Rated LGBT Radio

Live from the Democratic National Convention a Movement is Launched

We get a live report today from Christopher Kane, White House correspondent for The Washington Blade. He is on the floor at the Democratic convention.
He will bring us the latest on the speakers and behind-the-scenes exclusive interviews, plus news of the LGBTQ+ caucus.
Also having reported for the LA Blade, Chris is a longtime Washington DC-based reporter covering the White House, having previously covered the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission's investigations of major mergers and acquisitions - along with antitrust policy development by federal agencies and US Congress, high stakes "bet-the-company" litigation, and certain activities by the FDA and US Patent and Trademark Office.
With co-host Brody Levesque

Icons Martin Lewis and Bruce Vilanch on the Greatest Beatles Story Never Told

Martin Lewis is a multi-faceted player in the spheres of the arts and entertainment. With a fabled five-decade history working in music, comedy, film, stage, TV, radio & books. He has been a cultural alchemist with many of the leading musicians and comedic artists of the last half-century. Bruce Vilanch is iconic for, among other things, the best jokes at the Academy Awards. He has been writing for the star-studded event for over 25 years, and has been the head writer since 2000. Bruce is much more ingrained into our culture than a single award show, however-- he. has written jokes for Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, Lily Tomlin, and even..The Brady Bunch.  
They each have been world-changing "influencers" decades before the concept of "influencers" was even a thing. Today they join us to talk about yet another cultural force, artist manager, Brian Epstein. It has been said of Epstein: "If there had been no Epstein, there would be no Beatles."  Brian Epstein is the man responsible for taking the Beatles from unknowns to worldwide phenomena in just under 50 days. Martin led a 15-year campaign to induct Epstein into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Friday, August 23rd marks the exact 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ landmark first appearance in Los Angeles in 1964. Their L.A. debut was a sold-out concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Celebrating that historic occasion Martin  - considered one of the world’s foremost Beatles scholars - will be debuting a special ‘TED-Talk’ style illustrated presentation in L.A. - titled "The Greatest Beatles Story NEVER Told! The Untold Tale Of How The Beatles Beguiled America" The event will take place on the exact same date and time as the Beatles Hollywood Bowl concert in 1964 - at the historic building of the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz.

How LGBTQ+ Emerging Artists Can Get a Boost from Gibson and Music Forward

Gibson Guitars and their partner Music Forward believe in LGBTQ+ emerging performers and have set up a special grant program to help them.  Our guest is Danielle McDuffe of the Music Forward Foundation. Danielle comes from a professional music background that started at age 15 when she attended GRAMMY Camp for Music Journalism and got her articles published in magazines with the GRAMMY Museum. Since then, she has created and hosted her own podcast (MOODY), has written blog posts for artists like UMI, Bishop Briggs, and thuy, and has created showcases for local queer visual artists and musicians as part of Queer Arts and Crafts. 
We will be discussing the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awards to be given out in October. The awards are ten US-based selected artists dedicated to their songwriting craft, and their vision for themselves through music. The ten awardees will each receive:
·     $3000 Grant
·     $1000 Gibson retail for an instrument.
·     Performance Opportunities that include the Gibson Garage Nashville and Gibson showrooms, as well as other venues.
·     Quarterly Mentorship with established musicians, as well as the Gibson and Music Forward teams.
With co-host Brody Levesque

As Trump Race-Baits His Bigoted Base, It is All Rainbows for Kamala

Was the confrontation by Donald Trump against a trio of black women journalists a strategic move on his part? Was the mind-bending attack on Kamala Harris's racial identity a dog whistle to his white supremecyMAGA enthusiasts?  And is it a buoyant rainbow tinges wind at the back of Kamala Harris that has her creating an unprecedented political comeback turning the political stage on its ear?
We discuss this and other topics around the current campaigns on today's episode with renowned journalist Broday Levesque and our guest, political reporter Chris Kane..
Also having reported for the LA Blade, Chris is a longtime Washington DC-based reporter covering the White House, having previously covered the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission's investigations of major mergers and acquisitions - along with antitrust policy development by federal agencies and US Congress, high stakes "bet-the-company" litigation, and certain activities by the FDA and US Patent and Trademark Office.
With co-host Brody Levesque

Nico Lang :How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era

Our guest today is Nico Lang, a nonbinary journalist with over a decade of experience covering the transgender community’s fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, The New York Times, Vox, The Wall Street Journal, Salon, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
We will discuss Nico's upcoming book AMERICAN TEENAGER: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era. In the book, Nico tells the stories of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Ruby, Clint, Kylie, Augie and Jack -- all Americans, all teens, and all transgender & nonbinary. The teens hail from all corners of the country from California to Florida, from South Dakota to Texas. Each of their stories is almost a mini-book in itself. To write the book, Nico spent a year shadowing the seven families of these trans and gender non-confirming teens. They did hundreds of hours of interviews which included the young people themselves, their families, and the members of their diverse communities, While presenting poignant portraits of what it means to be a trans kid in the US today, Nico makes them visible and known to people who don't yet understand them, as well as a lifeline to other similar teens with the message that they are not alone.
Nico has won a GLAAD Media Award,10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA), and three awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, including the 2023 Online Journalist of the Year. They are also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
With co-host Brody Levesque
 

The Queer Rhapsody LGBTQIA+ Film Series Explodes Across LA -We Have Them Here!

There is a hot, summertime celebration of queer voices at five venues across L.A. July 19 to July 28, 2024
More than 50 narrative and documentary short and feature films will be screened during Queer Rhapsody, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ voices in partnership with five iconic venues across L.A. Organized by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the series creates joyful, communal, and brave spaces for radical engagement among film fans, arts leaders and queer culture workers at a volatile time when identities and communities are under fire.  Today we talk about that roster of films with the Creative Director/Senior Programmer Martine Joelle McDonald ..
Queer Rhapsody opens July 19th with a sneak peek screening at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood of the documentary, Second Nature,  Narrated by Elliot Page, the film follows trans trailblazer evolutionary biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden as she meets groundbreaking scientists exploring the 1500+ animal species that engage in same-sex sexual behavior and same-sex families. Throughout the two-week series, Queer Rhapsody will present 15 film programs, 7 of which will be short film programs. The series includes 8 feature film programs with weekend afternoon and evening screenings. 
Martine is a film curator and teaching artist, founder of Practice Wonder, a creative studio and narrative change consulting practice, and was  Director of Artist Development at Outfest. 
With co-host Brody Levesque

Drag Diva and RuPaul Fan Favorite Pandora Boxx is in Our House Today!

Pandora Boxx was drag before it reached anywhere close to the popularity it has today. Pandora had interviewed RuPaul years before Drag Race even aired and when it did, knew she was destined to be on the show. She sent in a video for season 2, and the rest, they say, is history. She won the title of Miss Congeniality in the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, clearly the fan favorite.  She subsequently returned for the first and sixth seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Boxx has also appeared in all three seasons of the show’s spin-off series, RuPaul’s Drag U.
Her new dance album ia called BOXX, and is her most personal work ever.  It’s fun and quirky, and while most of her previous releases were a tad on the dirty side, BOXX is totally PG. It releases on July 15th, and she will be performing the soon-to-be hit single DANCE at Drag Con LA on July 19th.
You do not have to wait, however-- we will be premiering DANCE on our show today!
With co-host Brody Levesque
 

Personal Stories of LGBTQ Get Big Push During Pride Month

The Personal Stories Project and the Dot.Gay internet domain are in the midst of Pride month promotion powered by George Takei’s social media team.! This initiative will collect stories from LGBTQ people and then broadcast them out through George Takei's powerful social media influence.
Charles Chan Massey and Sara Christie founded The Personal Stories Project in 2012 to promote activism, advocacy and support for the LGBT community and allies through the sharing of personal stories.Dot Gay  gives 20% of all new .gay registration revenue (not just profit!) is donated to LGBTQ+ organizations to help address key issues facing these communities. This is an unprecedented, industry-leading commitment that means continual donations over time.
George Takei's message on social media read: "“Happy Pride Month, folks! For many, including myself, Pride is a time to express ourselves proudly. I know it’s not an easy time for everyone. But there’s strength in telling your story, which is why I am asking you what your story is. Head to personalstories.gay and fill out the form to be featured on the Personal Stories website. I’ll be checking them out and sharing some throughout the month! This project is presented by  @dotgay and the Personal Stories Project #DotGay #PersonalStories”

The Legendary Latrice Royale is Live with Us Today!

RuPaul has elevated dozens of drag queens into public prominence, but none are as legendary and impactful as OG queen and performer Latrice Royale. She joins us today and we will be showcasing two of her soulful ballads that demonstrate that not only is she fabulous, but she is also a vocal performer to be reckoned with.
She originally captured the hearts of the world and earned the title of Miss Congeniality on Season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and then went on to appear in other incarnations of the franchise, including multiple guest appearances on the show, RuPaul’s Drag U and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Seasons 1 & 4, and represented RuPaul’s Drag Race on Celebrity Family Feud. She is now winning acclaim as a star in the upcoming season of HBO’s Emmy-winning unscripted series We’re Here on HBO and Max. 
On June 30th, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will present the 2024 GALA at the Pasadena Convention Center immediately following the 3:00 p.m. matinee their final concert of the season, SOLID GOLD: Aretha, Dionne, & Whitney — which features Latrice, fellow We're Here queen Priyanka the 200-member Chorus. The gala will honor We're Here with  GMCLA’s Artistic Voice Award. The show’s creators and executive producers Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram will accept the award.

Filmmaker Jan Miller Corran and Her New Film CONCERTO FOR ABIGAIL

In the new film Concerto for Abigail,  Samantha Porter is a world-renowned jazz pianist. At the age of 40-something, she is diagnosed with progressive hearing loss which will soon end in total deafness. How can she go on when hearing the music and composing is her life, and soon she won't hear it? Superfan Abigail McCarthy comes to the Empire Club to listen to Samantha and her trio. As the music unfolds, the thoughts of a relationship begin to take hold. Soon, a love affair brings much-needed joy into Samantha's life. How can she go on? Abigail just may be the answer.
Today we talk to the film's director/writer/producer Jan Miller Corran. President of Three Women in a Box Productions, Jan is a writer, producer, filmmaker and playwright. She's produced and/or written over twenty films including Snapshots (2018), Along Came Wanda (2021), as well as the film we will be discussing today,Concerto for Abigail . She produced the renowned film I'll See You in My Dreams and others. She's co-written numerous screenplays and served as dramaturge on plays and scripts. New works in development are screenplays for the films "BURIED TRUTHS", "EMBRACE OF THE SENSES", and "JAZZ HANDS REUNION". In recent past was the world premiere of her new play "THE LAST WORD" in Los Angeles in November 2019. The film version of THE LAST WORD was released in late 2023. 
With co-host Brody Levesque