Isnt It Queer

Produced on the Election Day but released on the day after, this episode anticipates the turmoil to come. Jonny first delves into the Trump Administration's attempts to whitewash their LGBTQ+ record and the strange phenomenon of LGBTQ Trump supporters. He then coasts through a series of good news items about the LGBTQ community that may have been eclipsed by the US elections. These include children with same sex parents performing better academically, the state department dropping law suit appeals over the citizenship of children with same sex parents, Texas abandoning its attempts to allow social workers to discriminate against LGBTQ clients, non-virtual Pride in Taiwan, and the engagement announcement of Megan Rapenoe and Sue Bird.

Jonny shares some of the wonderful speeches and endorsements from this year's Rainbow Cafe virtual gala, marking its 20th anniversary. He does a brief check in on the news and then turns it over to Rona P. Andemic for some spooky holiday words of wisdom.

Jonny interviews Tara Bell about the upcoming (and already on-going) 20th Anniversary Gala for the Rainbow Cafe. He also reviews some recent Trevor Project data about how CoVid-19 is impacting LGBTQ+ youth. Finally, he ends with a quick review of some recent stories, including good news from New Zealand about lots of LGBTQ people being elected to Parliament.

Jonny starts out with a recap of the 2020 Fall (Virtual) Conference of Gay Spirit Visions, including a sampling of the keynote address by Padraig O'Tuama. He then moves on to cover upcoming LGBTQ+ History Month events in the Carbondale area. He briefly updates stories about Boystown changing its name in Chicago, more JK Rowling toxicity, and the direness of the Supreme Court appointment process.

Jonny discusses the western wildfires and their causes, in cluding in one place a gender [sic] reveal party. He then discusses the accidental revelations of Chris Evans's private parts. He discusses the unfortunately not surprising further revelation of JK Rowling's transphobia in her latyest nover. Finally, Rona P. Andemic offers some meditations on "pre-existing conditions" inspired by recently released interview tapes with President Trump.

Jonny fact checks some pro-Trump advertising that mischaracterizes the Equality Act. He then follows up with more reasons why Ric Grenell cannot be trusted as a gay advocate for the Trump Administration. In the back half of the show we share reports of new drug-resistant strains of HIV in France, and we end with new reporting on the impacts of CoVid-19 on LGBTQ communities. Interested in our sources and more Queer news and information? Check out our Flipboard magazine at: https://flipboard.com/@bungy32/isn-t-it-queer-0hrecisdy

Jonny wraps up election year convention season with a rundown of the the RNC. He then turns to two recent court decisions in favor of LGBTQ rights, one dealing with the citizen status of a child born through surrogacy to same sex couples and the other Gavin Grimm"s successful appeal to in his case against his high school's transphobic bathroom and locker room policies. Finally, we review the case of Alex Morse and the homophobic assault on his candidacy for a Massachusetts Congress seat from within the Democratic Party.

Jonny reviews the rest of the Democratic National Convention followed by some analysis of the first night of the Republican National Convention. Rona P. Andemic offers some commentary about memory, nostalgia, and omens.

Jonny checks in on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, noting it is setting historical precedents for LGBTQ visibility and a pro-LGBTQ platform. He then takes a closer look at first night speeches by Senator Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama. Jonny turns to a discussion of Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for Vice President, reviewing some of the cautions we might have about her but also taking inventory of her considerable pro-LGBTQ bona fides.

Jonny checks in on the turmoil in Poland after the reelection of President Duda. He then reviews what led to Jerry Falwell Jr. taking a leave of absence as the president of Liberty University. He then shares information about Drag Out The Vote 2020 and how you can get involved. Finally, a commentary from Rona P. Andemic.

Jonny reviews first how the Trump administration has politicized its response to CoVid 19 before diving into some of the lessons from the HIV/AIDS pandemic that we might apply to this one. He then reviews the funeral of John Lewis and why acting up and getting into "good trouble" is so important. Finally, he covers two contrasting cases of LGBTQ-related CoVid deniers who caught CoVid and how they responded to getting infected.

Jonny has some hard words for Dr. Stella Immanuel and the (not!) "front line doctors" of the "white coat summit" held on the steps of the SCOTUS. He then reviews Dr. Anthony Fauci's bona fides, with particular reference to his work on HIV/AIDS and the parallels he sees between our response to that pandemic and the current one. He reviews recent scientific meta-analysis that confirms bisexual men exist, checks in on JK Rowling's epic and on-going transphobic melt-down, and closes with a memorial for the death of Joseph Costa, a gay ICU doctor on the front lines of the CoVid response.

Jonny begins with a memorial for Congressman John Lewis. He then discusses some places around the world in need of "Good Trouble", Including new anti-LGBTQ legislation in Russia, Trump Administration guidances on asylum seekers and trans discrimination, changes to anti-LGBTQ laws in Sudan, and the emergence of Pride Afrique. The show ends with a commentary by Rona P. Andemic.

Jonny dives into the challenges of reopening schools in the fall if the pandemic isn't dealt with better in this country. He also reviews what Dr. Anthony Fauci has been up to since getting the cold shoulder from the White House, including his talk at the 2020 International AIDS Conference.

Jonny revisits the ongoing Rowling stoked gender critical debate with a line of rebuttals provided by "Sue Gives a F**k." He then reviews advancing HUD guidances that allow homeless shelters to turn away trans folks seeking shelter. He discusses briefly changes at the Agency for Global Media that will affect LGBTQ and other civil rights advocates in countries with authoritarian regimes. Finally, Rona P. Andemic returns with some commentary about fireworks and Independence Day.

Jonny talks with local activist and community organizer, Clare Killman, about the recent arrest and pepper spraying of participants in a Carbondale Queer Wrath march, including the dead-naming and misgendering of a trans woman who was taken into police custody. He then reviews reports of violent police overreaction at t similar march in NYC, He finishes with a review of the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson and the various memorials erected and planned to honor her memory around the country.

Jonny runs down the list of local virtual and CoVid-compliant Pride events still upcoming n June. He then discusses the importance of Juneteenth, sips some tea over President Trump's Tulsa rally, and updates some ongoing LGBTQ stories, including: the MSM blood and plasma donation restrictions, Idaho's anti-trans laws, the SCOTUS decisions on DACA and LGBTQIA workplace discrimination, and pushback against JK Rowling's TERF discourse.

Jonny talks with Tara Bell about upcoming virtual and CoVid-compliant Pride events in Southern Illinois. He then discussed the recent Supreme Court decision re: LGBTQ+ discrimination in the workforce.

Jonny reviews even more local and virtual Pride events, before commenting on three stories in LGBTQ news this week: JK Rowling doubling down on TERF anti-trans discourse; Lindsey Graham being outed by male escorts; and gay bars targeted by police during the current anti-violence protests.

Jonny briefly reviews some of the on-line Pride festivities available in the region before a long chat with with Caleb about the recent protests against police violence and the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police. We end the show with a call for an even more intersectional Pride this year and a firm commitment to the truth that Black Lives Matter.