Shannon Minter Talks “Born Perfect” & LGBTQ Equality (AUDIO)

 








In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) about his work with “Born Perfect” to end conversion therapy. NCLR launched “Born Perfect” in 2014 to protect LGBTQ children and young people by fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. Their efforts have led to banning conversion therapy in 20 states and over 70 municipalities in the United States. For over 20 years NCLR has been working to protect LGBTQ youth from these horrific practices by working with legislators and LGBTQ leaders in dozens of states to help bring similar protections to the rest of the country. They believe that every LGBTQ child is born perfect and that any young person’s identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender should be honored, celebrated and supported. “Born Perfect” is also led by Mathew Shurka, Co-Founder and Chief Strategist who is a survivor of conversion therapy when at 16 years old his father took him to a licensed therapist who claimed he could make gay people straight. It was the start of years of cruel and damaging “therapy” that left Mathew estranged from his family and his own identity. He then decided to take action posting his personal story on YouTube where it went viral. It was the start of his journey to forgive his father and therapist, reconcile with his family and lead a nationwide battle to end conversion therapy. We talked to Shannon about what he hopes to accomplish with “Born Perfect”, his reaction to the historic U. S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

Shannon Minter is one of the nation’s leading advocates for LGBTQ people. Minter was lead counsel for the landmark California marriage equality case which held that gay and lesbian couples have the fundamental right to marry and that laws that discriminate based on sexual orientation are inherently discriminatory and subject to the highest level of constitutional scrutiny. Shannon was named a California Lawyer of the Year in 2009 by California Lawyer. He also received the Dan Bradley Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Bar Association for outstanding work in marriage cases and was the recipient of the Cornell Law School Exemplary Public Service Award in 2008. In the United States over 700,000 people have been through conversion therapy. Through “Born Perfect” Mathew Shurka and Minter are working with legislators and LGBTQ leaders to end these dangerous and stigmatizing practices everywhere. For Info: bornperfect.org
For More Info: nclrights.org

CHECK OUT OUR NEW STREAMING SITE

VISIT OUR OUTTAKE™ EQUALITY STORE

DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW

OUTTAKE VOICES on iTunes

Matthew Todd Talks New LGBTQ Pride Anthology (AUDIO)

 








In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with UK writer-journalist Matthew Todd about his exquisite new coffee table book “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” published by Weldon Owen. The book documents the milestones in our fight for global LGBTQ equality from before Stonewall to the victories of activists over the last five decades that have led to the gradual acceptance of LGBTQ people in politics, sports and the media. It also chronicles the winning landmark court cases including marriage equality and significant legislation that have furthered our basic civil rights. This pictorial and wide-reaching text takes you on a journey covering key figures, heroes, notable moments, events and breakthroughs in a wealth of rare images and documents as well as providing moving essays from vital witnesses throughout our modern day movement. Though we still have a long way to go to achieve full equality, “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” is a unique and comprehensive account of the ongoing challenges facing our LGBTQ community and a celebration of civil rights that have been won for many of us as a result of the sacrifices and passion of this mass movement. The book includes personal testimonies from many relevant activists and allies including Judy Shepard mother of Matthew Shepard, legendary photographer Nan Goldin, Reverend Troy Perry founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, novelist playwright essayist Darryl Pinckney, Jake Shears of The Scissor Sisters, activist and former Pride Award-winner Jonathan Blake, New Zealand politician Georgina Beyer the world’s first openly transgender Mayor and transgender member of Parliament, Deborah Brin one of the world’s first openly gay Rabbis and many more. We talked to Todd about his passion and inspiration for creating “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.

Matthew Todd is a multi award winning writer and previous editor of “Attitude” a British gay lifestyle magazine from 2008 to 2016. His first book "Straight Jacket - Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame" was shortlisted for the Polari Prize in 2017 and was voted winner of the Boyz LGBT Book of the Year Award. His play “Blowing Whistles” has been performed in the UK, Australia and the United States. Todd’s fabulous new work “PRIDE: The Story Of The LGBTQ Equality Movement” (Weldon Owen) is currently available online and in stores.
For More Info: matthewtodd.net

CHECK OUT OUR NEW STREAMING SITE

VISIT OUR OUTTAKE™ EQUALITY STORE

DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW

OUTTAKE VOICES on iTunes

Black LGBTQ Leaders Address Racial Violence (AUDIO)

 

 

 

 

 

In this exclusive audio broadcast Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ attended a virtual Town Hall hosted by Equality Florida with Black LGBTQ leaders in response to a rash of attacks that have claimed Black lives including the brutal killing of George Floyd by white police officers in Minneapolis. The Black LGBTQ leaders included Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President, Michele Rayner, Civil Rights Attorney who represented the McGlockton family following the murder of Markeis, Imani Rupert-Gordon, National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director, Andrea Jenkins, Minneapolis City Council Vice President and moderated by Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director. The Town Hall came after more than 500 LGBTQ organizations from across the country signed onto a letter condemning racial violence and committing to the fight against it. This important dialogue also comes on the heels of the murders of seven Black transgender women in Florida in less than two years, the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery by white vigilantes in Georgia and the weaponizing of race by a white woman against Christian Cooper a Black gay man bird watching in New York City’s Central Park and the disturbing questions raised in the recent police shooting death of Tony McDade a Black transgender man in Tallahassee. All the leaders during the Town Hall also addressed the fact that since 2013 over 170 transgender women and men have been murdered in this country with over 70% being of color. This is another stark reminder of the need for all civil right leaders who are speaking out against systemic racism and hate violence claiming Black lives must be LGBTQ inclusive.

Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director has been named one of Florida’s "Most Powerful and Influential Women" by the Florida Diversity Council. She has received the League of Women Voter's Woman of Distinction Award and in 2018 was named one of the 100 Most Influential Floridians by Influence Magazine. She currently serves as chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Florida Advisory Committee. She lives in St. Petersburg with her wife Andrea and son Logan. Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s LGBTQ community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building and lobbying they are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
For More Info: eqfl.org

CHECK OUT OUR NEW STREAMING SITE

VISIT OUR OUTTAKE™ EQUALITY STORE

DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW

OUTTAKE VOICES on iTunes