The Gaily Show

Managing Editor for Windy City Times Jake Wittich guests hosts today’s episode!

Jake’s guest is Kae Petri is the Board President and co-founder of the Trans Journalists Association. Kae discusses the TJA’s newest tool: the Trans News Initiative, which tracks how the media covers trans communities. Review it here: https://www.transjournalists.org/introducing-the-trans-news-initiative/

To learn more about membership in the TJA and to read their excellent reporting visit: https://www.transjournalists.org/about/.

Windy City Times has been the voice of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community since 1985. This year marks the news outlet’s 40th anniversary of uplifting queer stories, reporting with Pride and chronicling LGBTQ+ history. Visit WindyCityTimes.com/newsletters to sign up for the publication’s weekly LGBTQ+ news updates.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

It’s the Christmas season and for Christians that’s time to celebrate Christ’s love. And what better way to do that but by having foster parents discriminate against their queer foster kids. A new rule change this month in Massachusetts makes it official.

Plus, 3 Democrats voted against transgender healthcare and 3 didn’t even bother showing up for the vote. In the meantime, 3 Republicans did vote for it. What’s going on here?

Then, the UK government is offering reparations to LGBTQ service members who were discriminated against during their military ban. We take a closer look.

Finally, Christmas may be over, but we review Jonathan Bennet’s new LGBTQ Christmas rom-com A Very Keller Christmas Vacation currently streaming on Hallmark+.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Jeffrey Epstein wrote a devastating letter about Trump’s “love of young, nubile girls” We’ll read it on air.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court just struck down a new school curriculum that turned Oklahoma’s public schools into “Sunday Schools”. But that’s not stopping the University of Oklahoma. They just gave their psychology students the green light to call their transgender patients “demonic” who “severely [harm] American youth.”

The economy just had surprising growth, but consumer confidence fell. We take a look at the numbers.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Latest Epstein updates. Also thinking about marriages today. While MAGA files a new lawsuit to end marriage equality, they are also seeing marriages falter on farms with the divorce rate going up. And farmers are overwhelmingly MAGA. What’s the deal?

In the wake of last week’s announcement that the Trump administration will end gender affirming healthcare for everyone under 18 years throughout America, Trans Youth Emergency Project is helping families figure out what’s next.

And British Ice Skating has officially approved same-gender couples can compete in all categories.  

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Getting us started today, John and Jim provide breaking news about Netflix’s Boots, a review of Heated Rivalry’s Episode 4, the documentary Go Figure: The Randy Gardner Story, plus 4 LGBTQ Christmas Rom-Coms debuting this month. 

THEN, Ilana Masad joins us on the third Fridays of the month to share books you need to be reading! Today’s books:

Get them here: https://bookshop.org/lists/the-gaily-show

Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism whose work has been widely published. She holds a PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and is the author of the novels All My Mother’s Lovers and Beings, as well as the coeditor of the forthcoming anthology Here for All the Reasons: Why We Watch The Bachelor. https://www.ilanamasad.com/

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Dale Stark is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Hennepin Arts.

Dale has worked on over 250 national broadway tours, which includes launching many of those tours, over 400 hundred events at venues across the US, and we’re talking events that were concerts, theatre, and stand-up comedians.

According to the website, Hennepin Arts, “provides meaningful arts and cultural experiences to the more than 600,000 people we bring to the Hennepin Theatre District annually.”

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

The Democrats (+4 Republicans) have forced a vote to keep your healthcare insurance premiums affordable. Kentucky special election results. PLUS Windy City Times Managing Editor Jake Wittich Reports:

Gay couple wins $104M in I-90 crash case

‘Dining Out’ traces a century of queer restaurants—starting in Chicago

The Equality for Every Family Act signed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

T-shirt fundraiser launches to support drag icon Joan Jett Blakk

Windy City Times has been the voice of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community since 1985. This year marks the news outlet’s 40th anniversary of uplifting queer stories, reporting with Pride and chronicling LGBTQ+ history. Visit WindyCityTimes.com/newsletters to sign up for the publication’s weekly LGBTQ+ news updates.

Local News:

Rural Ohio trans candidate nearly drops out of race after being targeted online, wins seat in Republican stronghold https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2025/12/15/amy-heutmaker-transgender-elected-official/

No, late director Rob Reiner’s son Nick is not transgender https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/12/17/no-late-director-rob-reiners-son-nick-is-not-transgender/

Florida city sets up rainbow bike racks after being forced to remove Pride crossings https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/12/17/st-petersburg-florida-pride-bike-racks-rainbow-crossings/

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Speedskater Conor McDermott Mostowy, who won bronze and silver medals at the US championships this fall, has his sights on the 2026 Olympics. He is our guest to talk about his recent medals, being an out athlete in speedskating, and his road to the 2026 Olympics. Support him here: http://www.gofundme.com/f/be-a-part-of-my-milan-2026-journey

AND, Joseph Lezza joins us to talk about the best holiday rom-coms, as well potential nominees for the hall of shame.

Joseph Lezza is a Pushcart-nominated writer who was once described as a “mid twink” by the Matt Bomer Twitter army. He is the author of the memoir I’m Never Fine: Scenes and Spasms on Loss (Vine Leaves Press), a finalist for the 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award and the 2021 Prize Americana in Prose. His work has been featured in, among others, Slate, Longreads, & The Massachusetts Review. https://www.josephlezza.com

Plus, we share about a new episode of our podcast This Queer Book Saved My Life that dropped today.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

The 6W Project has attempted to prove the Texas Women’s Privacy Act is unenforceable in a stage protest this month. But they didn’t go far enough. Based on how the law is written, protestors can inflict maximum damage and force MAGA to repeal it. We discuss how.

Zoé Henrot Artistic Director & Founder of Ballet Co.Laboratory joins us to discuss their production of The Snow Queen. It features a score by Ethel Smyth who was a queer 19th-century British composer. Zoé tells us all about it. Get your tickets here: https://www.balletcolaboratory.org/the-snow-queen

We discuss headlines and features from news organizations across America:

Finally, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee thinks 2026 elections could “fundamentally shift the state legislative balance of power” in the US. We take a look at how they’re assessing that.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow

Go. Dog. Go! Ve Perro Ve is a bilingual musical coming to Children’s Theatre Company this January. Joining us to discuss is its sound designer Jamie Salvador Lupercio. To get your tickets to Go Dog Go ve Perro Ve head to https://www.childrenstheatre.org. To hear Jaime’s compositions and learn more about his work you can go to his website: https://www.jlpsounds.com

Then, Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2026 Denzel Belin will be here to discuss the contest he won and how he will serve in 2026 as Mr. Twin Cities Leather. Connect with Denzel at his website: https://www.denzelbelin.com. On Instagram, he is @from_washington.

The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ radio news and talk show in the U.S. Watch us on YouTube daily at 2pm. Catch us on the radio at 2pm CST on AM950 Radio (Minneapolis) or at 5am CST on WCPT 820 (Chicago). We cover news, politics, books, theatre, movies, and more in Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC, Texas, and beyond! Follow us on Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org #thegailyshow