#1: Dan Savage

"Twice Removed" explores Dan Savage's family history, revealing surprising connections and challenging conventional definitions of family. The journey begins with Savage's great-grandparents' immigration and uncovers his great-grandfather's involvement in an illegal gambling syndicate in Chicago. The podcast highlights his cousin Jane's activism against an authoritarian regime in Pakistan and the story of Nan Britton, who claimed President Warren G. Harding fathered her child. It further features Paul Popham, a relative who founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis. The episode culminates in Savage meeting his mystery relative, Ginger Vitus, the drag queen who introduced him to his husband, Terry, underscoring the theme of found family and queer activism.