Rated LGBT Radio

MASKED, the new short film about trans youth BY trans youth! With us today!

MASKED is a 15 minute feature that follows the story of High Schooler, Zoe, struggling to come out as a trans man. After knowing who they truly are for a while, Zoe finds themselves fatigued by their fear of whether others will accept them or not. This incredibly exciting partnership showcases the amazing work of young people aged 15-18 and Australia's Momentum cinema team. The teenagers were involved in all elements of production, including, but not limited to; Story & script writing, character development, production design, producing, directing, camera, lighting, sound production & post production.
Today we talk exclusively to Momentum Studios CEO & Co-Director of MASKED, Michael Hardinge as well as Sam Jelley, a member of the "Free to be Me" teen group behind the production.
The online release of MASKED follows the sold-out premiere held at the Knox Community Arts Centre. The film is currently being screened in film festivals around the world.
With co-host Brody Levesque

Jon Hoadley Looks to be Michigan’s AOC. And He is Gay. And We Have Him...

Jon Hoadley is out and proud.  He is also running for congress against Trump-loyalist Fred Upton.
Can a bright young gay man with high ideals and a love for his community defeat a crumudgeon? We hope so... and we talk to him about what he will do for Michigan.
His princlples include:   
Families should not be worried about their healthcare.Working people should not be left behind while CEOs keep earning more and moreWe have a right to clean water.Politics should not be rigged by billionaires and special interests.
Your zip code, skin color, and gender shouldn’t dictate your opportunities at birthEvery vote should count and every citizen should get to vote.
Every student deserves a great education and not massive amounts of student debt.Everyone should have the freedom to be who they are, love who they are, and pray or not how they wantBig corporations should not be getting massive tax breaks while workers benefits get cutPoliticians should not be sitting on the sidelines watching climate change happen
Join us on this podcast to meet an exceptional new leader on our horizon...

Poetry and Male Nude Body Painting from a Couple in Love

The new book Maybe A Poem Might Fracture Things launches this week. It is the love child of artist Brandon Mcgill and poet Best Tardy.  They are love collaborators through both their paintings on nude male bodies, and their written word... as well as being lovers and fiances in their personal world as well.
And we have them with us today!
Best Tardy is an emerging poet and author from Dallas, Texas.  He has written over four books soon to be published. When not writing novels, Best can be found making excessive playlists and fantasizing about being a wizard.
Brandon McGill is an award-winning multi-media artist featured in books, magazines, movies, music videos, short films, television, and oddly enough, an escape room. He is currently working on his thirteenth major themed project, TAROT which turns every card in the deck into a body painting. Brandon loves scarves, and will star as the Magician card, turning him into a literal wizard.
Listen to them share their magic with us!  Featuring co-host Brody Levesque
 

Ted Cruz Accuses a Mom of a Transgender Girl of ”Child Abuse”- We Sound Off

In Texas, a custody case has riled conservatives like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr.  Both by spreading misinformation and out-and-out lies, they have publicly condemned the mom of a transgender girl.  In their ignorance of the custody case that made the family public, transgender medicine and the vital needs of children, Cruz and Trump and other conservatives are attempting to furhter legitimize their transphobia.
We will discuss this case, the talking points and the leverage the Right hopes to create.  
We will also talk the latest on the Impeachment proceedings in the House today and what that means for LGBTQ Americans.
 

A Trump-appointed Judge Rules in Favor of ”Conversion Therapy” for Minors

U.S. District Judge William Jung, a Trump appointee, struck down a ban on widely discredited  "reparative" or "conversion" therapy for minors in Tampa, Florida. He ruled the city lacks jurisdiction to enact the ordinance.
Tonight we discuss this ruling, the controversial practice and its hundreds of thousands of victims, with Curtis Galloway, the president and founder of the Conversion Therapy Dropout Network.  
As a result of the isolating nature of "conversion" therapy, many survivors do not seek help due to fear of exposure, family pressure, and PTSD around mental health providers. Many cannot share their experiences without extreme emotional responses. The Conversion Therapy Dropout Network strives to bridge that gap between survivors and provide a support network through shared experience.
With co-host Brody Levesque.

Our Exclusive With Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson !

Marianne! Is Marianne Williamson the most LGBTQ supportive candidate? No disrespect to Mayor Pete... but she was feeding AIDS patients when he was still in diapers. In anycase, we have her with us today.  We talk about where she has been, and where she is going. If you do not know, or understand her positions on lgbtq equality, global warming, health, Andrew Yang, or the future of our country-- you need to hear this conversation. Smeared by some as a crystal wielding crazy lady by some, she sets the record straight.. with us ...today.

She’s Queer, She’s a Veteran and She is Taking On Congress

"I believe that even the toughest challenges can be overcome with grit, imagination, and a willingness to work together."  And with that statement, Janessa Goldbeck announced her candidacy for the US House of Representatives.
Today, she is in the house with us. We will be talking about her vision and priorities and what she wants to accomplish for San Diego, California and the United States itself. She has already outlined infrastructure, affordable housing, addressing the rising cost of living, the wage gap and gun control as priorities (she identifies as "pro-2nd Amendment.")
According to BuzzFeed, Janessa spent nearly seven years in the Marines , graduated from Northwestern University and worked as a human rights activist lobbying Congress to end the genocide in Darfur. As a Marine, she participated in a government study that allowed women to volunteer for combat courses in the military. The study would lead to women’s integration in military combat and the repeal of the Combat Exclusion Policy, opening up all military jobs to women.
With co-host Brody Levesque!

The Sick Tale of Former Democratic Donor Ed Buck- Racism, Sex, Drugs and Death

He was an activist and gave large donations to politicians who have dedicated their lives to elevating the lives of LGBTQ citizens and fighting for racial justice.
His life? Not so much.
We tell the depraved (alleged) tale of Ed Buck today.   The statement of facts from his prosecutor states "Defendant Edward Buck is a violent, dangerous sexual predator. He mainly preys on men made vulnerable by addiction and homelessness. Using the bait of narcotics, money. And shelter, the defendant lures these vulnerable victims to his home. From his home, in a position of power, Buck manipulates his victims into participating in his sexual fetishes. These fetishes include supplying and personally administrating dangerously large doses of narcotics to his victims. Bucks aggressive and malevolent behavior led to the death of two men in Buck’s apartment, Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean. Not deterred by the senseless deaths of Moore and Dean, the defendant nearly killed a third victim last week. The defendant’s predatory acts and conscious disregard for life must be stopped.”
We discuss his story and the breaking news around it with Zack Ford, founder of Fording the River Styx newsletter, and former editor of Think Progress. Also news of the day including the perceived diss on LGBTQ Press by one Presidential hopeful.
Brody Levesque co-hosts.
 

Are San Diego City Leaders Homophobic and Attacking an LGBTQ-Friendly Church?

Our guest today is Brandan Robertson, a noted LGBTQ author, activist, and pastor, who works at the intersections of spirituality and social renewal. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Missiongathering Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in San Diego, CA.  Since July, the Missiongathering Church has been under attack from the conservative city leaders of San Diego, who seem hell-bent to mortally cripple the mission of the church as well as the organization itself.
Per the church, "Missiongathering believes that The City of San Diego may be violating our religious liberty as a church and we are committed to fighting these actions for the sake of the survival of the church and our right to be who God has called us to be- and who we’ve always been. It is a fundamental call of Christ to reach out to those who are in need, to clothe the naked, and to be a good steward of our resources. "
Listen today as we hear their story and the fight they have undertaken. 
Named by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the top faith-leaders leading the fight for human rights, Brandan has has worked with political and social leaders around the world to end conversion therapy and promoted LGBT+ rights. Robertson currently serves as the co-chair of San Diego Pride’s DevOUT Interfaith Coalition, has served as thenational spokesperson of Evangelicals For Marriage Equality and developed the Evangelical Outreach Program for Faith In Public Life and the Bridging the Divides Program for Interfaith Alliance of Colorado.
Co-host Brody Levesque

The Leader of a ”Gay Conversion”Therapy Program Comes Out as Gay. Surprised?

Earlier this week, Yahoo news reported that McKrae Game, the man who founded one of the largest conversion therapy programs in the country and led the homophobic organization for 20 years, has come out as gay. That program, originally was called Truth Ministry is "faith-based " and located in South Carolina. It aims to suppress or completely change a person’s LGBTQ+ sexuality through counseling, interventions, or ministry. The organization was eventually rebranded and renamed as Hope for Wholeness in 2013.
Our guests are two people who know Game, and have been tightly involved with the ex-gay movement for years. We are joined by Yvette Cantu Schneider, who was involved in the so-called ex-gay movement for two decades. She was a policy analyst and spokesperson for Family Research Council, and, later, was the first and only director of women’s ministry for Exodus International. She is the author of the book Never Not Broken: a journey of unbridled transformation, and the soon-to-be-released novel Two Black Stones. 
We are also pleased to feature good friend Kathy Baldock, an ordained minster and the Executive Director of Renobased Canyon Walker Connections. Kathy has now read and reviewed 47 anti-LGBTQ books by Christian authors. She has seen the expectation and goals patterns shift as the conservatives try to control LGBTQ people. The authors also create ideology and present it as theology which is then adopted by many of the churches and people within the Christian Right.
Brody Levesque guest hosts.