Series Podcast: This Way Out

Olena Shevchenko has been in the forefront of Ukraine’s LGBTQ campaign for rights, and now, at the center of her country’s resistance against the Russian invasion, she’s been named a Time Woman of the Year (interviewed by Barry McKay in Sydney, Australia). And in NewsWrap: the U.S. Supreme Court rejects West Virginia’s appeal and blocks the state’s ban on transgender student athletes, majority Republicans in the Kansas legislature overrides the Democratic governor’s veto of an anti-trans school sports ban, North Dakota legislature moves a record-breaking ten bills to deny LGBTQ rights, Governor Phil Murphy declares New Jersey a “safe haven” for those seeking and prescribing gender-affirming healthcare, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona issues gender-affirming policy guidance based on “Title IX” civil rights law, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars backup trans ally Kelsea Ballerini at the CMT Awards, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Kalyn Hardman and Michael LeBeau (produced by Brian DeSh

“This Way Out” debuted on April 1, 1988, bringing LGBTQ programming to community radio stations around the world. In observance of our 35th anniversary, CEO and NewsWrap Producer Brian DeShazor talks to Josh Shepperd of the U.S. Library of Congress Radio Preservation Task Force about the show’s historic legacy and the project to maintain it. And in NewsWrap: Scotland’s new First Minister Humza Yousaf is Muslim and an LGBTQ ally, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris presses Ghana’s government to abandon a draconian anti-queer bill, British anti-trans campaigner Posie Parker gives up on New Zealand, Republican controlled U.S. state legislatures continue the rash of anti-trans laws, Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s "Rainbowland" is "too controversial" Wisconsin first-graders, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Ava Davis and John Dyer V (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the April 3, 2023 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

Exiled Zimbabwean activist Rikki Nathanson of OutRight Action International, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel L. Levine, co-founder of the Colorado Transgender Educators Network science teacher Sam Long and gender-fluid multi-disciplinary artist Dorian Wood reflect on the impact of their visibility for individuals and the community as a whole. Their comments are drawn from our special 2022 series “Queerly Yours, Profiles in Courage with Roger Q. Mason” in commemoration of International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31st). And in NewsWrap: a new version of Uganda’s “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” criminalizes coming out, the Namibian Supreme Court overturns the citizenship granted to a bi-national gay couple’s child, Bosnian queer activists assaulted by Serbian opponents in Banja Luka, high courts in Bolivia and Nepal open doors to marriage equality, more U.S. states pass anti-trans bills, anti-queer bigots in Australia and the U.S. violently pro

World Pride participants from Japan, Thailand and the Philippines bring their own flavor to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade (correspondent Barry McKay reports). Florida’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans children goes into effect and Georgia’s legislature tries to follow that example, but President Joe Biden, his Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Georgia state Representative Karla Drenner and entertainer Lily Tomlin decry the trend. And in NewsWrap: Milan’s same-gender couples lose parental rights on orders from Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of two imprisoned Iranian LGBTQ activists freed on bail, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz orders discrimination protections for trans people, Wellesley College students vote for consideration of trans male and non-binary applicants, trailblazing New Zealand trans politician Georgina Beyer dies, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Michael Taylor-Gray and Melanie Keller (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All th

At the climax of World Pride 2023, Sydney throws a huge street festival in the heart of the LGBTQ community, and thousands walk across the Harbour Bridge in a demonstration for equality and justice the likes of which Australia hasn’t seen since the 2003 aboriginal Walk for Reconciliation (Barry McKay reports)! And in NewsWrap: a revival of Uganda’s infamous “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” would make even coming out a crime, 24 Burundians arrested at an HIV/AIDS education seminar face charges for “homosexual practices,” Israel’s top court okays the recognition of online Utah marriages for same-gender couples and others, Japan’s opposition symbolically introduces a marriage equality bill in parliament, Michigan expands its anti-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity, Alaska’s human rights agency stealthily reduces anti-bias protections for LGBTQ people, Jon Stewart and RuPaul Charles skewer anti-drag bullies, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Elena Botkin-Levy and

The famed Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade returns to Oxford Street on its 45th anniversary to celebrate World Pride 2023, and we meet the people in the colorful throng (with correspondent Barry McKay). And in NewsWrap: Panama’s Supreme Court overrules the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to reject marriage equality, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says marriage inequality isn’t unjust discrimination, Chinese students slapped with disciplinary action for distributing Pride flags file a lawsuit, Mississippi and Tennessee join the wave of U.S. states denying gender-affirming care to trans children and the latter bans drag shows, mixed martial arts fighters promise to protect a West Virginia drag brunch after threats cause its cancelation, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Ava Davis and Michael LeBeau (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the March 6, 2023 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

Global galas merge as World Pride 2023 and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras bring the first such LGBTQA+ event to the Southern Hemisphere. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins the parade, and popular Aussie weatherman Nate Byrne predicts rainbows for the television coverage (interviewed by Sydney correspondent Barry McKay). And in NewsWrap: Kenya’s National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission finally wins NGO status by order of the Supreme Court, a South Korean gay male couple is entitled to spousal equality for national health insurance benefits, Bulgaria’s Supreme Court bans trans people from changing the gender marker on their government documents, Tennessee legislature bent on denying trans youth gender-affirming care and stopping family friendly drag shows, Proud Boys vigilantes target Drag Queen Story Hours in Silver Springs, Maryland and Tempe, Arizona, Dominican Chicago White Sox minor leaguer Anderson Comas comes out, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Wenzel Jones and

A blitz of anti-gay arrests swept over Newcastle, New South Wales in the 1950’s inspired by nothing more than a display in a gay-owned mens’ clothing store became one of the most terrifying chapters in Australian queer history. John Witte of the Hunter Rainbow History Group and Kevin Coleman, partner of infamous haberdasher Keith Robinson, (interviewed by Sydney correspondent Barry McKay). And in NewsWrap: Spain’s trans people can legally change gender without medical intervention under sweeping gender and sexuality-related reforms, the Church of England’s decision to allow priests to bless the marriages of same-gender couples deepens the North-South Anglican divide, a gay Chechen refugee faces mortal danger after Russian police return him to his native country, an Arkansas state senator’s trans-phobic insult gets the shade he deserves, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by John Dyer V and Kalyn Hardman (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the February 20, 2023 edition of This Way O

Black History Month in 2023 finds political hucksters questioning the meaning of history and repeating the racist policies of the past, so the words of African American LGBTQ icons Bayard Rustin, Audre Lorde, Pat Parker and James Baldwin ring true again! And in NewsWrap: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fires his top aide for making homophobic remarks, the heads of the Anglican Communion and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland agree with Pope Francis that homosexuality should not be against the law, Sri Lanka’s government will support the repeal of anti-queer sex laws, Hong Kong trans men win the right to change gender on their IDs without full reassignment surgery, Utah’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare awaits the governor’s signature, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes after Twitter execs for not banning an account that encourages violence against trans people and women of color, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Marcos Najera and Sarah Montague (produced by Brian DeShazor). 

Australian religious abuse campaigner Anthony Venn-Brown talks about the psychological trauma suffered by LGBT people subjected to supposedly “Christian” conversion therapy (interviewed by Barry McKay). And in NewsWrap: Finnish lawmakers approve reforms to the process for transgender people changing their government identification documents, Canadian study finds no competitive advantage for transgender female athletes, Utah bans gender-affirming care for transgender young people, Lithuania fined for censoring queer-related children’s book, Slovenia’s same-gender marriage law takes effect, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tells a fanciful tale about COVID relief funds for Drag Queen Story Hour, Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline challenges Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on patriotism in the U.S. House, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by M.R. Raquel and Michael Taylor-Gray (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the February 5, 2023 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donor

Out in the Bay radio’s Eric Jansen interviews Mathew Shurka co-founder of the National Center for Lesbian Right’s Born Perfect campaign in 2014. Kristine Stolakis director and producer of Pray Away, a Netflix documentary inspired by her late transgender uncle’s horrific experiences trying to not be trans. And in NewsWrap: Pope Francis says that private consensual adult same-gender sex should not be a criminal act; Germany’s parliament specifically honors queer victims of the Nazis during their annual Holocaust Remembrance Day in Berlin; Narendra Modi’s conservative Indian government objects to the appointment of respected lawyer Saurabh Kirpal to the Delhi High Court; Malta prosecutes a man for violating the national ban on promoting conversion therapy, while a U.S. federal appeals court upholds Washington state’s conversion therapy ban; far-right Republican Florida GOVERNOR RON DeSANTIS defends his ban of honors students’ advance placement African-American History classes statewide because it includes a “

An award-winning documentary examines the exploits of Los Angeles’ iconic transgender ACT-UP activist. Director Dante Alencastre and writer-researcher John Johnston chat with This Way Out’s Brian DeShazor about the “AIDS Diva” whose life inspired the film. And in NewsWrap: Taiwan opens civil marriage to foreign same-gender spouses (except those from China), the U.K. attempts to pull rank over Scotland’s easing of gender identity requirements, the Dutch Senate votes to add sexual orientation and disability to the groups protected under the Constitution, the European Court of Human Rights orders Russia to recognize the rights of same-gender couples, the E.U. Court of Justice rules in favor of a freelancer’s workplace discrimination claim against a Polish broadcaster, U.S. students lose a federal lawsuit against anti-queer schools, Des Moines' Catholic diocese "disappears" trans people, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Joe Boehnlein and Ava Davis (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this o

The celebration is on for World Pride in Sydney, Australia starting February 12th, but ACON’s Director of HIV and Sexual Health Matt Vaughan advises getting vaccinated for monkeypox and COVID-19 well before the event (interviewed by Barry McKay). The diversity-challenged Hollywood Foreign Press Association put its queer foot forward for the 80th Golden Globes, honoring gay television producer Ryan Murphy with the Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award. And in NewsWrap: Delhi’s first Pride Parade after a three-year COVID shut down supports current marriage equality cases in India’s Supreme Court, authorities in Algeria clamp down on anything featuring rainbow colors, Wisconsin’s Republican-dominated legislature blocks a ban on conversion therapy, a U.S. federal judge finds West Virginia’s trans sports ban constitutional, a Christian “Karen” douses a gay couple with holy water in front of a Mexican church, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Elena Botkin-Levy and David Hunt (produced by

There were high-profile coming-outs and outstanding achievements for queer people, allies — even the animated! Our year-end review concludes with a sample of the interesting array of unique individuals in politics, sports and entertainment who characterized the queerest news of 2022. And in NewsWrap: Peru’s legislature freezes marriage equality, a Taipei court reinstates a Taiwan-Hong Kong lesbian couple’s marriage registration, Israel’s parliament gets an out gay Speaker in a right-wing coalition, a Trump-style insurrection follows Lula’s inauguration in Brazil, Spain and Scotland approve transgender rights bills, a U.S. appeals court upholds a Florida school district’s bathroom bias, Islamic police in Nigeria arrest 19 at a gay wedding, a gay California congressman gets sworn in with “Superman’s” help, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by John Dyer V and Sarah Montague (produced by Brian DeShazor).  All this on the January 9, 2023 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-do

On the plus side there were legislative and electoral wins in the U.S. and Australia, and conversion therapy bans in Israel and New Zealand. On the scary side rights were challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court and trampled at the World Cup, and the flames of religious bigotry burned pro-LGBTQ books and immolate queer students. Part 2 of our 2022 news review recalls these events, crowned by the Golden Globe triumph of MJ Rodriguez. (NewsWrap returns the week of January 9th.) All this on the January 2, 2023 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

With attacks on LGBTQ (especially transgender) youth by Republican-controlled U.S. state legislatures, the war in Ukraine, and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s captivity in Russia, it’s been a year of living dangerously for the queer community. Part 1 of our 2022 news review covers these major stories, easing the pain with satire by John Oliver and Jon Stewart, and a salute to the Bondian spy-adversary homoeroticism between “Skyfall” stars Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem. (NewsWrap returns the week of January 9th.) All this on the December 26, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

The marriage equality decade in the U.S. has come full-circle from the December 2012 Supreme Court hearings on California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act to the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act on December 13. A flashback to the Supreme Court’s first foray into LGBTQ marriage equality sets the stage for signing the bill that spells DOMA’s demise. Plus: lesbian activist singing duo Emma’s Revolution builds coalitions — and that’s what they’ve done with a cheery multi-culti holiday track from their Rooted CD. And in NewsWrap: Barbados high court overturns colonial-era sodomy laws, U.S. Congressional committee hearing links anti-queer rhetoric to hate violence, Ohio anti-trans sports ban withers as legislative session ends, Connecticut’s inclusive athletics policy upheld in federal court, Brittney Griner vows to play ball despite Russian trauma, "Hawai'i's Last Princess" leaves a lesbian legacy, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Melanie Keller and David Hunt

As the U.S. Supreme Court considers a complaint about the right to refuse services for same-gender weddings, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Katanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan examine the dangerous implications, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch conjure false equivalencies in questioning Colorado Solicitor General Eric Olson and plaintiff attorney Kristen Waggoner; analysis of the case provided by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and GayUSA’s Ann Northrop and Andy Humm. Just in time to cure your queer holiday blues, Seattle gay pop duo The Scarlet Coast debuts a new album with a lead single that takes on seasonal depression with a smile (interviewer, Matty McLaughlin). And in NewsWrap: Biden trades Russian arms dealer for Brittney Griner, Indonesia criminalizes unmarried sex, trans and non-binary athletes score with Sport New Zealand, Aruba and Curacao get court-ordered marriage equality, U.S. Respect For Marriage Act buries DOMA, Florida ”Don't Say Gay" sponsor quits after federal fraud indictm

The Respect for Marriage Act passes the U.S. Senate with a bipartisan majority after adopting a “religious freedom” amendment debated by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Mike Lee, Cynthia Lummis and Chuck Schumer (our report also features commentary by James Obergefell and GayUSA’s Andy Humm and Ann Northrop). The queer youth commentators of OutCasting Overtime reflect on living under the shadow of anti-LGBTQ hate violence (produced by Marc Sophos). And in NewsWrap: Singapore's sodomy repeal comes with a marriage poison pill, a Tokyo court rejects a marriage equality case while opening the door to change, India's top court hears two marriage equality cases, Russia's plan to ban all queer-positive information passes parliament, Belgium and Western Australia each move to outlaw conversion therapy, Australia's Northern Territory adds LGBTQ people to its anti-discrimination protections, Queensland plans to scrap its gender-affirming surgery prerequisite for birth certificate change, the U.S. relaxes blood donor rules fo

Truman Capote’s autobiographical short story of the season is read by James Gavin, author of the recently released “George Michael: A Life” (recorded for our 2020 Global Queer Read-IN). Plus: an update on the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Our full NewsWrap segment returns after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday break.) This special program on the November 28, 2022 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/