Queer Invasion Radio

We're talking about community this month and we can't talk about that topic without discussing activism, because activism is really just actively caring for your community. That's why we're so excited to have David Bruinooge as our special guest this week! Inspired by the January 2017 Women's March, David mobilized the queer community to organize “The Equality March for Unity & Pride", held in June 2017. Over 120 cities participated worldwide with an estimated eighty thousand attendees at the Washington, DC march alone. He talks about how it all got started and the great people who came together to help make it happen. Listen in and get inspired!

More About David:David is a freelance media content and development Producer with over fifteen years of experience working for such companies as Vh1, MTV, A&E, Vevo, and Universal Studios. He is a graduate of Bocconi University in Milan, Italy (MBA), Colby College (BA, American Studies), The Lawrenceville School, with additional studies in Fashion Design/Merchandising at Parsons the New School for Design.

QiR Hosts: Suzy Shelor - Director Stephanie Crain - Producer

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

It’s December and we’re finally in the home stretch of 2020. This month we’re talking about and with our community and we’re joined this week by guest host Michelle Auwae-Lapilio - Airforce veteran, board secretary for Texas Health Action, and good friend of the show. Our discussion hits on the cultural evolution of language, using the alphabet of identifiers, and a lot more. Listen in and let us know what you think! 

QiR Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorStephanie Crain - ProducerMichelle Auwae-Lapilio - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

Queer Invasion Radio goes international with a special feature episode. This week, we’re joined by French author, Carole A. Stephane to discuss her book Girls Have the Softest Skin, a guide for lesbian and bi women beginners. We also get a Parisian perspective on the word Queer, community activism, and her upcoming projects. Join us for a really interesting show!

Guest Bio:

Author of Girls Have the Softest Skin, a guide for lesbian and bi women beginners (ebook on Amazon in English and hardcover in French Les Filles ont la peau douce), Carole A. Stephane loves TV shows with lesbian and bi characters. Huge fan of Clexa. Carole also loves biking in Paris and traveling in the USA.

Show Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerJessica Soukup - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

We live so much in the moment sometimes that it's easy to forget all the work that has been done before us. This week we're excited to welcome lifelong activist, Lynda Blakeslee to share her personal experiences as she fought for civil and social rights for women, POC, and the LBGTQ community throughout the 70s and onward. Hear Lynda as she describes how she formed "The Women's Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society" as a lesbian-inclusive extension of the NOW movement, the beginnings of birth control, and being raised an activist. It's a fun listen that will inspire you to get out there and help your community!

Guest Bio:From her first protest in 1968, where she was arrested for protesting the war in Vietnam to more recent anti-Trump marches, Lynda Blakeslee has been shaking things up all of her life. Her list of accomplishments through activism are as inspiring as they are impressive. Lynda was the co-founder of the first NOW chapter in Tarrant County, going on the create a lesbian-inclusive group called the Women’s Sewing Circle and Terrorists Society, which was eventually shortened to the Women’s Sewing Circle. She helped to co-found Women’s Haven, Tarrant County’s first women’s shelter, and also launched NEW DAY, a skilled labor program designed to help mothers on welfare develop trade skills. In the 90s, Lynda joined ACT-UP and began involving herself in AIDS advocacy, providing counseling and mental healthcare services to HIV+ men. Later on, in Austin, TX, she started the first American Cancer Society group specifically supporting lesbians who were dealing with cancer. All in all, Lynda has dedicated her life to the service of her community and we are better, in part, due to her efforts and many others like her.

Show Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - Producer

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

We’re talking about Activism this month and we are excited to have one of our most dedicated activists in the Queer community, Anna Nguyen, president of PFLAG Austin. Anna talks about how PFLAG is working to support the community during COVID-19, the need for a true Queer Community space, and personal rewards she's gained through service-based activism. It’s a powerful discussion that will inspire you to take action in your own, unique way.

Guest Bio:

Anna is a Vietnamese American transgender woman, longtime Austinite, software engineer, an activist for LGBTQiA+ and human rights causes, and fashionista and runway model.  For the past five years, Anna has served on the all-volunteer board of PFLAG Austin.  She also volunteers with several other LGBTQ+ organizations as well as with Meals On Wheels Central Texas. She was the LGBT Female Grand Marshal of the 2019 Austin Pride Parade.  In 2018, she was awarded the Daughters of Bilitis award by Queer Women in Leadership. In 2016, the Austin Chronicle named her one of the "Top Ten Queer Heroes". Anna grew up in Saigon, Vietnam, fled Vietnam as a war refugee to England, lived in NYC for many years, and settled in Austin in 1992.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorJessica Soukup - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

This episode was pre-recorded before the election and we now know who won! Congratulations President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris!

The politics may be wrapping up, but the work is not over yet. For November, we have a great month of guests, each with their own unique experience as activists for the Queer community. For this episode, we're also joined by Sheldon Darnell, president of Austin Black Pride, and also an activist for our community. We talk about everything from voting to Melania's war on Christmas, so kick back and relax because things are about to get even MORE active out there and we need you to be ready.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerShelson Darnell, President, Austin Black Pride - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

We’re finishing up our Spooky October Political series with a special guest, Sissi Yado, a queer activist and organizer working hard to empower others across the state of Texas. As we transition topics from Politics to Activism, Sissi is here to offer insight and to share their experiences working across all levels of government, from local to federal, supporting campaigns and protecting the rights of the Queer community. This show was pre-recorded in August, but Sissi’s message could not be more timely.

Sissi’s BioSissi is a native of the Rio Grande Valley, they live in Austin with their partner and one-year-old pup. They're best known for their organizing work across the state and efforts to empower people to take action during key legislative moments and be civically engaged in the pursuit of full LGBTQiA+ equality. This year, Sissi served as Organizing Director for the Elizabeth Warren Campaign for President in Texas and is the former state Senior Field Manager for the Human Rights Campaign. They have worked on two Presidential campaigns, three state legislative sessions, and over a dozen local, state, and federal races and projects supporting pro-equality coalitions and candidates. Their experience spans over 8 years with a focus on protecting the rights of LGBTQiA+ people, securing nondiscrimination protections, and electing pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerJessica Soukup - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

We’re in the final stretch of the election season and in typical Halloween form, we’ve seen a big push to scare voters away from the polls. Our latest guest, Julie Oliver is running a 100% PAC-free campaign for the US House of Representatives in District 25. She’s here to help shine some light into the dark shadows of politics and get us all out to the polls to VOTE!

Guest Bio:Julie Oliver is a former Medicaid mom and healthcare finance expert running an aspirational, 100% PAC-free campaign for the US House of Representatives in District 25. Julie serves her community in volunteer board positions at Central Health and DivInc and has two decades of healthcare finance and tax law experience. She received an undergraduate degree in Accounting from UT Arlington and a law degree from UT School of Law and lives in Austin with her husband, Matt, three cats, a dog, and their kids.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerAlso, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

We’re taking the scary out of politics each week in October by bringing to you great guests! This week we’re joined by Representative Erin Zwiener, a 5th generation Texan currently running for her second term as Texas State Representative for House District 45. We touch on rural politics, freedom from religion, and the fact that Queers are from everywhere… Who knew? It’s a great half-hour that will get you even more excited to get out there and cast your vote!!

Erin’s Bio:Erin Zwiener is an author, educator, and conservationist serving her first term in the Texas House of Representatives representing Hays and Blanco counties. As a fifth-generation Texan, she is committed to bringing her values of healthy communities, inclusivity, and common-sense government to the Texas Legislature. Erin was a three-time Jeopardy! champion in 2012 and lives in Driftwood with her husband, Quincy. Erin and Quincy are also parents to their toddler, Lark.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerAlso, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa

Join us as we continue our October focus on Politics with Madeline Eden, who is currently running for the Texas House in District 17. The QiRadio team questions Madi about gerrymandering, "religious liberties", her experiences running as a queer candidate, and much more. It's fun and informative, meaning we laugh and learn and we know you will too!

Madi's BioMadeline Eden is the 2020 Democratic candidate for the Texas State House of Representatives in District 17 (serving: Bastrop, Caldwell, Lee, Gonzales, and Karnes counties). Madi has lived with her family in Bastrop County for over a decade. She’s an active volunteer, community organizer, and full-time advocate for voting and civil rights. She’s the current Chair of the Bastrop County Stonewall Democrats and is well known for her work with Register2Vote.org, a Texas-based non-profit organization she co-founded in early 2018. Her open-source technology and tools have helped to register over a million voters nationwide, and the Register2Vote system she developed is considered the “closest thing to online voter registration in the state of Texas”.

QiRadio Hosts:Suzy Shelor - DirectorScreamish Joy - ProducerJessica Soukup - Guest Host

Also, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/qiradiousa