A Pulse Nightclub memorial update, Senator Laphonza Butler will not run for the seat, India says no to same-sex marriage & the iconic film The Aggressives is back 25 years later – October 23, 2023

This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports on the city of Orlando being set to buy the Pulse Nightclub property. Newly appointed senator Laphonza Butler says she’s not going to run for the seat. In a much anticipated vote, India says no to same-sex marriage. The cult classic film Aggressives is back 25 years later. Let’s go!

00:00 – Welcome to the Queer News podcast 

1:52 – Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 

2:30 – Top queer news stories 

3:08 – Buy an Ad on the Queer News podcast, https://bit.ly/3ohYXAw 

3:35 – Follow They Will Kill podcast, https://www.theywillkill.com/ 

4:06 – Intro Music by Aina Bre’Yon

4:42 – A Pulse Nightclub memorial update

6:45 – Senator Laphonza Butler will not run for the seat

7:54 – Follow the Second Sunday podcast, https://pod.link/1708662302 

8:27 – Follow The Head Nod podcast, https://pod.link/1699870161  

8:46 – India says no to same-sex marriage

12:58 – The iconic film The Aggressives is back 25 years later

14:08 – Anna’s Word

16:17 – Closing

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Things for you to check out

Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later

Join the QCrew

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Transcript

Family, it’s your favorite queer radio personality Anna DeShawn and this is Queer News. Your fav weekly news pod where race & sexuality meet politics, culture, and entertainment. 

This weekend I was in Baltimore for the 5th Afros and Audio Podcast Festival. It’s like a family reunion. It’s so easy to feel lonely in this space so conferences like these are so necessary. We had a table spreading the word about The Qube, Queer News and other pods too! I spoke on Sunday with my good sis Adell. We co-host the Head Nod together and wanted to share our learnings during this collaboration. We called it “When Two Media Companies Collide”. It was so good and I really enjoyed seeing my people. 

Now if you enjoy this episode, think about joining The QCrew. The Crew is our Queer News community. Your recurring monthly will help supplement the costs of pod; podcast hosting, editing, marketing, PR, travel, etc. 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 QCrew. I want to welcome Bob, our newest member of the QCrew. Welcome Bob, I’m happy you’re here. Now its your turn. Come on and join us. A link is in the show notes. 

Now for the news. The city of Orlando is set to buy Pulse Nightclub property. Newly appointed senator Laphonza Butler says she’s not going to run for the seat. In a much anticipated vote, India says no to same-sex marriage. The cult classic film Aggressives is back 25 years later. I’ll be back after the break with the news. Let’s go! 

Our top queer news story for this week is coming out of Orlando. After seven years, the city of Orlando is preparing to vote on buying the Pulse nightclub property. They will vote to buy the property for 2 million dollars and turn it into a memorial. Now I’m sure y’all are asking the same question I’ve been asking which is why has it taken seven years for this to happen. So after the tragedy took place the owners started a nonprofit called the onePulse Foundation. They tried over the years to raise the money for a $100 million dollar memorial but could never make it happen. The executive director of the foundation stepped down last year and stepped away from the organization all together this year. The city is stepping in hopes that it can get the memorial done sooner rather than later. The city of Orlando says it is looking to work with the victims’ families to build the memorial. Y’all know in 2016 Pulse was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of this country. I had the honor of interviewing Brandon Wolf earlier this year about his life after Pulse, his activism & queer life in Florida. If you missed that interview I’ve included a link in the show notes. Now I do hope that the city of Orlando can build a memorial that honors all of those who lost their lives that day. We should not be allowed to forget what happened. 

In political news, Laphonza Butler, the senator who was appointed to fill Diane Fienstein’s seat, has announced that she will not run for the office. She said, “Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you should run a campaign…I’ve spent the past 16 days pursuing my clarity — what kind of life I want to have, what kind of service I want to offer and what kind of voice I want to bring forward. After considering those questions I’ve decided not to run for Senate in the upcoming election.” I love everything about this for her & her family. Public office is not for the faint of heart and you really have to consider what type of life you want to lead. Because it quite literally affects everyone in your life. As you all know, I reported on Laphonza a couple of weeks ago when she was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsome. Her appointment made history as she is the third Black woman to serve in the senate and the first Black lesbian woman to do so. 

This is a good time for us to take a quick break. When we get back I’ve got some culture & entertainment news for you. Stay close. 

Family, welcome back to the show. In political and cultural news, LGBTQ advocates in India have been lobbying their high court to rule on legalizing same-sex marriage. The end goal being the same as our fight here in the states; full legal rights and protections. Well it took two hours for them to hand down the ruling that they would not in fact legalize same-sex marriage but they also did not condemn it. I found that party very interesting. The Chief Justice called queerness a “natural phenomenon,” and told the government to make sure that the “queer community is not discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.” Oh so wait you are pro-LGBTQ? I am so confused. Then another justice said the right of LGBTQ couples to choose their partners was not contested, and they were entitled to celebrate their commitment to each other “in whichever way they wish within the social realm.” but now he went on to basically say that “This does not extend the right to claim any legal entitlement to any legal status for the same union or relationship.” Well doesn’t it though. I feel like India didn’t take a step forward but it also didn’t take a step back. I hope the LGBTQ advocates in that country continue to fight because it doesn’t feel like they are too far off from legalization. Of course they are terribly disappointed as they should be but according to a Pew survey published in June, 53% people believed homosexuality should be accepted – a 38% increase from 2014. So the work they are doing is working. We just have to keep chipping away one battle at a time. And this just feels like a good time to evoke a good MLK quote, reminding us that “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”.  

For our last story today, in entertainment news, I am so excited to announce that the iconic documentary which followed 4 BIPOC masc women in New York City during the late 90s early 2000s is back. That film was called The Aggressives and this time the film is called BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER. The film catches up with the main characters and where their lives have gone 25 years later. When this film dropped in 2005 I was graduating from undergrad and had just come out a few years prior. This film was everything to me. I can’t even count how many times I watched it. It was me. It was about people who looked like me. In a film. I cannot wait to see where their lives have gone over the last 25 years. The film had its world premiere at Newfest and the buzz is hot. Newfest has been ensuring LGBTQ+ stories are seen, heard & celebrated since 1988. The Aggressives: 25 years later drops in theaters on November 17th. I hope we can organize a screening in Chicago. 

Family, it’s time for the word of the day. This word is coming from Erica Layne and it says “Rest is not idle, not wasteful. Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do for your body & soul.” She ain’t never lied. Rest is a revolutionary act & I took mine on Wednesday afternoon. I literally walked away from my computer and cuddled with my CoCo in front of the TV and just rested. I have to listen to my body and take care of my mind. Now y’all might not be able to do that on a Wednesday afternoon but you make sure you do it when you can. Choose you cause you can’t give from an empty cup. Till next week, family. Peace.

Sources

Pulse nightclub property to be bought by city of Orlando and turned into a memorial

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/pulse-nightclub-property-purchased-city-orlando-turned-memorial-rcna121193

Showtime Documentary Films Buys Daniel Peddle’s Follow-Up ‘Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later’ (EXCLUSIVE)

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/showtime-documentary-daniel-peddle-aggressives-25-years-later-1235759040/

Newly appointed California Sen. Laphonza Butler says she won’t run to keep the seat in 2024

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-laphonza-butler-says-wont-run-2024-california-senate-seat-rcna121313

India’s top court declines to legalize same-sex marriage in landmark LGBTQ ruling

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/17/india/india-same-sex-marriage-verdict-intl-hnk/index.html