Where We Live

Donald Collins first told his mom he was transgender when he was a senior in high school. His mother wasn’t totally sure what the word transgender even meant. From there, they began a difficult emotional journey as Donald began his transition.

This hour, we sit down with Donald and his mother, Mary Collins. They have written about their experience in the book At the Broken Places: A Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces. We ask them how they rebuilt their relationship and what lessons they hope to share with other families .

Have you or a loved one come out as transgender? We want to hear from you.

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This hour, we take a deep dive into the realities of modern-day motherhood. We talk with a sociologist who spent years in the field interviewing working moms. We also get a local perspective, and we want to hear from you.

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Whether it's same-sex marriage or laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender idenity, Connecticut has been near the forefront in advancing LGBTQ causes.

But in the state's not-too-distant past, homosexuality was regarded as a mental health or personality disorder. A new research project, jointly undertaken by Central Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Historical Society, details state psychiatric facilities' use of electroshock therapy, even lobotomy, to treat sexuality and gender variations.

Despite the risks, love letters going back more than a century attest to underground romantic same-sex relationships here.

Today, we look at Connecticut's LGBTQ history, before and after the Stonewall riots in New York City, which happened 50 years ago next month and gave rise to the modern gay rights movement.

Even before Stonewall, groups here in Connecticut, such as the Kalos Society, championed the push for equality.

We reflect on those efforts, and how the state's LGBTQ community rallied from tragedies, like the AIDS crisis and the murder of a Wethersfield gay man, to bring about change.

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Electric scooters have taken over American streets from D.C. to Nashville, giving residents a speedy way to get around. But they're also causing headaches for drivers and pedestrians.

Did you know Connecticut lawmakers have passed legislation regulating these zippy rides? This hour, we’ll check in with New Haven on its proposed scooter program and we’ll hear about how New London is thinking of making public buses operate more like an Uber Pool ride.

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The Women’s World Cup is underway in France, as national teams pit it out for women’s soccer’s top prize.

This hour, we take a look at how the U.S. Women’s National Team has come to reign as an international powerhouse. And we talk about the battle women’s sports teams across the board have fought to gain recognition -- and pay.

Are you tuning in to the Women’s World Cup?

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"Will America Attack Iran Over One Dead Robot?" That is the question a Daily Beast headline asks in the wake of Iran downing an unmanned U.S. drone in the Gulf. This hour, we get the latest on this evolving story from reporter Adam Rawnsley and consider what it all means for the future of U.S.-Iran relations. 

Plus, high school athletics is in the spotlight after a discrimination complaint was filed on behalf of three Connecticut students over the state’s transgender athlete policy. We take a closer look with Hartford Courant sportswriter Lori Riley.

And finally, we talk with Connecticut Public Radio reporter Nicole Leonard about a bill that would make PrEP, an HIV prevention medication, more accessible to the state's teens.

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What would you do with all that time if you didn't have to drive during your daily commute?

This hour: like it or not, autonomous vehicles (AVs) will be a major part of our not-too-distant transportation future. We take a look at some of the promises and challenges of automating vehicles and ask what they will mean for the cities of our future.

We find out what researchers in the UK are learning about the safety implications of having humans watching over mostly self-sufficient cars.  And we hear about the AV pilot programs already underway on the streets of Boston.

Do you want to see AVs on the streets of Connecticut?

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Abandoned factories tagged with graffiti. Vacant properties marked by broken windows and overgrown lawns. This hour, we consider the impact of urban blight on communities and hear how some local municipalities are working to improve quality of life.

We check in with the cities of Waterbury and Hartford, where significant strides have been made to survey and address blight.

We also talk with Laura Bliss of CityLab and with a housing official in Baltimore. How effective has the Maryland city’s Vacants to Value program been at reducing the number of vacant, blighted properties? We find out. 

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In 2017, nearly 40,000 people died from gun violence in the U.S. according to the CDC.

Aswad Thomas is a survivor. A victim of a Hartford shooting outside a convenience store in 2009. He is also one of the people featured in the documentary The Sweetest Land, which looks at the epidemic of gun violence in the city of Hartford.

This hour, Thomas joins us along with the documentary’s director. What steps can local policymakers and public health take to effectively address gun violence? We take a closer look and we want to hear from you.

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The idea of what a college education should be has changed over the years. This hour: what’s the value of a liberal arts degree in the twenty-first century?

We hear why tech giant Infosys has teamed up with Trinity College in Hartford to train and recruit new hires. Later, we learn how some colleges are bringing together the best parts of a liberal arts program with a focus on the skills needed in today’s workforce.

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