The Lighter Side with Jay

When Dan Caplan finally became a partner in his family's event planning business, Arrangements Unlimited, he couldn't have possibly known the entire world was about to shut down and that he would have to quickly pivot to try to keep the business afloat while managing his two young children. But, alas, here we are. Dan took every tool he had ever acquired and to work planning Zoom Weddings, Zoom Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and Zoom Birthday Parties.

We talked about all that, we talked about his children's album, Dinosaur Wings and Other Things, and, of COURSE, theater. Always theater. 

Stacy Lentz is an LGBTQ activist who was born in a small christian, conservative town in the middle of a cornfield in Kansas in 1970.  She has had a unique perspective watching the LGBTQ movement change by being a partner at the Stonewall Inn, widely regarded as the birthplace of the Pride Movement, for a part of the last 13 years. She is the bar's first lesbian owner, and has used the platform of the Stonewall to launch the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, raising money to help support the LGBTQ community, as well as producing events with stars like Taylor Swift and Cyndi Lauper.

Stacy is a force of nature. We talked through the history of the Stonewall, the role that black trans activists played in the advancement of Pride, and the monumental recent SCOTUS ruling. We also hit some of the highlights of her prolific activism career, and managed to find time to laugh.

Please consider a donation to the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. In Stacy's words: As the CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative I am able to help people in places like where I grew up, where daily stigma still exists in 2020.  I am lucky to see my story come full circle and to be able to give back and to help my community in small towns and rural areas across the country where being LGBTQ is still a struggle.

Mike Callahan loves camp. It has been a positive force in his life ever since he found himself coming out of his shell as an adolescent while he was away at camp, and has been a recurring theme of his life. Mike wondered why everyone shouldn't be able to enjoy camp the same way that he did, and then he did something about it. First, with Camp Better Days, where he worked for 10 years alongside his sister, who founded the camp for family members of 9/11 victims. And, now, as the Camp Director for Camp Uncommon, a camp focused on providing children from under-resourced areas with an enriching camp experience.

This summer, the camp is all virtual. They have 725 kids signed up and are committed to the camp being 100% free. So, they are looking for donations in order to provide each child with a "Treasure Trunk" of supplies for camp. Please consider helping out! 

Dan Wiener is an English Teacher in the Seattle school system. His curriculum centers on the idea of viewing literature through the eyes of the marginalized characters. His teaching style centers on the WWE. I'm gonna let you listen and figure that one out.

Dan reported on the "autonomous zone" live from Seattle for me, and also discussed what it has been like to be a high school teacher while simultaneously trying to keep his 5 year old daughter both educated and entertained.

Dan is also a podcast host. His show, Ruined Childhoods, tackles the movies from our youth and questions whether they deserve to be revisited. They will soon be raising money to combat police brutality through their special, "PODlice ACASTemy", in which they dissect the entire Police Academy Franchise. Be on the lookout! 

Gabe Clay has lived in North Carolina his whole life. He was on the path to become a preacher before some stuff happened that you are gonna have to listen to the episode to hear, and he discovered his love of preparing food.

We discussed how growing up as a black kid who was into things like Digimon, Dragonball Z, and Death Metal got him stuck with the label of "not black enough". We discussed how he has used this quarantine to improve his mental health. And, of course, we discussed video games.

In honor of Juneteenth and the Black Lives Matter movement, please visit this link to find a list of reputable donation sites.

In lieu of a financial donation, donate your time to learning how you can be a true ally and anti-racist here 

Khy Garner is tired. He was raised to be, and is, a gentleman to the core. But, he is tired. Of the loss. Of the ignorance. Of the systemic racism. Of learning that many people he thought were allies were anything but. And, he is tired of having to repeat himself, so I made sure to put a microphone in front of him and press record. 

Besides that, I got to catch up with someone I greatly admire and learn more about his past, present, and future. Khy is a true teacher, and gives all of himself to his craft. It was an honor and a pleasure to chat with Mista Khy.

In honor of Juneteenth and the Black Lives Matter movement, please visit this link to find a list of reputable donation sites.

In lieu of a financial donation, donate your time to learning how you can be a true ally and anti-racist here 

Jade Cintron is a tri-lingual, fierce Latina woman who has turned her love for theater and education into a career.  After graduating college, she went to Barcelona with barely anything to her name. Eight years later, she returned with a vengeance. 

Jade is doing amazing work to help bilingual students gain access to resources during COVID-19, and she is a real inspiration. 

Sheilah is a Peer Recover Support Specialist at WEconnect Health Management, a progressive, online recovery support platform. It's fascinating , as is Sheilah's story of her own road to recovery, which she laid out in a raw, honest way during our talk. 

Yup, it's an addiction episode. So, strap in. But, spoiler alert: it has a happy ending. 

Amanda Clarfield Newell is the only music teaching, lupus suffering, article writing, Comic-Con going, social media managing mother of a 12 year old white, female beatboxer
I've ever met.  Amanda has moved mountains in order to battle her incurable illness while raising two children and remaining as active as she can. She is a warrior and an inspiration.

Please consider a donation to National Resource Center on Lupus 

Scott Marder once wore a helmet cam to high school and recorded a "day in the life" of a student. It was mostly kids giving him the finger. Those of us who were friends with Scott knew back then that he was uniquely quirky and absolutely hysterical, so it really has come as no surprise to us that Scott has gone on to become the success he is today, working on some of the craziest shows you love. From Family Guy to Bojack Horseman to It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mick, and, currently, Rick and Morty. 

Scott is one of the hardest working men in showbiz, and it was my great honor to sit down with my dear friend and take a walk through his amazing accomplishments.