Outbeat Radio News

The animus toward the transgender community in this country continues to be disturbing. We’ve reported on the Outbeat News segment the alarming number of transgender people murdered each year and as we shared last month, the violence is targeted equally at transgender men and women. New legislation in states across the country to prevent transgender people from particating in sports or accessing restrooms is being passed and signed into law. But why?  I think all of this animus is fueled by fear and by a lack of understanding of what being transgender really means.  Our guest this month is Dr. Sherman Leis, who is a leading doctor specializing in transgender related surgeries. He breaks this topic down for us and explains how the medical profession is approaching gender dysphoria today. Learn More Dr. Sherman Leis The Transgender Center of Philadelphia Listen To This Edition Of Outbeat News In Depth Here The post Show Notes – April 25, 2021 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

Immigration has been a political, social, and media story especially during the four years of the Trump administration. Often lost in the debate are the millions of individual stories of struggle and success for those who come to this country.  This month we talk with Harma Hartouni – a Survivor. Gay, Middle Eastern Male. Self-Made Entrepreneur. Proud Husband and Father. Author of Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance & Success.  He has a new memoir that offers hope and evidence that the “American Dream” is still possible. Learn More Getting Back Up: A Story Of Resilience Self Acceptance And Success Listen To This Edition Of Outbeat News In Depth Here The post Show Notes – March 28, 2021 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

This month we pay tribute to Bay Area LGBTQ activist Ken Jones, who passed away last month at the age of 70.  Ken was instrumental in desegregating the LGBTQ community in the 1970’s.  He worked with Gilbert Baker to literally make the first rainbow flag and he continued his life of activism until he died serving on boards and speaking out for equality and justice. Learn More ABC mini series “When We Rise” Ken Jones Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Feb. 28, 2021 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

This year’s Creating Change Conference is going virtual and we will be attending for the first time.  This annual conference prepares LGBTQ+ activists to lead our movement and on our show this month we will talk with conference organizers about the goals and hopes for this year’s program.  Creating Change takes place January 28 through 31.  You can attend the conference by registering any time through the last day using the link below. This year’s conference features several different learning “tracks” and offers something for everyone.  There are some incredible key-note speakers, entertainment, and a chance for virtual networking.  Tuition starts as low as $50 a person.   Learn More Creating Change Conference LGBTQ Task Force Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Jan. 24, 2021 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

As our world struggles to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the AIDS pandemic continues without a cure.  December 1st is World AIDS Day and this month we talk with staff leaders at Face to Face to learn the latest about HIV prevention and treatment.  We will also hear how those living with HIV here locally are fairing against the threat of CV-19. December 1st is also Matthew Shepard’s birthday. A remembrance service was held at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., where Matthew was finally laid to rest two years ago.  We share the homily from gay Bishop Gene Robinson. Learn More Face To Face National Cathedral Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Dec 27, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

Last week the F.B.I. released the statistics for reported hate crimes in 2019.  It’s not surprising that the numbers have increased including an 18% increase in hate crimes targeting transgender people.  Forbes magazine also reported this month that the total number of transgender people murdered so far in 2019 has already exceeded the total number reported in 2018.  Transgender women of color continue to be victimized at an alarming rate. This month we spoke with three transgender people who are also part of law enforcement. They shared with us their perspective on the hate crime numbers and talked about a new effort to help law enforcement with “cold” cases involving the murder of transgender people.  All three are part of an organization known as TCOPS – Transgender Community of Police and Sheriffs.   Learn More 2019 FBI Hate Crimes Statistics TCOPS International Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Nov. 22, 2020 appeared first on O

October is LGBTQ history month and the time each year when we remember the significant events that have shaped our lives and experience.  October 11 was National Coming Out Day and while you may wonder if people still today struggle with coming out, please know they do.  LGBTQ people young and old continue to face great adversity and this is only made worse when elected leaders disparage, demean, and attack LGBTQ people and our rights. This is also the month when we remember all of those members of our community who have lost their life to hate.  Just last week on the Outbeat News segment we reported that the number of transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, killed this year has already passed last year’s total. Typically our October show remembers and honors another and iconic victim of hate, Matthew Shepard.  And once again tonight we are going to share with you highlights from this year’s Matthew Shepard Foundation gala – the annual event that both remembers Matthew Shepard and also on

This month we continued our two-part series looking at discrimination and racism in law enforcement.  Our guest is Dale Peters, producer and host of “Black In Blue” – an online show about people of color who work in law enforcement.  As an African American man working in law enforcement in Southern California, he has experienced first hand discrimination from within.  We will talk with Dale about his experience and what he has seen with LGBTQ+ officers as a straight member of law enforcement.   Learn More Black In Blue Podcast Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Sept. 27, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

While the nation is calling for police reform, many public safety agencies are struggling with not only public outcry, but how to deal with the CV-19 health emergency, recruitment and mental health.  For LGBTQ+ members of police and fire agencies, these issues can be overwhelming. This month we start a two-part series first with Julie Callahan, founder of the Transgender Community Of Police and Sheriffs, and Ed Senatore, founder of the International EMS and Firefighters Pride Alliance.  They will be talking about how things have changed since starting in 1978 as members of the LGBTQ community in public safety.  Next month, we talk with Dale Peters about being African American and in law enforcement.  We’ll share perspectives and news about some of the police reform legislation pending in California.   Learn More Eric Cervini“The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States Of America” Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – August 23, 2020 a

Last month the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ+ people could not be fired or otherwise discriminated against at work.  But the fight for employment protection started almost 70 years before.  This month we talk with Eric Cervini about his new book, The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America.”  A federal worker, Frank Kameny, was fired for being gay and took-on the United States government.  Although he lost the fight, last month’s Supreme Court decision brought to a close his long battle.   Learn More Eric Cervini “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States Of America” Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – July 26, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

Happy Pride! This month we talk with investigative reporter and author Frederic Martel from his home in Paris, France about his book, “In The Closet Of The Vatican.”  For over 5 years, Mr. Martel conducted interviews with some of highest ranking members of the Roman Catholic Church about a hidden culture of homosexuality and hypocrisy that exists at every level of the church all over the world. The book is fascinating and full of intrigue. Learn More In The Closet Of The Vatican Frederic Martel – Facebook Frederic Martel – Instagram Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – June 28, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

Scott Lowell is the actor who played Ted Schmidt on the ground-breaking Show Time series, Queer As Folk.  The series premiered 20 years ago now and this month Scott produced a 4+ hour reunion of the cast and crew as a fundraiser for CenterLink, an organization that supports local LGBT centers around the United States.  We talked with Scott about his memories of Queer As Folk and about playing Ted, a central character on the show that was involved in many of the most powerful story lines. You know Scott from his roles on the television series Frazier and Bones.  He’s a broadway star and, most recently, the producer of a new series, “Adoptable.”  Scott joined us this month to share his memories from Queer As Folk and to talk about the reunion show and fundraiser. Learn More CenterLink Scott Lowell Adoptable Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – May 24, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

This month we continued our coverage of how the corona virus is impacting the LGBTQ community.  Cathy Renna, from InterPride, shared information about the Global Pride celebration being planned for June 27 online.  We shared 2 weekly messages from local activist Cleve Jones and heard from the assistant editor of the Bay Area Reporter, Matthew Bajko about how the closure of businesses in San Francisco is impacting the Bay Area Reporter news paper. Learn More InterPride – Global Pride Bay Area Reporter Cleve Jones Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – April 26, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

We broke from our usual programming to provide special team coverage of the corona virus emergency here in Sonoma County and talked about how it is impacting LGBTQ organizations and people.  Greg Miraglia and Gary Carnivele talk with Sara Brewer from Face to Face and discussed current news related to the pandemic. Learn More Sonoma County Health Services Department Face To Face National Centers For Disease Control Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – March 22, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

As LGBTQ people continue to move out of “gayborhoods” like San Francisco’s Castro, the history and identity of the area can disappear.  Cities like San Francisco are preserving that history by establishing “cultural districts.”  This month we talk with two members of the newly formed LGBT Cultural District Board and Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society.  We’ll learn the vision for a larger permanent museum location and how the LGBTQ history of the Castro will be preserved. Learn More LGBT Cultural District GLBT Historical Society Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Feb. 23, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

Mark Schoofs went to high school with our host, Greg Miraglia.  On this show they talk for the first time since graduation.  Mark has had an extraordinary life working as a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for publications such as Chicago’s “Windy Times” and the “Wall Street Journal.”  He founded the investigative reporting team at Buzzfeed and now teaches journalism at the University of Southern California.  Mark won his first Pulitzer Prize for series of reports he did on AIDS in Africa during the early 1990’s.  He was featured on the CBS news show “60 Minutes.” Learn More Mark Schoofs at USC Mark Schoofs on Twitter Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Jan. 26, 2020 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

This year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the riots at the Stonewall Inn.  But LGBT history and the movement toward equality and civil rights for LGBT people didn’t just start in 1969.  There were many people who took part of the movement before and after Stonewall.  This year’s 50th anniversary celebration is a great opportunity to reveal a large part of history that until recently has been largely invisible. We have partnered with acclaimed author and LGBT historian, Eric Marcus, to bring you 4 special programs this year on the 5th Sunday of March, June, September and December.  Eric is the creator of the Making Gay History podcast series.  As part of the research he did for his history books, Eric sat down and recorded interviews with many icons in the LGBT civil rights movement.  Some of the names you will recognize and others you won’t, but each of these incredible people helped shape gay history. In this special series, Eric Marcus shares some of his archive with us. This month w

This month we talked with Loren Ostrow and Luann Boylan from Living Out, a development company building a state-of-the-art LGBTQ senior living complex in downtown Palm Springs. LGBTQ senior living communities are few and far between.  Living Out has come up with an innovative model that offers community and connection for LGBTQ seniors. We also shared moments from plaque dedication ceremony held on this December 2nd at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. for Matthew Shepard.  It was a tearful ceremony, but one filled with messages of hope. Learn More Living Out Matthew Shepard Foundation National Cathedral Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Dec. 22, 2019 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

This month we talked with Dr. Tim Seelig, director of the San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus, about their Lavender Pen tour through the deep south of the United States.  The tour was featured in the documentary, “Gay Chorus, Deep South,” recently featured at the OutWatch LGBTQ Film Festival here in Sonoma County. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nc_VZr3Vdk We will also got caught up with Davey Wavey who gave us an update on his innovative video project Himeros.Tv.  It’s been two years since the launch and he has already changed many lives. Learn More San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus “Gay Chorus, Deep South” Himeros.TV Davey Wavey Listen to this edition of Outbeat News In Depth here The post Show Notes – Nov. 24, 2019 appeared first on Outbeat Radio News.

The Raven Players Theater company produced “The Laramie Project” play this month and we went on location to meet with the director, Steven David Martin, and members of the cast to talk about their experience with the play and what they hoped to accomplish by bringing it to Sonoma County.  The Laramie Project was produced by the Techtonic Theater Company following the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998.  The play tells the story of this vicious hate crime and re-enacts interviews members of the company conducted with people of Laramie, Wyoming. IV drug use is an epidemic in many cities including here in Sonoma County.  The sharing of needles presents a high risk of transmitting HIV and Hepatitis C among users.  Face to Face here in Santa Rosa provides a needle exchange program with the hope and intent of reducing the risk of an HIV or Hepatitis C infection.  We visited Face to Face to talk with Lori Violette, the programs director, about this controversial service. Learn More Raven Players Face To