Isnt It Queer

Jonny talks with Craig Gingrich-Philbrook about his experiences with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and its likely connection to childhood homophobic trauma. Connecting to a study out of Melbourne, they discuss how bullying, disconfirmation, and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation is potentially giving queer and trans youth develpmental neurological disorders they will have to deal with the rest of their lives. In the back portion of the show, Jonny also reviews how the Christian Right is getting states and municipalities to abandon bans on conversion therapy, despite ample evidence that such therapies do not work and cause considerable harm.

Jonny interviews SIU performance studies alum, Elizabeth Whitney, who will be presenting her latest performance, "Finland, Land of Romance," in the Kleinau Theatre on Saturday September 23 at 8 pm as a Fine Arts Activity Fee guest artist. As a queer performance artist, Whitney's latest work chronicles some of her time working in Finland, including coping with the giref of a lost sibling through ice swimming. In the back portion of the show, Jonny reviews how nation-wide anti-trans legislation is driving an uptick in trans and nonbinary candidates running for public office, with some detailed examples offered in the current Illinois election cycle. He also announces a presentation by Catalina Maria Johnson on "Latin Hip Hop as a New Poetry" at the Rainbow Cafe on September 22 at 6 pm.

In the front half of the show, Jonny reviews three studies that debunk many of the prevalent assertions of those in support of banning gender-affirming care, including: details about the increase use of gender-affirming surgical therapies from 2016-2020, studies confirming exceptionally low levels of regret for those receiving gender-affirming therapies, and a thorough clinical debunking of the problematically made-up diagnosis "rapid onset gender dysphoria" (ROGD). In the back half of the show, he recounts the recent fatal shooting in California over a business displaying the rainbow flag and connects this to the consequences of documented increased anxiety and feeling unsafe in the LGBTQ+ community.

Jonny interviews a new colleague in SIU's School of Communication Studies, Dr. Christina Ivey, who joins the faculty as the Introductory Course Director and with research interests in gender and queer theory. The interview focuses, in part, on queer faculty getting out of "red states," seeking employment in states that support and affirm LGBTQ citizens and do not intrude in the classroom. They also discuss projects like Rainbow Refuge, that are assisting queer and trans folks in moving to states that will support them. In the back half of the show, they discuss Christina's dissertation which is about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Yeah, it's a rebroadcast. Busy week. Intro and Outro updated for more current community events, though.Jonny interviews Alex Socorro about a new 501(c)(3) organization in the area, Southern Illinois Pride Collective (https://www.soilpridecollective.org/), that will cooridinate local LGBTQ+ community events, including local Pride festivities. In the back half of the show, Jonny reviews the details of Internal Revenue Code 501(c) organization designations, what kinds of organizations typically coordinate Pride festivities, and how Southern Illinois benefits from having different types of 501(c) advocacy organizations.

Jonny provides information for the Friday 8/11 Trans Resource Fair in Carbondale, IL. He covers recent legal developments that are driving trans and queer folks to relocate to open and affirming states even as there is evidence anti-trans laws are often being overturned in Federal Court. In the back half of the show he demonstrates how the DeSantis administration's anti-LGBTQ policies are being rammed through with an anti-science denialism that is common in other Right Wing policy making and how the actual science is coming back to harm the state with a vengeance, from pandemic policy to climate change.

Jonny interviews Alex Socorro about a new 501(c)(3) organization in the area, Southern Illinois Pride Collective (https://www.soilpridecollective.org/), that will cooridinate local LGBTQ+ community events, including local Pride festivities. In the back half of the show, Jonny reviews the details of Internal Revenue Code 501(c) organization designations, what kinds of organizations typically coordinate Pride festivities, and how Southern Illinois benefits from having different types of 501(c) advocacy organizations.

Jonny interviews Carrie Vine, Executive Director of The Rainbow Cafe, noting both the many upcoming events and services for the community and how RC is part of a local and statewide network of advocacy orgaonizations. In the back half of the show, he looks at two recent and local vollies in efforts to ban books or resist book bans in public libraries. Finally, Sister Mothra Stewart of the SOIL Sisters stops by to offer some reflections on National Moth Week and recommend a movie.

Jonny interviews Christina Garnette, a local drag performer and trans activist, about her work in the community. In the back half of the show, Jonny and Christina discuss the importance of solidarity in the queer community, leaving room for diversity but not allowing differences and interpersonal conflict to derail the important work of promoting and protecting a vulnerable community.

Jonny interviews Alex Waller of Golden Rainbows Illinois South (GRIS) about the new program, "Get Up, Get Out" -- providing social interaction and physical activity for older members of the LGBTQ community in Southern Illinois. In the back half of the show, he reviews how most legislative bans on gender affirming care for trans youth have been failing in Federal appeals court until this past weekend. He reviews why judges were finding significant Constitutional challenges to the legislation and why the 6th District Court of Appeals found differently (at least temporarily) about Tennessee's bans.

Fresh off a 10 day silent meditation retreat, Jonny sits down with Craig Gingrich-Philbrook to talk about US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions that landed while he was away, particularly the Creative LLC decision. Craig is a queer theorist and scholar of Performance and Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University. He is also Jonny's husband. In the back half of the show, they frame further discussion of the court decisions through the interpretive lens of a recent episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, "Ad Astrea Per Aspera."

Jonny interviews Priscilla Pimentel, an SIU employee currently doing community outreach for the just-forming LGBTQ Constituency Group on campus. They discuss what constituency groups are, why they are important, and what goes into forming one. In the back half of the show, Jonny rebroadcasts his interview with Keri, Cassandra, and Mitchell of the Carbondale Assembly for Radical Equity (CARE) about their upcoming Art Auction and Music Fundraiser. Jonny closes with updated and current information about the event and some meditations on the importance of community organizing in these trying times,

In the front half of the show, Jonny curates several stories about the threats facing public gatherings for Pride and Juneteenth. He leads with a tragic story about a Juneteenth mass shooting in Willowbrook, IL. He then reviews the impacts of enhanced security and sponsor caution on Pride. In the back half of the show, he updates the LA saga about the Dodgers honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. He notes the success of the event despite the over 2000 Catholic/Christian protestors outside of it. He speaks back to one YouTube Christan citizen "journalist" who ambushed Sister Unity at a Pride event in West Hollywood.

Jonny interviews Heather O'Malley about the release of her new novel, Transitioning Home. They spend the bulk of the show talking about the novel, which chronicles the gender transition of an Iraq War veteran after transitioning out of the Army due to battle injuries. Heather and Jonny also discuss the recent SI PrideFest, how Heather and her wife Kaye come to live in Carbondale, her own experiences as an Army veteran, and her future novels about to hit the shelves.

Jonny talkes with Tara Bell about the weekend lineup of PrideFest events in Carbondale, IL. In the back half of the show, he reviews why the activism in Pride is even more important this year as the LGBTQ community faces challenges and pushback across the country. We remember that Prid is a riot, in origin. We honor that legacy even as we plan for a weekend of festive events.

Jonny talks with Tara Bell of Pride in Action, Southern Illinois about the pre-Pride festivities this coming weekend (6/2-6/3). Events include a gallery showing of art titled "Seen" at The Varsity Center on Friday at 5:00, the County-to-County Pride Run starting at 8 am Saturday at the Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, and the Pride Kickoff Fundraiser trio of bands at Hangar 9 at 9 pm on Saturday (doors open at 8). In the back half of the show, Jonny reviews likely Supreme Court decisions that are likely to fall during Pride, noting how the recent decision re: EPA sets precendents of concern for all of us.

Jonny interviews Sister Unity of the LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence about recent interactions with the LA Dodgers and their off-again, on-again recognition by the team as community heroes for 27 years of community service. In the back half of the show, Jonny talks with Alexia Stallon, the director of OUT Mt. Vernon about this weekend's (5/27) "Pride Kick-Off" in Mt. Vernon, IL.

Jonny interviews Cassandra, Mitchell, and Keri of the Carbondale Assembly for Radical Equity, a collection of groups welcoming trans and queer people relocating to Illinois from states that do not recognize or affirm them. In the back half of the show, he reviews how Illinoisans responded to a visit from Florida govvernor Rhonda Santis as well as Missourians' pushback against anti-trans legislation. Sister Mothra Stewart closes the show with a welcome delivered for the Lavender Graduation at Southern Illinois University.

Jonny talks with Tara Bell of Pride In Action Southern Illinois about the upcoming PrideFest in Carbondale (June 9-11). They focus their talk on varois pre-Pride fundraisers and events including the "Southern IL PrideFest Royalty Pageant" this weekend (5/13) at The Varsity Center in Carbondale. In the back half of the show, Jonny interviews Sandy Pensoneau-Conway about the Rainbow Cafe, now fully relocated into its downtown Carbondale space. The Rainbow Cafe is also doing some fundraising to support its myriad programs as the region's preeminant community LGBTQ+ Resource Center

Jonny talks with his former co-host, Caleb McKinley-Portee, and O.J. Duncan about some of the staffing issues for the Student Multicultural Resource Center, including the LGBTQ Resource Center, on the Southern Illinois University campus. Both are officers in the Graduate and Professional Student Council and are involved in working with campus administrators to address student concerns. Both are also out, queer advocates for the community. Together, they work with other students on campus to push for better representation for the LGBTQ community and its inclusion in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. They detail challenges and obstructions they are facing in doing this work. In short, they bring receipts.