Gaywaves

Interbelt owner/operator Vern Baker joins Gaywaves to share 35 years of LGBTQ community from behind the bar.

Akron's venerable LGBTQ night club Interbelt turns 35 years old, and owner/operator Vernon Baker joins Gaywaves to talk about the history of the club, the future of gay bars in our culture, and observations he has had from behind the bar.

 

https://www.instagram.com/interbeltniteclub/

 

This segment aired March 14, 2024

State Board of Education candidate David Donofrio joins Gaywaves

Our guest on Gaywaves today is a former South-Western City School Board member who wants to become the first out gay member of the Ohio Board of Education. David Donofrio joins us to talk about his campaign, his goals, and what he hopes he can contribute to Ohio's school children.

 

https://www.daviddonofrio.com

 

David Donofrio @DavidForKids

 

This segment aired March 7, 2024

Gaywaves honors U.S. Air Force Airman Aaron Bushnell

This week's Gaywaves show is dedicated to the honor and nobility of Aaron Bushnell, the Air Force airman who gave his life in protest of Genocide in Gaza in an act of self-immolation on Sunday.

 

 

Bushnell identified as queer, and lived for a time in Akron, where he was active with the queer mutual aid group Serve The People Akron.

 

 

This tribute aired Fenruary 29, 2024

Nathan Cisneros, HIV Criminalization Project Director at the Williams Institute joins Gaywaves

 Nathan Cisneros, HIV Criminalization Project Director at the Williams Institute joins Gaywaves to share two complementary reports on how Ohio's six arcane and archaic laws that criminalize HIV are still being used.

 

February 28 was the Third Annual HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day, the Williams Institute and Equality Ohio released two related studies on the matter. 

 

 Cisneros' eye-opening (and ear-opening) data and analysis are very compelling and should stimulate a call to action.

 

https://ohmodernizenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OHMM-Research-Report-Updated.pdf

 

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/hiv-crim-oh/

 

 

This segment aired February 29, 2024

Hon. Dennis Kucinich talks about his run for congress as an Independent, and about his long relationship with the LGBTQ community

Our guest is Hon. Dennis Kucinich, making his first Gaywaves appearance. Kucinich has been an ally of LGBTQ people long before it was cool, even for Democrats. He is the first candidate who made marriage equality a platform plank in a national election, even while others ran from it (2004 presidential campaign when he was the last challenger standing to the eventual nominee).

 

 

Kucinich, an 8-term congressman, is coming out of what could be a comfortable retirement to run for congress in Ohio's newly drawn 7th District as an Independent. He covers a lot of ground in this interview, and it is insightful.

 

https://www.kucinich.com

 

 

This segment aired February 29, 2024

Transgender Ohio House aspirant Vanessa Joy joins Gaywaves

 Vanessa Joy, wanted to be a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, but was disqualified from the ballot because of an arcane Ohio law about name changes that can be used to keep transgender people off ballots, and in her case, indeed was.

 

Hear her story and thoughts about next steps.

 

Note:  Stark County Board of Elections chair and former Stark County Democratic Party chair Sam Ferruccio and current Stark County Democratic Party chair and Board of Elections member Dimitrios Pousoulides were contacted for comment on this segment.  Ferruccio's office acknowledged the contact but did not provide comment.  Pousoulides did not respond.

 

This segment aired February 22, 2024

Green Party Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein joins Gaywaves

Our guest on Gaywaves today is Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein. This is her first LGBTQ interview during this campaign, and we took that seriously, discussing the role of the federal government in protecting transgender people from attacks in the states. Stein talks about what she believes LGBTQ people need from their federal government and how to get it.

 

The interview also explores opportunities for candidates who are not Democrats or Republicans that are unique to this election, and what that means generally and to LGBTQ people specifically.

 

https://www.jillstein2024.com

 

https://www.instagram.com/drjillstein/

 

https://www.facebook.com/drjillstein

 

https://twitter.com/DrJillStein

 

 

This segment aired February 15, 2024

 

Gaywaves co-hosts break down and analyze Gov. DeWine’s H.B. 68 veto

Gaywaves co-hosts break down Governor DeWine's veto of H.B. 68 and press conference -- what it means, what we need to lookout for. There's breaking news in here concerning a new piece of legislation expected to be coming to Ohio very soon. This tidbit is so far, a Gaywaves exclusive.

 

This segment aired January 1, 2024

Gaywaves interview with Danielle Schultz, mother of 17 year old transgender son on Governor DeWine’s veto of H.B. 68

Our guest this week is Danielle Schultz, the mother of a 17 year old transgender son in Akron. She and her family moved to Ohio because they believed it would be a good place for their son, and soon found themselves facing the onslaught of anti-transgender legislation and toxic political climate.

 

 

Danielle reacts to Governor DeWine's veto of H.B. 68 and talks about the challenges still facing her family. It is an interview that is encouraging, informative and based.

 

 

This segment aired January 1, 2024

Gaywaves talks Ohio legislation with Honesty for Ohio Education founding director Cynthia Peeples

On December 13 the Ohio Senate passed H.B.68, the combined anti-transgender bills banning gender-affirming care for minors and prohibiting transgender girls from participating in scholastic athletics.

 

 

As we await the governor's likely signature, Gaywaves today explores the Senate vote, some history, and more importantly, the possible future.

 

 

Founding director of Honesty for Ohio Education Cynthia Peeples is our guest. Honesty for Ohio Education is an advocate for LGBTQ rights that is a supporting partner of the effort defeat the above legislation as well as three other dangerous bills.

 

 

Peeples provides insight and advice.

 

https://www.honestyforohioeducation.org

 

 

This segment aired December 17