I am going to start with, I think, the most obvious question: How do you feel about having such an unapologetically queer show premiere during this political climate? 

Right now, I think a lot of people in the entertainment industry are being a little cowardly. I’ve observed a ‘wait and see’ approach to how to respond to this new administration. But, anti-trans executive orders and laws are being enacted across the country right now. Anti-gay marriage resolutions are being introduced in several states right now. LGBTQ+ representation is plummeting on television right now. So maybe right now is actually the perfect time to release a show like Unconventional.  

Unconventional has been described as a spiritual successor to Eastsiders. Did making Eastsiders inspire you to want to create a series about being gay in your 30s, or did the idea develop on its own? And what lessons from EastSiders did you bring into Unconventional? 

I believe good stories have endings, and I wanted to close the book on the characters in Eastsiders in a way that was hopefully satisfying but continue exploring the themes that were introduced. Stories about long-term queer relationships are rare, and the real story begins at “happily ever after.”