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 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, so stay close. We are going to take a quick break for our sponsors and then we’ll be back with Wyn.

00:00 – Welcome to the Queer News podcast 

5:45 – Top queer news stories 

9:40 – Tap into the mental health services provided by the Cook County Department of Public Health, http://h2hucookcounty.com 

10:38 – Subscribe to Rebound Revolution, https://pod.link/reboundrev 

11:20 – Black & Brown podcasts go on our tour with The Qube. Get your tickets. 

For Silver Spring – get your tickets here, https://events.eventnoire.com/e/qube-tour-2023

12:25 – Intro Music by Aina Bre’Yon

13:05 – Wyn Starks joins Queer News

28:24 – Anna’s Got a Word 

30:08 – Who I Am

31:12 – Outro

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Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wynstarks/ 

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wynstarks

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More on the Summer Interview Series

The Queer News team is changing it up for the next couple of months so we have a little more time to enjoy the summer, our families, and rest. We hope you enjoy these conversations with some really wonderful queer folks doing good in the world. Those are the stories we want to amplify here on Queer News. 

During the interview series we won’t leave queer news stories on the sidelines either. Anna will provide brief commentary about the top one or two queer news stories happening that we should be following. Not full stories but know we are still closely following the queer news feeds. You can always follow Anna on social media to stay up to date. 

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Things for you to check out

Watch the Brandon Wolf Interview

The Qube Tour! Get your Tickets! 

Silver Spring – get your tickets here, https://events.eventnoire.com/e/qube-tour-2023

Leave a voicemail about UNAPOLOGETIC: Being Black and Queer in Podcasting

Watch the Replay: UNAPOLOGETIC: Being Black and Queer in Podcasting

Listen & Subscribe to Rebound Revolution

Watch the full interview

Tre’vell Anderson talks Black Trans Life in TV & Film with Anna DeShawn

Order Tre’vell’s Book Today!

Queer News Pride Specials – Get You An Ad Today

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Listen to Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here?

Join the QCrew

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Listen to More Queer News

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The Blog Post by Chat GPT

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Transcript

Family, it’s your favorite queer radio personality Anna DeShawn and this is the Queer News summer interview series. I’m changing it up for summer so I can take a little break from the research and script writing and avoid the dreaded podfade. We only get a month ½ of sunshine here in Chicago and I’m trying to enjoy every moment. As you know we aren’t leaving our top queer news stories on the cutting room floor or anything like that. I’ll be sharing stories you should know before we jump into the interview for the week. 

Before I get into this week’s episode I’ve got two things. First, I want to officially welcome all of our new listeners. Maybe you arrived here from hearing me on the Queer Family podcast or allyship is a verb or maybe the Gayish podcast. Maybe it was social media. I don’t know but either way I’m so glad you’re here and now that you are here if you are digging our intersectional take on the weekly, consider joining the QCrew.  The QCrew is our queer news community. 

I started to help us grow the podcast and I want it to be a place where I get to know you better too. You’ll get weekly emails from me which include a recap of top stories and an uncut video from me on the latest happenings with me & queer news. With your monthly support, we can bring you more stories celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. We have 21 subscribers today and I want to say thank you to each and every one of them; JoLynn, Art, Dione, Rachel, MJ, Kaya, Nico, Kelly, Maria, Evette, Megan, Rachel (2), Bernadette, Jai, Robin, Ishara, Aisha, Ron, Vince, Jennie, & Blueline. If you want to join these beautiful folks and be part of the QCrew click the link in the show notes today. 

Second, we are on tour. Yes, Queer News is on our tour with The Qube. The Qube is my

podcast production company and curated streaming platform of the best BIPOC & QTPOC podcasts. I decided to go on tour to take our podcasts to the people using silent headphones as the medium. I had this idea a few years ago, I’ve tested it out and now we are making it happen. This past weekend we kicked off on Saturday in Brooklyn with the Black Podcasters Association and then we headed to Manhattan on Sunday at Podstream Studios with DCP Entertainment. It was just magical. We are playing our podcast trailers; Queer News, Black HIV in the South, Rebound Revolution, PolyAm Chats & Second Sunday. We will also be highlighting other podcasts in our network city to city. I’d love for you to join me on tour. Next Saturday the 22nd I’ll be in Silver Spring and then we’ll head to Denver, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Baltimore. I’m still looking for sponsorship support and if you want to bring our podcast listening experience to your city let me know. There is a link in the show notes with all the details. 

Now for our quick glance of the the top queer news stories for this week.  

The National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey findings have been released. This survey is so important for a number of reasons. One, data is critical. It’s another way we tell our stories, it helps our favorite nonprofits when they are appealing to foundations for money or writing grants, it helps us serve us better. Second, it was the last project the LGBTQ icon Urvashi Vaid worked on before passing away. We here at E3 Radio actually helped to collect data for this survey as well which was a tremendous honor. Third, this is the largest and most comprehensive survey on LGBTQ+ women who partner with women in the United States. Period. It’s called, “We Never Give Up the Fight”: A Report of the National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey. If you want to read the initial findings check the link in the show notes. 

Next is a top story out of my city Chicago. I’m so proud to say that Precious Brady-Davis has become the first Black trans woman in the history of Illinois appointed as a commissioner of a water reclamation district. Precious ran for office in 2022 but did not win. When a vacancy occurred on the water reclamation board Gov. Pritzker appointed Precious to the position. I think this is such a testament to even when it appears you’ve lost you can still win in the end. Here’s to Precious helping to keep our water clean and our underserved communities from the devastating flooding we’ve seen recently. Congratulations Precious! 

Also, last week was non binary awareness week. I love our non-binary siblings here on queer news and we want y’all to know just that. Y’all keep being you and challenging all the binaries, okay. 

Family, let’s get into the interview for this week. This week I want 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, so stay close. We are going to take a quick break for our sponsors and then we’ll be back with Wyn. 

Are you ready for the podcast tour of the year? Join me on Saturday in Silver Spring, Maryland for the third stop of our tour. Let me tell you. New York owes me nothing. 

Picture this: you’re surrounded by like-minded folks, all connected through the power of shared stories and a love for podcasts.

Immerse yourself in the audio world with our noise canceling surround sound silent headphones. Discover podcasts created and produced by BIPOC & QTPOC creators, each offering a distinct and powerful voice that deserves to be heard.

Family, do not miss this opportunity to network, discover new shows, and engage with audio content in a whole new way.

Get your ticket now at theqube.app/tour. I’d love to see you. 

I hope y’all enjoyed the interview with Wyn. You can follow him across social media at WynStarks and links are in the show notes. 

As my day 1’s know I’ve always ended the pod with Anna’s Got a Word and I haven’t for the first two episodes of the interview series and that changes today. I miss it. I miss leaving y’all with some inspiration and I felt like y’all really need to hear some of the recorded track of “Who I Am”. His voice is so powerful we missed some of the best parts during the interview so lets end this episode with Wyn and remember some of the lyrics to the song. 

I’ve been closing the door

All my life, held it in but not anymore

Got two feet on the floor

This is it, I’m stronger than ever before

Pardon my imposition

But this is my conviction

I need to get this off my mind

I gotta be me, gotta be I

Gotta be who I know I am inside

Can finally breathe, taking it in

Look at me flying!

It’s always been there, it just took me a minute to find it

If I were to be anybody else, I’d just be hiding

Who I am

Who I am

Sources

We Never Give Up the Fight”: A Report of the National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey

Read & Download the report here, https://lgbtqwomensurvey.org/resource/we-never-give-up-the-fight/ 

Environmental Advocate Precious Brady-Davis Becomes First Black, Trans Woman Appointed To Public Office In Cook County

https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/07/13/environmental-advocate-precious-brady-davis-becomes-first-black-trans-woman-appointed-to-public-office-in-cook-county/

Queer News is on Tour with The Qube & America’s Got Talent breakout star Wyn Starks joins the show  – Monday, July 17, 2023