Late in 88

About Late in 88

Late in ‘88 is a podcast that explores the blurred lines of truth and memory as two grade school classmates, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda share their experiences of growing up queer and gender non-conforming in Calgary, Alberta 1988 & 1998, at a time when there wasn't language to describe identities that were fringe and undefinable. By shining a light on their middle childhood and late teens, Bronwin and Elinor explore the impact of historical context and the gift of contemporary language that allows more freedom of self expression. The series will welcome many special guests and experts including grade school classmates, professors, doctors, and experts in their fields. Bronwin Parks is a Calgary city kid who grew up to be a rancher, rodeo cowboi, and the founder of the award-winning Feisty Creative, a top-notch creative agency for the music, film, television, and digital media industries. Through Feisty, Bronwin has worked with brands, award shows, and all of Canada’s major music labels. Since coming out as queer in 1996 at the age of 16 and later in 2020 as non-binary, Bronwin has fought hard to be a much-needed and outspoken champion for diversity and equity. Their dedication in fighting for systemic change has led them to serve on several music and creative industry boards, pushing DEI initiatives, creating inclusive spaces, and bringing more opportunities for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Elinor Svoboda is an award-winning filmmaker, sound designer, educator, with over 20 years of experience. Her work has been nominated for both Grammy and Juno Awards, shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival, and premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival. Notably, her 2012 short Documentary Tegan and Sara: INDIA was broadcast and distributed internationally via Warner Brothers Music. Alongside her directorial and sound work, Elinor works as a dedicated educator, having previously served as a sessional professor at Sheridan College and an instructor at York University. She has also been a faculty member of the Training in Power Academy of Meditation and Healing for the last 20 years. Having spent several years in Toronto, Elinor recently returned to her home province of Alberta, where she is developing several television and feature narrative projects under her company, Ellefire Media. Late in 88 is created by: Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda Distributed by: Women in Media Network Edited by: Ellefire Media Original Music by: Aaron Hutchinson

Publisher

Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda

Category

health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

18 Jun 2024

Latest episode

21 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Aug 2026

   Wingmates for Life: Graduating in ’98

   CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains subject matter that some listeners may find triggering. If you or someone you love is struggling please contact the Canadian suicide crisis help line at 988, or kidshelpphone.ca anytime, day or night. Internationally please contact your local crisis assistance centre. In this series finale of Late in ’88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda take listeners on an emotional road trip through the landscapes of their youth. They revisit their high school, meet present‑day students who inherit a very different culture, and wander through Confederation Park where they once held vigil for their late friend Steve. A quest for the “last ’90s food court” leads them from Brentwood to North Hill Mall, where ginger beef, fortune cookies, Buffy, and Xena become portals into queer identity, media, and survival in conservative 1990s Alberta. Bronwin returns to their former “gilded cage” in Hawkwood, confronting memories of domestic violence, boom‑and‑bust family dreams, and the terrifying openness of having nowhere safe to run. A quiet moment with a bumblebee becomes an unexpected symbol of self worth, softness, and healing. Elinor, meanwhile, uncovers how early grief and the loss of her best friend carved deep fears of abandonment and shaped the way she shows up in friendships today. Together, in parking lots and mall food courts, the two co‑hosts reflect on making this podcast, the armor they thought they’d already shed, and the radical tenderness of being fully witnessed by a friend. They graduate from this season as wingmates, inviting listeners to honour their own inner teens, tell their stories, and keep queer histories alive, one shared memory at a time. Episode Resources: Get Help: Family Violence Helplines and Services [resources] Prairie Sky Equine Assisted Therapy - Positive Pathways [youth program] The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives [historical collection] For a complete list of 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and resources visit: ⁠https://latein88.com/resources/ Distributed by Women in Media Network https://www.womeninmedia.network/ https://latein88.com/ https://www.instagram.com/late.in.88/ https://www.tiktok.com/@late.in.88

2. 

   14 Aug 2026

   Rae Spoon: Don’t Be Alarmed If You See Me in Either Washroom

   *Content Warning* This episode of Late in 88 explores domestic violence, sexual violence, medical trauma, homophobic and transphobic harassment, and teenage substance use, listener discretion is advised. In this episode of Late ’88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda reconnect with musician, producer, and author Rae Spoon, a trailblazing Canadian trans icon and Bronwin’s former gas-station co-worker. Together, they revisit the “very gay gas bar” at the end of the C-train line, and the makeshift sanctuaries of parked cars and late-night conversations that helped them endure a deeply conservative environment. Rae shares candidly about coming out as queer and then trans in the late ’90s, facing constant street harassment and gendered violence, and navigating a rigidly binary medical system that forced trans people through harmful hoops just to access care. Bronwyn and Ellie open up about their own histories of trauma, threats of corrective violence, disassociation, and the long path toward embracing queer and non-binary identities. Together, they reflect on the power of first love, chosen family, and visibility. Episode Resources: Gender Failure by Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote [book] Assigned Country Singer At Birth by Rae Spoon [music] RaeSpoon.ca [artist website] For a complete list of 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and resources visit: ⁠https://latein88.com/resources/ Distributed by Women in Media Network https://www.womeninmedia.network/ https://latein88.com/ https://www.instagram.com/late.in.88/ https://www.tiktok.com/@late.in.88

3. 

   7 Aug 2026

   Sex Ed, Silence, and Teaching for Queer Teens in ’90s Alberta

   In this episode of Late ’88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda reconnect with Professor Tanya Callahan of the University of Calgary to revisit Alberta’s high school sexual education curriculum of the ’90s—especially the Career and Life Management (CALM) course. They discuss how Catholic and public schools handled (or erased) topics like homosexuality, gender identity, and safe queer sex. Tanya reflects on her time as a Catholic school teacher, the overt heterosexism and homophobia in teacher training, and the quiet forms of resistance practiced by “heroic educators” who risked their jobs to support queer students. The conversation traces the fear-based approach to sex ed, the near-total silence around the AIDS crisis, and the emergence of Gay–Straight Alliances (QSAs/GSAs) in the early 2000s as literal lifelines for queer youth. Elinor’s niece Izzy, a queer Grade 12 student currently enrolled in a small Alberta Catholic school, joins the episode. Izzy shares what it’s like to be “the resident queer educator” for her peers, navigating unofficial support from teachers who quietly defy school board rules, and finding freedom and “vibes” in nature, music, and chosen community. This episode weaves past and present to show how much has changed—and how much hasn’t—while making a powerful case for education, solidarity, and ongoing resistance in the fight against homophobia, transphobia, and fascism in our schools. Episode Resources: Homophobia in the Hallways: Heterosexism and Transphobia in Canadian Catholic Schools, by Dr. Tonya Callaghan [book] Every Teacher Project: On LGBTQ-Inclusive Education in Canada’s K-12 Schools Final Report by/par: Égale Canada [report] How to Create a Safe Classroom for LGBTQ+ Students: For Educators [video] For a complete list of 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and resources visit: ⁠https://latein88.com/resources/ Distributed by Women in Media Network https://www.womeninmedia.network/ https://latein88.com/ https://www.instagram.com/late.in.88/ https://www.tiktok.com/@late.in.88

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

23 ratings

Contact Late in 88

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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