Today on Sidebar!

FIRST SEGMENT – Interview with CECILIA CABELLO – California State Director for the BUTTIGEIG FOR PRESIDENT Campaign. What was it like being the statewide director for the first viable LGBT campaign for President?  What were some of the internal conversations that occurred as Pete Buttigieg was competing in such a diverse field of candidates. Any surprises or horror stories from the campaign trail?

SECOND SEGMENT – Interview with Log Cabin Republican MATTHEW CRAFFEY – what’s it like to be a gay Republican in the middle of Donald Trump’s GOP? What are the principles that Log Cabin stands for?  Do they coincide with Trumpism?  Are there points of difference? What about some of the elements of the Trump coalition who are homophobic?

THIRD SEGMENT – Interview with ZOE NICHOLSON – Zoe is an expert on the Equal Rights Amendment, the Suffragists and specifically on Alice Paul – one of the key strategists for the 19th Amendment at the turn of the 20th century. Zoe has spent decades studying her life and work around women’s equality. 

FOURTH SEGMENT – Interview with ALEX MOHAJER – co founder of Bros4America (with Rance Collins).    Discussion about increasing voter registration, participation and getting LGBT to the polls in November to create a more LGBT friendly Congress and White House.

 

 

Today on Sidebar With John Duran:

FIRST SEGMENT –  Our final interview for BLACK HISTORY MONTH with Rev. Lucia Chappelle from MCC Churches. Lucia is a leader in both the LGBT and African American community. What should Black History month mean for LGBT people?

SECOND SEGMENT – WOMEN and METH? TWEAKER’S PROJECT. CHEM SEX.  An interview with MELLISSA MCCRACKEN and JIMMY PALMIERI. Mellissa is an out lesbian in recovery from meth addiction who now works in the recovery arena. She was once homeless with meth psychosis on the streets of LA. Now, her life is back together as she works to help out women and men get off meth and back into life. Jimmy Palmieri will talk about the CHEM SEX panel that he and Mellissa were a part of on how meth has taken hold on sex apps to ruin the lives of sexually active gay men. And what can be done to stop it.

THIRD SEGMENT – We talk with journalist Karen Ocamb on the Coronavirus outbreak, and what we should be doing to protect ourselves.

FOURTH SEGMENT – Telephone interview with State Senator Scott Wiener who represents San Francisco in the California State Legislature. We will talk about his bill to use Medi Cal funds to give financial rewards to addicts who show they can stay off meth. Is this a wise use of public funds to deal with addiction? Does positive reinforcement work as an incentive to get our people off meth? San Francisco’s LGBT community has suffered much damage from crystal meth. 

Today on Sidebar!

FIRST SEGMENT – Interviews with director ALISON REID and producer PAUL ZIMIC on their film THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GIRAFFES. Alison is one of the few lesbian directors in Hollywood. Before Jane Goodall ventured into the world of chimpanzees and before Dian Fossey left to find mountain gorillas, 23 year old biologist ANNE INNIS DAGG made a solo journey into South Africa.  Being a woman doing this in 1956, she had to overcome many sexist barriers to do her work.  She has sounded the alarm for the giraffes of Africa and the environmental alarm about what is happening to biological diversity on our planet.

SECOND SEGMENT – Interviews with TAMMARA BILLIK and MICHELE NEFF HERNANDEZ on the event CAMP WIDOW sponsored by Soaring Spirits.  This organization is committed to helping widows and widowers deal with the loss of a spouse and living beyond that death.   Soaring Spirits has now created a weekend for LGBT widows and widowers to process their grief.

THIRD SEGMENT – The 3 major faiths Judaism, Muslim and Christianity have each historically subjected woman to second class status. So what happens when a woman takes charge in each of these faiths to bring about cultural and social evolution? A deep discussion on religion, faith, women, sexism, misogyny, setbacks and progress with RABBI DENISE EGER from Temple Kol Ami, REVEREND DENYSE BARNES from First United Methodist Church of Hollywood and ANI ZONNEVELD from Muslims for Progressive Values.

Today on Sidebar...

IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE!

FIRST SEGMENT – the legendary black gay activist PHILL WILSON returns to the Sidebar to talk about African American History Month and what it should mean for LGBT people.

SECOND SEGMENT – Gay Weho psychotherapist KEN HOWARD talks about love, romance and sex for LGBT people.  Single?  Coupled?  Thrupled?  Poly?  Monogamous?  Staying sane on Valentine’s Day!

THIRD SEGMENT – Young Love and Seasoned Love.  Two Extraordinary couples come on the show to discuss what makes their relationships work.   TYLER BOOTH and SPIRO GALANOPOULOS are the bells of the ball on Santa Monica Blvd in Weho.  Tyler works at the FLAMING SADDLES BAR and has been voted “BEST BARTENDER” in Weho for two years in a row in the Los Angeles Blade.  HIs lover SPIRO is a well known GO GO BOY at the neighboring REVOLVER bar.   How do they exist in the Weho nightlife and remain together?    Joining their discussion with be long term lesbian wives BERNADETTE ABBRUZZE and DIANE ABBITT on their 23 year relationship.    Business owners together and activists – how do they make it work?   2 men.  2 women.  One fairly new couple.  One long term couple.  What can they teach and learn from each other?

Today on Sidebar: First segment - THOMAS DAVIS on Black History month. Formerly of Black AIDS Institute on what black history month means to him and other gay black men.   Second segment - Entertainer MICHAEL GRIFFITHS on his upcoming Madonna show and tribute to this Diva.    Third Segment - BETSY BUTLER from Women’s Law Center on state of politics for women’s equality in USA

Fourth Segment - JARRETT HILL on Black History Month and post Iowa Caucus analysis.  

FIRST SEGMENT – JOHN GILE – He was the first Executive Director of Project Angel Food. He is a professional fundraiser and has raised more money for AIDS and LGBT causes than probably anyone else in the nation.He has literally raised tens of millions of dollars for charities ranging from the Center, APLA, the AIDS Monument, the Gay Mens Chorus of LA, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the Point Foundation, Project Angel Food, Trevor, etc. What motivated him to be the rain maker for so many LGBT causes and charities across the nation?

SECOND SEGMENT – AL BALLESTEROS – President of John Wesley Health Center.  Also the founder and publisher of ADELANTE Magazine for LGBT Latinos.He has served on the boards of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights commission, Being Alive, the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV/AIDS, the Ryan White Planning Council. He now runs a $90 million organization helping provide medical care to homeless, immigrant and indigent patients. An Extraordinary Life!

THIRD SEGMENT – CURTIS GALLOWAY – President of Conversion Therapy Dropouts.   A support group for LGBT people who “dropped out” or “failed” conversion therapy. He will talk about the trauma these therapies inflict on LGBT people and why they should be outlawed as California did.   

Today on Sidebar:

FIRST SEGMENT - CHRIS VERDUGO, Executive Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.  He will be in studio.  He is here for the Grammys. SFGMC just raised $9 million to buy a building for all the LGBT arts organizations in San Francisco. And they won the Sundance award for best documentary about their historic trip through the Deep South.Great news for LGBT art!

SECOND SEGMENT – GEOFF KORS, Mayor of Palm Springs, California. He will be calling in. Palm Springs just changed their system to a rotating Mayor system and Geoff is their first Mayor under the new system. They have an all LGBT City council with 40% of the city estimated to be LGBT. We are going to talk about why people are moving and retiring there in record numbers. What does “aging in place” mean for the LGBT community in Palm Springs?

THIRD SEGMENT – LAURIE LIPTON – A macabre artist. Her work has been described as surreal, goth, dark and disturbing.  A documentary film was just made about her life called “LOVE BITES.” Her art work is comparable to Salvador Dali, Lewis Carroll or even Edgar Allen Poe. All her amazing work is done in pencil and black and white.

FOURTH SEGMENT - BEATRIZ VALENZUELA – From Equality California will be here to talk about the 2020 census and why it’s important for LGBT people.  

FIRST SEGMENT – Yawar Charlie – just been cast in a reality show. Openly gay Pakistani Muslim. First time a gay muslim has been cast in a national television show. Will talk about the show and what it has been like living as a Pakistani Muslim who happens to gay in the USA.

SECOND SEGMENT - COMMISSIONER MICHAEL GONGORA from the Miami Beach city council calling in to discuss the numerous anti LGBT bills introduced in Florida this week by the GOP attacking the transgender and gay/lesbian communities

THIRD SEGMENT – Rev. Denyse Barnes from the Hollywood United Methodist Church about the separation between the traditionalists and the progressives over LGBT issues. The Methodist church has broken into parts internationally. What does this mean for her church and LGBT community?

FIRST SEGMENT - Dillon Hosier from  from ICAN (Israeli American Civic Action Network) and Karmel Melamed (Iranian journalist ) on current events happening in Iran, Iraq and the Middle East and the impact on Israel and the USA

SECOND SEGMENT - Gay therapist KEN HOWARD on the recent rash of suicides in the LGBT community.  What is the cause and what can be done ?

THIRD SEGMENT - Women’s March organizer EMILIANA GUERECA - the 4th annual women’s march is coming up in 2 weeks. Are the marches still necessary ?

FOURTH SEGMENT - ZAC BRAZENAS  - Aussie dancer for Brittany Spears and dancer LOCKY BROWNLIE on the recent devastation by fire in Australia.

Today on Sidebar!

First Guest – Call in by Richard Ferraro, GLAAD – New York City.   We will be talking about what GLAAD does and how the Hallmark Channel this week shows the kind of work they do. 

Second Guest – ARMEN ABELYAN – Gay Armenians GALAS.   Talk about the recent historic US Senate vote recognizing the Armenian genocide over Turkey and Donald Trump’s objections.  And what LGBT Armenians are doing in 2020.

Third Guest – KEIKO FELDMAN and MORGAN WALSH – recently featured in LA Times.  2 moms with LGBT kids.  Realized the public schools had no books about LGBT people.  So they went out and got them and distributed them across LA Unified elementary and secondary schools.