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JD Doyle historian/author -- Legacy Community Health's Mint Julep -- Normal Anomaly

We speak with Houston activist/historian and now author of the book, "1981: My Gay American Road Trip, A Slice of Our Pre-AIDS Culture". 1981. Rich with promise and possibility, the post-Stonewall era saw queer Americans standing up for themselves and each other like never before. With the rise of gay newspapers, bars, clubs, and businesses in cities all over the US, it was a time of hedonism, activism, pride, and community. A scene ripe for exploration and documentation, and journalist JD Doyle hit the road to do just that, traveling through 27 states to create a playful, intimate, profusely illustrated, one-of-a-kind record of gay life, love, lust, and liberation in the heady days before the devastating crisis that would change everything.

Guest: JD Doyle
https://www.amazon.com/1981-My-Gay-American-Road-Trip/dp/1943444412/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37O5EHNZ3JFI9&keywords=jd+doyle+1981&qid=1689977274&sprefix=jd+doyle%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1

Then, we speak with Bella Villarreal, Development Manager, about Legacy Community Health's Mint Julep, a fundraiser for Legacy's HIV/AIDS programs in its 21st year. This year's event will HONOR: Linda Cantu, JD Doyle and Doug Boyd aka Kimberly Anne O’Neil.

The Mint Julep CO-CHAIRS include: Tony Bravo, Cyndy Garza Roberts and Ray Purser. The event is held  July 16th, 2023 at the White Oak Music Hall.

Guest: Bella Villarreal
https://www.legacycommunityhealth.org/development/mintjulep/

Finally, we speak James Drake, lead research coordinator for the Normal Anomaly, 2023 Honorary Grand Marshal. The Normal Anomaly Initiative began in 2016 in Houston as a blog to tell the stories of people at the margins. Throughout the span of 3 years, the Founder, Ian L. Haddock, had the organization working with Huffington Post, Unites States Conference on HIV/ AIDS (USCHA) and Prime Video. As the platform grew, the Founder had amassed a team of nontraditional activists that began to expand the trajectory in which the group was going.

Guest: James Drake
https://www.normalanomaly.org

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

2023 Grand Marshal interviews --Male -- Non Binary -- Female

First, we speak with Jeffrey Campbell, the 2023 male grand marshal.  Jeffrey Campbell, a native of Cuero, TX, is a graduate of Texas State University. Currently working as the Chief Executive Officer of Allies in Hope, formerly AIDS Foundation Houston, Jeffrey has spent over two decades working in the field of HIV prevention while also being heavily involved in LGBTQ advocacy in Houston and around the nation.
Over the years, Jeffrey has been a trail blazer in regards to engaging and educating the African American community on topics of HIV prevention, care and LGBTQ+ awareness. This work includes serving as the Minister of Health and Wholeness for The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, an international organization for affirming and inclusive ministers and churches. Campbell’s primary role while in this volunteer position was to provide HIV education to affirming and inclusive pastors equipping them to better serve their congregations and communities. In addition, Campbell also created discussions for leaders and participants around the topic of mental health and the African American LGBTQ+ community.

Guest: Jeffrey Campbell
https://pridehouston365.org/grand-marshal-nominees/

Then, we speak with Ethan Michelle Ganz, the 2023 non binary grand marshal. Ethan Michelle Ganz is a trans nonbinary individual who fights for justice and equity.  They use all pronouns interchangeably.  He has worked, volunteered, or advocated with a number of organizations including Pure Justice, Texas Advocates for Justice, the Rothko Chapel, Transgender Education Network of Texas, Equality Texas, ActOuthtx, Houston Climate Movement, Stop TX Dot I45, and is a co-founder of the Montrose Residents Coalition.  She is also a speaker who has spoken at events like “Let’s Talk About Love Houston,” which was held at the We Serve Theater, and “We Have Always Been Here,” which was held at the Center for the Healing of Racism.  In 2022, he was awarded the “Democracy Champion Award,” from Pure Justice and the “Policy Chat Speakers Award,” from the Texas Advocates for Justice.

Guest: Ethan Michelle Ganz
https://pridehouston365.org/grand-marshal-nominees/

And finally, we speak with Margarita Perez Frinsco. Margarita Pérez Frinsco is a relationship-centered leader with a passion for transformational philanthropy. As Senior Director of Advancement for the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, she has nearly 15 years of experience in philanthropy, serving in a range of organizations from corporate to nonprofit and most recently higher education. Margarita is focused on building institutional resources to help advance the philanthropic goals of alumni, industry partners, and community organizations. She recently led the philanthropic efforts of the College of Technology during the immensely successful UH-System $1 billion “Here We Go” campaign.

Guest: Margarita Perez Frinsco
https://pridehouston365.org/grand-marshal-nominees/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

Harris County Attorney's Office LGBT issues -- Gay artist Gray Foy -- Andrew  Edmonson Honorary Grand Marshal

We speak with Roxanne Werner, director of communications Harris County Attorney, about the challenges facing LGBT residents of Harris County coming from the Texas legislature.  As the Harris County Attorney, Christian D. Menefee is the chief civil lawyer for the largest county in Texas. He manages an office of 250+ attorneys and staff who represent the county, its 60 elected officials, and its 18,000+ employees in all civil matters and lawsuits. Elected at 32 years old, he is the youngest person and the first African-American to serve as Harris County Attorney.

Guest: Roxanne Werner
https://cao.harriscountytx.gov/

Then we speak with Kirsten Marples, curator of the Menil Drawing Institute, about the work gay Texas artist Gray Fox.  Between the 1940s and 1970s, American artist Gray Foy (1922–2012) created a body of extraordinarily meticulous drawings, most often rendered in graphite on paper. This exhibition celebrates two recent gifts that have made the Menil Collection the foremost repository of Foy’s work. Intrigued by Surrealism and Magic Realism as a young artist, Foy characterized his artistic method as “hyper-realism.” His exacting technique—which required intense concentration and even months to complete a single drawing—rewards sustained looking. The exhibition spans the entirety of Foy’s career, from his early Surrealist compositions to his later inventive botanical and geological renderings. Also included are a selection of the artist’s commercial illustrations, which will be displayed publicly for the first time. 

Hyperreal: Gray Foy is curated by Kirsten Marples, Curatorial Associate, Menil Drawing Institute.

Guest: Kirsten Marples
https://www.menil.org/exhibitions/367-hyperreal-gray-foy

Finally, we speak with Andrew Edmonson about his being named as the 2023 Honorary Grand Marshal.  Andrew Edmonson has fought for the civil rights of LBGTQ Texans, against anti-gay violence, and championed the rights of people living with HIV. He's reported for OutSmart Magazine and the Houston Chronicle, covering key issues impacting the LGBTQ community.

Guest: Andrew Edmonson
https://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2023/06/pride-houston-365-announces-2023-grand-marshals/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

LGBT Chamber of Commerce -- Januari Fox Lege Recap -- HIV Study

We speak with Jack Berger, Director of Programming and Events, LGBT Chamber of Commerce, about the upcoming event Pride in Business Luncheon. Held during Pride Month, the Pride In Business Celebration is a unique opportunity to celebrate the important role of LGBTQ+ and Allied businesses in the Greater Houston economy. The event underscores how the LGBTQ+ & Allied business community works with the broader business community to realize a better city and region.

The Pride In Business Celebration is the only event in Houston focused on the LGBTQ+ business community during Pride Month. The event will be held: Friday, June 23, 2023  |  11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m Hyatt Regency Houston Downtown

Guest: Jack Berger
https://www.houstonlgbtchamber.com

Then we speak with Januari Fox, Prism Health North Texas Director of Policy & Advocacy about the good and bad of the recent Texas legislative session. We discuss HIV policy and LGBT issues.  The Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement (or PACE) department within Prism Health North Texas is committed to pursuing policy priorities, which include issues related to the health and rights of our LGBTQIA+ community in North Texas and beyond.

Guest: Januari Fox
https://www.phntx.org/pace/

Finally, we speak with Paige Padgett Wermuth, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor Research, UT Health Houston about a field study being conducted in Houston regarding the rise of HIV in the LGBT community. Paige Padgett Wermuth, PhD, MPH works with qualitative research methods,ethnography, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections, folk models, sexual gender minorities (MSM and transgender health), and high-risk for HIV populations (injection drug use, sex workers, heterosexuals, and MSM). I also work with social media, Facebook, online and smart phone dating applications, and text messaging for sexual health research. She is currently the co-investigator for Houston’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) and have been involved with the project for twelve years.

Guest: Paige Padgett Wermuth, PhD, MPH
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35457380/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

"Tinderbox" stage reading -- Dallas Southern Pride -- Woodlands Pride

 Andrew Edmonson talks with Brad Dalton about the stage reading of a new play called "Tinder Box" at Spring Street Studios in Houston.  The play is about the deadly fire at the "UpStairs Lounge" in New Orleans 50 years ago. The reading will take place Sunday June 18th at 3pm.

Guest: Brad Dalton
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/tinderbox-up-stairs-lounge-fire-book-author-interview-1125133/


Then, we catch up with Ahmad Goree and Dallas Southern Pride.  We discuss the history and the importance of the this event. Dallas Southern Pride (DSP) is the official annual celebration for Black Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals to come together and celebrate who and what we are. It all begin in 1997 when a small gathering of Black LGBTQ individuals came together to party and hang out with one another. As the years continued, the community demanded a more formalized celebratory weekend with a host hotel, organized parties/events, and shows to provide a safe space for this community gathering.

Guest: Ahmad Goree
https://dallassouthernpride.com/

Finally, we catch upon with Woodlands Pride. The Woodlands Pride is excited to present its inaugural summit, Talking with Pride, on June 10th, 2023. During the Summit, you will hear from various speakers and panels discussing mental health, small business, advocacy, and more pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community.

Guest: Jason Rocha
https://secure.givelively.org/event/thewoodlandspride/the-woodlands-pride-talking-with-pride-summit-2023

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

"August Osage County" @ MATCH -- Pride 365 -- Mayoral Candidate Gilbert Garcia

We speak with Deborah Hope and Ron Jones about Dirt Dogs Production of "August: Osage County". When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after patriarch Dad up and disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. A vanished father, a pill-popping mother, and three sisters harboring shady little secrets becomes a mixture of brutal honesty and hurtful truth as old wounds reopen and new ones form. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for best play that same year, August: Osage County examines how people function within dysfunction. The play starts May 26th and runs through June 10th.

Guest: Brad Dalton
https://matchouston.org/events/2023/august-osage-county

Then, we speak with the president of Pride 365, Kendra Walker and what's in store for 2023. The 45th Annual Official Houston Pride Parade® will take place downtown at Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby Street, on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Houston, TX. This is Houston’s Premiere Event of the Pride Season attended by hundreds of thousands each Summer. Parade is FREE as always for everyone and we encourage everyone to register. Parade Hours: 7pm-11pm

Guest: Kendra Walker
https://pridehouston365.org/

Finally, we talk with Houston Mayoral candidate Gilbert Garcia about his race and his plans for the city of Houston.  Gilbert Garcia is going to “shake up” City Hall and bring all Houstonians together. With his proven success managing turnarounds such as his tenure as Chairman of METRO, where he instituted many reforms and was awarded Transit Agency of the Year in 2015, or as Managing Partner of his investment firm, where he grew the assets under management from $200 million to over $22 billion (as of April 14, 2023), Gilbert knows how to get the job done and will seek input from those who have historically been voiceless.

Guest: Gilbert Garcia
https://www.garciaforhouston.com/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

Alexandra Billings — Pet Patrol

Deborah Moncrief Bell speaks with Alexandra Billings is a transgender TV actor who rose to prominence in 2014 as one of the supporting stars of the Golden Globe-winning comedy "Transparent" (Amazon 2014- ). A native of Southern California, Billings was surrounded by stage and screen performers throughout childhood. Her father was the musical director at a famed opera house in Los Angeles, and as a child Billings would follow her dad to work and help out backstage. It was while working at the opera house that she was first exposed to such high-profile stars as Yul Brynner and Carol Burnett, which only heightened her growing interest in the theater. By the early 1980s, Billings relocated to Chicago and started appearing in beauty pageants. She quickly found that she had a knack for performing in front of a live audience, and started winning beauty contests throughout the Midwest and Florida. Also around this time, Billings began appearing in plays in various theaters throughout Chicago, in addition to performing her autobiographical show to sold out audiences throughout the country. By the early 2000s Billings' stage career was thriving, and it wasn't long before Hollywood came calling. After a couple supporting roles on TV series, Billings made history by becoming the first transgender woman to play a transgender character on TV. That role came on the 1995 made-for-TV movie, "Romy and Michelle: In the Beginning." From there, Billings landed numerous guest spots on TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 2005- ) and the short-lived "Eli Stone" (ABC, 2008-09), before landing the part of the trans woman Davina on the first season of Amazon's "Transparent." The show was an immediate success, and won the Golden Globe for Best TV Comedy. Amazon renewed "Transparent" for a second season in late 2014, with Billings already slated to reprise her role as Davina. 

Guest: Alexandra Billings

Then, we speak with folks from Pet Patrol.
The nation's first Pet Patrol for PWAs was launched in Houston in August 1987. Founder Tori Williams realized that pets are important to improving the lifestyle of PWAs, helping them avoid depression. And it is important to take away the concern that their pets will be cared for if the person has to go into the hospital, or cannot afford food and vet expenses. That this organization has surrived all these years, even after the AIDS crisis years, is a testament to the idea and its execution by a team of volunteers. The organization received its 501c3 incorporation in August 1989.

Guest: Nicki Thorne-Thomsen

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

Harrison Homer-Guy (First Black Grand Marshal Houston Pride) -- Stages LGBT plays -- Naughty poetry reading Aaron Coleman 

Aaron Coleman speaks with Harrison Homer-Guy about his life and two events he has coming up for Black Pride.  Guy was born in La Marque, Texas, in 1976. He has two sisters and two brothers, and his young mother’s parents adopted and raised Guy and his older sister. “They were incredible parents,” Guy says. “I wouldn’t change a thing.” 

Guy attended La Marque public schools from kindergarten through his senior year. “School, for me, was about creative things. I was involved in numerous performance activities—theater, choir, marching band,” he recalls. He played the trumpet and tuba in the band, and admits that he would love to join Houston’s Pride Band. “But I’m so busy as it is.”

Guest: Harrison Homer-Guy
https://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2019/06/pride-houstons-2019-male-grand-marshal-harrison-guy/

Deborah Moncrief Bell talks with Michael Greco, associate artistic director, about two plays taking place at Stages Theater.  The first is "The Legend of Georgia McBride", Casey is desperate to be the best Elvis impersonator, complete with his flashy sequin jumpsuit. But just like that, his audiences lose interest and his act is replaced by the new drag show in town. With rent overdue and a baby on the way, “The King” takes the plunge and transforms into an all-out queen with the help of his new friends who teach Casey what it’s like to walk in someone else’s heels. But how will he reveal his newfound love of drag to his wife? With snappy zingers and dance-worthy numbers, this wildly entertaining story challenges our perceptions of identity and classic gender roles with extraordinary humor and depth.

The second play is "Drag Wonderettes". You know and love The Marvelous Wonderettes—now it’s time for a new twist! Re-imagined as a high drag performance, you’ll hear the same 50s and 60s songs like “Stupid Cupid,” “Lollipop,” and “It’s My Party,” and get a whole new view of how friendship can be truly marvelous. These queens are bringing a whole new level of fabulous to the stage!

Guest: Michael Greco
https://stageshouston.com

Finally we have some naughty poetry.  Aaron Coleman and Deborah Moncrief Bell read some selections.  Be sure to check out these poems.

Guest: Aaron Coleman
http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2011/07/return-to-love/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

Trans film "Joyland" at Museum of Fine Art -- March on Washington 30th anniversary Part 2

We speak with Saim Sadiq,  director of the film "Joyland". (Pakistan, 2023, 126 minutes, in Punjabi and Urdu with English subtitles, Digital)
Brown Auditorium Theater. Named Best International Feature at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Joyland is set in Pakistan’s patriarchal society where Haider, the youngest son in a traditional family, secretly becomes a back-up dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque. The film is playing May 5-7th at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Guest: Saim Sadiq
https://www.mfah.org/calendar/joyland

Then, we continue our interview about the 30th anniversary March on Washington with Part 2. Deborah speaks with Derek Livingston, Jaime Rodriguez, Nadine Smith and Paul Phillips about this monumental event.

Guests:  Derek Livingston, Jaime Rodriguez, Nadine Smith and Paul Phillips
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_on_Washington_for_Lesbian,_Gay_and_Bi_Equal_Rights_and_Liberation

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

Send us Fan Mail

Amanda Edwards for Houston mayor -- March on Washington 1993 retrospect -- Sherlock Holmes at Alley Theater

We speak with former city council person and now candidate for mayor, Amanda Edwards. Amanda Edwards is a native Houstonian and a former At-Large City Council Member. Her hands-on, results-oriented servant leadership is focused on empowering residents and obtaining results. Amanda is an accomplished attorney with extensive municipal finance experience, a grassroots public servant, and an effective community advocate. Amanda is also the founder of a community non-profit that empowers various groups ranging from seniors to women. ​

Guest: Amanda Edwards
https://www.edwardsforhouston.com/

Then, Deborah Moncrief Bell has a roundtable discussion regarding the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation and its 30th anniversary.  Deborah speaks with Derek Livingston, Jaime Rodriguez, Nadine Smith and Paul Phillips about this monumental event.

Guests:  Derek Livingston, Jaime Rodriguez, Nadine Smith and Paul Phillips
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_on_Washington_for_Lesbian,_Gay_and_Bi_Equal_Rights_and_Liberation

Finally, we speak with actors from the show "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily". Joining the program are Todd Waite and Christopher Salazar.  The wit of Oscar Wilde meets the cunning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this comic sleuthing caper, Wilde’s muse, actress Lillie Langtry (a.k.a the Jersey Lily) presents Holmes with what seems like an open and shut case. The play is running April 14-May 7th at the Alley Theater in Downtown Houston.

Guests: Todd Waite and Christopher Salazar
https://www.alleytheatre.org/plays/sherlock-holmes-jersey-lily/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here.  Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond.  Check out our socials at:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/