Diane on coming out at 77, going viral, and life as a nun

Diane on coming out at 77, going viral, and life as a nun

February 3, 2026 · 60 min · Season 3 · Episode 22

About this episode

Diane shares her journey of coming out as a lesbian at 77, discussing her past and newfound love.

Our friend Diane took the internet by storm this winter, when she started to tell her story of coming out and falling in love as a late-in-life lesbian. With over 5 million views, and thousands of adoring commenters, we figured it was time Sarah sat down with Diane to discuss her life in more detail. They unpack everything about Diane's 77 years of compulsive heteronormativity (she is, understandably, very excited to learn the word for that). From growing up in an abusive household, to seeking refuge at the convent (where she discovers alcoholism), and finally finding love (both romantically, and on the internet), Diane brings the same vulnerability and charm we have come to know on social media. -If you want to contribute to Diane's vacation fund, her venmo is Diane-Markel-1 (if there is no photo, or visible transactions, you're in the right place!) Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast! -Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review! -For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sarah Gabrielli, Rachel Karp, Jennifer McGinity

Guest: Diane

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Organizations: Cruising Podcast

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