A bill some fear will compel teachers and counselors to forcibly out LGBTQ students to their families is making another round through the Florida legislature and some fear the consequences could be fatal. With passage in the House Thursday, the Parent’s Bill of Rights is one step closer to becoming law. LISTEN: Kent Marerro of… Read more »
Florida bills limiting transgender participation in sports look a lot like an Idaho bill already struck down in federal court
Read MoreInternational Women's Day on WMNF
Read MoreA Conversation With Slum Of Legs
Read MoreFlorida House expands school vouchers without LGBTQ student protections
Read MoreThe Stonewall Anniversary + A Conversation With m1nk on Life Elsewhere
Read MoreLGBTQ Resource Center of Gulfport announces its Pride Month events
Read MoreTampa Pride is this weekend in Ybor City
Read MoreAllendale United Methodist Church supports LGBTQ rights despite church vote
Read MoreRelationships: Part Two on Life Elsewhere
Read MoreJudge stops parts of Tampa's same-sex 'conversion therapy' ban
Read MoreEscaping Scientology on Life Elsewhere
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Advocates will “Speak out for trans rights in Sarasota schools”
Supporters of the rights of transgender students plan to speak out Tuesday evening at the Sarasota school board meeting; ANSWER Suncoast and the Party for Socialism and Liberation – Florida are hosting what they’re calling “Speak out for trans rights in Sarasota schools!” To find out more, WMNF News interviewed Juliana Musheyev with ANSWER Suncoast. “We’ve… Read more »

Three Very Different Books + One EP on Life Elsewhere
About a week or so ago, late night talk show host, Jimmy Fallon introduced The Tonight Show’s first ever book club and included The Immortalists, the brilliant new novel by Chloe Benjamin. Perhaps, because Fallon has come under critical scrutiny after his gentle-cozy interview with Trump, the least cerebral of late-night comedians is not usually… Read more »

After St. Pete Pride, revelers were confronted by masked men with Nazi flag
Early on Sunday morning, when there were still hundreds of revelers from Saturday’s St. Pete Pride parade on the streets of the EDGE District, masked men in the bed of a pick-up truck hoisted a Nazi swastika flag and hurled slurs at passers-by; St. Pete Police say they’re looking into the incident but are unlikely… Read more »

St. Pete Pride expects 200,000 for Saturday’s 2018 LGBTQ+ parade
This week is St. Pete Pride, one of the South’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations; the Tampa Bay Times reports that police are investigating threats against the Pride weekend posted on social media. To find out what to expect in events tonight through Sunday, WMNF News spoke with Luke Blankenship, executive director with St. Pete Pride about… Read more »

Funny, With A Message on Life Elsewhere
When Katie Met Cassidy and Blown are two new, clever-funny novels. Both are very much set in the present, each book reels off timely iconic observations and pop-culture references without a hint of self-consciousness. Their fast-pasted comedic well-constructed narratives with believable characters draw the reader in, while almost slyly revealing a deeper, thought-provoking message. In When… Read more »

MidPoint for Thursday, March 22 – Joe Redner and Tampa Pride director Carrie West
Adult club entrepreneur and progressive activist Joe Redner is awaiting a decision by a Leon County Circuit Judge regarding his lawsuit claiming that the Florida Dept. of Health has unconstitutionally denied him the right to grow his own marijuana plants. Redner and Adam Elend, the head of Redner’s marijuana business called Florigrown, appeared as guests on… Read more »

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Signs from The Women’s Rally 2018 in St. Pete
On a bright Florida winter day, over 5,000 people came to downtown St. Petersburg to send messages to political leaders, community leaders, and each other. Messages were funny, heartfelt, empowering, topical, optimistic, and inspiring. Here we have a sample, in no particular order. Clicking on the pictures makes them easier to scroll through.

How Florida law discourages people from learning their HIV status
The virus that causes AIDS is spreading in Florida faster than in any other state; so you’d think lawmakers would encourage people to get tested and know their HIV status. But Alejandro Acosta, the HIV Advocacy Project coordinator for Equality Florida, tells WMNF News that state laws may actually encourage people to not get tested…. Read more »

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Chip Berlet on the Rise of the Far-Right and Lawrence O’Donnell on the Pivotal Year 1968
Radioactivity 11 16 17 Thursday Welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up—we’ll speak with investigative journalist Chip Berlet—who for decades has been tracking the far right in the US. With the rise of Donald Trump Neo Nazi and fascist groups are becoming more active and we’ll dive into the history, motives and aims of… Read more »

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2017 Election results locally and some nationally
Democrats are claiming a blue wave washed over the US. Is that true? According to Ballotpedia, Elections [were] held in 59 of the 100 largest cities by population in 2017. This includes elections for 36 mayoral offices, 31 municipal officials other than mayor, 367 city council seats, and 50 special district officials. This represents an increase from 25… Read more »

MidPoint for Thursday, October 19 – state Senator Jeff Clemens & Kyle Parks
South Florida Democratic state Senator Jeff Clemens came on the show to talk about the upcoming 2018 legislative session, and the prospect for Democrats to pick up seats in the Senate in Nov. of 2018. Also on the show was Kyle Parks with B2 Communications, a St. Petersburg based public relations firm who was on… Read more »

LGBT Leader Wonders What’s Next After Trump Tweets Transgender Ban
Radioactivity Thursday 8 3 17 Good morning, welcome to radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up—President Trump issued three tweets last week calling for a ban on transgender people in the military. Since then there’s been confusion and the Trump administration has yet to move forward on enacting the tweets into policy. We’ll talk about the… Read more »

The lackluster gubernatorial race and David Jolly’s coming out on same-sex marriage with Janelle Irwin
The lackluster gubernatorial race and David Jolly’s coming out on same-sex marriage with Janelle Irwin