Out in the Open Radio Hour is a show by and featuring rural LGBTQ people talking about our lives, sharing our art & music, learning together, and of course building our community, visibility, knowledge, and power!
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 33, Lucy Webb talks with Patricia Pedroza Gonzalez, Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies and American Studies at Keene State College, Keene, NH. Patricia talks deeply about the practices of spirituality in relationship to decolonization, indigenous connection, queerness, and community. The connection that all humans are love and asking ourselves how are we showing up to practice love? Sit and listen to this wonderful conversation with Lucy and Patricia and let us know your connections to rural queerness and your spirituality! Show Notes mentioned in the episode: https://www.eckankar.org/
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 32, Lucy Webb (our guest host and Chair of our Board) has a conversation with Ben Power from the Sexual Minority Archives. Listen to Ben share about his journey as a trans man, his life's work of the Sexual Minority Archives- one of the oldest and largest collections of LGBTQIA+ historical documents, media, and artifacts in the world, creating of intergenerational community, and choosing rural life that is affirming and nurturing. So many gems in this conversations, when asked what message he would give to his younger self, he says, "You are stronger than you think....and you have to join with others to do what you want to do in life." Below are some links to many of the references named in the conversation. Music at the beginning and end of the episode is from My Gay Banjo. The first song at the beginning of the episode is Exactly Who you Are, and at the end of the episode we hear I'll Meet you in the Streets. Thank you My Gay Banjo for the use of your music!
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 31, Lucy Webb, Out in the Open's current Board Chair and community member, has a conversation with Jo Lum, our Interim Managing Director. Jo shares about their journey as a queer person, how they are connected to Out in the Open, their love and summer camp, money, and more! Take a listen to this sweet conversation and get to know Jo! You'll be hearing several more episodes with Lucy's voice over the next couple of months while HB is on their sabbatical. Show notes: Friends of Camp Little Notch People’s Institute for Undoing Racism Resource Generation Headwaters Foundation for Justice Outstanding Returns
Trigger Warning/Content Warning for this episode- issues and reference to police violence, involuntary restraint, and white supremacy are all mentioned in this episode. This is an audio recording of the Key Findings and Recommendations found in the Final Report on the Community Safety Review Process (full 223 page report can be found here). This audio recording was recorded by four Out in the Open community members (HB Lozito, Jo Lum, Eli Coughlin-Galbraithand, and one anonymous community member) to support accessibility of the report. The Key Findings and Recommendations is a 22 page excerpt of the final report. Feel free to read/follow along here: https://bit.ly/BCSfindings. Community Updates as of 1/21/21 At the 1/19/21 Selectboard Meeting the Selectboard voted 3-2 to not increase the BPD training budget from the already existing budget. (The BPD had a %40 increase in the training budget requested). At the 1/19/21 Selectboard Meeting the Selecboard passed the motion 5-0, that "The SB gratefully accepts the Community Safety Report and directs staff to provide additional info regarding the recommendations in that report to help the SB make decision in Town actions to move forward in this work." A couple of show notes: Min 21 sec 26, should be the word "for" instead of "or" Min 25 sec 51, should be the word "often" instead of "have"
Trigger Warning/Content Warning for this episode- issues and reference to suicidal ideation, police violence, involuntary restraint, and white supremacy are all mentioned in this episode. Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 29, we talk with Kaz DeWolfe and Laura Stamas, two Brattleboro community members who were members on the Brattleboro Community Safety Review Team Committee. In this episode we hear more about the Brattleboro Community Safety Review Process, which is a process that begun in response to the 2020 Uprisings for Black Lives. Kaz and Laura talk about the process and recommendations made in the final Community Safety Review Report that was published at the end of 2020. Each share their experiences with in Brattleboro around safety and harm, including experiences as marginalized community members. In part two of this series, a number of community members read aloud the Key Findings and Recommendations put forth by the Brattleboro Community Safety Review Final Report. Some acronyms and words that came up in the episode: RFP, stands for Request for Proposals. There were several proposals submitted to the Brattleboro Selectboard on this process, and the proposal that was selected was one set forth by Shea Witzberger and Emily Megas-Russell, LICSW Mad- Mad is a term used often by psychiatrically labeled folks to [re]claim self determination Show Notes: Support the Recommendations of the Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee- Sign On Letter Key Findings and Recommendations Final Report Brattleboro Community Safety Review
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 28, we talk with Sophia and Jackson from the Tenants Union of Brattleboro about access to affordable housing, what are issues facing renters in our community, and ways that TUB is organizing. Show Notes: Tenants Union of Brattleboro Brattleboro Security Deposit Proposal Dillons Rule Brattleboro Community Safety Review Proposal
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 27, Listen to HB and Sarah Buckingham get into astrology, both the basics, and meanings of the times we're in! Sarah shares about how she got into astrology, how its supported her, and the ways the astrology is inherently queer! Show Notes: Reach out to Sarah for a reading of your own, chironchartreadings@gmail.com Chani Nicholas, "Book You Were Born for This - Astrology for Radical Self Acceptance" Gray Crawford Kelly Surtees Time Passages EmbodiedAstrology
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 26- This month we talk about VOTING and organizing in our rural communities, the power of grassroots movements and how we interact with electoral politics, and the need for all of those things in this moment with Anthony Wenndt, board member of RuralOrganizing.org; Darlene Azarmi, Madison County organizer with Down Home NC; and Mel Baiser longtime grassroots activist and Partner at HELM Construction Solutions. A couple of notes about this episode. This may be our longest episode yet, as we normally like to stay to an hour, but the words and conversations from Anthony, Darlene, and Mel, were just so full and vibrant that we wanted to leave as much as we could for you to listen to! Make sure to listen to the whole episode, even if you need to listen to it in sections. Our conversation with Darlene had unfortunately pretty poor audio and internet connection, so be patient with us during that conversation. Show notes, Anthony, Darlene, and Mel all mentioned some amazing things, take a look at the links to what they mentioned here: RuralOrganizing.org, and RuralOrganizing.org/rqwg ajw258@cornell.edu DownHome NC Empower SONG NAACP Democracy NC The Purpose Of Power- Alicia Garza Black Lives Matter Movement Showing Up for Racial Justice Seed The Vote My Gay Banjo And music from Derek Clegg
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 25, getting to know Out in the Open! Spend the hour in conversation with HB, Ain, and Eva- the staff of Out in the Open! Dive deep into how each came to Out in the Open, how they were politicized, jokes, and more! Mentioned in the show: Camp Trans AIDS Project of Southern VT Mountain Justice Out in the Open
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 24, is a conversation with Malaika Puffer on her experience and thoughts on abolition, alternatives to policing, and the harmfulness of psychiatry. Malaika and HB go deep into conversation weaving in thoughts and experiences around being rural, queer, and mad. Malaika shares about the movement around abolition and who she is taking inspiration from these days. As always, please reach out to us to talk to us on the show! Referenced in conversation: Bonnie Burstow Alyssum
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 23, is part 2 of our two part series talking about wealth distribution. HB and Ain talk with Lucy, a member of the Western Mass Resource Generation Chapter about wealth redistribution. This episode was recorded the week of May 18th, the week before George Floyd's murder. In this moment of global uprisings for Black Lives and the continual impact of COVID-19, we are calling on white people with wealth to redistribute like you want the movements for social justice to win. Talking with Lucy - we dive deep into conversations around how wealth redistribution is an important part of the process towards collective liberation, a process to be done in community, and a process of deep learning and growing. We talk queer funding philanthropy, , and shifting power. Lucy shares her personal story of understanding her wealth and class privilege, her queerness, ruralness, shifting power, and a commitment towards a future where everyone has their needs met (and more) all the time. (And many other Radio Hour brainstormed topics in this episode as well! If you want to be on the show, reach out to us at eva@weareoutintheopen.org). Mentioned in the Show: Wealth for Black Vermonters wealthforblackvermonters@gmail.com The Root Social Justice Center - Mutual Aid Support Network Rural Rural QTBIPOC/LGBTQ Mutual Aid Fund Resource Generation #ShareMyCheck
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 22, HB and Ain talk to community members involved with Resource Generation about wealth redistribution. This episode was recorded the week of May 18th, the week before George Floyd's murder. In this moment of global uprisings for Black Lives and the continual impact of COVID-19, we are calling on white people with wealth to redistribute like you want the movements for social justice to win. Talking with Lane and Flannery - we dive deep into conversations around how wealth redistribution is an important part of the process towards collective liberation. We talk deeply about the impacts of COVID-19, mutual aid, and shifting power. Lane and Flannery share their personal stories of understanding their wealth and class privilege, their queerness, shifting power, and a commitment towards a future where everyone has their needs met (and more) all the time. Mentioned in the Show: Wealth for Black Vermonters wealthforblackvermonters@gmail.com The Root Social Justice Center - Mutual Aid Support Network Rural Rural QTBIPOC/LGBTQ Mutual Aid Fund Resource Generation #ShareMyCheck
Out in the Open Radio Hour, Episode 21, HB talks with Laney Webber, a rural lesbian romance writer. They talk about the importance of visibility, representation, and the sweet and spicy content of Laney's books. Laney's newly release book, The Real Thing, is available for purchase now from her publisher. Sit back, relax, and listen to Laney read some of her novel, think about picking up some pen and paper and doing some of your own writing. Laney Webber's website, Golden Crown Literary Society, Lambda Literary, SAGE- Advocacy and services for LGBTQ elders
Out in the Open Radio Hour, episode 20, A conversation with Mount Island Magazine Editor in Chief, Desmond Peeples, and contributor Tyler Orion about writing, creating space for rural LGBTQ & POC voices, the power of writing in pandemic times and more. They both read some of their work too! Some things mentioned in the episode: Mount Island Magazine, We Need Diverse Books , VIDA: Women in the Literary Arts , Vermont College of Fine Arts , Vermont Arts Council COVID-19 resources
Out in the Open Radio Hour, episode 5. We spend the whole hour with Chinese Medicine practitioner and trauma expert, Catherine Lumenello. She has a new book out called Gender & Sexuality in Chinese Medicine. Also featuring music from Namoli Brennet!
Out in the Open Radio Hour, episode 4. Featuring clips of interviews from our Andrews Inn Oral History Project. Andrews Inn was a gay bar, hotel, disco, and community space that existed in rural Bellows Falls, VT from 1973-1984. Hear all the interviews here.
Out in the Open Radio Hour, episode 3. Featuring an interview with Brattleboro-based band, Badweather Friend and music from their new album "You're Fine"
Out in the Open Radio Hour, episode 2. Featuring music from Badweather Friend, Bella, Shea Witzo, My Gay Banjo, and Lavender Country.