Rated LGBT Radio

Illegal: How the US immigration tyranny threatens LGBT immigrants and us all

Today we talk to author Elizabeth F. Cohen about her new book Illegal: How America's Lawless Immigration Regime Threatens Us All.  Many transgender and other LGBT individuals have been trapped in the horrors of America's immigration tyranny.
ILLEGAL gives us the full scope of the issue starting in the days just after 9/11. We will find out how the panic of the time gave way to the creation of a complex and unmonitored infratructure that the Trump administration has unleashed without recourse.  We will find out the ramifications of that, not only to LGBTQ people fleeing persecution in their own lands, but to us all.
Elizabeth  is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, New York. She is the author of The Political Value of Time(2018) as well as the book Semi-Citizenship in Democratic Politics (Cambridge, 2009),   She has also published op-eds in newspapers including the Washington Post and Politico.
With co-host Brody Levesque.

The Star and the Producer of the Hot New LGBT Film ”Jose” !

JOSÉ is an incredicle film depicting the story of a working class young man's struggle to find himself. Rare and unique, the film shows what it means to be gay in Central America. It opens on January 31, 2020 at New York City's Quad Cinema, with national dates to follow, including Los Angeles, Miami and San Diego.  
It has been a hit in the festival circuit, featured at Amnesty International and in over 70 leading international festivals, winning multiple awards.
José (played by our guest today, Enrique Salanic) lives with his mother (Ana Cecilia Mota) in Guatemala City, where they survive on her selling sandwiches at bus stops and with him working at a local restaurant. In this poor and sometimes dangerous country dominated by conservative Catholic and Evangelical Christian religion, living as an openly gay man is hard for José to imagine. His mother has never had a husband, and as her youngest and favorite son, on the edge of manhood at 19-years old, she is determined to hold on to him. Reserved and private, José fills his free moments playing with random hook ups arranged on his phone apps and meeting in clandestine sex houses. When he meets the attractive and gentle Luis (Manolo Herrera), a migrant from the rural Caribbean coast, an unexpected romance blooms with more emotion than José has ever felt. As he is thrust into new passion and pain he is pushed into never before self-reflection. Will his reluctance to take a leap of faith lead to happiness? 
Enrique and  producer George F. Roberson are our special guests today. We will talk to them about the film itself, and also how the Trump administration banned Enrique from entering the US to promote it.

The Coordinated State-Level Assault on Young Transgender Kids and Families

Horrific bills targeting young trans kids and their parents are cropping up in state houses across the country. These bills target parents and physicians and threaten prison time for helping young trans kids.  Who is the source of these bills, where are they gaining traction, and why?
We ask these questions and more from our special guests today.  Debi Jackson, famed parent of a trans child, who is a transgender rights advocate for the Human Right Campaign's Parents for Transgender Equality Council joins us!  Plus, one of our all-star regular guests, author Brynn Tannehill, author of Everything You Want to Know About Being Transgender But Were Afraid to Ask.
With co-host Brody Levesque

Award-winning director & writer Anthony Meindl on his riveting new film !

Our exclusive interview with award winning director/writer Anthony Meindl!  Anthony is here to tell us about his latest fim  Where We Go From Here. The film has won several awards on the film festival circuits and will soon be in mainstream distribution.
Where We Go From Here deals with three acts of terror which disrupt the lives of some ordinary people. In Binghamton, an ESL teacher dealing with domestic abuse finds even greater violence at her school. In Orlando, two lovers drifting apart may be separated by the hate of another. In Paris, friends on an introspective night out are caught up in a brutal madness.
In addition to film directing, and screenwriting, Anthohy has trained some of the top talent in Hollywood and built seven international schools. He is constantly adapting and evolving his insights about creativity into practical works for all artists. He has bridged the gap between artistry and consciousness and helped make the understanding of how to incorporate both in an artist's work possible. With a revolutionary meditation and consciousness-based program, he is helping artists win back their power in their work. 
With co-host Brody Levesque

The Drama and Social Consciousness of Actor Alex Castillo!

Alex Castillo delivers an astounding performance in the new film CLEMENCY starring Alfre Woodard. He play a gritty and poignant character, Victor Jimenez who is sentenced to death in what the LA Times calls "an affecting performance". 
Alex , besides being seen in 57 TV and film roles, has founded a film production company that  is creating groundbreaking socially conscious work.
We are excited to have him on board today along with co-host Brody Levesque

The Inspiring Teen CEO Whose Company Helps the Homeless and Those In Need

A twelve year old was walking on the beach and saw a baby seal that was sick and in need. People were surrounding it with blankets, help and hope. A while later, he saw a homeless man on the sidewalk, even more sick and in need than the baby seal -- and not only was the man not receiving help, people were seeking to avoid him.
Kenan Pala felt this was not right and immediately founded Kids4Community. That was three years ago, and he is now that organization's CEO. Last month they made 2000 hygene kits, and 500 "bags of hope" for distribution. The group conducts a school supply drive, and takes on disaster relief. They have focused recently on homeless dinner projects and more.  All of this is done mostly by kids, just like Kenan.
Today we talk to Kenan... hear more about his story, his activism, and his vision for the future for Kids4Community.
With Co-host Brody Levesque.

The Transphobic Darkside of JK Rowling

Did Donald Trump and JK Rowling get impeached in the same week?
It appears so.  Rowling backed up Maya Forstater, awho calls herself a “gender critical” feminist. Maya's contract was dropped for international think tank that campaigns against poverty and inequality, when they found she participated in an anti-trans campaigns online.
On Twitter, Rowling wrote: “Dress however you please,Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill.”
Of Forstater, the judge reviewing her case concluded her to be innately hostile to transgender people. From the judgement: “I conclude from … the totality of the evidence, that [Forstater] is absolutist in her view of sex and it is a core component of her belief that she will refer to a person by the sex she considered appropriate even if it violates their dignity and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. The approach is not worthy of respect in a democratic society.”
We talk about this, the Rowling transphobia history , Trump impeachment and more....
With co-host Brody Levesque.

Introducing Rabbit Hole, the Safe Space for Newly Transitioning Humans

Today our special guest is Jupiter Ryan Gaines Gaudin, an openly transgender man from Louisiana and the founder of Rabbit Hole. Rabbit Hole is a tremendous resource for people who are just starting their journey as well as for others who want to see the shared experiences by many others.
Jupiter tells us, "I am created Rabbit Hole to help others not fall into the same hole that I, and countless others have when discovering who they really are. It will serve as a way for those questioning their gender to have the resources needed to understand their own identity, come out, or take the next step towards becoming who they are. The website also includes the personal accounts of people willing to divulge their own experiences along their journey in hopes that many others will be able to relate and keep from making the same mistakes. We want the people who share these to be brutally honest, and tell us their struggles, revelations, and encounters with others. It is crucial not only for those who are questioning, but also for those who are just visiting the website as an ally to be educated about what really happens behind the scenes of it all."
Jupiter is with us today for more on his story as well as this amazing chronicle and resource.  Brody Levesque co-hosts.

The Fabulous Julia Scotti... the Full Hour Show

After a teaser introduction... this is our full hour with Showtime and Americas Got Talent star, Julia Scotti....!

The Hilarious Comedy of Julia Scotti!

Ever since she blew away the judges on America's Got Talent, Julia Scotti has been delighting audiences across the country with her wit and sometimes "naughty" humor. Today, we have her!