Isn't It Queer

Jonny is joined by AB and Alex to discuss their upcoming performance, "Grayscale: Perfoming Across Difference" -- a performance at the intersection of identity, environment, art and activism. We talk about themes and tactics in the show, including the material challenges of drag and reference to proposed cuts to the NEA and the importance of art in mobilizing publics and building community.

Danette and Jonny are joined by YouTuber, Ky McClosky, to discuss his work on YouTube, drag, androgyny, and growing up gay in Chicago and Southern Illinois. We also discuss keeping faith while resisting dogma in both religion and activism. Check out Ky's YouTube feed, K-SmilesXD, at https://www.youtube.com/user/ksmilesxd

Jonny and Danette discuss local events planned for International Women's Day as well as criticism of the proposed "A Day Without a Woman" strike, how the US Travel Ban is affecting LGBTQ refugees, companies that are backing out of public support for LGBTQ rights in order to preserve favorability with the Trump administration, caution about the romance of resistance in celebrating revolution, and h...

Jonny and Danette are joined briefly by Paulette Curkin to discuss upcoming local events for the March 8th protest event, "A Day without a Woman." https://www.sidaywithoutawoman.com/ We also discuss local queer YouTuber, K-SmilesxD, who will be on the show but couldn't make it today due to the storms overnight -- check out his feed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ln2pM3qpm6g2s9jaXgBgQ We the...

Jonny is joined by Anna Wilcoxen to discuss her upcoming performance "In Service of Venus," which deals with her various experiences in the service industry. We talk about the show but also about its central theme and the intersection of queer identity with labor issues. "In Service of Venus" will be presented at 8 pm on Thursday 2/23 through Saturday 2/25 in the Kleinau Theatre on the second floo...

Jonny and Danette are joined by Candice Sewell to discuss Black History Month and the intersection of Black and LGBTQ issues and concerns. A schedule of SIU Black History Month events can be found here: http://smrc.siu.edu/_common/images/brc/2017-black-history-month-calendar.pdf

Jonyy is joined by Lauran, Mic and Emily to discuss the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies program on the Southern Illinois Campus, with particular emphasis on this weekend's upcoming annual WGSS Conference and a rally next week to show student and community support for WGSS. Keeping a focus on gender, we also discuss #dresslikeawoman, Sen. Elizabeth Warren being silenced on the Senate floor, the a...

Jonny and Danette discuss effectiveness of business boycotts as activist protest, the Boy Scouts of America allowing trans children, the Trump Administrations decision not to use and executive order to rescind Obama's LGBTQ protection orders, news of trans rights struggles in Texas, and the already looming threat of march- and protest-fatigue.

Jonny and Danette are joined by Paulette Curkin and Cade Bursell to unpack the weekends events, focusing particularly on DC protest events during the inaugeration, the National Women's March in D.C., and the sister march in Carbondale. Please note: the event Danette mentioned at the end of the show, the QPOC Panel discussion, takes place tomorrow (Thursday 1/26) from 5-8 pm in the upper level of G...

Jonny is joined by O.J. Duncan, manager of the Rainbow Cafe, to discuss programming at the RC, the Women's March in DC and sister marches locally, artists not performing at the inauguration, Chelsea Manning's sentence commuted by President Obama, anti-trans* legislation in NC TX and IN, the resurgent threat of conversion therapy with VP Pence, and a reminder that there are progressive and radical...

Jonny an Danette kick off the new year with requests for your support in WDBX's kickoff fund raising campaign ( www. WDBX.org ), an interview with Teddy and David Jones about their healing ceremony "An Endless Song" ( http://anendlesssong.com/angelwalk/) , and our New Year's resolutions including a re-commitment to our community focus.

Jonny and Danette discuss recent celebrity deaths (particularly George Michael and Carrie Fisher), water damage at the local Rainbow Cafe and a call to community to help replace their LGBTQ youth lending library, HB2 shenanigans in NC and similar legislation across the country, and the importance of art as a mode of political activism and self-care. If you would like to help Rainbow Cafe in its ti...

Jonny and Danette are joined by Danette's son, John, to discuss fake news and how to recognize it, a check-in on North Carolina and the impending repeal of HB2, the unlikelihood of abolishing the Electoral College or states seceding from the Union, Pulse nightclub victim families suing social media sites for promoting Islamic extremism, Thomas Robert's newshour being cancelled on MSNBC, and embedd...

Jonny and Danette discuss holiday potlucks, a recent Rainbow Cafe dinner for local Gay Straight Alliance student groups, a study that shows the number of self-identified trans people has soubled in the last five years, the impending growth of anti-LGBTQ legislation and organizations, state-level push-back against that by elected officials and businesses, and a check-in on recent LGBTQ representati...

Jonny and Danette discuss Les Delgado's efforts to bring more gender neutral bathrooms to the SIU campus, a check-in on events that occurred on World AIDS Day, a check-in on North Carolina political and protest developments, links between LGBTQ concerns and the NODAPL protests, and two stories about LGBTQ visibility in popular culture with a focus on Star Trek and Supergirl.

Jonny and Danette discuss the return of Alison Bechdel's "Dykes to Watch Out for" comic strip, a run-down to Trump's anti-LGBTQ appointees thus far, a check-in on North Carolina's post-election politics, and a rebuttal of Mark Lilla's charge that the Left needs to abandon identity politics. Technical note: Last week, the radio broadcast had mic difficulties while the podcast recording was fine. Th...

Jonny and Danette are joined half way through by John (Danette's son) to discuss Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving preparations, surviving difficult Thanksgiving conversations, and what we are generally thankful for this year. We also discuss the emerging details of the anti-LGBTQ+ tenor of the Trump administration appointees, the queer-friendly representations of the DC comics/animation/TV universe, and...

Jonny and Danette are joined by performance artist and activist Tim Miller to discuss his residency at Southern Illinois University this week, including a performance of his new show "Rooted." We also discuss the recent election, the safety pin as a symbol of solidarity, dealing with post-factual campaigns and social media, and a review of likely legislative moves under a Trump/Pence administratio...

Danette is joined by CC while Jonny is away to go over the sad and scary news of the election results. They discuss the experience of voting in a general election for the first time, the few good stories to come out of the election, and why it is important to vote and stay politically engaged.

Jonny and Danette discuss campaign backlash against LGBTQ candidates (particularly in Iowa), the hostile climate many are experiencing in this election cycle, the Supreme Court taking up a trans* rights case, North Carolina's first trans* high school homecoming queen, and Halloween costumes and the politics of representation (with particular attention given to the drag costumes of Colton Haynes an...

Jonny and Danette discuss election season impacts on the SIU campus, IL lawsuits and a bathroom bill that challenge trans rights, naked Trump and Clinton statues as guerilla art protest, and the continued impacts of HB2 on North Carolina elections.

Jonny and Danette discuss and compare LGBTQ surrogates and endorsements for the the two major party presidential candidates, check in on the impact of HB2 on the NC gubernatorial race, and review recent and curious LGBTQ developments in France.

Jonny and Danette are joined by Travis Tucker, coordinator of the SIU LGBTQ Resource Center, to discuss a few of the upcoming events for LGBTQ History Month. We also spend the second half of the show unpacking recent developments in the current US election cycle and how they impact the LGBTQ community.

Jonny and Danette are joined by Les Delgado of the Southern Illinois University LGBTQ Resource Center to discuss upcoming events celebrating LGBTQ History Month. We also briefly review our experiences at the Rainbow Cafe annual gala and parse our perceptions of the Vice Presidential Debate.

Jonny and Danette discuss Jonny's recent experience at the fall Gay Spirit Visions retreat in North Carolina. We also check in on how the Carbondale Pride Picnic went and then discuss recent protests in Charlotte, political responses to #BlackLivesMatter, and the need for the long view in social activism.