[00:00:00] There’s no place like the Qube.

Family, it’s your favorite queer radio personality, Anna DeShawn, and this [00:00:30] is Queer News, your favorite weekly news pod where race and sexuality meet politics, culture, and entertainment. Family next thing I want to invite you to drop me a queer news tip. Okay. The queer news tip line is open and you can get a link in the show notes.

I want to report on all the stories that don’t make the news or a blog because there are so many things happening locally and I would love to amplify them here on this podcast. Q crew, [00:01:00] what’s going on? Thank you for helping to financially sustain this podcast. Thank you. It’s April. So I’ve got another dope interview for you this month.

I hope you’ve had an opportunity to check out Dr. Yvonne Welbon. She’s an award winning filmmaker, holder of the largest archive of black women filmmakers. And you know what? I forgot to say she is a proud black lesbian. Okay. She started Sisters in Cinema based on the South [00:01:30] Chicago. It’s a nonprofit where they envision a world where all black girls, women and gender nonconforming media makers and storytellers have equal opportunities.

Yes, equal opportunities to create and thrive. I just spent the weekend there. Participating in a film workshop, it was called pocket cinema, and we learned how to create movies with our phones. It was free. It was two days. It was fantastic. If you got a couple of dollars, [00:02:00] I got a link in the show notes where you can make a donation to support their work.

And we’d love for you to check out the interview. Oh, and family, if you’re new to the pod, if you don’t know, the Q Crew does help to sustain. This podcast, they supplement the costs of hosting, editing, marketing, PR, all the things. So if you believe in the work we do, if you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, if you love and respect how I report on the news and tell our stories, join the [00:02:30] Q crew.

A link is in the show notes. Now, family, last week we dropped our first episode of the Queer Open Mic, hosted by Derek. It’s up and available on our YouTube channel, and just another reason for you to go to YouTube and hit the subscribe button and notification bell. We’ll be playing those interviews on this feed as well, but it gives you an opportunity to learn and support some queer artists you may not have heard of before.

Now, for the [00:03:00] news. We remember T. Arnold, a black trans man who was murdered in Florida. In politics, Democrats introduce a resolution that aligned with the day of no silence. In culture and entertainment, two lesbian judges make history. Brittany Greiner and her wife, Sherelle, are expecting their first child.

The Chicago Pride Parade is going to be scaled back this year and hip hop legend DJ Mr. C Passes away. [00:03:30] Let’s go for a top story T Arnold also known as legend billions We speak your name today T was a 36 year old black trans man Who was shot in Hallandale Beach, Florida on October the 3rd? Reports say that he actually knew his assailant.

This assailant has not been taken into custody. He was shot on the 3rd, rushed to the [00:04:00] hospital, and died on April the 7th. I feel like every time I report about a trans person being killed, all I see is just an outpouring of love from their family, from their friends, and T was no different. He seems to be someone who supported his family, supported his nieces, his nephews, Had a huge support system and now their lives are forever changed.

Over the last two months, I’ve reported on three trans men who have been murdered. [00:04:30] This is really unprecedented. I ought not be surprised, right? Given the cultural climate, the politics that’s been happening for the last few years, but I’m sitting here talking into this microphone, into your ears. And honestly, I just want y’all to be safe.

Okay. I want y’all to be safe. T Arnold. We speak your name today

in politics on Friday, some of our [00:05:00] favorite Democrats introduced a resolution to support the rise up for LGBTQ plus youth in schools initiative. Now this coincided with the day of no silence. Now, some of you may be familiar with the day of silence, right? We’ve been commemorating that day since the mid nineties, essentially students go through the day in silence and then end the day with a rally.

Right? Bringing attention to their schools and communities and how they can be more inclusive. [00:05:30] Well, this year, GLSEN decided that it needed to be the day of no silence. Given all of the anti LGBTQ, all of the anti trans bills introduced last year, the year before that, and even this year, they said there’s no time to be silent.

We must rise up and take action. So in that spirit, representatives, Mark Takano and Barbara Lee out of California, and then Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, they [00:06:00] co sponsored this resolution, the top of the resolution reads. This is a call to action to communities across the country to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, particularly LGBTQI plus young people in K through 12 schools.

And the end of the resolution, cause child, you know how resolutions are. It’s whereas this, and whereas we must, but [00:06:30] the end says, whereas we must all demand the best possible future for all young people in schools, particularly those who identify as LGBTQI plus. Without exception now, therefore be it resolved that the house of representatives one supports the goals and ideas of the rise up for LGBTQ plus youth in schools initiative and demanding the best possible future for all young people in schools, particularly those who identify as LGBTQ I [00:07:00] plus, and then number two recognizes the contributions of students and families, educators, and community members participating in the national day of no silence.

to draw attention to the bullying, harassment, assault and discrimination faced by LGBTQ plus students and three family encourages each state, territory and locality to support the rise up for LGBTQ plus youth in schools initiative and adopt laws. and [00:07:30] policies that prohibit biased based victimization, exclusion, and erasure.

Nothing like a good resolution, okay? To continue to show support. It’s important. We can’t overlook these types of actions by politicians, because in the midst of everything else that’s going on, it’s good to know they paying attention, because we have got to protect our queer youth. It’s not an option. It is absolutely mandatory.

Now let’s take a quick [00:08:00] break. And when we get back culture and entertainment news, are you in Seattle? Are you looking for something cool and queer to do? Well, Melissa hit me up and told me about this dope event called Vibes. It’s a trans and non binary music showcase. It’s happening Sunday, May 19th at 3 PM.

It’s going down. It’s going to be held in person at El Centro de La Raza. And it’s also going to be live streamed. So if you’re [00:08:30] not in Seattle and you still want to get down with this trans and non binary music showcase on Sunday, May 13th at 3 PM, Check the link in the show notes, register for the event so that you can get the live stream link.

The lineup looks fierce. So here’s what you got to do. Support, support, support. Tell a friend, spread the news. Okay. Thanks, Melissa. Family, we’ve got an active YouTube channel and I would love for you to go subscribe and [00:09:00] hit the notifications bell. So you don’t miss a thing. Visit youtube. com slash at E3 radio.

That’s E the number three radio on the channel. You’ll find interviews with. Some of your favorite LGBTQ artists, leaders, and politicians who are making positive impacts on the world around us. So don’t miss it. Okay. Go to the YouTube subscribe and hit that notifications bill. Thanks family. [00:09:30] If you’re hearing this, it means we didn’t sell this ad space.

If you’re hearing this, it means running ads on our podcast actually can work. You see what I did there? You see this real life example, you got an event. Do you have an organization? Do you got something you need to get the word out about? We got rates starting as low as a hundred dollars. Check the link in our show notes for more information.

Family, welcome back to the show. Now for culture and [00:10:00] entertainment news, we’ve got two lesbian judges making history, and this is just ahead of Lesbian Visibility Week coming up next week. And so why not have this story this week? The more lesbians, the better, right? Well, this news is pretty dope. Listen to boys.

She became the first black woman, the first woman of color, and the first openly LGBTQ plus judge in [00:10:30] Rhode Island. State district court history. And Nicole Berner became the first LGBTQ plus judge in the Richmond, Virginia’s fourth circuit court of appeals. Now the fourth circuit court oversees Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Now this marks president Biden’s 11th federal judge he’s [00:11:00] appointed that identifies as LGBTQ. It took Obama two terms. Okay. Biden has done it in one. I’m just telling you the facts of the thing. Congratulations, Melissa and Nicole. Congratulations on making history. Or should I say herstory? I should probably say herstory.

So next story brings a big smile to my face. If you’ve been listening to the pod for a minute, you know, I covered Brittany [00:11:30] Griner’s story intensely while she was wrongfully detained. And so to see her winning in this new season. Brings me so much joy because that is not how our stories typically end.

And this past week, her wife, Sherelle Griner, and she tagged BG, um, announced on Instagram that they are expecting their first child. The IG post is a collection of pictures from the sonogram with them holding hands and [00:12:00] showing their matching tattoos of crosses. And I’m just so happy for them because, child, if you a lesbian, you know how hard it is to make a baby out here in these streets, okay?

And the caption read, Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being. I’m so thrilled for them and so is everybody else. The post has been liked over 70, 000 times, thousands of comments and outpouring of love and support. [00:12:30] And I cannot wait for them to welcome this new baby into the world.

This next story is for all my Chicago and Midwest listeners. We’ve received word that the Chicago Pride Parade is going to be scaled back this year. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am to hear this news. That’s right. It’s going to be capped at 125 entries. Now y’all probably listening like 125.

That’s a lot. Y’all that’s a 37 percent [00:13:00] decrease, 37 percent from 199 groups that marched last year. Yes. The parade is long. Yes it is. And it is grand. Okay. And that’s how we like it. So. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that we’re going to be down to 125 entries and they are starting the parade one hour earlier than usual.

So the parade will kick off at 11 a. m. instead of noon. They’re citing [00:13:30] safety and logistical concerns. Okay, I just want to let y’all know, Chicago, Midwest, that’s what’s happening with the parade, but y’all know we gonna party anyway, okay? The theme this year is Pride is Power.

For our last story today, I had to play that little excerpt. Okay. Because [00:14:00] Mr. C has passed away at the age of 57. Mr. C is an iconic hip hop legend, who was the DJ for Big Daddy Kane. He basically founded Biggie. Produced Biggie. Was one of the most prolific producers in hip hop for decades. Was a radio show DJ at Hot 97 in New York, which is the radio station in New York.

He was everything to so many people. And [00:14:30] the reason I’m reporting about him on queer news is because he’s also known for being arrested in 2011 and 2013 for having sex with transgender women, which I already know and hip hop that is just unheard of. But even just recently, as a few years ago, He was publicly talking about how he gets down on a podcast out loud, not hiding, not in the [00:15:00] shadows, speaking plainly that he loves being down with trans women.

Yeah. And while researching him and just learning more about him, I just thought the audacity of this man, the self awareness, the courage to be me. This open about who he was in the world. I also learned back in 2011, he partnered with the AIDS [00:15:30] healthcare foundation on a whole campaign that was called new sexual revolution, where he encouraged people to use protection and to not hide their sexuality.

Listen to what he said at the time. He said, with the grace of family and good friends around me, they made me feel comfortable. To exercise my human right. For sexual freedom, instead of finding myself being self detained by the discrimination, judgment, [00:16:00] criticism, and even violence from my own community.

Y’all, this is 2011. This is 2011 he was doing this. I got mad respect for this brother. I heard about his passing because Queen Latifah posted a video. And then I went about searching for him. So I wanted to know more about who he was to only find this. Mr. C, I thank you and may you rest in all your power.[00:16:30]

And family, you know how we end every podcast with a word because Anna’s always got a word. And earlier in the pod, I mentioned, I had the opportunity to spend two days at sisters and cinema in this pocket sentiment class. It was free. It was open to the public. It was taught by cookie Hughes, which is a legend, okay.

A legend filmmaker who also identifies as a black lesbian. Okay. She has movies that are freaking lesbian cult classics. Okay. [00:17:00] And my message to you today is to be a forever learner, forever learner. There is something we can learn at all times. I studied radio TV production. I cut video all the time for myself or for the business.

I’m forever telling stories and there is so much more to learn from others. From leaders, from experts, family, [00:17:30] invest in yourself, invest in a class, invest in the next opportunity. Do not be out here thinking, you know, everything you do not. You just don’t, there is always something to learn. So I say, pick up a book, find you an audible credit, find you a class or a course and engage your mind.

Be open to learning new things. This is really how we can become our best selves. All [00:18:00] right, family, till next week, peace.

If you’ve enjoyed what you heard, rate and review us inside your favorite podcasting app, this podcast is written [00:18:30] and produced by me, Anna DeShawn. Podcast editing by Ryan Woodhull and brought to you by E3 radio and distributed on the Qube. We are Queer News Done Right.