Isn't It Queer

Produced on the Election Day but released on the day after, this episode anticipates the turmoil to come. Jonny first delves into the Trump Administration's attempts to whitewash their LGBTQ+ record and the strange phenomenon of LGBTQ Trump supporters. He then coasts through a series of good news items about the LGBTQ community that may have been eclipsed by the US elections. These include childre...

Jonny shares some of the wonderful speeches and endorsements from this year's Rainbow Cafe virtual gala, marking its 20th anniversary. He does a brief check in on the news and then turns it over to Rona P. Andemic for some spooky holiday words of wisdom.

Jonny interviews Tara Bell about the upcoming (and already on-going) 20th Anniversary Gala for the Rainbow Cafe. He also reviews some recent Trevor Project data about how CoVid-19 is impacting LGBTQ+ youth. Finally, he ends with a quick review of some recent stories, including good news from New Zealand about lots of LGBTQ people being elected to Parliament.

Jonny starts out with a recap of the 2020 Fall (Virtual) Conference of Gay Spirit Visions, including a sampling of the keynote address by Padraig O'Tuama. He then moves on to cover upcoming LGBTQ+ History Month events in the Carbondale area. He briefly updates stories about Boystown changing its name in Chicago, more JK Rowling toxicity, and the direness of the Supreme Court appointment process.

Jonny discusses the western wildfires and their causes, in cluding in one place a gender [sic] reveal party. He then discusses the accidental revelations of Chris Evans's private parts. He discusses the unfortunately not surprising further revelation of JK Rowling's transphobia in her latyest nover. Finally, Rona P. Andemic offers some meditations on "pre-existing conditions" inspired by recently...

Jonny fact checks some pro-Trump advertising that mischaracterizes the Equality Act. He then follows up with more reasons why Ric Grenell cannot be trusted as a gay advocate for the Trump Administration. In the back half of the show we share reports of new drug-resistant strains of HIV in France, and we end with new reporting on the impacts of CoVid-19 on LGBTQ communities. Interested in our sourc...

Jonny wraps up election year convention season with a rundown of the the RNC. He then turns to two recent court decisions in favor of LGBTQ rights, one dealing with the citizen status of a child born through surrogacy to same sex couples and the other Gavin Grimm"s successful appeal to in his case against his high school's transphobic bathroom and locker room policies. Finally, we review the case...

Jonny reviews the rest of the Democratic National Convention followed by some analysis of the first night of the Republican National Convention. Rona P. Andemic offers some commentary about memory, nostalgia, and omens.

Jonny checks in on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, noting it is setting historical precedents for LGBTQ visibility and a pro-LGBTQ platform. He then takes a closer look at first night speeches by Senator Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama. Jonny turns to a discussion of Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for Vice President, reviewing some of the cautions we might have...

Jonny checks in on the turmoil in Poland after the reelection of President Duda. He then reviews what led to Jerry Falwell Jr. taking a leave of absence as the president of Liberty University. He then shares information about Drag Out The Vote 2020 and how you can get involved. Finally, a commentary from Rona P. Andemic.

Jonny reviews first how the Trump administration has politicized its response to CoVid 19 before diving into some of the lessons from the HIV/AIDS pandemic that we might apply to this one. He then reviews the funeral of John Lewis and why acting up and getting into "good trouble" is so important. Finally, he covers two contrasting cases of LGBTQ-related CoVid deniers who caught CoVid and how they...

Jonny has some hard words for Dr. Stella Immanuel and the (not!) "front line doctors" of the "white coat summit" held on the steps of the SCOTUS. He then reviews Dr. Anthony Fauci's bona fides, with particular reference to his work on HIV/AIDS and the parallels he sees between our response to that pandemic and the current one. He reviews recent scientific meta-analysis that confirms bisexual men e...

Jonny begins with a memorial for Congressman John Lewis. He then discusses some places around the world in need of "Good Trouble", Including new anti-LGBTQ legislation in Russia, Trump Administration guidances on asylum seekers and trans discrimination, changes to anti-LGBTQ laws in Sudan, and the emergence of Pride Afrique. The show ends with a commentary by Rona P. Andemic.

Jonny dives into the challenges of reopening schools in the fall if the pandemic isn't dealt with better in this country. He also reviews what Dr. Anthony Fauci has been up to since getting the cold shoulder from the White House, including his talk at the 2020 International AIDS Conference.

Jonny revisits the ongoing Rowling stoked gender critical debate with a line of rebuttals provided by "Sue Gives a F**k." He then reviews advancing HUD guidances that allow homeless shelters to turn away trans folks seeking shelter. He discusses briefly changes at the Agency for Global Media that will affect LGBTQ and other civil rights advocates in countries with authoritarian regimes. Finally, R...

Jonny talks with local activist and community organizer, Clare Killman, about the recent arrest and pepper spraying of participants in a Carbondale Queer Wrath march, including the dead-naming and misgendering of a trans woman who was taken into police custody. He then reviews reports of violent police overreaction at t similar march in NYC, He finishes with a review of the legacy of Marsha P. Joh...

Jonny runs down the list of local virtual and CoVid-compliant Pride events still upcoming n June. He then discusses the importance of Juneteenth, sips some tea over President Trump's Tulsa rally, and updates some ongoing LGBTQ stories, including: the MSM blood and plasma donation restrictions, Idaho's anti-trans laws, the SCOTUS decisions on DACA and LGBTQIA workplace discrimination, and pushback...

Jonny talks with Tara Bell about upcoming virtual and CoVid-compliant Pride events in Southern Illinois. He then discussed the recent Supreme Court decision re: LGBTQ+ discrimination in the workforce.

Jonny reviews even more local and virtual Pride events, before commenting on three stories in LGBTQ news this week: JK Rowling doubling down on TERF anti-trans discourse; Lindsey Graham being outed by male escorts; and gay bars targeted by police during the current anti-violence protests.

Jonny briefly reviews some of the on-line Pride festivities available in the region before a long chat with with Caleb about the recent protests against police violence and the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police. We end the show with a call for an even more intersectional Pride this year and a firm commitment to the truth that Black Lives Matter.

Jonny discusses with Tim Miller surviving as an independent performance artist during pandemic as well as the similarities and differences between Coronavirus and HIV. A special commentary on Memorial Day by Rona P. Andemic follows.

Jonny interviews Tara Bell about plans to move Southern Illinois Pride Fest on line. He also cover's LGBTQ organizations that have endorsed Joe Biden and a collection of stories about gay meteorologists in the news. Finally, we end the show with a special graduation commentary from Rona P. Andemic.

Jonny checks in on continued pressure to drop the FDA guidelines restricting MSM from donating blood or blood products like plasma, Jonny and Caleb then discuss various permutations of racism during the pandemic, with particular focus given to the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.

Jonny reviews some of the recent resistance to wearing face masks in public, linking it (marking similarities and differences) to safer sex campaigns and the heightened use of prophylactics during the early years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. He also discusses the appointment of a gay diplomat from the Obama administration to a top position in the Biden campaign. And, well, Murder Hornets. Because of...

Jonny weighs in on President Trump's medical speculation over UV light and injecting disinfectant. He then reviews the Trump Administration rule allowing healthcare providers to refuse treatment to trans people, even while some doctors explore hormone therapy as a treatment for CoViD-19. He closes out the show with reports on Zoom sex parties, data on the impacts of pandemic on LGBTQ people, and v...