You Don't Say: Conversations with The Loquacious Mr. Duane

On June 11, the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives opened their exhibit: Panic, Politics, and Policy: New York City during the AIDS Crisis, 1981 - 1996 , featuring the one and only Tom Duane. Tom brings on Archives Director, Stephen Petrus, to talk about the exhibit and the monumental historical moments it covers. 

It’s June, baby, and that means it’s Pride Month, so Sam asks Tom personal and ridiculous pride-themed questions, all in the name of gay.  

Everyone is having a hard time. Blake is under the weather and Tom’s dog passed away. So, Tom and Blake want to know: are our loved ones really gone? As per usual, this is only semi-discussed, but we do get some stories about straight representatives making out, the Dalai Lama, and The Grateful Dead.

Blake and Tom are back to talk about the book, which sort of happens, but Tom mostly pries into Blake’s ghostwriting history. 

The doctor’s orders are in, the book is getting a new title and you're getting a new prescription: Prep, Help, Hope. But wait, even with this treatment, will the young activists apply it? Tom, Blake, and Sam discuss this, and the true potential for a new radical movement. 

Tom’s old pal and former NYC Council member , Rosie Méndez, joins him to chat about their organizing work together and Rosie's opinion on term limits. Plus, they obviously gossip just a little bit.  

Did you miss us? Sorry, we’ve been busy trying to save the world. Speaking of, Tom brought back district Leader Layla Law-Gisiko to chat about her experience immigrating to the US and getting into politics, and their continual fight to stop the Chelsea NYCHA demolition.  

Blake, Tom, and occasionally Sam talk about the recent Rob Reiner, Bondi Beach, and Brown University tragedies, and how the hell anyone can be happy when the world is on fire.

Bruce Pachter, the chair of the NYPD commissioner’s LGBTQIA advisory committee, joins Blake and Tom — and even Sam! — to talk about the committee’s new survey ( lqbtqiaadvisory@icloud.com ) and the overall relationship between the queer community and the NYPD. 

He’s baaaaaaack. Former cohost Blake rejoins the pod for this week’s episode to give us an update on his life, the book’s life, and the potential lives that will be changed by said book. 

Tom’s cousin, screenwriter Alice O’Neil, joins Tom to gossip about their family’s politics, and to discuss her work on the TV show Billions , as well as her other various film/TV projects. 

Activist Michelle Lopez joins Tom to talk about her experience immigrating to the U.S. from Trinidad, and her public health work with both general AIDS activism and the new(ish) U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) campaign. 

Lobbyist Julia Donnaruma joins Tom on the pod to talk about her various experiences with lobbying, what it was like to work for Mayor Bloomberg, and finally, her nonprofit work with New Alternatives For Children — the very place she met the loquacious Mr. Duane.

District Leader Layla Law-Gisiko joins Tom to talk some more about the NYCHA Chelsea Demolition and the general privatizing of subsidized housing.

NYCHA, NYC’s public housing authority, is allowing private developers to demolish two Chelsea NYCHA campuses, displacing over 90 senior citizens in order to build luxury high-rises. Tom brings activists Roberta Gelb and Lydia Andre on the pod to talk about what you can do to stop the demolition . 

Lawyer Jim West joins Tom on the pod and the two reminisce about their good ol' days fighting the good fight, as West was one of the principal lawyers involved in the cases that eventually led to Braschi decision — the landmark ruling that allowed the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship to continue living in a rent controlled apartment belonging to the deceased partner.

Remember that ol’ book Tom and Blake were working on? It’s still happening, so Charles Sanchez comes on the pod to question Tom about some more gay & political book-related stuff. Knowing Tom, this will be super straightforward. 

Producer and engineer, Sam Small, joins Tom to talk about boycotts, adderall, and the one and only Zohran Mamdani 

Tom’s old pal, Representative Tony Simone, joins him on the pod to talk about deciding to run, having a crush on his fraternity brothers, and his two pending bills: the melt act and the non partisan pulpit act. 

Justice Andrea Masley joins Tom to talk about her career as a judge and two of the NYC Bare Association's current bills, Repeal the Cap and Do the Math. 

Tom’s dream guest is here! Former New York Times reporter, David Dunlap, joins the pod to talk about the beginnings of the “gay and lesbian beat,” and all the peaks and valleys of his 50 plus years working for the paper. 

Charles Sanchez, one of the newest additions to the YDS team, finally takes to the mic. We learn about his first dilly-dally, his career as a writer and musician and the first penis he ever truly loved. 

Former city council member Jimmy Van Bramer joins Tom, his former employer and gay mentor, to talk about his political career, his love life, and their mutual Irishness.

Tom’s former chief of staff, TAG treasurer, and occasional cellmate, Laura Morrison, joins the pod to talk about their mutual organizing history.

So you know how Tom is always saying he’s kind of “bisexual,” well today we get to meet his first girlfriend and lifelong bestie, the poet Katherine Eatmon.