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From The Dinah Red Carpet (AUDIO)

This week I talked with 19 celebrities at The Dinah in Palm Springs, CA. We had a blast chatting with these fabulous women about their music, what they hope to accomplish with their work & how they cope in these challenging times. First I talked with singer-songwriter Cassidy King, then singer-songwriter Riela followed by entrepreneur Nik Kacy who was attending The Dinah for the 20th time. Next Jeopardy! winner Amy Schneider talked about how she would like to see more federal protections for our LGBTQ community. Content provider Breanne Williamson chatted about her first feature film after her short "Coming Out" gained over 2 million views. Then I caught up with Rose Garcia from the Showtime hit “The Real L Word” about the importance of LGBTQ visibility. Next 80s pop icon Taylor Dayne who headlined the Black & White Ball talked about her music & upcoming projects. Then I chatted with Mariah Hanson founder & producer of the 31st Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend who was with her partner Maureen Vanderpool. Next was Canadian rapper Haviah Mighty followed by rapper Siya & then queer pop sensation Zolita. Then I chatted with Cuppie, Haley Grable & Brianna Murphy the stars of “Tampa Baes” the Amazon Prime lesbian reality series. Next up was singer-songwriter IV4 who has signed with Warner Records followed by Siena Liggins who is one of Billboard’s Top Ten new LGBTQ artists of the year. Then DJ Alex D talked about spinning at The Dinah followed by the fabulous artist Melanie Posner who also appears on the hit series “Tampa Baes”. We concluded our coverage with singer songwriter Fletcher who headlined The Hollywood Party & just released her debut album “Girl Of My Dreams” on Capitol Records. LISTEN  
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Annual AIDS Walk Boston 37th Year

The 37th annual AIDS Walk Boston takes place both in-person & virtually on Sunday October 2nd at DCR’s Carson Beach in South Boston. The site opens at 8A with the program beginning at 9A & walkers set out at 10A. It’s a 5K route by the seaside to raise much needed support for vital HIV care & services at Fenway Health & AIDS Action. Ellen LaPointe Fenway Health Chief Executive Officer stated, “AIDS Walk Boston brings us together as a community that is united in our shared commitment to ensuring that people living with HIV & AIDS are able to get the care & services they need & to ending the epidemic. This wonderful event, which started in 1986, enables Fenway Health to deliver on our deep commitment to address the disproportionate impact of HIV on traditionally underserved populations including BIPOC people, men who have sex with men, transgender people & people who inject drugs. We are incredibly grateful to the walkers & volunteers who join us every year to raise essential funds for HIV care & services & to raise awareness about HIV. We will walk together until HIV/AIDS is a thing of the past.” Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports that more than 23,000 people are living with HIV in the state. Inequitable healthcare structures cause HIV to continue to disproportionately affect Black & Latinx populations, men who have sex with men & transgender women. Prayer Ribbons a project commemorating lives lost to HIV/AIDS & anti-LGBTQIA+ violence will be on display with Provincetown artist & creator Jay Critchley assisting attendees in adding the names of loved ones. Drag queen Luna Cruz & Cliff Notez will entertain the crowd. 
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LGBTQ Palm Center Bids Farewell

After 24 years of researching LGBTQ military service bans the Palm Center will shut its doors Friday September 30th leaving behind a legacy of inclusive policy for our LGBTQ Americans who serve or seek to serve their country in uniform. Dr. Aaron Belkin, Palm Center Founder & Director stated, “Creating & leading the Palm Center has been the pleasure, pride & honor of my life. We worked with brilliant & generous partners, allies, center staff, veterans & service members to show that facts matter, that discrimination undermines our country & that equality makes it better. I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity to help make the world a little more just.” Admiral Mike Mullen added, “Few organizations figured out how to move the needle on military opinion so effectively as the Palm Center. Its research & policy guidance were invaluable in showing that inclusive service was not complicated & would not harm readiness. The Palm Center reframed the national conversation over LGBT military service, using facts & research to conclusively demonstrate that inclusion makes our armed forces & our country, stronger.” Admiral Al Steinman concluded, “Through its research & outreach the center demolished the idea that LGBT service members would diminish our nation's military readiness, helping pave the way for the repeal of ‘don't ask, don't tell’ & removing the transgender ban.” Though the Palm Center is shutting down day-to-day operations they’ve launched a new website that showcases its accomplishments as well as lessons learned about successful strategies for using research to inform public opinion & achieve social change. 
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LGBTQ Horizons Foundation Gala Event

The Horizons Foundation Gala takes place Saturday October 1st at the iconic Fairmont San Francisco Hotel. Horizons is celebrating another year of creating a world where all LGBTQ people live freely & fully. It's a hybrid event so you can attend in person or live stream from your home. This year they’re honoring Chicana Activist Olga Talamante with the Visionary Award & Levi Strauss Foundation with the Leadership Award. Olga Talamante became the first executive director of the Chicana Latina Foundation in 2003 & serves on the boards of the National Center for Lesbian Rights; El Concilio of San Mateo County & the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women. She is also active with GELAAM, a Latino LGBTQ organization in San Mateo County & with the Latino Forum of the San Francisco LGBT Center. Horizons is the world’s first community foundation of, by & for LGBTQ people that invests in LGBTQ nonprofits, strengthens a culture of LGBTQ giving & builds a permanent endowment to secure our community’s future for generations to come. This fabulous gala event will begin at 6P PST with a reception followed by dinner at 7:30P PST & close with an after party at 9P PST with DJ Ome. Horizons has fought against homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism & gender inequality for over 40 years. They honor our histories & all those who fought for our communities & simultaneously created a foundation for future generations of LGBTQ people. At the event there will also be a raffle & your ticket will give you a chance to bid on several exciting packages. 

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New Film The Black Community & AIDS

The National AIDS Memorial has released its latest mini-documentary “The Black Community & AIDS” the 7th film in its oral history project. The film chronicles the personal stories of nearly two dozen survivors & advocates from across the U.S. who are thriving, sharing their hopes & struggles about the HIV/AIDS epidemic & its disproportionate impact on the Black community. The film opens with powerful words from Phill Wilson, Founder of the Black AIDS Institute who states, “My grandmother used to say, ‘When white people get a cold, black people get pneumonia’ & so I thought…if white people are getting the plague, what in the hell are we going to get?” John Cunningham National AIDS Memorial Chief Executive concluded, “This mini-documentary speaks to the work of the National AIDS Memorial in addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Black community & the issues of stigma, discrimination & otherism that still exist today, four decades into this epidemic. We are so appreciative to the survivors & advocates featured in this film who shared their stories & whose work is helping make a difference in changing the statistics and helping to finally curb the disproportionate impact of this epidemic in the Black community.” “The documentary was recently featured at several major film festivals & HIV/AIDS events throughout the country including Frameline, SF Queer Film Fest, New York City Black Pride, Positive Living Conference & Atlanta Black Pride. The film will also be shown as part of the National AIDS Memorial Change the Pattern initiative that is partnering with Southern AIDS Coalition & Gilead Sciences to bring the AIDS Memorial Quilt to the South as a teaching tool with Quilt displays & programming to reimagine the fight to end HIV. WATCH  
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Boston Globe Documentary Film Fest

The GlobeDocs Film Festival has announced its full film slate for its 8th season which runs both in-person & virtually from October 12th to 16th. Over the course of 5 days of non-fiction programming the GlobeDocs Film Festival celebrates documentary film from award-winning journalists, filmmakers & guests from around the globe. This year’s festival continues the tradition of highlighting important stories & recognizing Boston as a touchstone of the non-fiction film world with its lineup of 34 films including 20 feature-length documentaries & 14 shorts. The festival programming includes distinct perspectives, diverse communities & BIPOC voices covering a range of topics including scientific discoveries, public health, the arts, LGBTQ & women’s issues, racial injustice, & politics. Lisa Viola, Director of Programming for GlobeDocs stated, “We are thrilled to announce our slate of films for the 2022 festival & happily return to in-person programming this year. The expanded lineup of these 34 exceptional documentaries bring forward important & timely stories from around the globe as well as work from acclaimed filmmakers that highlight our city of Boston. With our hybrid festival, we are pleased to elevate these powerful films with a unique opportunity to engage audiences both in-person, locally & beyond the region.” Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media & Executive Director of the Film Festival concluded, “In our eighth year, GlobeDocs has grown into a renowned documentary film festival supporting filmmakers & partnering with other organizations to continue to shine a light on documentaries. We value the importance of truth & engagement in this moment & proudly celebrate the work of these skilled artists.” The presenting sponsor of GlobeDocs 2022 is Cross Insurance. 
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National LGBTQ Task Force Florida Gala

The National LGBTQ Task Force will honor LGBTQ+ & gun violence prevention activist X Gonzalez with the Changemaker Award at the 26th Annual National LGBTQ Task Force Gala on Saturday October 22nd at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organizers also announced that Sandra Valls comic, actor, singer, writer & all-around lesbian Latina badass will emcee this year’s gala. Kierra Johnson, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director stated, “We are honored to recognize the extraordinary activism of X Gonzalez – they have energized a generation of young people & held to account politicians & policy makers who do far too little to protect us from the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Their leadership in approaching gun violence & other issues at the intersections – as we do at the Task Force – gives their work even more meaning to me as a queer woman of color. Their determination to create change out of heartbreaking tragedy & inspire people to join the fight is the fiercest embodiment of the Changemaker award that I could imagine.” X González (they/them) is a gun-violence prevention activist born & raised in Parkland, Florida who survived the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School shooting.The Changemaker Award is presented each year to an individual or group that embodies the Task Force’s vision for a society where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves, works to remove barriers for the LGBTQ+ community & is committed to transforming society for future generations. Sandra Valls has hosted the last two virtual National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change conferences & will also emcee the upcoming Creating Change gathering in February 2023. 
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