In fulfillment of a listener request from @vanesawye on Tumblr, Maria and recurring guest Dondré Taylor-Stewart break down the HBO Max teen drama GENERA+ION (2021). This short but impactful show is packed with political moments, from Chester’s recurring experience of getting dress coded for being visibly queer to Delilah subverting the activist character trope. We talk about Greta’s asexuality, Nathan’s experience of coming out as bisexual while having conservative parents, and how cruel of a decision it was for HBO Max to cancel and pull a show that so many queer teens could see themselves in.  For this episode, we’d usually recommend you first watch or have familiarity with GENERA+ION Season 1, but it’s incredibly hard to find so we mostly just wish you luck in trying to watch it.  FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL | instagram, tumblr, tiktok, bluesky: @leftistteendrama | twitter, letterboxd: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com _ ABOUT US: MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.  DONDRÉ TAYLOR-STEWART (he/him; recurring guest) is a Jersey-born, Jamaican-raised TV writer in Los Angeles. His writing focuses on Black and queer characters finding themselves amid society's margins. By day, he works in environmental public policy; by night, he's busy crafting original pilots and DJ-ing.  JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV. CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l). Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.  intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with. _ SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:  Queerty, May 22, 2025, Justice for ‘Genera+ion’: Why the queer HBO Max teen series still deserves its flowers by David Opie The Daily Beast, August 18, 2022, Why Is HBO Max Erasing the Best Queer Teen Series From Existence? by Fletcher Peters Entertainment Weekly, September 15, 2021, Genera+ion co-creator responds to show's cancellation, answers most-asked finale questions by Zelda Barnz AwardsWatch, July 8, 2021, Interview: Justice Smith talkin’ about his ‘genera+ion’ and celebrating queer identity by Michael-Michelle Pratt IndieWire, March 11, 2021, ‘Genera+ion’ Review: HBO Max’s Gen Z Dramedy Is Confused About Its Identity by Jude Dry Variety, March 5, 2021, HBO Max’s ‘Generation’ Takes on Gen Z With Familiar Teen Show Tropes: TV Review by Caroline Framke