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Kelley Robinson Joins Kettering Board

Kelley Robinson, HRC president has joined the Kettering Foundation board of directors. Robinson previously served as a Kettering Foundation senior fellow from 2024–25. Founded in 1927 by the American inventor Charles F. Kettering the foundation is committed to advancing inclusive democracies by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability & countering authoritarianism. Sharon L. Davies, president & CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation stated, "Few Americans are as eloquent or inspiring in their advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community as is Kelley Robinson. Defending the rights of others is her life's work & we look forward to her contributions & continued leadership as she steps into a new role on the foundation board." Kelley Robinson concluded, "I'm proud to join the Kettering Foundation board at a critical moment for our democracy & the movement for equality. Kettering's commitment to inclusive democracy & civic power is exactly what this moment demands & I'm ready to help advance the bold, people-centered leadership our country needs." Before taking the helm at HRC Robinson served as the executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund where she fought tirelessly for reproductive rights & defended the rights of all individuals. Her dedication to fighting injustice for society's most underserved populations has been a driving force throughout her career. As HRC president Kelley is the first Black lesbian woman to lead the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the United States & as a mark of her influence she was named to the 2024 TIME100.  
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Stonewall National Museum (AUDIO)

This week I talked to Robert Kesten, President & CEO of Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded in 1973 the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library has grown into the largest lending library of its kind in America with more than 34,000 books & audio-visual materials. The archives also contain more than 6 million pages of documents & more than 2,000 objects of critical importance to our LGBTQ history. Rotating exhibitions, talks, lectures & films have attracted thousands to the Stonewall National Museum each year enriching the lives of countless others. Some of the upcoming events include their 4th annual Gala fundraiser where they will ceremoniously & historically induct architect, philanthropist & president of the Arcus Foundation Jon Stryker, retired Congressman Barney Frank & Grammy winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian into its nationally traveling “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” exhibition on February 21st. This fabulous fundraising event takes place at The VENUE in Wilton Manors, FL from 6P to 9P for a fabulous night of celebration with cocktails, dinner, conversation & community. Other events include Amazon Rising: The Legacy of Wonder Woman that runs now through February 17th & Sahara: NYC’s Lesbian Legacy that will be on display February 28th to April 5th. Also the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in partnership with the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame will celebrate the 2026 class of inductees recognizing the achievements & contributions of LGBTQ athletes, coaches, advocates & sports enthusiasts. I talked to Kesten about what he would like to accomplish at the Stonewall National Museum & his spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN  
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Day

Since 1986 we’ve celebrated Martin Luther King Day as a federal holiday. Now in 2026 it’s a bit bittersweet as America becomes more unrecognizable with each passing day.  With the unrest in our cities as the midterm elections approach we still haven’t been able to pass the Freedom to Vote Act & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. How this will all play out will be written in the history books which is all so fragile as truth seems to be under the scrutiny of misguided interpreters. On this day let’s also remember pioneer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin who taught Martin Luther King Jr. strategies of nonviolence during the Montgomery Bus Boycott & reached international notoriety in 1963 as the organizer of the March on Washington. As the racial unrest continues in this country & it feels like everything we have worked for keeps sliding in reverse let’s keep the memory strong of Martin Luther King Jr. & Bayard Rustin. In 2013 President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor posthumously to Bayard Rustin. Walter Naegle who was Rustin's partner for the last decade of who died in 1987 stated, “Being black, being homosexual, being a political radical, that’s a combination that’s pretty volatile & it comes along like Halley’s Comet. Bayard’s life was complex, but at the same time I think it makes it a lot more interesting." I talked to Naegle in 2015 about what Bayard was really like, how they met & the importance of Rustin’s work especially in these challenging times. LISTEN    
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Save HIV Funding Campaign Update

BREAKING UPDATE: Reversal of SAMHSA Cuts, Potential Progress on Florida HIV Care & ADAP Crisis... With the unfolding public health crisis in Florida brought on by changes announced by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) & across America the Save HIV Funding Campaign has provided statements from its organizers & partner orgs addressing this crisis. Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All & Co-Founder, Save HIV Funding Campaign stated, “Visibility on these interrelated & simultaneous attacks will be critical to preventing a catastrophic return to the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. Those working to undermine HIV funding are not only showing inhuman cruelty toward people living with or vulnerable to HIV, but they are also being fiscally reckless. For every dollar invested in HIV prevention, three to seven dollars are saved.” Maxx Boykin, Manager, Save HIV Funding Campaign added, “We spent all of 2025 fighting massive proposed funding cuts from the House majority & now, as 2026 begins, the cancer is spreading. After the White House’s unprecedented decision not to honor World AIDS Day last month, we’re seeing a major federal agency scrap critical preventive services that disproportionately benefit red states, alongside a direct attack on people living with HIV from Governor DeSantis’ Department of Health. We are also closely investigating reports of other major funding disruptions across the United States.” Paul Samuels, Director and President, Legal Action Center concluded, “The cancellation of $2 billion in SAMHSA grants will directly impact the ability of organizations all across the country to provide critical substance use prevention, treatment, HIV & hepatitis, harm reduction, education & support services to people who need it most. It is a bizarre & extraordinarily harmful move from an Administration that has claimed to want to end the HIV epidemic & support rural communities that have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis.” 
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“Red Light Diaries” Announce Casting

The new scripted drama series “Red Light Diaries” created & directed by Micheal Ighodaro has announced that Dashaun Wesley (“Legendary”), Toni Bryce (“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”) & breakout artist Billy The GOAT have joined the cast. “Red Light Diaries” is a bold intimate drama about LGBTQ people of color living, loving & surviving in the shadows of stigma, HIV, faith & desire where secrets are currency, intimacy is dangerous & being seen can save or destroy you. The project was filmed on location across 6 global cities Lagos, New York, Atlanta, London, Lyon & Bangkok bringing together an international cast & crew to reflect the regional specificity of each story. Each episode functions as a stand-alone character-driven narrative grounded in the cultural, social & emotional realities of its setting. Director Micheal Ighodaro stated, “HIV has a way of flattening people into categories & outcomes. With “Red Light Diaries”, I wanted to pull back that veil — to see queer people of color, migrants & sex workers not through the lens of the virus, but through their intimacy, contradictions & resilience. The story begins with the human, not the condition.” Red Light Diaries is produced by Global Black Gay Men Connect & supported by an international creative team that includes award-winning screenwriters Noni Salma & Collins Akon & cinematographers Daniel Oshodin & Nouridine Zerhoun. Additional producers on the series include Joseph Adesunloye, Pamela Adie & Sebastien Rossi. Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) centers on lived experience to address structural inequities across HIV, human rights, migration & access to care. GBGMC operates at the intersection of culture & policy supporting local leaders & amplifying narratives that affirm the humanity & complexity of Black LGBTQ lives across regions. 
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US Withdraws From International Orgs


The current administration has decided to withdraw from international organizations, conventions & treaties it claims are “contrary to the interests of the United States” including United Nations bodies advancing racial justice, reparations, climate justice, democracy & gender equality. Desirée Cormier Smith, Co-President of The Alliance for Diplomacy & Justice & former U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity & Justice, stated, “Explicitly including the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in this memo was a racist dog whistle. The U.S. already withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in 2025 & the Permanent Forum is a subsidiary of that body. The U.S. had not participated in the Permanent Forum since the beginning of the Trump administration & there had never been a dedicated line of funding for this body. Naming the Permanent Forum in this memo served no other purpose beyond playing to the MAGA base & showing that this administration’s attack on Black people is not limited to the borders of the United States. Furthermore, Marco Rubio’s statement calling out ‘DEI mandates’ as a justification for the U.S. to leave these entities is laughable since the world is by definition diverse. This administration’s obsession with imposing their white Christian nationalist agenda on the world is a dangerous & unconstructive way to conduct foreign policy.“ Let’s call on Congress to reject this reckless retreat & defend the United States’ engagement in global institutions that advance reparative justice, human rights, climate justice, gender equity & democracy. The path forward is not denial or isolation but leadership rooted in truth, repair & collective responsibility. 

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New Zombie Movie Queens Of The Dead

Tina Romero’s camp horror film "Queens Of The Dead" follows a group of drag queens who come together with their community to survive a night of a zombie apocalypse is now available on streaming platform Shudder. The film stars Dominique Jackson, Katy O’Brian, Nina West, Jaquel Spivey, Tomas Matos, Margaret Cho & more. Filmmaker Tina Romero the daughter of horror icon George A. Romero takes the audience on a fabulous feature debut in this horror comedy loaded with fun & meaningful ideas by combining a familiar genre with a LGBTQ twist. Romero stated, “The idea of taking drag & queer nightlife & mashing it up with zombies, I was like, that’s delicious. What a delicious, yummy way to do a zombie film & also how special to be my dad’s kid & carry his torch & the monster forward into 2025. But to make it queer, it feels so right. Especially now in 2025, I’m so grateful that IFC & Shudder are putting this film out this year, specifically. If you make an indie film, you take it to a festival & it can take years to get it into the world. But, with the year that we’ve had & with the shit that’s going on in the queer community, specifically in the ways that we’re feeling erased & under attack & afraid, I’m so happy that this film, the vibe of it, isn’t bleak. It’s hopeful, it’s joyful, it’s fun. I just feel really happy that this can be out in the world right now.” Queens of the Dead was directed by Tina Romero & written by Romero & Erin Judge. WATCH TRAILER
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Kelley Robinson Joins Kettering Board

Kelley Robinson, HRC president has joined the Kettering Foundation board of directors. Robinson previously served as a Kettering Foundation ...

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