Isn't It Queer

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.