QN_123024_Final_v1

QN_123024_Final_v1

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

Family, it is your favorite queer radio personality, Anna [00:00:30] DeShawn. And this is the last episode of 2024. Yes, it is. On the Queer News Podcast, your favorite weekly news pod where race and sexuality meet politics, culture and culture. And entertainment, they’re fighting for their own personhood. They’re fighting for their own voice.

They’re fighting to like live their own particular journey in a way that maybe nobody else might choose to live it, but feels right for them. And we need to give that to them. Like, I don’t want our rights to be contingent [00:01:00] on the fact that we’re all the same. That was Nico Lang. And I thank Nico for the reminder.

Okay. When I was thinking about how to close out 2024, I was thinking about Nico’s interview. And if you remember family, Nico is the author of the book, American Teenager, how trans kids are surviving hate and finding joy in a turbulent era. They traveled the country interviewing and talking and being in community with trans youth and their families.

The book is pure gold. And what better way right during this [00:01:30] holiday season than to support. Yes. A fellow LGBTQ journalist, someone documenting our stories, and that really can’t be more important than right now, as we are all getting ready to enter 2025, which we all know what that means. Yes. One of the most anti trans, anti LGBTQ presidents of all time will be sworn in.

So we got to enter this thing together. And I want us to remember the words that Nico shared with us. [00:02:00] This is about all of us. Yes. We can’t leave anybody behind in 2025, 2026, 2027. None of us are free until all of us are free. And so I want to share my 2024 queer news reflections with y’all this episode.

Yes. And I want us to remember all of the good things that happened this past year. And I want us to celebrate all of the good things. And I want us not to forget all of the tragedies, [00:02:30] because that is what will fuel us to keep the fight. Cause we got a lot of fight that we must, must do. It is not an optional activity family.

As we go into 2025, this is not optional, but I’m going to go to a break and when we get back, let’s dig in.

Need health insurance? It’s open enrollment for the Get Covered Illinois Marketplace. Our navigators will help you enroll in a health plan and you can qualify [00:03:00] for financial help. Visit GetCoveredIllinois. gov to enroll by December 15th for coverage starting January 1st. Family. Welcome back to the show.

Now y’all know I use the beginning of the show to always do reflections. And so I feel like y’all are on the journey with me outside of just me giving queer news. Yes. And I just want to take a little bit of your time on this here, Monday to share some of my top stories, top moments of [00:03:30] 2024. Cause we’ve been on a ride this year, family.

We have been on a ride. We had another amazing creating change experience. We got to interview Dr. David Johns, Raquel Willis, I mean, Ms. Major herself for the very first time. What an amazing experience. I celebrated Pride in DC and in Chicago. I emceed the Pride float in Chicago. What a moment, yeah. I received the Community Pride Award from Equality Illinois.

Gave a wonderful [00:04:00] speech that is still reverberating around the city that I’m so grateful for. I got approved. Yes, to cover the DNC, where I got to interview so many powerful people. Wilson Cruz, HRC president, Kelly Robinson. I got to meet Conscious Lee and Tiffany Cross and the Joanne Reed. What? I was there at the National Association of Black Journalists conference.

Where Trump showed up and reminded us that Kamala Harris was black. I mean, it was just [00:04:30] what is happening moment. And then this podcast, this podcast right here won best LGBTQ podcast at the black podcasting awards. We got nominated for another Ambie for best news podcast out here in the world. And when it comes to the stories that really rocked our year, right?

The ones that stood out the most BG, right? Brittany Griner dropped her book [00:05:00] coming home. Her Jersey was retired at Baylor. Don’t say gay legislation was rolled back. There was a settlement reached, right? The Sands has lost more than one occasion this year. We cannot forget that. Don’t forget that the United Methodist Church welcomed LGBTQ clergy this year.

The WNBA killed this year. You understand? There were more people watching women’s basketball this year than ever in the [00:05:30] history of women’s basketball grinder protected LGBTQ athletes at the Olympics this year, right? Which I thought was a pretty dope way to use technology. And we did have some sad moments.

We can’t forget those. We’ll never forget Next Benedict. We won’t forget Chevy Hill. How can I forget our dear friend Taylor Casey who is still missing in the Bahamas? You can’t forget those stories. I can’t forget about all of the trans women who we’ve remembered this year, [00:06:00] who we’ve spoken their names because they deserve to be remembered.

They deserve to still be here. Yeah. I remember Cecilia Gentile. And the amazing, powerful legacy that she has left across the country with her work. And most recently, we’re in the fight. The first federal anti trans legislation passed with a Democratic president. We’ll be following that story. We’ll be [00:06:30] following the story of the United States versus Scarametti.

We’ll be following the Supreme Court’s rulings as we go into 2025. Family, a lot of good has happened this year, but let me tell you a lot of bad and tragic and ugly things have happened this year too. So as we embark upon this next phase of the gay rights movement, the LGBTQ movement, the trans rights movement, Chile, anything that is not a white man [00:07:00] movement, the women’s movement, the abortion movement, as we move into this next phase of what American history will document, it’s probably one of the most polarizing times in our country.

I am sitting with the question of what will our generation do? What will history say about us in this moment? How do you want to be remembered? Are you somebody who watched? [00:07:30] Will history say that you were somebody who saw the injustices and did nothing? Or will history say that you chose to stand up? You chose to speak.

You chose to do something. If you listen to this podcast, you already know I’m a church kid. You already know. I believe in the three T’s time, talent, and treasure. I want history to say that you chose one time, [00:08:00] talent, or treasure to give towards this movement because we need absolutely everybody. This is an all hands on deck type of moment family.

I hope you see that too. I hope you see the writing on the wall. I hope you see history repeating itself. I hope you see what I see. I hope you see what I see. Family. I cannot wait. to continue doing this podcast in 2025. It does [00:08:30] really bring me a lot of joy to tell our stories, even the tragic ones, because I know how important it is.

These airwaves are important. Our democracy is important. Free speech is important. The work we do together And so I’m looking forward to continuing that in 2025. I’m looking forward to growing our audience and expanding the impact we can have with this [00:09:00] podcast and with the work. I’m looking forward to just telling more people that it’s good over here.

Okay. We ain’t trying to bother nobody. We just trying to live our full and authentic selves. in peace and with the same rights as everybody else, and it really shouldn’t be that hard. So family, I [00:09:30] ask that you lean into community, you find your people, and you hold on, okay? Because we are in for quite the ride.

And we will not do it alone. Though I thank you. I thank you Q Crew for financially supporting. Family, I thank you for continuing to listen. I thank you for buying merch. I thank you for subscribing to the newsletters. I thank you for helping me to achieve goals. I just truly thank you for your support.

Now the next two weeks, I’m taking a break. [00:10:00] We still gonna have episodes on the feed, but I’m taking a couple of weeks off and I’ll be back on January 20th, but y’all keep listening cause it’s still going to be good. And I look forward to continuing the journey with y’all in an even more intentional way.

Thoughtful and informative ways till next year, family. Peace[00:10:30]

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Any student that launches their lessons before 2025 will have a permanent 20 percent discount. He [00:11:00] said permanent 20 percent discount on lessons moving forward, but you got to visit his website and sign up today. It is keys for life, LLC. com. That’s keys for life, LLC. com. Get the perfect holiday gift today.

I’m just saying.[00:11:30]

If you’ve enjoyed what you heard, rate and review us inside your favorite podcasting app. This podcast is written and produced by me, Anna DeShawn. Podcast editing by Ryan Woodhall and brought to you by E3 Radio and distributed on the Qube. We are Queer News Done [00:12:00] Right.