Did you miss us? Sorry, we’ve been busy trying to save the world. Speaking of, Tom brought back district Leader Layla Law-Gisiko to chat about her experience immigrating to the US and getting into politics, and their continual fight to stop the Chelsea NYCHA demolition.  

Blake, Tom, and occasionally Sam talk about the recent Rob Reiner, Bondi Beach, and Brown University tragedies, and how the hell anyone can be happy when the world is on fire.

Bruce Pachter, the chair of the NYPD commissioner’s LGBTQIA advisory committee, joins Blake and Tom — and even Sam! — to talk about the committee’s new survey ([email protected]) and the overall relationship between the queer community and the NYPD. 

He’s baaaaaaack. Former cohost Blake rejoins the pod for this week’s episode to give us an update on his life, the book’s life, and the potential lives that will be changed by said book. 

Tom’s cousin, screenwriter Alice O’Neil, joins Tom to gossip about their family’s politics, and to discuss her work on the TV show Billions , as well as her other various film/TV projects. 

Activist Michelle Lopez joins Tom to talk about her experience immigrating to the U.S. from Trinidad, and her public health work with both general AIDS activism and the new(ish) U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) campaign. 

Lobbyist Julia Donnaruma joins Tom on the pod to talk about her various experiences with lobbying, what it was like to work for Mayor Bloomberg, and finally, her nonprofit work with New Alternatives For Children — the very place she met the loquacious Mr. Duane.

District Leader Layla Law-Gisiko joins Tom to talk some more about the NYCHA Chelsea Demolition and the general privatizing of subsidized housing.

NYCHA, NYC’s public housing authority, is allowing private developers to demolish two Chelsea NYCHA campuses, displacing over 90 senior citizens in order to build luxury high-rises. Tom brings activists Roberta Gelb and Lydia Andre on the pod to talk about what you can do to stop the demolition. 

Lawyer Jim West joins Tom on the pod and the two reminisce about their good ol' days fighting the good fight, as West was one of the principal lawyers involved in the cases that eventually led to Braschi decision — the landmark ruling that allowed the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship to continue living in a rent controlled apartment belonging to the deceased partner.