Leading Queer

To beat the heat, the BQLP sits down with Dr. Ron Buckmire to talk about how cool Math can truly be. Dr. Ron Buckmire is the Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics at Marist University. Ron has been a professor and Associate Dean at Occidental College as well as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Importantly, Ron has been a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ+ commu...

This month, the BQLP sits down with a Canadian legend, second to Céline Dion herself! "Albert McLeod is a Status Indian with ancestry from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the Metis communities of Cross Lake and Norway House in northern Manitoba. One of the founders of the Two‐Spirited People of Manitoba, Albert began his 2Spirit advocacy in Winnipeg in 1986 and became an HIV/AIDS activist in...

Who says religion and queer leadership don't mix? In today's episode, the BQLP chats with Revrend Wanda Floyd of the Metropolitan Community church, based in Las Vegas Nevada. "Rev. Wanda Floyd has over 20 years’ experience which reflects a balanced approach to healthy church life, coupled with a Master’s of Divinity degree. Strong and proven track record in church work through excelle...

Did you miss us? Because we sure missed you! Leading Queer is happy to back and better than ever at our new location, Simon's Rock at Bard College. For our first episode of the new year, Leading Queer is joined by our guest–Simon’s Rock alum, artist, publisher, educator, personal care attendant, working-class advocate, and newly elected Holyoke Ward 3 City Councilmember, Anne Thalheimer. Anne Thal...

Prepare for a truly electrifying-- or should we say ZAPPING-- episode with Mark Segal. Mark is a veteran of the gay rights movement, participating in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, known traditionally as the event marking the beginning of the movement in the United States. Mark was a member of the Gay Action Group (later part of the Gay Liberation Front) and a leader of Gay Youth during his 3 years...

Happy Pride Month, Leaders! This month we are thrilled to provide TWO episodes for your listening pleasure. Call it a Pride gift from us to you! For our first Pride episode, the BQLP sits down with two-time U.S. Figure Skating Champion Amber Glenn. In addition to her 2024 and 2025 U.S championships, Amber topped the podium at the 2024 Grand Prix Final. Amber began skating at the age of five, won t...

Season 2 already? How time flies! This month, the BQLP had the pleasure of chatting with today’s leading queer, our guest and incredible friend of the BQLP, Schuyler Bailar. Schuyler is an internationally-celebrated inspirational speaker, bestselling author, and advocate for trans inclusion, radical body acceptance, and mental health awareness. Schuyler, along with our Episode 6 guest, Jim Fieldin...

This month, we sat down with Jackson Lewis to discuss what it means to be young and politically active. At age 19, Jackson became the youngest elected official in Utah’s history. Note, this is youngest ever vs. simply the youngest LGBTQIA+ individual. Jackson represents District 1 on the Canyons School Board. We chatted with Jackson about his first few months on the School Board, what inspired him...

Can you feel the love? We certainly can! This month, the Leading Queer team has the pleasure of chatting with Bob Witeck. Bob is a seasoned communicator, public speaker, counselor, public affairs professional, speechwriter as well as a trusted crisis communications expert. Bob authored  Business Inside Out: Tapping Millions of Brand-Loyal Gay Consumers , recognized as the first book advising marke...

New Year, Same Queer! To kick off the new year, the Leading Queer team presents a special episode to inspire hope in these challenging times. This is an audio recording of a speech done on our campus by Representative Becca Balint, the first woman and LGBTQ+ person elected to the U.S Congress from Vermont. Becca's career from the beginning, has been rooted in empathy and justice - first as an educ...

Happy Holidays, Leading Queers! In this month's episode, we are talking all things Space: The Final Frontier with Colonel Bree Fram. Bree Fram is an author, podcaster, keynote speaker, and active-duty colonel and astronautical engineer in the United States Space Force. Bree also co-leads the Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team, dedicated to eliminating barriers to LGBTQ+ military s...

Are you ready to GOBBLE up this month's episode? This month, the BQLP is thankful to be speaking with award-winning researcher and educator, Chad Topaz. Chad is Professor of Complex Systems at Williams College and co-founder of an independent nonprofit organization: Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE), a research-to-action institute working at the inter...

Boo! Did we scare you? This Hallows eve episode, the BQLP chats with Florida activist and icon, Nadine Smith. Nadine is the Executive Director of Equality Florida, the state's largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2022,  she was named to the Time100 , TIME Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. A...

Happy 1st Birthday to the BQLP! This episode, we reflect on 1 year of the BQLP and Jim Fielding's book  All Pride, No Ego.  As one of the first openly gay CEOs of a Fortune 500 company, Jim has paved the way for Queer leaders in the corporate world and beyond. Some of the companies he's headed you might have heard of! Do Disney Stores Worldwide, Claire's, and 20th Century Fox ring some bells? Fiel...

Back to school with the BQLP! In this month's episode, we chat with educator and Director of Education Programs for New York City's PFLAG, Clark Wolff Hamel. An alum of Bard College, Clark shares his philosophies on advocating for inclusive education, LGBTQIA+ classroom resources, and how to navigate what can be an increasingly hostile environment for Queer individuals--as both an educator...

Did you just fall out of a coconut tree? This guest certainly didn't! This month the BQLP is happy to chat with Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Philly native, and candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General. Please, check your registration and VOTE! For more information: ⁠https://www.vote.org/ More information on Representative Kenyatta from ⁠https:...

Happy Pride Month! For your pleasure, this month we are in conversation with Andrea Barrica, the founder of O.School, a sex education platform. Andrea has also co-founded financial services companies, worked as a venture capital investment advisor, and is a managing partner at Mahway which provides a unique model for business creation. https://www.o.school/

On this week's episode, the BQLP chats with Ms. Joy Redmond (she/her), a composer and musician based in New York City. Joy holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where she studied composition with Matthias Pintscher. Currently, Joy’s musical pursuits include composing for concert, stage, and media works, collaborating with other artists as a producer and arranger, and...

The Bard Queer Leadership Project (BQLP) kicks off our inaugural episode in conversation with Dr. Joel Davis Brown, the founder and Visionary Leader of Pneumos, a global management & consulting firm. Dr. Brown is also the author of The Souls of Queer Folk : How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice , required reading for the revolutionary new BQLP.