In an oppressive and hateful society, joy is an audacious form of resistance. Today on the show, we’re celebrating Pride in July. Host Ali Muldrow is joined by two guests in the studio, Alexandria Delcourt and Sean O’Brien. They tell stories about LGBTQ Wisconsin, what’s hopeful and harmful in our political moment, and how not to let fascism rain on your Pride parade.

They reflect on Pride events last month, including the state’s first two spirit pow wow that Delacourt profiled for Our Lives magazine. O’Brien says that he’s seen a growth in Pride festivals in small towns all over Wisconsin, debunking the idea that queer folks aren’t welcome except in metropolitan areas.

Meanwhile, policies related to healthcare and education make it hard for people just to be people in Wisconsin. Some hospitals aren’t providing gender affirming care right now, due to a Trump administration change in funding. Just this spring, the Watertown school board canceled a student performance of “A Mother of a Revolution,” an instrumental song that pays tribute to trans activist Marsha P. Johnson. A lack of education and understanding drives hate, and the antidote is advocacy and representation. There are three LGBTQ+ candidates running for state office this season.

Alexandria Delcourt is a writer and editor based in Madison. She earned her MFA in fiction in 2014, taught English and Creative Writing at UW-Whitewater, co-produced the Moth StorySLAM, and now works as an editor for Our Lives.

Sean O’Brien is the Policy and Advocacy Director at Fair Wisconsin, the state’s only LGBTQ+ civil rights and political advocacy organization. He is also serving his first term on the Madison Common Council.

Featured image of a Pride memorial outside The Stonewall Inn Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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