Isn't It Queer

Danette and Jonny are joined by Paul and Chris to discuss the second organization meeting of a new LGBTQIA social/advocacy group in Southern Illinois. The meeting is Thursday August 11 at 6:30 pm in the Carbondale Civic Center. Queer visibility in the Olympics and recent legal and political developments affecting the LGBTQIA community are also discussed.

Jonny and Danette share delicious tomatoes from Danette's garden before diving into some discussion of both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. We also discuss some local and national stories about the embattled rights of trans youth and end with some discussion about queer representation in the latest Star Trek film.

Jonny and Danette discuss briefly the 2016 Republican National Convention and its anti-LGBTQ platform and rhetoric. We then turn to discuss two local examples of violence against trans people before listening to Danette's extended interview with Charlotte, NC Mayor Jennifer Roberts and an HRC trans activist, Elijah.

Danette interviews Cathy Field of the Racial Justice Coalition of Carbondale. She also shares music from and an interview with Lara Americo (http://laraamerico.com/), a trans woman of color activist from Charlotte, NC.

Jonny and Danette interview Paul Bradley about upcoming organizational meeting for an new LGBTQ group catering to LGBTQ adults. The first meeting of this group will be Thursday, 7/14 at 6:30 in the Gaia House Interfaith Center. Danette shares an interview with Ashley Williams, a QTPOC activist in Charlotte, NC fighting against HB2. Other upcoming events of note: Carbondale Pride Picnic planning on Thursday 7/7 at 6:30 at the UCC Church of the Good Shepherd; Rainbow Cafe's Saturday Activists Summer School, Saturday 7/9 from 10am to 3 pm.

To find out more about the now SoIL LGBTQ group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1294933573850027/

To find out more about planning for the 8th Annual Carbondale Pride Picnic, go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1558792734424627/

To find out more about the Rainbow Cafe's Saturday Activism Summer School, go here: https://www.facebook.com/RainbowCafeLGBTYouthCenter/posts/1026498470739422

Danette returns to the show and we unpack her June adventures in North Carolina. We discuss the local NC efforts to repeal HB2, the challenges of finding LGBTQ-supportive retirement communities, the continued problem of whitewashing LGBTQ activism and history, links between gun regulation and LGBTQ activism, and the IL budget crisis impacts on LGBTQ (and other's) access to mental health and social services.

Jonny interviews Will Bowling and Chris Kaminstein of Goat in the Road Productions about their SIU residency, their two-man performance of "Our Man," and the challenges and joys of doing original theater work in New Orleans.

Jonny is joined by Kody to discuss various aspects of the weekend's mass shooting at Latinx Night at the LGBTQ nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando FL.

Jonny is joined by Craig Gingrich-Philbrook to discuss the nuances of legislation like Tennessee's HB1840 that allows mental health counselors to opt out of treating LGBT clients and the challenges of ever more letters in the alphabet soup of gender and sexual identity, especially in the wake of NYC's move to include 31 gender options on municipal forms. Please note: the voting is still open for the People's Choice Podcast Awards, and you can vote once per day. If you would like to support the show, you can find us in the GLBT listing here: http://podcastawards.com/ (Voting ends Sunday, June 12.)

Jonny and Danette discuss "adultism" in queer youth spaces, parsing connections and differences between LGBT Rights and Civil Rights, continued fallout over North Carolina's HB2 and similar legislation around the country, and GOP attempts to squelch LGBT Rights in the US Congress. Don't forget, you can vote once daily for "Isn't It Queer" for a People's Choice Podcast Award in the GLBT category. You can vote over at http://podcastawards.com .