Rated LGBT Radio

”The Swearing Jar’ Casting Director Matthew Lessall is in the House!

We look at the art of film and television casting today with acclaimed casting director, and gay man, Matthew Lessall. Matthew's latest accolade is an Achievement in Casting nomination for a Canadian "Oscar" bestowed by the Canadian Screen and Television Academy.  The nomination recoginizes his work on The Swearing Jar,  Described as "intelligent, hopeful and heartbreaking", Michael casted  Patrick J. Adams, Adelaide Clemmons, Douglas Smith, and Kathleen Turner as its stars. 
A romantic musical, the film is about a music teacher who both loves her husband, and falls in love with another musician.
A two-term former Casting Society of America (CSA) president, Matthew was born in London and raised in New York.  After graduating from DePauw University, with a degree in Communications, Lessall moved to London to study acting at LAMDA, but ended up finding his niche in Casting.  With his prophetic eye for great talent, Matthew cast Anna Kendrick in her first major film role, having done the same for many other now-celebrated actors.  His resume includes casts for productions and co-productions for Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, and the UK. Most of his projects have earned Official Selection laurels – and numerous wins - at Cannes, TIFF, Venice, Sundance, San Sebastian, Tribeca, Outfest, SXSW, and a host of other significant festivals, oftentimes securing immediate distribution deals. 
With co-host Brody Levesque

Singer/songwriter Sonia Leigh and Her New Rock Anthem THIN ICE !

Here with the launch of the fantastic new rock anthem Thin Ice, we talk to singer/songwriter Sonia Leigh.
'Thin Ice' is a hard hitting anthem fueled with pure rock and roll energy. With nods to The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, and Joan Jett, its growl calls for burning down the barriers around one’s self to realize full potential. It highlights the feeling of walking a tightrope of self-doubt that can keep you in a self-created prison. ‘Thin Ice’ emulates the courage to step into your power and soar.
At 17, Sonia left home due to her family's issues with her sexuality. Hers is a story of owning her true self and finding the artistry to express it.
Sonia Leigh’s musical style cannot be put in a box. From Hip-Hop to Country to Pop and Rock and Roll. Her Southern Ground debut album, 1978 December, was where Sonia made her country catapult. The first single off the album "My Name Is Money," hit Top 40 at US Country Radio. She also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band #1 singles "Goodbye in Her Eyes" and "Sweet Annie". She canopies several projects to umbrella her different styles, such as hip hop/rock duo TYGR TYGR AKA ELYVN: ELYVN with Daphne Willis (Position Music). Other projects include low-fi 90’s hip-hop duo Indica Girlz, and the mysterious grunge-pop project Rob The Man, all pending follow-up releases in 2023. Sonia has toured the world with the Zac Brown Band, Blackberry Smoke, Amos Lee, Melissa Etheridge, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Joan Jett, and many more.

The Black and Queer on Campus Experience with Author Michael P, Jeffries

Today we talk about the black queer experience on college campuses with author Michael P. Jeffries.  His new book Black and Queer on Campus challenges stereotypes regarding black culture and LGBTQ+ people.
Michael chronicles how black LGBTQ+ students face particular challenges, including dealing with lack of understanding or outright rejection from their birth and home families while struggling to find mentors they can trust and spaces on campus where they can be themselves and feel safe. The book draws on in-depth interviews with 65 Black LGBTQ+ students—40 from nine different historically black colleges/universities and another 25 from seven predominately white institutions.
Michael is Dean of Academic Affairs, Class of 1949 Professor in Ethics, and Professor of American Studies at Wellesley College. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and is the author of three previous books on race and American culture: Thug Life: Race, Gender, and the Meaning of Hip Hop, Paint the White House Black: Barack Obama and the Meaning of Race in America, and Behind the Laughs: Community and Inequality in Comedy. He has published dozens of essays and works of criticism in the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Guardian, and the Boston Globe, and has been interviewed by the Washington Post, the New York Times, and NPR.
 
With co-host Brody Levesque 

The Amazing Desmond Napoles , the 15-Year Old Drag Star and LGBTQ Hero

Desmond Napoles is the drag queen teenager who is changing the world. They are a multi-awarded LGBTQ+ advocate, genderfluid editorial and runway model, motivational public speaker, performer, clothing designer, actor, singer, host, social media influencer and published author.
Desmond has been showered with praise and admiration, however, all that has come at a huge cost. They and their family has also been harassed, threatened and publicly abused. Recently, a book  reading that Desmond was headlining at a public library was shut down by a bigot who threatened physical violcence.  Spcecifically, the troll threatened “I’m going to that library, I’m going with a bucked of dog shit and I’m pouring it on your parents and rubbing it into their eyes.” 
Desmond has been featured in major outlets such as The New York Times, NBC News, Teen Vogue, OUT Magazine, among many others. They use their voice and visibility to help break down barriers and create a more inclusive society for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
Today we talk to them about being amazing, how to rise above the hate and what their generation needs to survive, thrive and overcome. We will also be playing Desmond's first released single, We Are Amazing .
 
With co-host Brody Levesque
 

Filmmaker Jeffrey Schwartz Returns to Our Show with ”Commitment to Life” !

Telling the story of the AIDS epidemic from the AIDS Project Los Angeles perspective, filmmaker Jeffrey Schwartz joins us again on RATED LGBT RADIO. We spoke to Jeffrey a few months ago about his gay love story film, "Boulevard".
Stories of the AIDS crisis have been widely told with New York City or San Francisco as the backdrop. Jeffrey's new film Commitment to Life focuses on the emergence of AIDS Project LA,, its founders, and how it awakened Hollywood to challenge the inertia of the public in its response to AIDS.
AIDS Project Los Angeles stepped into the center of the AIDS storm through a committed group of activists who helped care for the sick and dying, while at the same time lobbied those in Hollywood to contribute to the fight. APLA brought together A-list stars like Elizabeth Taylor, who used her celebrity to advocate for people with AIDS and inspired the Hollywood community to do the same.  The film covers and features  Nancy Cole, one of the founders of AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the first women in LA to go public about having AIDS, Phill Wilson,an activist, Prop 64 which would have placed people with HIV in internment camps,  Brenda Frieberg, who when both of her sons were diagnosed with AIDS, traveled to Washington to lobby for access to drugs that could save their lives and Jewel Thais-Williams, owner of Catch One disco, who helped start the Minority AIDS Project .
 
With Brody Levesque 
 

The Tragedy and Immortality of Karen Carpenter, Biographer Randy L. Schmidt

As the new documentary Karen Carpenter: Starving For Perfection hits the Santa Barbara Film Festival, we talk to its producer and author of the book on which the film is based. His name is Randy L. Schmidt and the book is Little Girl Blue , which was a New York Times Editor's Choice, and on the Wall Street Journal's Best Seller List.
He has written numerous projects based on the Carpenters as well as biographies on Judy Garland and Dolly Parton.He has served as creative consultant for several television documentaries on the Carpenters, including the E! "True Hollywood Story," A&E's "Biography," and VH1's "Behind the Music." , and was a contributor to the award-winning podcast, DOLLY PARTON'S AMERICA. A  music educator in Denton, Texas, the gay publication He Said dubbed him as the handsome author "Mr. Aficionado."
With co-host Brody Levesque
 

Non-binary Musical Artist Tripping Jupiter is in the House!

Today we talk to musical artist Tripping jupiter and play their new song Torn America!  
The face of Tripping Jupiter is that of Madstone Rowan (they/them, he/them), a vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter based in New York City who is seamlessly two parts groove, one part empowerment, plus just a spritz of glitter. Madstone creates a transcendent view of art and of music and presents it without societal restrictions or self-imposed limits. The result is barrier-free freedom presented within the sonics and visuals of modern rock and retro-pop sensibilities.
 
With co-host Brody Levesque

Out Bi Actor Josh Banday, Star of the Upcoming Series Not Dead Yet

ABC is about to launch a fun new series, Not Dead Yet. From creators David Windsor and Casey Johnson ("This Is Us," "The Real O'Neals") and starring Gina Rodriguez, "Not Dead Yet" follows Nell Serrano (Rodriguez), a broke and newly single self-described disaster, working to restart the life and career she left behind 10 years ago. 
Josh Banday plays Dennis, Nell's boss who happend to be bi.  Josh also happens to be bi. He is an LA actor who appeared as Ivan on Amazon's Upload by Greg Daniels. He has also appeared on The Big Bang Theory, Mom, Adam Ruins Everything, and will appear on the upcoming series Pam and Tommy. He got his comedy chops appearing in shows at Second City, and the Groundling's Sunday Company.
 
With co-host Brody Levesque 

Gay Dad Day on Rated LGBT with TikTok Gay Dad Star Jose Rolon!

Our guest Jose Rolon is best known for his NYCGayDad Tiktoks starring him and his three kids. While several of those clips have gone viral and gotten him appearances on the TODAY Show, NowThis News, Ellen’s Game of Games, Tamron Hall Show, Univision Se Habla USA, and The Drew Barrymore Show. He is the first gay dad to be on the cover of Parents Latina Magazine. 
He also has a career influencing people's loves lives. He is one of the top rising wedding planners in NYC. He is frequently sought for his expertise on The New York Times, Brides, NACE, and more, as well as his work featured with Martha Stewart, Essence Magazine, Sophisticated Weddings Magazine, New York Weddings, the Best of The Knot, and was named one Biz Bash's Most Influential Event Professionals. He is the co-host of Crackle's new series Wedding Talk, host of The Know's Parenting Wins.
 
With co-host Brody Levesque
 

No Straight Lines-The Rise of Queer Comics: Director Vivian Kleinman With Us!

The award winning documentary No Straight Lines shows how comic books and strips have provided a unique, uncensored window into LGBTQ lives from the 1970s onward, beginning at a time in which there was no other genuine queer storytelling in popular culture. The film focuses on the story of five scrappy and pioneering cartoonists who depicted everything from the AIDS crisis, coming out, and same-sex marriage, to themes of race, gender, and disability. They tackled the humor in queer lives in a changing world, and the everyday pursuits of love, sex, and community.
Today we talk to the film's producer/director Vivlan Kleinman!  Vivian is known for tackling challenging subjects and filmic approaches. She executive produced the Academy Award nominated documentary short Last Day of Freedom; she produced the Peabody Award-winning Color Adjustment; and was director/producer of Families Are Forever (Outfest Audience Award) as well as other significant credits.
With co-host Brody Levesque