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  OUT cast 11/08/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune into OUT Cast on Monday, November 8th to hear OUT Cast collective member Skip Brushaber’s interview with Gia Drew, Program Director for Equality Maine and Maddy Chiapetta, SAGE intern. Skip, Gia and Maddy discuss how SAGE dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic and what the future holds for SAGE. SAGE Maine is a program of EqualityMaine and is an affiliate of SAGE USA, a national services and advocacy organization for older LGBTQ+ adults. In November 2019, SAGE Maine joined with EqualityMaine, to ensure the longevity and sustainability of their programs. SAGE Maine’s primary focus is to support and advocate on behalf of the older adults in LGBTQ+ community. In the past, SAGE Maine’s wonderful volunteers have run monthly dinners, movie nights, ukulele groups, and more! They also provided resources for older adults across the state in need of support and community. To help support the goals and mission of our SAGE Maine program, an additional team member was added to the EqualityMaine staff through AmeriCorps VISTA to better support SAGE programs and communication. GIA DREW Pronouns: She, Her, Hers Gia joined the staff of EqualityMaine in 2014 after being a volunteer for several years. As program director, Gia oversees all our education, rural outreach, and youth programming, as well as supporting our advocacy work. While originally from Boston, Gia has called Maine home for nearly 18 years. After earning degrees from Syracuse University and Savannah College of Art and Design, Gia was a high school teacher and coach for twenty years, working in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maryland, and Maine. In that time she became one of Maine’s first OUT transgender teachers and one of the first transgender coaches in the country. Outside of EqualityMaine Gia loves spendig time in nature, especially hiking, snowshoeing, and ocean swimming. MADDY CHIAPETTA Pronouns: they, them, theirs Maddy Chiappetta is serving with EqualityMaine as the SAGE program intern this year. Maddy graduated from the University of Maine Farmington with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently a first year Master of Social Work student at the University of New England. In the past, Maddy has been part of intergenerational classrooms through the Gold Leaf Institute Senior College. They have also worked as a Wilderness Therapy Guide, in adolescent rehabilitative treatment, and in young adult shelters. In their free time Maddy gets a kick out of sewing quilts and riding their bicycle. Maddy is delighted to have the opportunity to learn more about the experiences and interests of older adults across the state of Maine. SKIP BRUSHABER Skip is a retired nurse/social worker. He was a founding member of the Our Paper Collective and The AIDS Project. He is a writer and artist.

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  OUT cast 11/01/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune into OUT Cast on Monday, November 1st to hear OUT Cast collective member Richard Doherty’s interview with Mael Embser-Herbert, Professor of Sociology at Hamline University and Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram from the US Space Force about their new book With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words (NYU Press; November 9, 2021) MAEL EMBSER-HERBERT Mael Embser-Herbert is a veteran of the US Army and author of Camouflage Isn’t Only for Combat: Gender, Sexuality, and Women in the Military and is author of The US Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy: A Reference Handbook. BREE FRAM Bree Fram has also held command at the squadron level, led Air Force security cooperation with Iraq, and led space acquisition programs. She is the President of SPARTA, a transgender military advocacy organization, and is currently the highest ranking out transgender officer in the US military. Their book explores the question of whether transgender service members celebrate the future of a more inclusive military—or prepare for the next administration to turn back the clock again? It also addresses other concerns— practical, social, financial, and medical— through the voices of transgender military personnel, past and present. They share honest, heartfelt, and often heart-wrenching accounts from 26 individuals who know what it is like to serve in the US military as a trans person. Putting a personal face on a complex issue, With Honor and Integrity features the stories of transgender service members across a range of ranks, all military branches, and a variety of occupational specialties and personal backgrounds and trans gender identities. Based on a data from the Williams Institute at UCLA, roughly 15,500 transgender persons served in the US military and 134,300 military veterans identify as transgender—though the actual numbers are certainly much higher. When “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed in 2011, the LGBT community declared a major victory, while transgender enlistees and officers continued serving in silence. On June 30, 2016, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that transgender people would be able to serve openly. On July 26, 2017, Donald Trump tweeted: “The United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military”. On January 25, 2021, Joe Biden reversed Trump’s widely condemned ban. On March 31, 2021, the President announced a new policy allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.

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  OUT cast 10/25/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  It’s BEGATHON time! Join us Monday, October 25 from 1:00-1:30 PM on WMPG 90.9 as we appeal to our OUT Cast listeners to do what you can to support community radio at WMPG. Our mission of being a forum for the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community has been fully embraced by WMPG since our first show in December, 2018. More than 120 weekly shows have covered everything from queer poets and authors, LGBTQ+ immigrants, transgender rights, pivotal court cases, medical marijuana, mental health, religion and spirituality, HIV/AIDS to issues of race and class and the challenges of building a sense of community among us. These are tough times and the economic impact of COVID has been devastating. If you are in a position to help, please go to WMPG.org and click on the donate button. WMPG has been there for us and we want to help in sustaining the great programming they continue to provide. Stay tuned to OUT Cast on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. at 90.9 FM as we do our bit in advocating for social and racial justice in this country.

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  OUT cast 10/25/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Join us Monday, October 25 from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. on WERU 89.9 FM as OUT Cast airs an episode of Ren Morrill's The Three Letters Podcast. Ren’s guest is Mike O’Loughlin who is the host of the podcast “Plague: The Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church,’ and the author of the forthcoming book based on the podcast, Hidden Mercy (due out November 2021). In this episode we learn that beneath the Catholic Church’s many public mistakes concerning HIV/AIDS there were individuals of faith for whom compassion trumped over stigma and homophobia.

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  OUT cast 10/18/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, October 18 for the latest LGBTQ+ local and world news. Hosted by OUT Cast collective member Daralyn (Dal) Maxwell. Daralyn (Dal) a devotee of alternative music since before her teens, has developed a love of radio. As the music scene evolved, so did Dal's musical tastes and today she finds herself very multi-dimensional in her appreciation for different genres. Among her credentials are radio stints in upstate New York, Vermont, and at WMPG here in Portland Maine. Although her affiliation with WMPG has not been constant owing to life and medical issues, the fire within still burns bright for alternative/community radio. As an out and proud trans woman, Dal currently brings to WMPG two things very close and important to her.......her life-long passion for contemporary Celtic music and timely LGB and especially T-centric news of the day from around the world.

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  OUT cast 10/11/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, October 11 at 1:00 PM for a conversation with host Frank Brooks and Lynn Duryea about the Watershed Workshop for People with HIV/AIDS that Lynn led from 1992-2004. Lynn describes how groups of people living with HIV/AIDS came together for a week of community-building and creating art in a rural pastoral setting in Maine. She also discusses the upcoming publication entitled “The Watershed Workshop for People with HIV/AIDS” which will commemorate this important arts project on the thirtieth anniversary of the workshop’s first session in 1991. Lynn Duryea Lynn Duryea is Professor Emerita of Art at Appalachian State University in Boone NC, Lynn Duryea was a studio artist working in Maine before earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in 2002. She now works in Maine full-time, in South Portland and on Deer Isle. Lynn is a Founding Trustee of Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and was the Program Coordinator and Artist-in-Residence for The Watershed Workshop for People with HIV/AIDS. She is a co-founder of Sawyer Street Studios, an artist-owned ceramic facility in South Portland, Maine.

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  OUT cast 10/04/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune into OUT Cast on Monday, October 4 to hear Steve Bull’s interview with Ritch Savin-Williams, author of BI: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Nonbinary Youth. Ritch is a developmental psychologist and his clinical practice has given him rich insights into the evolving sexual and gender identities of young people. RITCH SAVIN-WILLIAMS RITCH SAVIN-WILLIAMS is Professor Emeritus of Developmental Psychology at Cornell University and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in identity, relationships, and family issues among sexual-minority young adults. He is the author of nine previous books, including Mostly Straight: Sexual Fluidity Among Men and The New Gay Teenager. He has served as a consultant for MTV, CNN, 20/20, and the Oprah Winfrey Show, and his work has been cited in Fortune, Newsweek, Parent Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Time, Utne Reader, Chicago Sun Times, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. His latest book is BI: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Nonbinary Youth.

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  OUT cast 09/27/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, September 27 to hear an interview with Lutheran pastor and gay man, Christephor Gilbert, on “Queer Spirit,” a series of conversations exploring queer life and the power of the Sacred hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Christephor Gilbert is pastor of St. Ansgar Lutheran Church in Portland. He hails from Louisville, Kentucky and completed his ministry studies in Chicago, but ministry is perhaps Christephor’s second or even third career. He has an extensive background in the performing arts as a dancer and choreographer, an actor and costume designer, and as a director. Before arriving in Portland, he worked for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, an organization that affirms and supports LGBTQ+ faith leaders in the Lutheran tradition. He’s also an active member of Proclaim, the professional organization of queer Lutheran pastors and seminarians. Christephor lives in Portland with his husband Donald. When you visit the St. Ansgar church website, you find that marvelous statement: “We believe that God loves every single one of God’s children. No. Matter. What. . . . We believe that our faith is at its best when we’re building relationship with and serving our neighbors.”

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  OUT cast 09/20/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, September 20 to hear Part 2 of a two-part conversation with host Sive Neilan and her guest Ellie Goldberg. Part 1 aired on Monday, September 13th. GUEST: Ellie Goldberg One of the back-to the-land hippies who came to Maine in 1973, Ellie bought land in Hope, Knox County, where, inspired by Buckminister Fuller, she built built her own home, a geodesic dome. Prior to coming to Maine she was a social worker in NYC. After some years as a house painter, video producer, drug councilor, she once again became a Child Protective Worker for DHS in Rockland. In 1984, following the murder of gay teen Charlie Howard in Bangor she became one of the original founders of the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance (now Equality Maine) where she served on the board for many years. Ellie's vast experience of working with children and families led to her being hired as the founding Executive Director of the Maine Children's Alliance (MCA). For over 15 years she successfully built the local and national reputation of this great organization. Now retired she reflects on the changes she has seen - and helped accelerate - in the last 50 years!

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  OUT cast 09/13/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, September 13th when host Sive Neilan interviews Ellie Goldberg. Part 2 of the interview will air on Monday, September 20th. Ellie Goldberg One of the back-to the-land hippies who came to Maine in 1973, Ellie bought land in Hope, Knox County, where, inspired by Buckminister Fuller, she built built her own home, a geodesic dome. Prior to coming to Maine she was a social worker in NYC. After some years as a house painter, video producer, drug councilor, she once again became a Child Protective Worker for DHS in Rockland. In 1984, following the murder of gay teen Charlie Howard in Bangor she became one of the original founders of the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance (now Equality Maine) where she served on the board for many years. Ellie's vast experience of working with children and families led to her being hired as the founding Executive Director of the Maine Children's Alliance (MCA). For over 15 years she successfully built the local and national reputation of this great organization. Now retired she reflects on the changes she has seen - and helped accelerate - in the last 50 years!

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  OUT cast 09/06/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, September 6th, to hear hosts Sive and Steve chat with Andy Serfes about his portrait project of queer elders. Andy Serfes PRONOUNS HE/HIM/HIS Andy is gay and transgender. He is a full-time student at SMCC (and lives there as a resident assistant). He’s worked with Portland Outright, Blunt Youth Radio, Maine Center for Electronic Music, and others. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in queer studies or studio art, and then go on to get his law degree. He is a first-generation college student and the first in his family to graduate from high school. Andy joined the Board of the Equality Community Center in 2021. He very much likes rock and roll and wishes to be the improved version of Andy Warhol.

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  OUT cast 8/30/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast Monday, August 30th when guest host Dale McCormick interviews Sharon Thompson, director of the Lesbian Home Movie Project of Orland, Maine. Dale McCormick Dale is a lover of justice and a player of music. Dale co-founded and was the first president of the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance, the precursor to EqualityMaine, I n 1984. She was the first open lesbian State Senator elected in the US and became Maine’s first female Constitutional Officer when she was elected State Treasurer in 1996. Dale is a carpenter, cellist has three daughters, and lives on an urban farm in Augusta. Sharon Thompson Sharon Thompson directs Lesbian Home Movie Project (LHMP), Orland, Maine. She co-edited Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality with Ann Snitow and Christine Stansell and wrote Going All the Way: Teenage Girls' Tales of Sex, Romance & Pregnancy. Her articles and stories have appeared in a wide variety of publications.

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  OUT cast 08/23/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, August 23 to hear a lively interview with queer theologian Skyler Keiter-Massefski on “Queer Spirit,” a series of conversations exploring queer life and the power of the Sacred hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Skyler Keiter-Massefski Skyler Keiter-Massefski, who grew up in South Portland, recently received their Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School with concentrations in queer theology and theological anthropology. Skyler currently serves as minister of faith formation at the South Church in Amherst, Massachusetts. On its website South Church Amherst describes itself as “an Open and Affirming, Immigrant Welcoming, [and] Green congregation of the United Church of Christ where all can seek, pray, learn, and serve together.” Skyler lives in South Hadley with their partner Shayn and their four-legged companions.

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  OUT cast 08/16/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, August 16 to hear an interview with Chris Davis, lesbian survivor and author, on “Queer Spirit,” a series of conversations exploring queer life and the power of the Sacred hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Chris Davis Chris Davis, who grew up in Bangor, is a relatively recent arrival in Portland. She attends college as an adult learner while working part-time and also parenting two young adults from a distance, one of whom identifies as transgender. In recent years Chris has been engaged in her own coming out: coming out as lesbian, coming out from a heterosexual marriage, and coming out from membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons. And if that wasn’t enough, Chris is also soon to be out as a published author. She’s contributing an essay to a collection by ex-Mormon LBGTQ folks entitled I Spoke to You with Silence, to be published by the University of Utah Press. The title of Chris’ chapter is “Five Reasons Why I Didn’t Belong.”

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  OUT cast 08/09/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  If you enjoyed part 1 of our shows on the award-winning film, Kings and Queens, tune in for Part 2. OUT Cast collective members Mary Holt and Steve Bull continue their interview with cast members on Monday, August 9. Filmmaker and director Elmer J. Howard and screenwriter and actor Melissa Martin return with cast members Emily Kokidko, Thomas Smallwood, Sara Brophy and Michelle Martin for a lively chat about the making of Kings and Queens, sharing their thoughts on the importance of this ground-breaking effort. Sara Brophy Sara is an actor, dancer, and singer whose career spans film, television, Broadway, and regional theater. She is currently based in New York City, where she is also a Pure Barre instructor and Certified Stretch Therapist. www.sarabrophy.com @SaraBeesKnees (IG) Emily Kokidko Emily is an award-winning actor from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. As a child, Emily loved making up characters and stories with her friends and family. Though she long had a strong desire to act, Emily officially began acting in junior year of high school. She was selected to be the lead in her high school's production of "Splendor in the Grass", despite having no prior acting experience. Emily instantly caught the theatre bug, and she continued to be an engaged member of her high school's theatre program. Emily went on to attend Babson College where she studied business. At Babson, she acted in short films, student films, and helped found Babson's first improvisational theatre troupe. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles where she trained and worked at top acting studios. Emily is now back on the East Coast where she continues to act, teach, and perform. imdb: https://www.imdb.me/emilykokidko website: https://www.emilykokidko.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykokidko/

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  OUT cast 08/02/2021

  OUT cast Maine

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, August 2 to hear Steve Bull and new OUT Cast collective member, Mary Holt’s conversation with Maine-based filmmaker and director, Elmer J. Howard about his new film Kings and Queens. This short film about drag culture is garnering awards at film festivals and was filmed in Portland in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Screenwriter and cast member, Melissa Martin and cinematographer, Brett Bays, also give their takes on the making of the film. Part 2 of the discussion on August 9 will include Elmer and some of the cast members. Elmer J. Howard: Award-winning independent filmmaker Elmer J. Howard is a Maine native. Changing the world one production at a time is his motto and how he chooses which films to bring to life. His first short, “Loving Martin,” is based on a true story of love, loss, and hope and won 15 awards. His current short, “Kings & Queens,” is about a lesbian down on her luck who finds solace in a local drag community while searching to find her authentic self. “Kings & Queens” has won over 40 awards so far in its festival run. Entertaining has been his passion since he was a teenager making short films wowing and exciting family and friends. Elmer got his baptism by fire into the entertainment world by landing his first job and first exposure by being a craft services assistant on the Disney film Flubber with Robin Williams. He was also an extra in the movie. After taking a 12-year detour, Elmer returned to filmmaking in 2010 when he got introduced to Phoenix’s independent filmmaking community, starting his production company Thrive Productions that year as well. Elmer has a passion and a gift for telling stories through a visual medium and positively impacting his audience by getting them to think and challenging their beliefs while entertaining them, which fuels his passion. Elmer’s Socials & Websites https://www.imdb.me/ElmerJHoward https://www.ElmerJHoward.com https://www.ThriveProductions.com Kings & Queens Social https://www.facebook.com/KingsAndQueensShortFilm Brett Bays – Cinematographer IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7240271/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Brett has worked as a Cinematographer on multiple projects since 2013. Brett brings a helpful and cooperative atmosphere to any project or film on which he works. In 2019, he worked as Cinematographer on four different short films and an upcoming mini-series. One of the short films, “Loving Martin,” earned him the Award of Excellence in Cinematography. In addition, he won Best Film Lighing for “Kings & Queens.” Melissa Martin – Writer IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11731247/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_36

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  OUT cast 07/26/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, July 26 to hear a fascinating interview with Sage Hayes, community activist and alternative healer, on “Queer Spirit”. This interview is hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Queer Spirit is a series of conversations exploring queer life and the power of the Sacred. Sage Hayes: Sage Hayes, a white-bodied practitioner of healing arts, is dedicated to working towards collective healing and liberation and, among other pursuits, is a lead teaching assistant with the Somatic Experiencing Institute.

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  OUT cast 07/19/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, July 19 to hear Steve Bull's interview with Stephen M. Engel about his new book Disrupting Dignity: Rethinking Power and Progress in LGBTQ Lives. Stephen M. Engel is Professor of Politics and Faculty Fellow in Student Affairs at Bates College. He is also an Affiliated Scholar of the American Bar Foundation in Chicago (www.abfn.org). His research and teaching focus on U.S. political development, U.S. constitutional law, and social movements, particularly LGBTQ+ socio-political and legal mobilization. He is author of 4 books including The Unfinished Revolution: Social Movement Theory and the Gay and Lesbian Movement (Cambridge 2001), American Politicians Confront the Court (Cambridge 2011), Fragmented Citizens: The Changing Landscape of Gay and Lesbian Lives (NYU Press 2016), and, most recently, Disrupting Dignity: Rethinking Power and Progress in LGBTQ Lives (NYU Press 2021). He lives in Portland.

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  OUT cast 07/12/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, July 12 to hear an interview with Nicole Manganelli on “Queer Spirit,” a series of conversations exploring queer life and the power of the Sacred hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Nicole Manganelli Nicole Manganelli is a queer femme printmaker and freelance graphic designer based in Portland, Maine. She's a member of Pickwick Independent Press (a community printshop), and her design and printmaking work focuses on supporting movement organizations and projects that are fighting for racial, economic, gender, and climate justice. She's a deep believer in the magic of organizing, the sacredness of the earth's cycles, and the divinity of all things. You can find her work at radicalemprints.com or @radicalemprints on Instagram.

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  OUT cast 07/05/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Join us on OUT Cast Monday, July 5th as Sive and Steve chat with returning guests author Lisa Bunker and Alli Harper from OURSHELVES. Lisa has two books under her belt; Felix Yz and Zenobia July. Hear about her new venture into crossword puzzle construction! Alli and her team at OURSHELVES curate books for children that feature racially and ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+ and feminist characters and themes. Tune in for our discussion on queer literature. Lisa Bunker Lisa Bunker works full time as a writer. Her first novel, Felix Yz, about a boy fused with an alien counting down to a risky procedure to separate them, was published by Viking in June 2017. Her second novel, Zenobia July, about a trans girl getting to live as a girl for the first time in a new family and school and investigating a cyber crime, came out, also from Viking, in Spring 2019. Over the years she has made homes in New Mexico, southern California, Seattle, the Florida panhandle, and Maine. She currently lives in Exeter, New Hampshire with her wife, Dawn Huebner, a retired child psychologist and author in her own right. Between them they have three grown children. Since 2018 Lisa has served her town in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She is also an online entrepreneur: in July 2021 she founded Crucinova, an indie subscription service dedicated to championing innovation in crossword puzzle construction. In her leisure time she plays chess, plays the bass, and studies languages. Her author website is at www.lisabunker.net, and you can find her on Twitter @LisaBunker. Alli Harper Alli Harper (she/her/hers) is the queer founder of OurShelves (www.OurShelves.com, @OurShelvesKids), a LGBTQ+ and other diverse children's books subcription service and advocacy effort. OurShelves has a dual mission: 1) To connect high-quality diverse kids' books (for kids ages 0-8) to the families, teachers and others seeking them; and 2) To advocate for the many LGBTQ+ and other diverse books still needed, in part by proving the large, yet currently underestimated, audience for such books. Alli's career has focused on social justice lawyering and organizing, including service as President of the ACLU of Maryland during that state's marriage equality victory, as well as on the boards of the ACLU of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Maine. Alli and her, wife, Jenn, are moms to two little ones, Anna (7) and Isaac (1). They live in Cumberland.

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  OUT cast 06/28/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in Monday, June 28 when members of the OUT Cast collective wrap up Pride Month with their own memories of Pride and community activism covering 50 years of our history. Dal, Dick, Sive, Alex, Stan and Steve have a far ranging conversation that takes up an early Christopher Street Liberation Day march in NYC to the Maine community's response to the tragic murder of Charlie Howard in Bangor in 1984 to the recent "rogue" Dyke March in Portland reported on by Dal. Don't miss Alex's story of a new Pride tradition in Kentucky and Dick's tale from Boston Pride in the 1970's. Let's look forward to next year when we hopefully fill the streets again! Happy Pride from OUT Cast!

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  OUT cast 06/21/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, June 21 to hear an interview with Will Green and Ophelia Hu Kinney, two queer faith leaders whose congregations have recently voted to leave the United Methodist Church because of that denomination’s continued opposition to marriage equality and the ordination of LBGTQ clergy. This interview is hosted by OUT Cast collective members Marvin Ellison and Tamara Torres McGovern. Will Green of New Brackett Church on Peaks Island describes himself as “a gay man who has been far too active in denominational politics.” New Brackett is only the second United Methodist congregation in the U.S. to break from the international denomination – and the first of four churches in Maine that are in the process of doing so. To depart, the congregation was required to pay the denomination about $200,000, which is more than its annual budget. Ophelia Hu Kinney is the Director of Communications for Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization advancing LGBTQ justice and inclusion in churches. She also serves as the worship coordinator at Hope Gateway in Portland, a former United Methodist congregation.

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  OUT cast 06/14/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, June 14 from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. on WMPG 90.9 FM and from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. on WERU 80.9 FM. OUT Cast hosts Sive and Steve interview Ophelia Hu Kinney and Rich Waitzkin about the plans for the new Equality Community Center in Portland. Our Pride month shows continue with the exciting possibilities this newly purchased space will bring to the queer community in Portland as well as to the community at large. Ophelia Hu Kinney is Director of Communications for the Reconciling Ministries Network, which promotes LGBTQ justice and inclusion in The United Methodist Church. She is also the Worship Coordinator at Hope Gateway in Portland. Describing herself as a garden-variety queer woman who lives with her wife in Scarborough, she blogs about leaving Christian evangelicalism for the spiritual wilderness at QueeringTheKindom.com. Ophelia’s story “Honeysuckle” recently won NYC Midnight’s 100-word Micro-fiction Challenge. Rich Waitzkin is an educator and clinical social worker in Maine for the past 45 years. He served on the front lines of the AIDS crisis in southern Maine, participating in the first training for HIV/AIDS educators and counselors who provided counseling and testing in those early days. He also served on the Governor’s Council for AIDS when John McKernan was in office. Historically, Rich has served on numerous, non-profit boards and most recently, helped establish Portland’s Equality Community Center and now, serves as its board secretary.

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  OUT cast 06/07/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, June 7 as we kick off Pride Month with an interview of Larry and Steve from the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus. They will talk about the challenges of the past year and look to what the future holds. The show will feature several excerpts of songs from the past MGMC performances for your listening enjoyment. OUT Cast’s June shows will highlight different aspects of Pride. Lawrence Jackson, Artistic Director Larry has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst majoring in trumpet and minoring in voice. He also holds a master’s degree in Music from the University of Southern Oregon in Ashland, Oregon. He has been teaching instrumental music in the public schools for 31 years working with students from grades 5 through 12 as a conductor of concert bands and jazz bands. Larry currently teaches instrumental music grades 5-8. He is the director of three 5th and 6th grade concert and jazz bands in Falmouth where he has over 200 band students. He founded the 6th grade band and choral festival in Maine district I. He has also been the guest band conductor at the district music festivals in Districts I, III and IV. Larry also has extensive choral training. He sang with the Portland Choral Art Society for 13 years where he performed with the Masterworks chorus, the Choral Art Singers and the Camerata singers. Larry also sang with Renaissance Voices for 10 years, as well as the St. Mary Schola. He served as one of the choir directors at Unity church in Windham for several years. Larry has served as artistic director for the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus since they re-formed in 2015. Steve Floyd, President of the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus Board of Directors He is also Larry’s husband and they have been together for 29 years. He is a retired Special Education Director and worked in the field for 33 years. He has been the president of MGMC since it was reformed in 2015 and was a past president. He sings bass in the chorus as well as a number of other “duties” each concert period. You may have seen him as “Pixie Beaver” as he called Bingo for one of the MGMC fundraisers.

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  OUT cast 05/31/2021

  90.9 WMPG FM

  Tune in to OUT Cast on Monday, May 31 to hear an interview about Women in Harmony with guests Kitty Beller-McKenna and Monica Fischbach, hosted by OUT Cast collective member Marvin Ellison. Founded in 1993 and based in southern Maine, Women in Harmony is a chorus of 60 women singers who perform in concert and promote social justice through music. “Our vision,” the WIH website reads, is “a world where every voice is equal and valued.” Catherine Beller-McKenna – better known as Kitty -- became the second music director of Women in Harmony in 1999, bringing to the group extensive experience in conducting both women’s and mixed choruses in community and collegiate settings. A believer in the potential of music and language to effect social change, Kitty is strongly committed to Women in Harmony’s tradition of singing out for equality and social justice. Monica Fischbach has been a member of Women in Harmony for over ten years, starting with a concert called “Sister, Carry On.” A longtime lesbian feminist, she has been involved in many community causes. One of the things Monica enjoys most about Women in Harmony is the community of women, united in creating social justice and peace through the connection that shared music provides. In her words, “There is nothing like the moment when our voices blend to express what is in our hearts. Nothing like it.”