An Ohio school thought a book was gay because it had rainbows & unicorns on the cover so they banned it. When in fact it was a book about being yourself. P-Valley, one my fav shows, is coming back this June & Michael Sam landed a coaching job which he totally deserves.

00:00 – Welcome & Intro

01:16 – E3 Radio Ad, Tune-in at https://e3radio.fm #QueerRadioDoneRight 

01:39 – Intro Music by Aina Bre’Yon

02:20 – An Ohio school thought a book was gay because it had rainbows & unicorns. When in fact it was a book about being yourself

05:08 – P-Valley, one my fav shows is coming back this June

05:37 – Michael Sam landed a coaching job which he totally deserves

06:56 – Anna’s Got A Word

Things for you to check out 

School bans unicorn book because it “could be promoting a gay lifestyle”

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/04/school-bans-unicorn-book-promoting-gay-lifestyle/

P-Valley | Season 2 Official Teaser | STARZ

Michael Sam Lands First Coaching Job in Spain for the Barcelona Dragons

https://www.gayemagazine.com/post/michael-sam-lands-first-coaching-job-in-spain-for-the-barcelona-dragons

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Transcript

Family, this is your favorite queer radio personality Anna DeShawn with our queer news for today. If you enjoy what you hear rate & review us inside your fav podcasting app, okay. And I dropped a special edition episode last night titled: Bring Brittney Home, Part 2. So I’ve been wanting to give y’all an update on BG for a while and since her name has been in the news a bit since the draft I thought this was a great time to do it. I’ve been following the story closely and wanted to share some things I’ve heard & read, while also talking about how the WNBA plans on keeping BG top of mind throughout the upcoming season. I think it’s good & I’d love for you to take a listen and tell me what you think. Drop me a DM on Instagram or TikTok, okay. Now for the news.

An Ohio school thought a book was gay because it had rainbows & unicorns on the cover so they banned it. When in fact it was a book about being yourself. P-Valley, one my fav shows, is coming back this June & Michael Sam landed a coaching job which he totally deserves. 

Our leading story for today is coming out of Ohio where a school banned a book because they thought it was promoting a gay lifestyle. I am not making this up. The book is titled It’s Okay to be a Unicorn and on the cover the words are in a rainbow gradient with a few unicorns. This triggered people to think it was quote “promoting a gay lifestyle”. Have mercy. The book is about being yourself and the author Jason Tharp said, “The book is actually about me as a kid. I grew up where I felt out of place.” Sounds relatable to me because lots of kids feel out of place. The plan was for the author to read his book at an event for the school district. That was until the principal called him saying he wouldn’t be able to and that any student artwork about the book had to be taken down from the walls. The principal went on to say that Jason wouldn’t be allowed to read his other book either, It’s Okay to Smell Good. Now what is wrong with that. Is smelling good a gay thing? So after this ban happened they held an emergency school board meeting in which Jason attended. During the meeting most of the parents were supportive of the book and district officials admitted that only one parent complained. So wait, one parent complains and no one takes the time to read this kids book. It’s 40 pages of mostly pictures. So we cancel this author and pull the kids’ artwork from the walls. If I was one of the kid’s who’s artwork had to be taken down I would want to know why. I was that kid asking a whole lot of questions and I’m curious what they would say. I’m just so baffled. Ignorant humans are so exhausting. The author Jason had this to say, “I’m not here to entertain adults that want to project their own whatever issues onto a children’s book, I’m here to create books that inspire kids to dream big, embrace themselves, understand the importance of self-kindness, to really learn how to manage your emotions because it’s a confusing world we live in, and being a human is not easy…If an adult is struggling, that’s what therapy’s for, not my kids’ books.” Exactly. That part. This is a prime example of how this right-wing conservative push to ban LGBTQ books will have far reaching effects than just trying to erase LGBTQ narratives. There are currently 15 states considering similar “Dont Say Gay” bills right now. 

In entertainment news, P-Valley is coming back after two years and is scheduled to drop June 3rd on Starz. Yesterday they released the first official trailer and of course it looks hot cause it goes down at The Pynk. I really enjoyed this show when it came out & I’m glad Starz decided to keep the show. Clifford & Mississippi will no doubt keep us entertained. I’ve included a link to the trailer in the show notes so you can check it out. 

In sports, Michael Sam has landed a coaching job. He will be the new Defensive Line assistant coach in Spain for the Barcelona Dragons. Y’all remember Michael’s story? He was a standout college athlete at the University of Missouri and then he came out before the draft making him the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL. Unfortunately, his NFL career didn’t last long at all. He went on to play in the Candaian Football League before retiring after just two years. Michael said this on Instagram, “First I want to thank @barcelona.dragons for this incredible opportunity to get back to a game that has given me so much in my life. I also want to thank the friends who have seen my highs and lows and lows again and encouraged me to stay resilient. I am so excited to start this new journey and to help my new family however I can. I’m excited to learn more about the @europeanleagueoffootball, the players, and the Spanish culture. I also want to thank my LBGTQ community for having my back in my time of need. I will continue on to fight for our place in history. I love you all.” We are wishing Michael all of the success in the world. 

Let’s close out the episode with a word. Today’s word is coming from one of the greatest singers of all time Ella Fitzgerald. She said, “It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts.” Keep looking ahead my friends and let’s press forward together. Till tomorrow family, peace.

Sources

School bans unicorn book because it “could be promoting a gay lifestyle”

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/04/school-bans-unicorn-book-promoting-gay-lifestyle/

P-Valley | Season 2 Official Teaser | STARZ

https://www.lovebscott.com/watch-p-valley-season-2-official-teaser-photos-video

Michael Sam Lands First Coaching Job in Spain for the Barcelona Dragons

https://www.gayemagazine.com/post/michael-sam-lands-first-coaching-job-in-spain-for-the-barcelona-dragons

An Ohio school bans a book they think is gay because of rainbows and unicorns, P-Valley is coming back & Michael Sam has landed a coaching job – Thursday, April 14, 2022