Queer Radio Done Right
This week Anna DeShawn is joined by Peggy Gillespie, co-founder & Director of Family Diversity Projects. She’s also a journalist and author who has released a new book titled “Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families”. The book is filled with 35 first-person accounts accompanied by beautiful imagery to challenge damaging myths and stereotypes about trans and nonbinary people. In addition to Peggy, I was joined by two people who contributed their stories to the book; Lana & Fresh. All four of us have such a beautiful conversation about why this book is so important right now. I really think you’re going to enjoy this conversation so stay close because after this quick break we’ll be back with Peggy, Lana & Fresh talking about Authentic Selves.
This week Anna DeShawn I welcome back Samiya Bashir, an award winning poet, author, and today the executive director of Lambda Literary. Lambda Literary is the hub for queer writers and the work they do today is so crucial given the unprecedented attacks on queer literature. We talk about these book bans, The Lammy’s which is the premiere award show for LGBTQ writers and how Lambda Literary is supporting our next generation of queer writers. I really think you’re going to enjoy this conversation so stay close because of this quick break we’ll be back with Samiya Bashir.
This week Anna DeShawn wants to introduce to some and re-introduce to others Wyn Starks. Wyn is a Nashville-based pop-soul vocalist who dropped on the scene after his mic drop appearance on America’s Got Talent last season. His monumental audition, which paid homage to his late twin brother, accumulated over 5.1 million YouTube views and earned TWO standing ovations. Shortly after AGT, “Who I Am” emerged as a breakout single that cracked Billboard’s Top 15 AC, adult contemporary, charts and became the 9th most-played record in the U.S. on AC radio in March. We talk about the impact of “Who I Am”, the untimely death of his twin brother, growing up in a religious family, being laid off from his hospitality job due to the COVID pandemic, and so much more.
This week Anna DeShawn is in conversation with Brandon Wolf. Brandon is a pulse survivor, LGBTQ advocate & recent author. Since surviving Pulse where he lost two of his best friends his life has never been the same. He took that tragedy and became an activist for gun safety and LGBTQ rights. Today, he is the press secretary for Equality Florida in the midst of the hate storm that is Ron DeSantis. We talk about how he’s finding hope right now, what life looks like for queer folks in Florida and of course his new book “A Place for Us”.
Anna DeShawn had the honor of interviewing Tre’vell Anderson, an award-winning journalist, social curator, & world changer who always comes to slay! Tre’vell has written a book called We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film. This book is a groundbreaking look at the history of transgender representation in TV and film, by an of-the-moment and in-demand culture reporter. Learn more about Tre’vell and the book in this E3 Radio exclusive.
During this interview, Anna DeShawn, the host of the Ambie award-winning Queer News podcast, sits down with Brandon Johnson, a Chicago mayoral candidate. With the mayoral election runoff between Johnson and Paul Vallas looming on April 4, 2023, this interview is driven by community questions and concerns.
Throughout the conversation, Johnson touches on a range of topics, including his plans for public safety, taxing the rich, and his LGBTQ priorities.
As a progressive candidate, Johnson’s platform centers on issues of equity, justice, and representation for all residents of Chicago. In this interview, he outlines his strategies for addressing the city’s most pressing challenges and creating a Chicago that works for everyone.
This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn launched the Queer News Tip Line on TikTok last week & got our first story out of Kansas City, MO. Thank you Jaeforthestay for letting us know that Kansas City is now a Safe Haven for trans folks. Also, in Missouri a trans teen was crowned
This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports our Navajo Nation fam might soon see a change in their tribal laws to legalize same-sex marriage. Angelica Ross calls Hollywood out for its transphobia. The BeyHive came to the rescue of a queer fan who almost missed the show because his wheelchair didn’t fit
This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports on Tennessee electing its first trans woman law maker in the state’s history. GLAAD convenes 150 of the best Black Queer creatives in the country. It’s Hispanic Heritage Month so we’re going to show love today by celebrating Angie Xtravaganza. Let’s go! 00:00 – Welcome
This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports on a Black trans woman winning a $160,000 settlement against a New York prison. Mississippi has elected its first openly gay legislator. Dictionary.com has added some LGBTQ words like polysexual & gay marry. Marshawn Lynch to star in new LGBTQ film & my favorite television
LGBTQ ally murdered for flying pride flag, Bayard Rustin movie trailer drops, and Diana Ross sings happy birthday to Beyoncé – Tuesday, September 5, 2023
September 5, 2023
In this episode of the Queer News podcast marks the end to our summer interview series. We’ve had a great eight weeks of interviews with Nadine Smith, Ken Mejia-Beal, The Authentic Selves book crew, Samiya Bashir, Wyn Starks, and Brandon Wolf. Anna DeShawn thanks the 45 new subscribers to the QCrew, drops 5 rapid fire
Sha’Carri Richardson wins & Anna DeShawn’s birthday message – Monday, August 28, 2023
August 28, 2023
Everyone counted Sha’Carri out but she decided to show out. As a Black queer woman who’s gone through everything she has you just don’t know what the person is going to do in these monumental moments. Well she showed us what she can do. She showed out winning the 100m final with a PR of
You don’t get a pass, you don’t get to opt out of this fight says Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida- Monday, August 21, 2023
August 21, 2023
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn has a powerful conversation with Nadine Smith the executive director of Equality Florida. She is a LGBTQ legend who is leading the fight on the frontlines against Ron DeSantis and his facist policies. You may not know Nadine right now but by the time you
Feed Swap Fridays with Tenderfoot TV’s latest podcast “Dear Alana”: Presenting Dear Alana, Episode 1: Mom
August 17, 2023
From @tenderfoot.tv comes a new compelling podcast about 24-year-old Alana Chen who disappeared from Boulder, Colorado in 2019. She left behind two dozen journals chronicling a deep faith, her love of the outdoors, and her dream of becoming a nun. Alana also kept a secret, one that put her dream at risk. Listen to the
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn realized she hadn’t talked to any politicians as part of the Summer interview series. So she’s starting with Ken Mejia-Beal. Ken is a published commentator, a vocal activist for chronic illness for the last 16 years, in 2019 Ken was interviewed by the Smithsonian museum
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn leads us into a beautiful conversation that was had last week in Atlanta at the Saving Ourselves Symposium (SOS) conference organized by the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC). The conversation is from the Friday morning plenary that took place at the conference. It’s titled Black LGBTQ+
New Book! Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families joins Queer News
July 31, 2023
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn is joined by Peggy Gillespie, co-founder & Director of Family Diversity Projects. She’s also a journalist and author who has released a new book titled “Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families”. The book is filled with 35 first-person accounts accompanied by
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn I welcome back Samiya Bashir, an award winning poet, author, and today the executive director of Lambda Literary. Lambda Literary is the hub for queer writers and the work they do today is so crucial given the unprecedented attacks on queer literature. We talk about
Queer News is on Tour with The Qube & America’s Got Talent breakout star Wyn Starks joins the show – Monday, July 17, 2023
July 16, 2023
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn wants to introduce to some and re-introduce to others Wyn Starks. Wyn is a Nashville-based pop-soul vocalist who dropped on the scene after his mic drop appearance on America’s Got Talent last season. His monumental audition, which paid homage to his late twin brother, accumulated
Being Queer in Florida Today: Brandon Wolf, Pulse survivor & LGBTQ advocate joins Queer News – Monday, June 10, 2023
July 10, 2023
Welcome to our summer interview series. This week Anna DeShawn is in conversation with Brandon Wolf. Brandon is a pulse survivor, advocate & recent author. Since surviving Pulse where he lost two of his best friends his life has never been the same. He took that tragedy and became an activist for gun safety and
This past week has been quite the devastating ride with the Supreme Court. From rolling back affirmation action, to student loan forgiveness, to the country’s free ride to discriminate against LGBTQ folks. It has been a hell of a week. So we are going to keep amplifying our stories. We’re going to keep pushing forward
Now for the news. Happy Pride! I hope you had an amazing pride weekend. In good news the Equality Act has been reintroduced. You think we can get it passed this time? An Arkansas judge bans an anti-trans bill. Big Freedia drops a new album and I share a pride month story. Let’s go! 00:00
Queer News Feed Swap Fridays with Allyship is a Verb: Do you check in on your relationships? feat. Trystan Reese
June 24, 2023
Do you check in on your relationships? In this week’s episode, Trystan Reese (he/him) shares about his days of being a drag king and how he’s been performing as a man since he was a kid. Learn about some of the practices he’s adopted to check in with his colleagues so that they’re in a
Now for the news. Illinois becomes the first state in the country to pass a ban on banning books. Arizona’s governor vetoes another piece of anti-trans legislation. Colorado Springs holds the first pride since the deadly mass shooting at Club Q. Demi Lovato is back to she/her pronouns and Kokomo City, a black trans film,
Now for the news. There is so much to dig into today. We have an update on the murder of Ashley Burton. Brittney Griner and her teammates were harassed in the Dallas airport. A judge in Florida has granted an injunction so trans folks can continue receiving gender-affirming care. HRC declares a state of emergency
Now for the news. A Tennessee judge rules their anti-drag law unconstitutional. Iowa signs its own version of “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. Adidas is another brand catching hate for its pride collection and Out on Film is raising money for its Filmmaker Fund. Let’s go! 00:00 – Leave Queer News a voicemail for PRIDE 🌈,
Now for the news. What do these brands have in common? Bud Light, Target and The North Face. They all tried to show up for pride and let’s talk about which were performative and which are really about it. The Texas House impeaches its transphobic Attorney General. The LA Dodgers take it back and re-invite
Now for the news. Our top story is Brittney Griner. She played in her first home regular season game just yesterday. In politics. What city has the most LGBTQ representation on its city council? Do you know? That’s right, it’s Chicago. I was there to witness them being sworn in and I want to share
Now for the news. Brittney Griner played in her first game in 572 days. We celebrate Mineestoa as they protect LGBTQ rights. More anti-trans shenanigans in Florida to get into. A Texas lesbian bar is refused insurance coverage and Janelle Monae’s Lipstick Lover video got me body tingling. Let’s go! 00:00 – Welcome & Intro
Lauren and Amanda are interracial lesbian moms raising bi-racial, donor-conceived boys. They are also Instagram famous for documenting their Reciprocal IVF journey and sharing their baby-wearing, co-sleeping, cloth diaper-wearing, and attachment-based mom-lives on the app. Guest co-host Tom Coppola from S1 joins Jaimie to introduce the episode and update us on how his known donor-conceived
Anna DeShawn had the honor of interviewing Tre’vell Anderson, an award-winning journalist, social curator, & world changer who always comes to slay! Tre’vell has written a book called We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film which debuts on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. This book is a groundbreaking look at the
Now for the news. The person who murdered Black trans actor Koko Da Dall has turned themselves in. Protests in Florida heat up as legislators introduce more anti-LGBTQ legislation. Dwyane Wade shares why his family doesn’t live in Florida anymore. Noah’s Arc is making a comeback this year and Yellowjackets star Liv Hewson withdraws from
Now for the news. The community is grieving again, this time for Rasheeda Williams, a Black trans woman murdered in Atlanta. In politics, the U.S. House passed a federal transgender sports ban. Lucky for us President Biden will never sign it and an out trans legislator in Montana has been silenced. In entertainment and culture,
Now for the news. Brittney Griner is writing a memoir about her wrongful detainment in Russia. Another Black trans woman is murdered this time in Atlanta. Equality Florida issues a travel advisory against Florida. The Transgender Film Center partners with Netflix on a film & TV career accelerator and you need to watch Durand’s Tiny
Now for the news. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a trans girl’s right to play sports in West Virginia. This is all while twenty states have instituted bans. Let’s name those states today. Two TikTok stars raise $1.6 million dollars on TikTok for a LGBTQ non profit. A young lady prom-proses to her
Now for the news. After attending a church for two years, a lesbian woman in Chicago was denied baptism. In Nashville, our LGBTQ fam do not feel safe following the mass shooting. The GLAAD Media Awards brought the stars out and the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game was one for the ages. Let’s go.
It’s Trans Week of Visibility & we Celebrate with Only Good News – Monday, March 27, 2023
March 27, 2023
Now for the news. It’s Trans week of Visibility so let’s just talk all things trans today and only drop good news. Good news like the billboard in South Carolina that says “God Loves Trans Kids”, Maryland passing the Trans Health Equity bill, and a national march for Queer & Trans youth autonomy. Let’s go.
Now for the news. Celebration is in order after 40 years of advocacy Michigan has signed LGBTQ protections into law. Kentucky passes the worst anti-trans bill in the nation and its headed to the governor’s desk for signature. Oklahoma is censoring the nation’s first and only non-binary state lawmaker Rep. Mauree Turner. PFLAG is celebrating
We won! Queer News Wins an Ambie! – Monday, March 13, 2023
March 13, 2023
Now for the news. We won! We won the Ambie. I have so many things I want to say and share about the experience. This is a totally unscripted episode. Now, I do have points of course because I’m a Virgo and there really isn’t any other way but I’m talking from my heart to
Now for the news. Tennessee did it. They’ve banned drag shows and so much more. Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses her bid to be re-elected as Mayor of Chicago. A Kentucky mom is banned from refereeing because she’s a lesbian. Chicago legend gets nominated for a GLAAD media award. Let’s go. 00:00 – Welcome & Intro
Now for the news. Angelica Ross leads an action during the closing plenary of the Creating Change conference on behalf of the trans, gender non-conforming & intersex communities. A bill in Tennessee is off to the governor’s desk to ban drag shows. MMA fighters in West Virginia volunteer to protect patrons of a drag show.
Special Edition: Creating Change 2023: We Are Not Okay – Monday, February 20, 2023
February 20, 2023
Now for the news. The news today is all about the National LGBTQ Taskforce and the Creating Change conference. The Taskforce is celebrating its 50th anniversary while also celebrating the Creating Change conference’s 35th anniversary. They are honoring our past, present and future. Let’s talk about why we should care and why it’s a pretty
Now for the news. The Queer News for today is that I’m sick. I’ve caught some weird stomach bug and I’ve been up and down all weekend. It’s been rough but I didn’t want to go a week without dropping something on the feed. So, let’s go! 00:00 – Black HIV in the South: How
Now for the news. We have a new podcast dropping on Tuesday titled Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? I really need y’all to listen. A Black trans woman who was killed in South Carolina in 2019 is finally getting justice. Also, did you know less than 10% of the anti-LGBTQ
The Grown Up Podcast Drops in on Queer News: Derric talks with Anna DeShawn about why Queer media is so important
January 30, 2023
This week we are doing a feed swap with the Grown Up podcast. The Grown Up podcast is hosted by the homie Derric and he talks about how life growing up is complicated, tough, and sometimes feels like you aren’t doing your best. On the Grown Up podcast he talks about everything from mental health
The Bad Queers Podcast Drops in on Queer News: Anna recaps the major Queer events of 2022 with Kris & Shana of the Bad Queers podcast
January 23, 2023
This week we are doing our first feed swap with Bad Queers. Bad Queers is a podcast for people who feel like they came out of the closet and got placed in a box. Bad Queers will leave you both offended and inspired by the news, stories and advice about the very fluid, very real