This Way Out: The International LGBTQ Radio Magazine

Put away your preconceived notions of what constitutes drag — with Fauxnique, it’s complicated! Monique Jenkinson was the first cisgender woman to win the Miss Trannyshack Pageant. Her memoir recounts her beginnings in classical dance evolving into her stage shows combining feminism and extravagant drag (interviewed by Out in the Bay’s Eric Jensen).

And in NewsWrap: the Superior Court of Justice of Lima orders the federal records agency to register Peruvian lesbian’s marriage to her foreign female spouse, 33 men are arrested in a warrantless raid on a gay sauna in Venezuela, gay Chechen singer Zelimkhan Bakaev was killed because his photo was taken with dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy’s diatribe against Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws angers both queer activists and government authorities, two Arizona trans girl athletes stop a ban on their competing in school sports with a court injunction, J-pop star Shinjiro Atae comes out “Into the Light,” and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Kalyn Hardman and David Hunt (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the July 31, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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Sydney, Australia’s David Jones department store really rocked the World Pride scene, despite the expected backlash. Corporate rep Ross Sabatini talks about the campaign’s service to the public and the bottom line, and correspondent Barry McKay meets the big display window performers and records the reactions of people passing by.

And in NewsWrap: the Supreme Court of Ghana rejects a lawsuit aimed at stopping Parliament’s consideration of a probably unconstitutional anti-LGBTQ bill, Kenya’s “Family Protection Act” is mimicking Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” law, the names of non-biological lesbian mothers are being disappeared from their children’s birth certificates by Italy’s far-right government, Jamaica’s refusal to grant diplomatic immunity to the husband of a gay U.S. diplomat is becoming an international riff, the Indiana Roman Catholic high school guidance counselor fired when her marriage to a woman was discovered loses in appeals court, a notorious San Francisco church hosts a Drag Queen Bible Story Hour, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Michael LeBeau and Ava Davis (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the July 24, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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Music biographer James Gavin takes a deep dive into the life of enigmatic gay rock star George Michael in his latest book, celebrated at a Grammy Museum special event (recorded with permission by Brian DeShazor).

And in NewsWrap: a mob of violent rightwing protesters attacks Tblisi Pride and forces the attendees to evacuate, a Southeast Asian LGBTQ conference in Jakarta relocates after social media threats, Japan’s Supreme Court rules in favor of a trans woman’s right to use office bathrooms that conform to her gender identity, Russia’s lower house of parliament passes the final reading of a proposal to ban all medical and legal gender changes, anti-transgender rights court decisions handed down in three U.S. states, a Wisconsin trans girl temporarily has the right to use the appropriate campus bathrooms, a Wisconsin teacher is fired for teaching her first graders to sing the Miley Cyrus-Dolly Parton duet “Rainbowland,” and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Michael LeBeau and Ava Davis (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the July 17, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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Mitja Blažić is an independent journalist from Slovenia with a long track-record in LGBTQ politics. He attended the World Pride Human Rights Conference in March of this year. This Way Out Sydney, Australia correspondent Barry McKay found him along the Mardi Gras Parade route, where they talked about the queer accomplishments in his country. Barry also covers the subsequent disruptions at Slovenia’s Pride events.

And in NewsWrap: an Iraqi lawmaker submits a proposal for an official ban on same-gender sex, the Czech Republic’s Chamber of Deputies passes the first reading of a bill to open marriage to same-gender couples, a Navajo Nation Council delegate introduces a tribal marriage equality bill, two U.S. Supreme Court rulings come down on two sides of LGBTQ rights, Democratic governors veto anti-queer Republican measures in three U.S. states, a Florida mom has no “love” for a children’s biography of lesbian tennis star Billie Jean King, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Sarah Montague and John Dyer V (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the July 10, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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A controversial U.S. Supreme Court term ends with a trifecta of right-leaning rulings, including a swipe at LGBTQ+ rights based on free speech. Equality California’s Jorge Reyes Salinas, Slate columnist Matthew Stone, Guardian columnist Moira Donegan, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, UC Berkeley law professor Dan Farmer and New Republic reporter Melissa Gira Grant comment (reported by Christina Aanestad of KPFA News and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!).

The Los Angeles School Board’s lesbian President Jackie Goldberg reads a story to educate the book-burners.

And in NewsWrap: Nepal’s top court orders the government to register same-gender marriages, over a hundred Pride activists are arrested in Turkey, U.S. federal judges slam Tennessee and Kentucky pediatric trans care bans, Kansas to reverse gender identity changes transgender people have made to their state documents, Hamburger Mary’s serves a drag ban loss to Florida’s DeSantis, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Marcos Najera and Nico Raquel (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the July 3, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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Many LGBTQ Ugandans have fled to Kenya since their country’s new Anti-Homosexuality Law went into effect, but they’re in as much danger there as they were at home. Australian David S. Ayliffe founded Humanity in Need - Rainbow Refugees to give them support (interviewed by Sydney correspondent Barry McKay).

And in NewsWrap: Estonia becomes the first Baltic nation to adopt marriage equality, Eswatini’s Sexual and Gender Minorities organization wins legal recognition from the Supreme Court, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ban positive portrayals of LGBTQ people on television, local South Korean officials physically try to block the Daegu Queer Culture Festival, violent plots against Pride are foiled in Vienna and Nashville, pediatric gender-affirming care bans hit trouble in U.S. courts, the Southern Utah Drag Stars’ family-friendly show must go on, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Kalyn Hardman and David Hunt (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the June 26, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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The West Coast all-trans woman rock band of the early 2000s responds to the nationwide epidemic of anti-trans fever with a stellar comeback (interviewed by Eric Jansen of Out in the Bay Queer Radio and Podcast).

And in NewsWrap: Britain’s National Health Service limits trans young people’s access to gender-affirming therapies to research settings, Iceland’s new ban on conversion therapy includes transgender people, Queensland no longer requires surgery as a prerequisite for legal gender and name changes, the Australian Capital Territory leads the country in protecting the rights of intersex people, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoes a bill to force trans students to use sex-segregated campus facilities according to their birth certificate gender, Texas expands its ban on trans female athletes to higher education, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stands in the library door against book bans, Tony winner Michael Arden reclaims the “F” word, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Wenzel Jones and Nico Raquel (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the June 19, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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LGBTQ voices in early 1970s Los Angeles were brought to the radio airwaves by a young gay volunteer broadcaster whose historic recordings have been found after 50 years “in the closet.” We share excerpts from programs on healthcare, politics and building the nascent movement (produced by Brian DeShazor).

And in NewsWrap: the leader of Thailand’s progressive new post-military coup government reiterates a pledge to pass marriage equality legislation at Bangkok Pride, a fifth Japanese district court rules that banning civil marriage for same-gender couples is unconstitutional, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs a bill to deprive trans youth of gender-affirming healthcare, Missouri’s Republican legislature and governor deny transgender healthcare for minors and block trans student athletes, a U.S. federal judge derides Florida’s ban on trans youth healthcare, a U.S. judge pans Tennessee’s drag show ban, out gay Congressman Robert Garcia crowns RuPaul “the queen of drag” in a Pride month speech to the U.S. House, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Melanie Keller and Allan Tijamo (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the June 12, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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June Pride season started early with the late-May recognition of what would have been Harvey Milk’s 90th birthday. As right-wing forces try to rip LGBTQ history out of the textbooks, we fill the gap with a conversation with the San Francisco County Supervisor shortly after he took office (with This Way Out’s Greg Gordon), and coverage of the White Night Riots in the aftermath of his assassination.

And in NewsWrap: Uganda’s President Yoweri Musevini signature on the latest version of the notorious Anti-Homosexuality Act terrifies LGBTQ people, the re-election of Turkey’s homophobic Islamic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan causes deep concerns among human rights activists, Latvia’s out Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs makes history as the first queer head of state of a Baltic nation or in the European Union, Japan’s Nagoya District Court becomes the second to rule that the ban on same-gender civil marriage is unconstitutional, Jerusalem Pride draws the largest crowd in years despite the antipathy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, the U.S. Pentagon defends an Air Force base from a Pride month drag show, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Joe Boehnlein and Ava Davis (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the June 5, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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Australian TV’s unique 70s soap opera “Number 96” broke down barriers that paved the way for a positive response when the AIDS crisis hit. The show is making its mark again with a Toronto LGBTQ Film Festival “Best Feature Film” win for Andrew Mercado’s new documentary that tells its story (the conclusion of a three-part interview by Barry McKay).

And in NewsWrap: the European Court of Human Rights orders Romania to recognize queer couples, Choctaw lesbian moms win validation for same-gender marriage and the right to adopt their foster daughter, Thailand’s newly elected progressive government will put marriage equality near the top of its legislative agenda, Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court challenges the country’s transgender rights law, June Pride season is off to a rocky start for Target stores and other LGBTQ-friendly corporations, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Brian DeShazor and Lucia Chappelle (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

All this on the May 29, 2023 edition of This Way Out!

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