Pride in Bruce: Sylvan Groth on Coming Out, Chosen Family & Finding Light in Springsteen’s Music

Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast · Jun 25, 2026 · 31m

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Sylvan Groth, his Perfectly Good Podcast co-host, who shares growing up in suburban Boston, coming out as bi in the 1990s amid increased queer visibility, and facing emotional abuse and slurs from her stepfather while her mother tried to keep peace. Sylvan describes finding refuge with her aunt in Vermont—where a pride flag on a barn signaled safety—and how Springsteen albums and mix tapes helped her cope, even as her stepfather also loved Bruce. The conversation reflects on grief, activism, and joy, the idea of “family of origin” versus “family of choice,” and the…