In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

In 2013, the NHL joined the “You Can Play” campaign to show the league’s support for gay players. In 2014, Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL.  But these moves have not shifted the overall climate in professional sports where openly gay athletes are rare.  Cyd Zeigler has been writing about LGBT athletes for nearly two decades. Zeigler joins us to discuss his new book Fair Play: How LGBT Athletes Are Claiming Their Rightful Place in Sports.

John Goldstein thought his life was mapped out. He was headed to law school, and expected to spend the rest of his days calmly and quietly behind a desk. But then he walked into a movie theater and saw Raiders of the Lost Ark.  He saw Indiana Jones, a mild-mannered professor by day, turn into a globe-hopping adventurer, and a light went on. Thirty-five years later, Goldstein is still a lawyer, but he’s put plenty of adventure in his life by visiting about 140 countries and overcoming fears along the way.  He talks about the movie that started his “Jones” for world travel and excitement.

Mother Nature may be crankin’ up the heat outside, but Ayana Contreras is turning things up indoors as she brings a series of slow jams and the stories behind them to another edition of Reclaimed Soul.

Chicago-based writer Cyn Vargas tells us what movie shaped her life for our #TheMovieThatMadeMe project.

The always outspoken Ryan was a linebackers coach for the 1968 New York Jets and coordinated the ground-breaking 46 defense for the '85 Chicago Bears, one of the NFL's greatest defenses.

Chicago’s bike sharing program Divvy turns three years old on Tuesday. We check in with Divvy General Manager Elliot Greenberger about how the actual usage lines up with their expectations. We also take your calls about common questions or issues you have as a rider.

Samuel Steward was an English professor at DePaul and Loyola University in the 1940’s while also running a tattoo parlor on the city’s south side. He was also a sexual adventurer who shared the considerable scope of his experiences with Alfred Kinsey. Steward was also a prolific writer who’d use the pen name Philip Sparrow.  DePaul English Professor Jeremy Mulderig has collected thirty of Steward’s essays in the new book, Philip Sparrow Tells All. Mulderig joins us to share some details of Steward’s life and writings.

Nothing says summer like the 4th of July holiday and nothing says the 4th of July holiday like the American Music Festival at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. Venue owner Bill Fitzgerald stops by with a preview and some memories of festivals past.

Family drama, last minute any-and-every-thing, elephants and small fires are just glimpses into the lives of wedding planners.

On the anniversary of the decision to legalize same sex marriage in all 50 states, and two weeks after a deadly shooting at an Orlando gay club, we take the temperature of how this year's Pride Parade felt for the LGBTQ community and other attendees of the annual event.