Isnt It Queer

Jonny and Heather queer the Southern Border and the so-called immigration crisis by showing how the politicization of the problem mirrors how gender afirming care has been politicized. They discuss rebuttals to Pamela Paul's recent op ed in the New York Times as well as recent anti-trans policy initiaitices in Iowa and Alberta. In the back half of the show they link recent assaults on a St Louis gay bar to president Trump's legal loss on the issue of permanent and universal immunity, taking the opportunity to explore how "inalienable rights" might more effectively be expanded in the modern world.

Jonny and Heather discuss the Trangender American Veterans Association's law suit brought against the Department of Veteran Affairs to get them to respond to a petition to have the VA include surgical gender confirmation therapies in VA insurance coverage of transgender veterans. Heather serves on the board of TAVA and uses her own experience as a transgender veteran to explain the suit and what led up to it. In the back half of the show, Jonny and Heather discuss their disappointment in Maine abandoning its bid to be a transgender sanctuary state and in breaking news about new anti-trans policy in Florida. They leave on an upbeat note, showing the connection between Trump's $83.3 legal fine in the Carroll defamation case and a lawyer significantly responsible for Marriage Equality.

Jonny is on his own this week searching for that silver lining to the storm of anti-LGBTQ legislation. H finds it in evidence of a bisexual gene, in increased reportings of gender dysphoria, and increased numbers of folks identifying as LGBTQ+. He also finds it in clear evidence that anti-LGBTQ+ governors Abbot and Desantis are encountering backlash to their legislative overreach. there is evidence the fighting back is working and may have significant effects this election year.

Due to winter weather impacting travel and access to our recording studio, this week we bring you a rebroadcast of Jonny's interview of T. Brown in early October 2023. In the interview they discuss a web site sharing survivor stories of those who got out of a local cult in Carbondale as well as T's first expereice at GSV and how that differs from a cult.

Jonny and Heather discuss the consequences of book bans and other limitations on representation and sharing inormation. They cover information about the Queer Liberation Library, set up to combat LGBTQ book bans with a digital alternative. They discuss the consequences of bans on teaching Black history as part of a misguided labeling of them "Critical Race Theory." They also parse the difference between legislative bans and so-called "cancel culture."

Jonny and Heather review recent hopeful developments in pushbacks and hinderences to trans bans and other anti-LGBTQ legislation. They also chronicle the distressing uptick in such legislation in 2023. In the back half of the show, they look forward to the election year of 2024 and speculate about the consequences of such a year on such legislation.They do their best to find the evidence for hopefulness while also acknowledging the reality of the situation.

Jonny curates a review of 2023 using voices from the community (and beyond) that were interviewed on IIQ in 2023. 24 guests featured.

Jonny and Heather review a host of trans creatives celebrated in song, opera, books and other publications. In the back half of the show, they uses DC Comics' queer versions of popular superheroes to spark a conversation aboud "Canon" and when it does and doesn't apply in fan culture. At the core of the conversation are the ways queer and trans representations push back at Canon and insist on representation. They end with a conversation of recent law suits over who owns the rights to Lord of the Rings and the limits of fan fiction's reach.

Jonny and Heather return to some recent stories that have had some elaborations and developments that are, from a certain angle, good news. Stories revisited include: further evidence that the brain drain in red states is causing economic impacts and the Supreme Court refuses to take up the Washington state conversion therapy ban case. In the back half of the show, they discuss Grok, the X (formerly Twitter) trans-affirming AI that is causing Elon Musk such hearthache, and a survey of which states by proportion of the population are the queerest in the US,

Jonny, on his own this week, covers the fallout in Russia of their Supreme Court declaring all LGBT groups and activists "international extremists." He notes how too many on the Right in this country pull from President Putin's playbook, but he offers some hope in stories of folks successfully pushing back for LGBTQ+ rights in the US. In the back half of the show he reviews the shortened term and ousting of Rep. George Santos (D-NY). He notes why we tend to treat Santos as a joke, but warns against the dangers of doing so.

Jonny and Heather discuss the the impact of restrictive legislation in many Red States and the subsequent loss of intellectuals and professionals they are experiencing. They then contemplate a European study that provides evidence gay male parents are, on average, more successful than cis/het parents at parenting. In the back half of the show, they return to Doctor Who toe gush over the queer woderful and transtastic first installment of the 60th Anniversary.

Jonny is joined by Heather O'Malley to debrief the Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience, discuss some good polling data about gender-affirming care for trans youth, share what they are thankful for, and geek out over the first of three very queer Doctor Who episodes celebrating the 60th anniversary (!!) of the British S/F show.

Jonny curates a series of stories covering victories for LGBTQ candidates and policies in the 2023 midterm elections. This includes a stunning amount of defeats for those who ran homophobic and transphobic campaigns. Still, the haters in power are already devising ways to ignore the will of the people...if we let them! In the back half of the show, Jonny covers some significant movement in the Catholic Church rebuking homophobes/transphobes and slowly opening up to more inclusion of LGBTQ folks in the church. He also notes that the US is paying a price with the UN for its increasing amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Jonny interviews Juniper Oxford, the new coordinator of the SIU LGBTQ Resource Center. She recaps SIU LGBTQ History Month events, discusses the upcoming Trans Week of Awareness including TDOR, and shares future plans of the Resource Center. In the back half of the show, Jonny puts two stories in dialogue that are about hard right politics eating their own over transphobic agendas.

Jonny reviews new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson's (R-LA) incredibly toxic anti-LGBTQ legislative and legal history. He profiles Johnson's origins in the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the damage they are doing across the nation and across the world in the name of "defending" their religious beliefs. In the back half of the show, Jonny profiles Pastor Elazar Schoch Zavaletta of the formerly-named North Avenue Mission in Baltimore, MD. Zavaletta is an out, trans pastor serving the unhoused and marginalized in an impoverished urban neighborhood. Jonny juxtaposes Johnson and the ADF with Zavaletta and the NAM as two different paths for faith-based Christian responses to LGBTQ+ (and other) people and their needs.

Jonny interviews Carrie Vine, Executive Director of the Rainbow Cafe about ttheir upcoming (11/4) Gala fundraiser. Tickets are still available through Saturday 10/28! You can purchase tickets through links at their Facebook page, at the rainbowcafe.org web page, or here: https://t.ly/yBxqp. In the back half of the show, Jonny curates two news stories about debunked and retracted "science" about trans identity finding new homes in newly formed "research" journals and websites. Fringe and pseudoscience critical of trans identity continues to be misrepresented as "professional guidance" despite significant harms documented with "gender exploration therapy" and a broad medical and therapeutic consensus about the harms and ineffectiveness of conversion therapies.

Starting with the fiasco of the Speaker of the House oustng and subsequent fraught selection process, Jonny curates a series of recent news items that demonstrate how hate-based conservatism is self-destructive and unsustainable. The hate these folks foster for LGBTQ folks as a wedge issue pales next to the hate and lies they have for each other. In the back half of the show, Jonny examines the next potential SCOTUS case that might advance religious freedom at the expense of the health and well-bing of queer youth. He also takes stock of the rising visibility of Black queer politicians and activists.

Jonny interviews Heather O'Malley about the realease of ther new book, Hands of the Morri-- a fantasy adventure that includes a saucy raven as one of the narrators. In the process of discussing the work, they talk about what LGBTQ writers bring to fantasy/SF genres, including a brief reference to the Rainbow Space Magic conference for queer sci fi and fantasy writers. You can pick up a copy of the novel at a book release party at the Rainbow Cafe on Thursday 10/12 at 7:00 or at the the Picnic in the Park: Pride Edition/SI LGBTQ Fest this Sunday (10/15), 1-6 pm in Attucks Park. The book is also available at most online retailers or directly from the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, at: https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/hands-of-the-morri-by-heather-k-omalley-4309-b

Jonny sits down with T Brown, a whistleblower about a local Sufi cult, to discuss recent efforts to share the stories of those who have gotten out of it. In the back half of the show, T discusses his experiences at the Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference and how that both triggered cult-based traumas and significantly contrasted with them. T's story details some of the lasting damage that can be caused by structured intentional communities with charismatic and dogmatic spiritual leaders.

Jonny interviews Tricia Burns, director of the Stage Company's upcoming production of Dracula at The Varsity (October 6-8 and 12-15). In the back half of the show, Jonny digs into literary and folkloric transformations of the vampire to explore the "queer monstrous." He links peasants with torches and wooden stakes to the activities of Gays agains Groomers, Libs of TikTok, and Moms for Liberty -- organizations that unfortunately are making inroads in Illinois.