Series Podcast: This Way Out

Some of our favorite LGBTQ artists and their friends — like Doja Cat featuring SZA, Brothers Osborne, St. Vincent, Brandi Carlile and Tyler, the Creator — take home honors and deliver highlight moments at the 64th Grammy Awards ceremony, ably covered by Steve Sims of Queer Music Focus. From Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” firestorm to the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s fire hose, from Ohio state Rep. Jean Schmidt’s cowardice to Alabama state Rep. Neil Rafferty’s courage, from New York Mayor Eric Adams’ welcome and back around to Florida’s exclusion, conservative Republicans and queer rights advocates are locked in combat around the U.S. Philadelphia public health hero Dr. Walter J. Lear is honored in a “Rainbow Minute” (read by Soda Nobuhle, produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns). And in NewsWrap: Hungarian autocrat Orban wins despite losing anti-queer referendum, U.K. backslides on trans rights, Qatar warns World Cup guests to come without rainbows, Tennessee nearly wrecks marriage to make it unequa

We’re making sure that the post-Oscar hullabaloo doesn’t drown out the rainbow highlights at the 94th Academy Awards. Best Supporting Actress Ariana DeBose’s historic win and other notable themes are reviewed by Ann Northrop and Andy Humm of GayUSA TV, and independent filmmaker David Michael Barrett talks about some queer parallels in Best Picture CODA. A pair of “Rainbow Minutes” look at war and poetry in “Walt Whitman Comforts Comrades” and “Walt Whitman Remembers Abe” (read by Allen Browne, produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns). And in NewsWrap: U.N. panel declares lesbian sex a human right, Thai politicians play hot potato with marriage equality, attorneys line up to fight Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, U.S. passports now offer “X” gender marker option, crazed Q-Anon Congresswoman snipes at the Buttigiegs, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Melanie Keller and Michael Taylor-Gray (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the April 4, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our famil

US Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson withstands her confirmation hearings despite the anti-marriage equality and transphobic “questioning” from Republicans like Senators John Cornyn and Marsha Blackburn. The penchant of some LGBTQ gatekeepers to shun those they judge to be “not queer enough” creates new barriers for young people just coming out or questioning their identities (OutCasting Overtime’s Carol speaks out, produced by Marc Sophos). And in NewsWrap: Singapore conducts a public opinion survey on sodomy law repeal, an Italian court approves the country’s first non-binary identification, a Texas appeals court blocks “child abuse” investigations into the parents of trans children, the Lone Star Attorney General calls Austin schools’ Pride Week plans "immoral and illegal,” protests proliferate over Florida’s dangling “Don’t Say Gay” bill until Governor DeSantis signs it into law, trans athlete ban vetoes face overrides in Indiana and Utah, a Kentucky clerk is guilty of violating the cons

Deep in the heart of Texas, loving parents face traumatizing politically-motivated “child abuse” investigations into the treatment of their transgender children with gender-affirming healthcare. Activists, constitutional law experts and doctors dissect the issues, and some of the victims of the frightening official overreach that’s spreading to other Republican-controlled U.S. states tell their stories. And in NewsWrap: the U.K. Privy Council upholds marriage equality bans in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Kosovo’s Parliament is uncivil on a partnership proposal, Guatemala’s Congress kills an illiberal anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion bill, Russia’s detention of the WNBA’s Griner goes into overtime, “Don’t Say Gay” loses in a major U.S. opinion poll, Disney workers protest the Mouse’s bond with Republican rats, New York students do say “gay” in national solidarity, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Wendy Natividad and Wenzel Jones (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the March 21, 20

Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education Bill” is ripe for Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature, but activists like The Trevor Project’s Amit Paley and U.S. Treasury Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s husband Chasten, Walt Disney workers Dana Terrace and Benjamin Siemon and their boss Bob Chapek, state Senators Anna Eskamani and Chevron Jones, and the ACLU’s Chase Strangio still insist on the right to say “gay” in classroom discussions. Plus: lesbian Saturday Night Live icon Kate McKinnon suggests a way around the “Don’t Say Gay” bill! And in NewsWrap: Guatemala’s president rejects marriage equality ban, Ukrainian queers band together against Putin’s invasion, hackers strike Bulgaria broadcasters with Putin clown image, basketball star Griner’s Russian detention concerns U.S. congress members, Texas and Biden clash over state anti-trans witch hunt, Idaho and Oklahoma bills target trans youth gender healthcare, South Dakota and Tennessee catch “don’t say gay” fever, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by

LGBTQ people (including human rights activist Olena Shevchenko in Kyiv) come forward to fight and render assistance to keep Ukraine from falling into (more) homophobic hands as Russia invades! Republican-controlled state governments expand their assault on trans kids and queer families (with comments from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio, Texas Values attorney Jonathan Saenz, defense attorney Paul Castillo, Governors Kim Reynolds, Kristi Noem and Jared Polis, Virginia activist Carol Schall and U.S. President Joe Biden). And in NewsWrap: Singapore high court dismisses sodomy repeal case, "indeterminate" Colombian wins nonbinary government ID, Yucatan finalizes marriage equality, Australia’s Morrison calls targeting trans youth "terrific,” queers won’t be there for China’s "Friends" fans, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Joe Boehnlein and Tanya Kane-Parry (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the March 7, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our famil

The many complex consequences — unintended and intended — for LGBTQ rights and more as the U.S. Supreme Court considers reproductive freedom are analyzed by veteran journalist Lisa Keen (interviewed by Christopher Beale of “Out In The Bay.”) Pardoned presidential con man Steve Bannon and mercenary maven Erik Prince explain why it’s right for the U.S. right to love Putin’s Russia! And in NewsWrap: anti-LGBTQ hit squads said to follow Putin’s Ukraine invasion, queer Chechen siblings jailed for online youth activism, India’s Medical Commission calls for prosecution of conversion therapists, Mexico’s first non-binary birth certificate issued, Florida’s House won’t say gay, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Elena Botkin-Levy and Michael LeBeau (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the February 28, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

Israel’s Health Ministry bars medical professionals from practicing counseling and/or prayer aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and New Zealand’s Parliament prohibits such discredited “conversion therapy” after an emotional debate that included a speech by Green rainbow spokesperson MP Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere. The victories of Team LGBTQ at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing bring to mind our first encounter with Outsports.com co-founder Cyd Zeigler (a “This Way Out Rewind” from February 2002 with Rita Gonzalez). ONE Magazine’s original stocking-stuffer that jingled 1950s bells is a “Rainbow Minute” gift (read by Robey Martin, produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns). And in NewsWrap: the EuroCourt okays blocking funds to rights-violating Hungary and Poland, a Russian court rebuffs liquidation of a major queer rights group, Kuwait’s high court overturns an anti-trans “imitating the opposite sex” law, Thailand’s parliament passes the marriage equality buck to the Cabinet, t

Family tragedy and his son’s non-conformity inform Australian M.P. Stephen Jones’ moving speech as P.M. Scott Morrison’s “Religious Discrimination Bill” is debated. The recent death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu gets the youth commentators of OutCasting Overtime about the true meaning of being an activist (“OutCaster” Tim, produced by Marc Sophos). And in NewsWrap: Poland "protects" students with anti-queer curriculum cops, Florida advances "Don't Say Gay" with Tennessee right behind, U.S. Senate confirms first lesbian of color to ambassador-level job, Cardinal Hollerith calls for Roman Catholic Church change on homosexuality, Indian officials want to get the "GAY" out of Gaya, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Wendy Natividad and John Dyer V (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the February 14, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

The mayor of Ridgeland, Mississippi decides on his own for religious reasons not to release approved funding for the county library until it removes LGBTQ-related books, but other local officials and the community are up in arms! A Christian primary-secondary school in Brisbane is forced to withdraw an enrollment contract sent to parents that called homosexuality “sinful” and required students to be admitted on the basis of their “biological sex.” Excerpts from her historic keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention illustrate a “Rainbow Minute” biography of U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan (read by Candace Gingrich, produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns). And in NewsWrap: Ghanaian Anglican Bishops reverse support for anti-LGBTQ bill, Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” Lokodo dies, Iran hangs two men for same-gender sex, Hungarian court okays newspaper’s pedophilia smear against lesbian group, South Dakota Republicans boot trans kids from sports, and elementary school pulls child’s “Gay Is OK” a

A Florida House committee passes a “Parental Rights in Education” bill to outlaw encouraging the discussion of LGBTQ issues in primary grades, but Equality Florida’s Brandon Wolf and educator Chasten Buttigieg (husband of the U.S. Transportation Secretary) are fighting back! Trans Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider’s monumental winning streak breaks records in both episodes and cash (interviewed by George Stephanopoulos of ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America”)! When redesigned M&M’s mascots put Fox News host Tucker Carlson into sugar shock, Ms. Green (voice actress Larissa Murray) offers her candied criticism. A Pennsylvania town’s newly Republican-controlled Borough Council revokes its LGBTQ-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance over the objections of a hundred citizens who spoke out to support it. And in NewsWrap: Botswana accepts court repeal of anti-queer sex law, Namibian High Court's marriage equality denial supports rights, Hong Kong demands full trans surgery for legal ID change, France bans conversion

A gay Syracuse, N.Y. high school student’s “senior spotlight” moment turns a beam on homophobia when he reveals on TikTok that the principal tried to censor his sexuality (Tyler Johnson, his mother Pamela Custer, Tully Schools Supervisor Robert Hughes and school social worker Kyle Taranto). An OutCasting Overtime queer youth commentary raises pertinent issues for LGBTQ and allied conservatives who support anti-queer politicians (OutCaster Tim, produced by Marc Sophos). And in NewsWrap: Chile’s new Cabinet boasts two queer members, Honduras’ high court shuns marriage equality plaintiffs, Taiwanese gay dads finalize nation’s first co-adoption, Japanese gay man sues for marriage to his Taiwanese partner, U.S. trans youth remain in state Republican crosshairs, parodied Pence bunny hops across Rainbow Bridge, Brigham Young University probed by feds for anti-queer bias, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Michael LeBeau and Melanie Keller (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the January

Adelaide United footballer Josh Cavallo’s demand for redress after receiving anti-LGBTQ verbal abuse from Melbourne fans gets the full-throated support of team CEO Nathan Kosmina. Long-time Black activist Andrea Jenkins of Minneapolis, Minnesota is unanimously elected the first trans City Council President in the United States (featuring a 2014 interview with KFAI-Twin Cities “Fresh Fruit’s” Dixie Treichel, and Jenkins’s 2020 comments on the murder of George Floyd). “Pose” star MJ Rodriguez celebrates her Best Actress in a TV Drama Golden Globe — a first for a trans woman. And in NewsWrap: Greece and France accept blood from queer male donors, Poland proposes censoring "immoral" education, Orban ties Hungary's anti-queer vote to re-election bid, Germany appoints commissioner for sexual and gender diversity, South Korean court denies queer spousal health benefits, Sydney’s gay Gentoo pair models perfect penguin parenting, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Elena Botkin-Levy and Wenzel J

Denise Ho has been on Beijing’s bad list since the lesbian Cantopop star came out in 2012, then her advocacy for democracy in Hong Kong and speech at the UN Human Rights Council in 2019 (excerpts included) increased the tensions, and now her association with an independent news website has led to her arrest! Black feminist theorist bell hooks leaves behind the challenge “Why Choose to Love?” and Professor Beverly Guy-Sheftall remembers her prolific friend (from “Democracy Now!”). And in NewsWrap: Senegal's legislature nixes tougher anti-queer laws, two tortured Tunisian gays seek sex crime repeal, the U.K. expands "Turing's Law" pardon eligibility, Israel opens surrogacy services to queer couples, a Taiwan court grants adoption rights to a gay co-dad, Cuba proposes a new pro-marriage equality Family Code, India’s major matchmaking site opens to LGBTQ hopefuls, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by John Dyer V and Sarah Montague (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the January 10, 202

Three more celebrities who made news by coming out in 2021: Australian footballer Josh Cavallo, Cassandra Peterson (“Yours Cruelly, Elvira”) and actor/political activist Kal Penn (“You Can’t Be Serious”) (part two of two). LGBTQ nominees for this year’s Grammy Awards are enumerated in “Queer Music Focus” (Steve Sims, producer). (“NewsWrap” returns next week.) All this on the January 3, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

Celebrities coming out who made news in 2021 include country music’s TJ Osborne, pro U.S. football player Carl Nassib, and the multi-talented Queen Latifah (part one of two). Canadian inspirational speaker Tyler Boyle raises coming out to the level of “Being Extraordinary” in a presentation adapted especially for “This Way Out.” (“NewsWrap” returns on our show for the week of 10 January 2022.) All this on the December 27, 2021 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

The conclusion of our audio interpretation of “A Quilt for David,” a book of poetry by Steven Reigns (published by City Light Books) that centers on dentist David Acer, a victim of dueling epidemics — AIDS and media hysteria (part 3 of 3, produced by Brian DeShazor). OutCasting Overtime’s queer youth commentators consider the challenges — and potential opportunities — of spending time with family during the holidays (OutCaster Sarah presents a piece by the team, produced by Marc Sophos). And in NewsWrap: French parliament passes conversion therapy ban on for Macron’s signature, the E.U. Justice Court orders ID papers for queer couples’ kids, Senegalese lawmakers draft an odious anti-queer bill, Barbados starts its new republic with rights guarantees, a pro-equality candidate wins Chile’s run-off presidential election, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by MR Raquel and Michael Taylor-Gray (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the December 20, 2021 edition of This Way Out! Join our fa

Kung Pao Kosher Comedy virtually carries on the Jewish tradition of going out for Chinese food for Christmas (Eric Jansen of outinthebay.org chats with producer/performer Lisa Geduldig). Comments and readings by poet Steven Reigns from his “A Quilt for David,” and period news reports about the dentist falsely accused of spreading AIDS to his patients (part 2 of 3, produced by Brian DeShazor). Melbourne marriage equality activist Antony McManus counts his “Monte Cristos” on an Australian quiz show! And in NewsWrap: Chile adopts marriage equality ahead of a tense presidential election, New Zealand approves a simple “statutory declaration” for legal gender change, Canada cures its conversion therapy problem, Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson steps in stupid, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Marcos Najera and Tanya Kane-Parry (produced by Brian DeShazor). And in NewsWrap: repeal of Botswana’s queer sex ban upheld on appeal, Canada’s House of Commons votes to ban conversion therapy, Hun

Do two moms know best? OutCasting Overtime queer youth media activists Isha and Rose hang out “Off the Clock” to chat about growing up in a lesbian family, and what happens when homophobia hits (produced by Marc Sophos). A journey into poet Steven Reigns’ book “A Quilt for David” (published by City Lights Books) pays homage to a gay dentist who was persecuted during the early days of AIDS with readings, reflections and news reports from the period (Part 1 of 3, produced by Brian DeShazor). And in NewsWrap: repeal of Botswana’s queer sex ban upheld on appeal, Canada’s House of Commons votes to ban conversion therapy, Hungarian lawmakers okay “LGBT propaganda” referendum, Sweden’s first trans cabinet minister appointed, queer candidates win elections in Honduras, Chile and Bangladesh, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Wendy Natividad and Joe Boehnlein (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the December 6, 2021 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http

On this week’s special program, we celebrate three bishops who made groundbreaking opening moves in Christianity’s inclusion gambit: A 2001 conversation with Episcopal ally firebrand the Right Reverend John Shelby Spong, a leader in the struggle for LGBTQ ordination and marriage equality (interviewed by Brisbane, Australia correspondent John Frame). A tribute to Unity Fellowship founder Archbishop Carl Bean, the gay pop star (“I Was Born This Way”) who turned musical success into a ministry to the African American queer community, Reverend Megan Rohrer, the first transgender Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — and maybe in the world — talks about their journey to the historic milestone (interviewed by Eric Jansen of "Out in the Bay - Queer Radio from San Francisco”). NewsWrap returns next week. All this on the November 29, 2021 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/