20:48
Love this. Do you think you could do it? I am a great runner for Hallmark movies. Yep, Yep. Not so much Queer Movies, funnily enough.

Archie (Host) | 00:20:48 to 00:21:03
You can play along at home if you're listening and let me know if I got anything wrong. Nice. So a woman returns home for Christmas to convince her father to sell the family owned ski lodge, but finds herself falling for the charming lodge owner who is determined to save it. Hallmark Movie. Correct.

Archie (Host) | 00:21:03 to 00:21:12
Do you know what it's called? Yeah, it's the one. Isn't the one with Lindsay Lohan? It's not. It's very similar because, you know, all Hallmark movies have a very similar plot, but.

Katie (Host) | 00:21:12 to 00:21:24
No, they do. It's called Christmas at Grand Valley and was made in 2018. Oh, I feel like I need to. Watch that because the one with Lindsay Lohan, she, remember, she was like an influencer and she went to a ski lodge. Oh, she was an heiress.

Archie (Host) | 00:21:24 to 00:21:41
Yeah. And then she had a head injury. So it wasn't about, you know, there was a bit more to it, but very similar. Okay. A successful artist returns to his rural hometown to care for his ailing grandfather while hoping to Rekindle things with his high school crush, he unexpectedly finds himself drawn to a quiet and caring local shop owner.

Katie (Host) | 00:21:41 to 00:21:53
It's funny, as soon as you start talking to me, I've been like, oh, is it this? Is this? And then my brain stops listening. Can you say it again? A successful artist returns to his rural hometown to care for his ailing grandfather.

Archie (Host) | 00:21:54 to 00:22:10
While hoping to rekindle things with his high school crush, he unexpectedly finds himself drawn to a quiet and caring local shop owner. Do you know it's really hard. So at the beginning of this, I'm just like, it's your life, but it's not your life. And then I was just like, oh, this sounds like Schitt's Creek. But it's not Schitt's Creek.

Katie (Host) | 00:22:11 to 00:22:19
What are my options again? So if it's. Is it queer, Is it a queer film or is it a Hallmark movie? Okay, okay, okay, okay. Let's think about this.

Katie (Host) | 00:22:20 to 00:22:28
It sounds like a Hallmark movie. Hallmark movie. It is queer. And it is a movie called Big Eden and was made in 2000. Ah, okay, sure.

Archie (Host) | 00:22:29 to 00:22:46
Next one. A high powered attorney returns to her small hometown after her father's passing and reconnects with her first love, a bookstore owner who is fighting to keep their business alive in the face of corporate expansion. Queer. Hallmark. I thought the bookstore, you know, like, you know.

Katie (Host) | 00:22:46 to 00:22:54
Yeah, literally. I was just like, bookstore, Definitely queer. Come on now. It's called the Bookstore Romance and it was made in 2021 and it's a Hallmark film. Should be queer.

Katie (Host) | 00:22:54 to 00:23:03
I can imagine that. Being smart. I reckon, I reckon that make probably. I reckon they'd make a queer version of that. Someone is ready to propose while spending Christmas with their partner's family.

Archie (Host) | 00:23:03 to 00:23:14
Until they find out their significant other hasn't told their parents about the relationship. Forced to play along as just a friend, they start questioning everything. It's queer. Hallmark movie with Kristen Bell in it. Queer.

Archie (Host) | 00:23:14 to 00:23:19
And it's happiest season. Yep. It's got Kristen Bell and the guy from. Kristen Bell. Kristen Bell.

Katie (Host) | 00:23:19 to 00:23:23
Kristen Stewart. Yeah, Kristen Stewart. Sorry. Kristen Stewart. Yeah.

Katie (Host) | 00:23:23 to 00:23:29
And the guy from Schitt's Creek, Is he in there? Yeah, he's her best friend. Oh, okay. Great movie. That was a good movie.

Archie (Host) | 00:23:29 to 00:23:43
Yeah, good. Queer and Hallmark. Two rival TV journalists are unexpectedly thrown back together when they both compete for the same high profile job. Hallmark. As the competition heats up, so do old feelings, leaving them questioning what they really want.

Katie (Host) | 00:23:43 to 00:23:51
It's a Hallmark movie. It is. It's broadcasting Christmas. Yeah, I remember that one. That's got the Girl from Riverdale does it.

Katie (Host) | 00:23:51 to 00:23:57
Yeah, it does. Yeah. No good to know. I know a lot of it's got Sabrina, the original Sabrina, isn't it? No.

Archie (Host) | 00:23:57 to 00:24:06
Oh, okay. It's the girl who plays Veronica in Riverdale. No, that's a different one. Oh, there's another similar premise. You smiled like that as if there's that one coming up.

Archie (Host) | 00:24:06 to 00:24:11
No, no, no, no, no. It's just because we watched that one recently. Yeah. Anyway, Hallmark. I was right.

Archie (Host) | 00:24:11 to 00:24:24
Well done. Next one. In early 20th century Spain, a woman disguises her identity to marry her partner in secret. Their love faces dangerous backlash, leading to a story of defiance and unexpected consequences. Queer.

Katie (Host) | 00:24:24 to 00:24:32
We're in Spain. They have got a partner and they've got to hide it. It's queer. Yep, it's queer. And it's called Eliza and Marcella and was in 2019.

Katie (Host) | 00:24:32 to 00:24:37
Oh, cute. Do you know what? I think I've seen the picture of that. Oh, yeah, Yeah. I think I've seen the trailer.

Archie (Host) | 00:24:37 to 00:24:52
A couple more to go. Yep. In a small town, a woman is tasked with finding the perfect Christmas tree for a family celebration. Along the way, she forms an unexpected bond with a person who's been selling trees for years, leading to a holiday romance. It's a Hallmark movie.

Archie (Host) | 00:24:52 to 00:25:03
It's actually both. It is under the Christmas Tree, written in 2021 and. And it was actually Hallmark's first lesbian led holiday movie. Do you know what? I literally was just like, this could go 50 50.

Katie (Host) | 00:25:03 to 00:25:15
Because I'm like, you're going and buying trees. Lumberjacks. You either have lumberjacks or you can have lesbian lumberjacks. Okay, I need to step up my game. But yeah, there was a couple of things that I was just like, oh, yeah.

Katie (Host) | 00:25:15 to 00:25:25
Also, why is it always going back to a small town? It always is. Have you noticed that? It's like, go back to your small town. Why do Hallmark movies romanticise small towns?

Archie (Host) | 00:25:25 to 00:25:39
Because maybe small towns are different in the States, but small towns here can be really hit and miss. Nah, I think it's the same. It's almost like it's that kind of thing. Like when you need to start again, you need to go back to your roots. Yeah, but yeah, it's that.

Katie (Host) | 00:25:39 to 00:25:48
Falling in love with your high school sweetheart or childhood sweetheart. Yeah, that's kind of stuff. So you have to go back to the location where it all began. Yeah, that's how I'm going to lose you. That's how it's going to work.

Katie (Host) | 00:25:48 to 00:25:54
You're going to go back to your small town. You're Going to be like, I love them. It's going to be hilarious. Hell no. I look forward to it.

Katie (Host) | 00:25:54 to 00:26:00
I'll make a movie about it as the Jaded Lover. I could make a good Hallmark movie. I'm sure you could. Yeah. Anyway, we got three more.

Katie (Host) | 00:26:00 to 00:26:17
Okay. After a wedding planner is forced to work with a firefighter on a last minute arrangement for a big event, their clashing personalities slowly give way to undeniable chemistry. Can love spark in the middle of wedding chaos? I'm pretty sure that's got Jennifer Lopez in it. And it's just a Hallmark movie.

Archie (Host) | 00:26:17 to 00:26:29
It's a Hallmark movie and it's called a firehouse Christmas 2016. I don't think it's Jennifer Lopez, but there's something. It sounds very Jennifer Lopez coded. Next one. So two childhood best friends reconnect at a wedding.

Katie (Host) | 00:26:31 to 00:26:42
Anyway, continue. And as old feelings resurface, they begin to wonder if their connection has always been more than just friendship. Do you know what? This could be either? Yep.

Katie (Host) | 00:26:42 to 00:26:51
It's kind of queer coded because it's like two best friends. Yep. But this is also how all Hallmark movies go. Yeah, all Hallmark movies. There's that one that.

Katie (Host) | 00:26:51 to 00:27:13
With Julia Roberts and her best friend who. There's a lot of ones that sound like this rebels at that big one. And Julia Roberts best friend is getting married and like they. This basically could be that movie. And in essence, she tries to convince him that like, there's that whole thing where she still loves him and she's trying to figure out her feelings towards him and all that kind of stuff.

Katie (Host) | 00:27:13 to 00:27:28
So if it's that movie, it's. It's just Hallmark. It is a little bit queer centric. But I feel like in the description, if it was like just their best friends, then it's not queer. If it was like hidden romance, it would be queer.

Katie (Host) | 00:27:28 to 00:27:38
So it's just Hallmark. I reckon it's queer. Oh, fuck. All right, I'm happy with the progression of this then. It's called the feels and was 2017, I did change one of the things.

Archie (Host) | 00:27:38 to 00:27:47
So it was two childhood best friends end up being bridesmaids. But I got rid of that so that it wasn't so obvious. Fuck. Yeah. So they're brought together because they're bridesmaids.

Katie (Host) | 00:27:47 to 00:27:54
Sabotaged me. Well, I had to. If I put bridesmaids, you could have. Said bridal party together. If I put bridal party, it was going to be a bit more obvious.

Archie (Host) | 00:27:54 to 00:28:05
So if I just kept it out. You know that I've got skills. Okay. And the last one Fine. After a strange twist of fate, a woman finds herself living in a new life with a family she never expected.

Archie (Host) | 00:28:05 to 00:28:20
As the holidays approach, she must navigate the challenges of finding what truly matters. Family, love, and her own happiness. Okay, we've not talked anything about romance. Family, love, and her own happiness. Yeah, but love.

Katie (Host) | 00:28:20 to 00:28:27
Love can mean anything, and she's a nanny. Doesn't say that. Wait, can you repeat it? After a strange twist of fate. Yeah.

Archie (Host) | 00:28:27 to 00:28:46
A woman finds herself living a new life with a family she never expected. See, that makes me think she's a nanny living a new life with a family she never expected. You can only be given the context clues that are in the synopsis. As the holiday approaches, everything is in the task. She must navigate the challenges of finding what truly matters.

Archie (Host) | 00:28:46 to 00:28:56
Family, love, and her own happiness. You'd make a great taskmaster. It's not what I was gonna say, but you would. You'd be so frustrating. We should do taskmaster.

Katie (Host) | 00:28:56 to 00:29:06
You should be the guy. Okay, we'll do it. We'll do a TikTok thing on it. So I feel like there is no queer coding in this. There could be a queer coding in this, but it doesn't feel like there is.

Katie (Host) | 00:29:07 to 00:29:20
My gut says Hallmark. It is Hallmark. Okay, cool. I left that last line, and I changed it up so that I thought it might get you, like, family love and her own happiness. Like, you know, but it's Hallmark, and it's a family for Christmas, and it was from 2015.

Katie (Host) | 00:29:20 to 00:29:25
Is it about a nanny? I don't think so. That's the best synopsis, but yeah. Okay. Interesting.

Archie (Host) | 00:29:25 to 00:29:30
Did you like that game? I did. If you're listening at home. Were you playing along? How many did you get?

Archie (Host) | 00:29:30 to 00:29:34
Should we do it again? Yeah. I wonder how many I got. I thought I did really well. I didn't.

Archie (Host) | 00:29:34 to 00:29:37
Keep counting. I didn't. It's your job. I'm reading the questions. I'm the taskmaster.

Katie (Host) | 00:29:38 to 00:29:46
Taskmasters are to keep count as well. Mate, you didn't tell me I was a taskmaster until the last question. I know, I know. That's true. Next time.

Archie (Host) | 00:29:46 to 00:29:59
I hope you enjoyed this episode. It was just a little bit of fun with all the deep episodes that we have been covering. So I do hope that you enjoyed it. Wasn't all fun. We learned how the world hates Elmo.

Archie (Host) | 00:29:59 to 00:30:08
Yeah. But the second half, it's a bit of lightness after the intense news. Yeah, the intense news of the world. Sesame street going down. Exactly.

Katie (Host) | 00:30:08 to 00:30:19
If you like this episode, rate, review. And subscribe, because that would be amazing. Because it really helps us and helps us push up the algorithm and get out to more of you guys out there. Absolutely. Expand our listenership.

Archie (Host) | 00:30:20 to 00:30:29
Yeah. Like, all the way in Honolulu, Hawaii. How cool is that? It's so cool. So I do hope that you've enjoyed this episode, and until next time, I hope that we have been perfect.

Katie (Host) | 00:30:29 to 00:30:30
Perfectly queer.

Archie (Host) | 00:30:39 to 00:30:40
Let's be perfectly queer.