Allison Gill has lived a lot of lives. She's a Navy veteran, a PhD, a comedian, a whistleblower at the VA, and a podcaster. And we actually consider all of that public service -- even the comedy -- because boy do we ever need a good laugh right now. If we don't laugh, we're liable to cry.

Here at Red Wine & Blue, we're officially announcing a partnership with Allison Gill and the community that has rallied around her podcast, The Daily Beans. Because we're stronger together than we ever could be apart.

With these important midterms coming up in a few months, it's more important than ever that we hold onto our community -- and in fact, that we grow it bigger and stronger than before. That means voting, marching, and, yes, laughing together.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

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Last night, we were joined by historian Heather Cox Richardson to celebrate America's 250th birthday -- not with a UFC fight or a poorly-planned "Great American State Fair," but by talking to each other about how we can move this country closer to our ideals. 

Together with Heather, we reflected on our history, celebrated the people who impacted our nation, and acknowledged the work needed to live up to our values. Heather shared how we can celebrate America's 250th in a way that honors our full history and helps us build a better future for all Americans.

We hope you have a meaningful Independence Day that helps you celebrate the ideals and potential of America... your own way.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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This week, the podcast is coming one day late… but it’s for a very good reason! Our favorite historian Heather Cox Richardson is joining us tonight to talk about reclaiming America as we head into our 250th Independence Day.

America’s 250th celebration should be a time to reflect on our history, celebrate the people who impacted our nation, and acknowledge the work needed to live up to our ideals. Instead, the current Administration is giving us UFC fights, gold plated statues, and an algae-filled Reflecting Pool.

Join Heather Cox Richardson and our own Katie Paris at 7:30pm ET tonight to talk about how we can celebrate America's birthday in a way that honors our full history and helps us build a better future for all Americans. Heather will share more about her own 250 Project, how we counter this administration and protect our democracy, and the information we all should be sharing with family and friends. 

America’s story belongs to all of us, so let’s reclaim it!

You can register to attend here and if you can’t make it tonight (or you just want to hear Heather again!), we’ll be sharing the recording tomorrow right here on the podcast.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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Today is the four-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision -- the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and with it, our constitutional right to abortion care.

But women across the country have been fighting back: marching, calling their legislators, and sharing their personal abortion stories. Places like Ohio have even put laws and constitutional amendments on the ballot to enshrine abortion rights in their state.

Doctors and providers have been working hard to make sure reproductive care stays available too. In today's episode, we talked to Nan Whaley and Gwynne Perry from Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. Earlier this spring, an anti-choice protester attacked their clinic and set it on fire, but Nan and Gwynne didn't hesitate. They opened the clinic the very next day, ensuring that patients didn't experience even a one-day interruption in their care.

In Gwynne's words, "We thought, hell no. We're not doing this. We're gonna see patients. So we did."

Four years on from the Dobbs decision, lifesaving care is being provided not by politicians or Supreme Court Justices. It's coming from women like Gwynne and Nan -- and for that, we're grateful.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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Last year, political journalist Zerlina Maxwell did something that most of us only dream about: she moved to Sicily.

She’s been speaking truth to power for years as a radio and TV host but after losing her mom and seeing Trump elected for a second time, she knew she had to make a change. And now that she’s living full-time in Italy, she’s seeing America more clearly than ever.

She’s still hosting her radio show Mornings with Zerlina and contributing to the hard work of defending American democracy, but it all feels very different now. She’s able to slow down, be more intentional, appreciate time with friends, and escape the hamster wheel of busyness and to-do lists.

She’s not the first Black American to seek refuge overseas; James Baldwin, for example, wrote much of his groundbreaking work while abroad in Turkey. Outside of the “haze of racism and hostility and oppression,” as Zerlina put it, she can find the clarity to really examine this moment in American history.

Even if you can’t move to Italy (and don’t be so sure you can’t!), you can learn from Zerlina’s journey. Every day, you can do one soft thing and one civic thing. Have a dance party in your kitchen, or meditate, or grab a coffee or ice cream with a friend… and text your neighbors about an upcoming election, or attend a city hall meeting, or donate to an organization you believe in.

We can’t heal a broken country without healing ourselves — and that can happen from anywhere.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

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This week, we're re-running one of our favorite episodes: our conversation with the incredibly wise Prentis Hemphill. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode!

So often we hear women say that things feel deeply wrong right now and they want to do something about it. But how do we engage without losing ourselves? It can feel like pain is the only way to make change, like we can only heal the world if we’re willing to be exhausted and broken ourselves along the way.

Prentis Hemphill offers a different perspective. What if we can actually heal our systems while healing ourselves? What if it’s not about checking off items on a to-do list? If we can be more present, listen with curiosity to ourselves and our neighbors, it doesn’t just make us feel more centered. It’s actually more effective organizing.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

“Sin, Glitter, and Lattes.”

That’s what Ghiovanna, owner of Coterie Lounge & Cafe, recently started printing on t-shirts. Her friends and customers love it — not just because it’s a catchy phrase, but because it’s a reminder that community love can defeat extremist hate.

Ghiovanna and her friend Roxie D. Mocracy had already worked together to put on drag shows at her cafe. The community loved the shows, despite being a fairly conservative suburban area, so Roxie and Ghiovanna thought a Drag Story Hour could be a fun new addition. Unfortunately, a right-wing extremist saw a post advertising the event and began coordinating an attack against Ghiovanna and her business.

But Ghiovanna’s community rallied around her. They defended her and Coterie on social media, sold out the Drag Story Hour event (along with the t-shirts), and business has been better than ever. More tourists have started stopping by to buy coffee from her as they drive through the area, and she’s even received messages of support from as far as Denmark and Australia. 

Most importantly, she’s heard from parents in her own community that they appreciate having a safe space for their kids. 

The Drag Story Hour was such a success, Ghiovanna and Roxie have already planned more drag and other LGBTQ-friendly events throughout June — and all year long! Because supporting the queer community isn’t just for Pride Month. It’s for every month.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

We were so lucky this week to talk to Judy Richardson, who fought for civil rights alongside John Lewis during the original 1964 Freedom Summer. 

She hasn't stopped fighting in the years since and we were honored to hear her inspiring (and, at times, harrowing) stories of being shot at by white supremacists, years of on-the-ground organizing, and hunger strikes in jail. It was all worth it, Judy says, to pursue voting rights for Black people in the South.

When we asked her what kept her going through the hard times (and what keeps her going today), she had a few answers that we could really relate to. First, she said it's her anger at the injustice. Second, it's music -- protest music, gospel music, and even salsa. Third, and most importantly, it's the people. Once she saw the courage and dedication of her fellow workers at the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, she felt she didn't have a choice but to continue the work. 

What we're seeing with voting rights this year is unfortunately way too similar to what Judy was fighting back in the 1960s. But far from giving up, Judy energized us to carry on the work for the next generation.

Don't miss this episode! Judy is a national treasure.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Memorial Day is almost here, so we thought it was a perfect moment to check in with a veteran. 

Katie Chorbak isn't just any veteran -- she's passionate about helping other vets in her community adjust to civilian life and heal their mental health. She started a movement called Our Sister's Keeper, which advocates for veterans who survived sexual assault just like Katie herself did. She was also arrested last month at the Capitol for protesting the war in Iran alongside other vets.

Basically, Katie is a badass.

We were also lucky enough to be joined by Red Wine & Blue organizer Torrie, who grew up in a military family and is now a military spouse. She shared her own perspective on military service, community support, and how being honest about your mental health is the first step to feeling better.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Attacks on voting rights got you down? Tired of feeling like you can’t make a difference on a federal level? Have you considered focusing on… sex ed???

Wait, hear us out! We talked to Jaclyn Friedman and Jenny Steadman from EducateUS this week and it turns out that comprehensive sex education has the power to change everything about our culture and our politics. There’s a reason that authoritarian governments crack down on sex ed.

It’s not just about sex — in fact, in the younger grades, it’s not about sex at all. Jaclyn encouraged us to imagine what our government would look like if every man in power was taught about consent and how to handle rejection from a young age. That’s just one sex ed lesson that could change our country.

It’s also wildly popular, across all demographics and political parties. Not only do 75% of all Americans want sex ed in schools, that number remains at 72% even when they’re specifically told that would include education and inclusion for transgender students.

Extremist politicians and pundits want us to believe this is a divisive issue, but it’s simply not.

If you’re not already a believer based on all of that, sex education is also an issue where you can make a serious difference in your community! A simple conversation with one of your school board members can have a huge impact. And EducateUS is making it even simpler by offering to reach out to your school board members for you! All you have to do is fill out this form.

If you need more resources to help you talk about sex ed with the people in your life, the EducateUS website has tons of free resources.

Happy Sex Ed For All Month!

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA