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A Tribute To Leslie Cohen & Beth Suskin

As we celebrate the 57th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that took place on June 28th in 1969 I pay tribute to my friends Leslie Cohen & Beth Suskin who were the models for the iconic sculpture “Gay Liberation” in Greenwich Village which commemorates the Stonewall riots. Back in 2019 when I asked Leslie what the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots means to her Cohen stated, “First of all it’s a celebration of how far we’ve come & it’s also a reminder of how precarious the rights that we have achieved have become under Trump who is consistently chipping away at everything we have fought for over the last 50 years…We should also be very vigilant because these rights can be taken away. It’s important to stay visible & it’s important to be out there. Write your books, tell your stories, make sure that we are part of history & people can refer to it especially young people. This is so important for young people to see that there are many gays & lesbians who fought for their rights & have found joy & happiness. I’m happy being a lesbian. I’ve had a lot of joy & a lot of fun & I want young people to know that. I have found love. I’ve been with my now wife for over 40 years & it’s possible. You will find happiness.” Sadly Leslie passed away in 2022 & her wife Beth left us in 2025. In this exclusive 2019 podcast I talked to Cohen about the legendary nightclub Sahara that she established in NYC with Michelle Florea, Linda Goldfarb & Barbara Russo in 1976 & her spin on our issues. LISTEN
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National Youth Day Filmmakers Event

National Youth Day is spotlighting emerging filmmakers in Chicago as part of Nationwide Youth250 celebration ahead of America's 250th anniversary at the Gene Siskel Film Center 164 N. State Street in Chicago, IL on Saturday June 27th at 4P. The event is hosted by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation celebrating the voices, creativity & civic leadership of the next generation through the 2026 Latest Generation Film Contest Premiere. The event is part of Youth250 a national initiative led by Made By Us that is helping ensure young people are active participants in shaping how the country understands its history & imagines its future. Caroline Klibanoff, Executive Director of Made By Us stated, "National Youth Day is about recognizing that young people are already helping shape the American story. These films demonstrate the creativity, curiosity & civic imagination that young people are bringing to conversations about our history, our democracy & our future." 18-year-old Cameron Kirkegaard one of this year’s Special Recognition winners from Grand Junction, Colorado added, “Being selected for the Latest Generation Film Contest is an incredible honor. History & more importantly progress, is made & by people who take risks & think anew.“ The Latest Generation Film Contest is a partnership between the Lincoln Presidential Foundation & The Better Angels Society & is supported through the Amy Margerum Berg Education Fund. National Youth Day is a nationwide celebration of youth leadership held during Civic Season & organized in partnership with Youth250 with events taking place across the country on June 27th to elevate young voices through storytelling, public history, arts, civic engagement & community participation as America approaches its 250th anniversary. 
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MBCC Against The Tide Benefit Event

Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s Against the Tide fundraising events attracts participants from across the state & region to support MBCC’s mission of breast cancer prevention. Online registration is still open for the 27th Cape Event on Saturday June 27th at DCR’s Nickerson State Park in Brewster, MA with virtual events happening now through June 27th. Athletic events include a USMS-Sanctioned 1-mile swim, 1-mile recreational & competitive swims, ½-mile recreational swim, USATF-Certified 5K & 10K runs & a 3-mile fitness walk. Cheryl Osimo, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition Executive Director stated, “I feel so honored to invite everyone to support MBCC's mission of breast cancer prevention. Funds raised for Against the Tide are used to continue & expand our unique programs to prevent breast cancer. We collaborate with research organizations, both local & national & academic professionals, to identify & educate about toxic chemicals in our environment that may cause breast & other cancers. We make our webinars & educational modules available free. We also advocate for changes to public policy in order to eliminate these chemicals from the places where we work & live. We strive to change the legacy of breast cancer for future generations. People from all over New England & the country come to support MBCC's work & the athletic components offered at Against the Tide & you can too!” Funds raised will support MBCC’s mission of changing the legacy of breast cancer for future generations & will support important community education programs including Let’s Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures, the MBCC Webinar Series & their expanded student environmental health program. 
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Filmmakers Speak Out Part 2 (AUDIO)

This week I conclude our 2-part series talking to filmmakers at the 28th Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF). First I talked with multi-award-winning director, producer & executive producer Marc Smolowitz who had 2 films at PIFF this year that couldn’t be more different. “Lady Champagne” is a bold, irreverent comedy directed by D’Arcy Drollinger. This feature film embraces camp, absurdity & unapologetic humor, drawing comparisons to classic spoof comedies. Then the documentary “Uncle Roy” traces the remarkable life of skater & photographer Roy Blakey through the eyes of his niece. Next we chatted with filmmaker Keri Pickett who directed “Uncle Roy” that chronicles 9 decades of Roy Blakey’s personal & professional archives. She discovers Blakey’s groundbreaking 1972 book about his legacy as a pioneer of gay photography & when Roy’s health declines Keri cares for him while preserving the stories he kept so carefully guarded. Then we chatted with directors Kade Atwood & Megan Rico about their film “Edie Arnold is a Loser” also written by Rico. This award-winning feature film tells the story of a timid dork Edie accidentally taking the spotlight when she starts a punk band becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her all-girls Catholic school. “Edie Arnold is a Loser” won Best Film at the Seattle International Film Festival. I concluded our coverage with “100-Years of Schooner Hindu” a Provincetown legacy directed by Angela McNearney about the sailing schooner Hindu which has shaped the wind, water & mariners devoted to her for more than 100 years. LISTEN  
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Ghana To Play England In Foxborough

As fans fill Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on June 23rd the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) released an open letter signed by members of the African diaspora including civil rights allies, advocates & clergy urging Ghana's leadership to reject pending legislation that would criminalize LGBTQ people & those who support them. The letter comes as Ghana continues to position itself as a global leader in the reparations movement through initiatives such as the Year of Return & Beyond the Return while simultaneously advancing legislation that would impose prison sentences on African LGBTQ people, advocates, educators, journalists, healthcare workers & organizations. David J. Johns, CEO & Executive Director, National Black Justice Collective stated, “Ghana has been a global leader in the reparations movement, with an open invitation for the African diaspora to come home & learn its history & ancestry. But a homecoming with conditions is not a homecoming. It is a velvet rope. Anti-LGBTQ+ criminalization is not an African tradition. The reparations movement asks us to confront & dismantle the legacies of colonialism, not deepen them. We write this letter in love & in grief, asking Ghana to extend its invitation fully & without condition, because liberation that excludes some of us is not liberation at all.” The letter argues that the legislation stands in direct contradiction to Ghana's leadership on reparative justice and Pan-African solidarity noting that many of the anti-LGBTQ legal frameworks being expanded today originated under British colonial rule. The National Black Justice Collective is America's leading civil rights org dedicated to the empowerment of LGBTQ people including people living with HIV. 
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Gordon Campbell Joins Stonewall Org

The Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library (SNMAL) announced the addition of Gordon J. Campbell to its Board of Directors. Campbell is a national leader in public service known for his expertise in non-profit leadership & management. Robert Kesten, SNMAL President & CEO stated, “We are pleased to welcome Gordon to the Stonewall family. His expertise in public & nonprofit leadership, combined with his commitment to education & strong communities are key values & at home here. Providing compassion to those across the LGBTQ+ community, as well as uplifting the legacies of historic heroes & fighting for increased visibility are essential goals for Stonewall moving forward, especially in light of unceasing attacks from state & federal political officials, Gordon’s ability to support strategic initiatives while reaching individuals across multiple demographic groups is invaluable & we look forward to seeing his skills come alive alongside our team.” Campbell’s most recently served as a Professor of Practice at NYU Graduate School of Public Service where he served as the Chair of the NYC Board of Correction. From 2007 to 2012 he served as the President & CEO of United Way of NYC. Gordon also was the CEO of Safe Horizon the nation’s largest & leading victim assistance organization from 1998 to 2007. During his tenure Safe Horizon was widely recognized for its compassionate & effective emergency response to the catastrophic 9/11 attacks. He also headed the Office of Medicaid Transportation & created & organized the Division of AIDS Services in the 1980s when NYC was the epicenter of the AIDS crisis. Established more than 50 years ago Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library is the first LGBTQ museum in the United States. 
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Filmmakers Speak Out In Ptown (AUDIO)

This week I talked to filmmakers at the 28th Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) in the first installment of this 2-part series. First I talked with visual conceptual artist Jay Critchley who created the PIFF trailer this year with production by Arvid Tomayko. Jay’s performance work & environmental activism have traversed the globe performing in Argentina, Japan, England, Holland, Germany, Colombia & the United States. Jay’s social art practice also includes running the Provincetown Community Compact which works with artists & sponsors the annual Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla that’s celebrating its 39th year on September 12th. Then we chatted with director Sam McConnell & Brock Yurich about their feature film “Test” that won the PIFF Audience Award Best Narrative Feature & was written by Yurich who also stars as Eddie. The film is about a small-town Ohio bodybuilder (Brock Yurich) who clashes with his devout mother as he pursues his dreams under a renowned coach. Next I talked with director Fredgy Noël about her short film “Hail Maya” about a faithful Catholic undergraduate on her last night in the dorms trades salvation for sin by diving headfirst into a tangle of lust, love & betrayal that confession can’t absolve. Currently she is working on her first feature film. Then I concluded this segement with director Fergus Campbell & producer Lola Lafia whose feature film “Sparks” was honored with a PIFF John Schlesinger Narrative Special Mention. “Sparks” is a beautifully strange & unexpectedly tender film about identity, friendship & the need to escape as a group of teenagers in Sparks, Nevada attempt time travel exploring an urban legend that a Nevada reservoir is a time portal. 
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A Tribute To Leslie Cohen & Beth Suskin

As we celebrate the 57th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that took place on June 28th in 1969 I pay tribute to my friends Leslie Cohe...

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