Isnt It Queer

Jonny provides information for the Friday 8/11 Trans Resource Fair in Carbondale, IL. He covers recent legal developments that are driving trans and queer folks to relocate to open and affirming states even as there is evidence anti-trans laws are often being overturned in Federal Court. In the back half of the show he demonstrates how the DeSantis administration's anti-LGBTQ policies are being rammed through with an anti-science denialism that is common in other Right Wing policy making and how the actual science is coming back to harm the state with a vengeance, from pandemic policy to climate change.

Jonny interviews Alex Socorro about a new 501(c)(3) organization in the area, Southern Illinois Pride Collective (https://www.soilpridecollective.org/), that will cooridinate local LGBTQ+ community events, including local Pride festivities. In the back half of the show, Jonny reviews the details of Internal Revenue Code 501(c) organization designations, what kinds of organizations typically coordinate Pride festivities, and how Southern Illinois benefits from having different types of 501(c) advocacy organizations.

Jonny interviews Carrie Vine, Executive Director of The Rainbow Cafe, noting both the many upcoming events and services for the community and how RC is part of a local and statewide network of advocacy orgaonizations. In the back half of the show, he looks at two recent and local vollies in efforts to ban books or resist book bans in public libraries. Finally, Sister Mothra Stewart of the SOIL Sisters stops by to offer some reflections on National Moth Week and recommend a movie.

Jonny interviews Christina Garnette, a local drag performer and trans activist, about her work in the community. In the back half of the show, Jonny and Christina discuss the importance of solidarity in the queer community, leaving room for diversity but not allowing differences and interpersonal conflict to derail the important work of promoting and protecting a vulnerable community.

Jonny interviews Alex Waller of Golden Rainbows Illinois South (GRIS) about the new program, "Get Up, Get Out" -- providing social interaction and physical activity for older members of the LGBTQ community in Southern Illinois. In the back half of the show, he reviews how most legislative bans on gender affirming care for trans youth have been failing in Federal appeals court until this past weekend. He reviews why judges were finding significant Constitutional challenges to the legislation and why the 6th District Court of Appeals found differently (at least temporarily) about Tennessee's bans.

Fresh off a 10 day silent meditation retreat, Jonny sits down with Craig Gingrich-Philbrook to talk about US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions that landed while he was away, particularly the Creative LLC decision. Craig is a queer theorist and scholar of Performance and Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University. He is also Jonny's husband. In the back half of the show, they frame further discussion of the court decisions through the interpretive lens of a recent episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, "Ad Astrea Per Aspera."

Jonny interviews Priscilla Pimentel, an SIU employee currently doing community outreach for the just-forming LGBTQ Constituency Group on campus. They discuss what constituency groups are, why they are important, and what goes into forming one. In the back half of the show, Jonny rebroadcasts his interview with Keri, Cassandra, and Mitchell of the Carbondale Assembly for Radical Equity (CARE) about their upcoming Art Auction and Music Fundraiser. Jonny closes with updated and current information about the event and some meditations on the importance of community organizing in these trying times,

In the front half of the show, Jonny curates several stories about the threats facing public gatherings for Pride and Juneteenth. He leads with a tragic story about a Juneteenth mass shooting in Willowbrook, IL. He then reviews the impacts of enhanced security and sponsor caution on Pride. In the back half of the show, he updates the LA saga about the Dodgers honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. He notes the success of the event despite the over 2000 Catholic/Christian protestors outside of it. He speaks back to one YouTube Christan citizen "journalist" who ambushed Sister Unity at a Pride event in West Hollywood.

Jonny interviews Heather O'Malley about the release of her new novel, Transitioning Home. They spend the bulk of the show talking about the novel, which chronicles the gender transition of an Iraq War veteran after transitioning out of the Army due to battle injuries. Heather and Jonny also discuss the recent SI PrideFest, how Heather and her wife Kaye come to live in Carbondale, her own experiences as an Army veteran, and her future novels about to hit the shelves.

Jonny talkes with Tara Bell about the weekend lineup of PrideFest events in Carbondale, IL. In the back half of the show, he reviews why the activism in Pride is even more important this year as the LGBTQ community faces challenges and pushback across the country. We remember that Prid is a riot, in origin. We honor that legacy even as we plan for a weekend of festive events.

Jonny talks with Tara Bell of Pride in Action, Southern Illinois about the pre-Pride festivities this coming weekend (6/2-6/3). Events include a gallery showing of art titled "Seen" at The Varsity Center on Friday at 5:00, the County-to-County Pride Run starting at 8 am Saturday at the Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, and the Pride Kickoff Fundraiser trio of bands at Hangar 9 at 9 pm on Saturday (doors open at 8). In the back half of the show, Jonny reviews likely Supreme Court decisions that are likely to fall during Pride, noting how the recent decision re: EPA sets precendents of concern for all of us.

Jonny interviews Sister Unity of the LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence about recent interactions with the LA Dodgers and their off-again, on-again recognition by the team as community heroes for 27 years of community service. In the back half of the show, Jonny talks with Alexia Stallon, the director of OUT Mt. Vernon about this weekend's (5/27) "Pride Kick-Off" in Mt. Vernon, IL.

Jonny interviews Cassandra, Mitchell, and Keri of the Carbondale Assembly for Radical Equity, a collection of groups welcoming trans and queer people relocating to Illinois from states that do not recognize or affirm them. In the back half of the show, he reviews how Illinoisans responded to a visit from Florida govvernor Rhonda Santis as well as Missourians' pushback against anti-trans legislation. Sister Mothra Stewart closes the show with a welcome delivered for the Lavender Graduation at Southern Illinois University.

Jonny talks with Tara Bell of Pride In Action Southern Illinois about the upcoming PrideFest in Carbondale (June 9-11). They focus their talk on varois pre-Pride fundraisers and events including the "Southern IL PrideFest Royalty Pageant" this weekend (5/13) at The Varsity Center in Carbondale. In the back half of the show, Jonny interviews Sandy Pensoneau-Conway about the Rainbow Cafe, now fully relocated into its downtown Carbondale space. The Rainbow Cafe is also doing some fundraising to support its myriad programs as the region's preeminant community LGBTQ+ Resource Center

Jonny talks with his former co-host, Caleb McKinley-Portee, and O.J. Duncan about some of the staffing issues for the Student Multicultural Resource Center, including the LGBTQ Resource Center, on the Southern Illinois University campus. Both are officers in the Graduate and Professional Student Council and are involved in working with campus administrators to address student concerns. Both are also out, queer advocates for the community. Together, they work with other students on campus to push for better representation for the LGBTQ community and its inclusion in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. They detail challenges and obstructions they are facing in doing this work. In short, they bring receipts.

Jonny shares highlights from the SIU "Rally for Diversity," a student protest concerning staffing changes at the Student Multicultural Resource Center (SMRC). Students and others expressed a variety of concerns, including the sudden departure of the LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator, Dr. Angela Towne. The Vice Chancellor of Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Paul Frazier, attended the rally and addressed student concerns. Jonny then interviews the SMRC's Executive Director, Dr. Renada Greer, and Dr. Frazier about services provided by their programs, the process for restaffing the LGBTQ RC, and how SIU might be poised to be an open and affirming university, recruiting and retainng minority students from surrounding states legislatively enacting bans and restrictions on higher education.

Jonny covers the Rally for Expression, including SOIL Sister Marjorie Arcana's wonderful address to the crowd about the power of joy as resistance (special thanks to Sister Jewnita Hug for the recording!). Jonny marks the distinction between drag and trans while also showing why Anti-Trans legislators target drag, arguing that the anti-trans, anti-drag, anti-CRT, anti-sex eductation, anti-LGBTQ, book banners, and representation deniers are all playing from the same set of anxieties. In the back half of the show, Jonny shows a variety of places where anti-trans folks are contradicting themselves in their rhetoric and policy promotion.

Jonny interviews Clare Killman, the first openly trans person in Illinois to be elected to a city council. They discuss the community and Carbondale's future as a sancuary city for folks in surroundling states fleeing anti-LGBT legislation and bans on reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy. In the back half of the show, Jonny interviews Nancy Maxwell, andother community leader who won a seat on the Carbondale City Council in last week's election. They discuss Nancy's extensive service to community and advocacy for community-based responses to violence (Cure Violence https://cvg.org/). During their campaigns, both Clare and Nancy participated in local Trans Day of Visibility activities and have been active supporters of the LGBTQ community.

Jonny curates some news stories in the wake of the school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenessee last week. He focuses mostly on the aftermath, including Rightwing hysteria over the shooter's reported transgender identity, the student protests on Monday, the ousting of state representatives who joined the protestors, and the general failure to focus in any way on gun reform. In the back half of the show, he provides a taxonomy for the over 600 pieces of legislation currently under discussion in 46 states targeting LGBTQ rights. He then reviews the impacts these discussions are having on public opinion about queer and trans folks.

Jonny talks with visiting artist Dr. Jade C. Huell about two upcoming presentations on the SIU campus about storytelling based on skin. They discuss how performance and storytelling create spaces for conversations about shared and sometimes charged expereicnes related to how we "read" skin. In the back half of the show, Jonny interviews Sarah Dubach, the assistant director of the upcoming Stage Company production of Qui Ngyuen's "She Kills Monsters" at the Varsity Theatre in Carbondale.