Chronicling Hyperlocal Efforts to Protect LGBTQ+ Lives

Chronicling Hyperlocal Efforts to Protect LGBTQ+ Lives

Local policies can affect LGBTQ+ lives just as much as national ones. What are some local governments doing to protect LGBTQ+ lives across the United States? While June may be over, stories of Pride celebrations continue as Pride events are still happening across the country – and we have some stories you definitely want to hear. This week’s roundtable: * Rural LGBTQ+ beat reporter for The Buckeye Flame [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] and a corps member for Report for America [https://www.reportforamerica.org/], Ben Jodway * Editorial manager for Queer Kentucky [https://queerkentucky.com/], Divya Karthikeyan Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ [https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com [https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com] Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Reporting on Stories of Bad Public Policy and Much-Needed Queer Hope

Federal and state governmental policies are affecting LGBTQ+ people across in all sorts of ways; like in housing and healthcare access. But not all those policies are negative – as California institutes a law that requires all public schools to have at least one all-gender restroom. There are a host of LGBTQ+ people you may not know, but should – who we introduce to you in our segment of “Who the Heck is That?” And of course, where is our roundtable finding queer joy in the world this week? This week’s roundtable: * Training Director at Investigative Reporters and Editors [https://www.ire.org/], Adam Rhodes * Reporter for The Ohio Capital Journal [https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/], Susan Tebben * California Politics Editor for The Sacramento Bee [https://www.sacbee.com/], Lauren Chapman It  is the Buckeye Flame’s 6th birthday and we are celebrating all month. We need your support to keep the Flame burning bright, so become a recurring donor to our scrappy queer nonprofit newsroom and it will support our journalism, which includes This News is So Gay. To donate, go  to thebuckeyeflame.com [http://thebuckeyeflame.com] Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ [https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com [https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com] Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Framing Data on LGBTQ+ Equality and What to Actually Do With the Numbers

There is so much new data about LGBTQ+ communities and views on equal rights. What do those numbers have to tell us? We look at the existence of “nudifying” apps and the digital violence that can stem from them, as well as Ohio House Bill 172 and its push to limit physical and mental care for LGBTQ+ youth. And we have to talk about gay license plates – as a Lakewood, Ohio resident joins another lawsuit against the Ohio BMV.  This week’s roundtable:  * Senior staff writer for The Buckeye Flame [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/], H.L. Comeriato * Technology reporter for the 19th, Jasmine Mithani It  is the Buckeye Flame’s 6th birthday and we are celebrating all month. We need your support to keep the Flame burning bright, so become a recurring donor to our scrappy queer nonprofit newsroom and it will support our journalism, which includes This News is So Gay. To donate, go  to thebuckeyeflame.com [http://thebuckeyeflame.com] Links: * If you are experiencing sexual violence or abuse, please call RAINN’s free, confidential hotline at (800) 656-HOPE, text HOPE to 64674. To chat live, click here [https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/]. * If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor. * If you are an transgender adult in crisis, please contact the National Trans Lifeline [https://translifeline.org/hotline/]: 877-565-8860 Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ [https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com [https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com] Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Unpacking LGBTQ+ Youth Challenges and Threats to Queer Media Representation

LGBTQ+ youth continue to face a myriad of challenges in living their authentic lives. What are some of the latest challenges being covered out there? Representation of LGBTQ+ characters in film and TV is under fire yet again; what is the FCC trying to do now? Plus: corporate support at Pride. How do Americans really feel about brands getting in on the Pride action? This week’s roundtable: * Investigative journalist and lead designer at Uncloseted Media [https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/], Sam Donndelinger * Senior Director of local news for the U.S. South for GLAAD [https://glaad.org/], Darian Aaron It  is the Buckeye Flame’s 6th birthday and we are celebrating all month. We need your support to keep the Buckeye Flame burning bright, so become a recurring donor to our scrappy queer nonprofit newsroom and it will support our journalism, which includes This News is So Gay. To donate, go  to thebuckeyeflame.com [http://thebuckeyeflame.com] Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ [https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com [https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com] Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Examining Broadcast Coverage of LGBTQ+ Issues and Where It Falls Short

This week, we’re covering highlights from a recent report on 2025 weekday evening news coverage of LGBTQ issues; including how trans and gender-nonconforming people were rarely featured in the coverage. While Pride Month has us celebrating in the present, it’s important to take a look back to  history. This week’s roundtable: * Deputy Research Director for Special Projects and former LGBTQ program director at Media Matters [https://www.mediamatters.org/], Brennan Suen * Writer, editor, fact checker, and former senior politics editor at The Advocate [https://www.advocate.com/], Trudy Ring Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ [https://thebuckeyeflame.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ [https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com [https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com] Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]