Happy Pride! This month we are celebrating the stories of two of our former guests who both published memoirs recently with the intent of sharing the stories of their lives as inspiration for others to come out and to live an authentic life. Cory Allen is a federal law enforcement officer who served previously in the United States Secret Service protecting the Obama family. He is now married and lives here in the Bay Area.  His book is titled “Breaking Free: A Saga of Self-Discovery by a Gay Secret Service Agent.”  Ryan Ubuntu Olson is a globally recognized gender and human rights ex ..read more

On May 18th, choirs from Napa Valley College and Napa High School will team up to perform “Considering Matthew Shepard.” This month, student members from both choruses talk about the oratorio and their experience learning and performing the music. We will also have all the details about how you can get tickets for the May 18th performance. “Considering Matthew Shepard is a Grammy-nominated three-part oratorio composed by Craig Hella Johnson. The work is an evocative and compassionate musical response to the murder of Matthew Shepard. On October 6, 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Sh ..read more

This month we talk with Jacob Stensberg, the almost-new artistic director and conductor of the San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus.  Jake is has been with the chorus now for almost two years and has already began sharing his vision for the next generation of this world-famous chorus. If you’ve been to the Green Center for the annual holiday show supporting Face to Face within the last two years, you’ve already seen him in action. Jake will share his personal story, some music, and some exciting news about what’s in store for the chorus this year. Learn More San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus Get Ti ..read more

This month we continue our look at some of the issues at stake in this year’s election cycle and the upcoming initiative on the November ballot to remove the language in California’s Constitution put there by Proposition 8 back in 2008, defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.  The vote is not a “slam-dunk” and the LGBTQ+ community needs to be aware and involved in this issue. My guests this month include Alex “Lex” Lazar, an activist and long-time marriage equality advocate, and Robert Shine from New Ways Ministry, a gay Catholic organization. We’ll learn more about the ..read more

We start the new year looking ahead to the November election and at some of the critical issues facing the most risk. We begin this month with HIV/AIDS. Jirair Ratevosian has spent his entire career working on the political side of the pandemic. Jirair was appointed by President Biden as the most senior Armenian American official at the State Department; served as legislative director to Congresswoman Barbara Lee; was a grassroots community organizer and activist; and worked in the private sector. A product of the school system in Los Angeles, he graduated from UCLA and has a doctoral degree i ..read more

October marked 25 years since the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. Since that time, Judy and Dennis Shepard have lead the Matthew Shepard Foundation. This month on Outbeat News In Depth we will share highlights from this year’s 25th commemoration which took place in Denver, Colorado. We’ll share the comments from honorees Chasten Buttigieg and Billy Porter.  We also talk with singer song-writer Randi Driscoll about her remake of “What Matters,” the song she wrote 25 years ago about Matthew Shepard. Learn More Matthew Shepard Foundation Randi Driscoll Listen To This Edition ..read more

This month we introduce you to some of the new leadership at Positive Images, Sonoma County’s oldest LGBTQ+ youth organization. “Positive Images is a grassroots nonprofit organization serving Sonoma County since 1990. Our LGBTQIA+ Community Center hosts multiple weekly support groups, a youth leadership development program, mentorship opportunities, an LGBTQIA+ Library, resource and referral station, and a Transformation Station. We’re proud to offer a warm, welcoming, and affirming environment for young people to explore their individual identities, develop leadership skills, and contribute t ..read more

This October marks 25 years since the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. It also marks a quarter century since the Techtonic Theater Project created “The Laramie Project” – a play that recounted for the world how the people of the town reacted to this horrific hate crime. In commemoration of these events, Napa Valley College is presenting a reading of The Laramie Project on Saturday, October 7th. My guest this month is one of the play writes and actors, Greg Pierotti. He is now a professor at Arizona State University and is producing The Laramie Project there. We’ll have some of hi ..read more

This month Charley Beal and Cleve Jones return to our show to talk about the Flag in the Map exhibit coming to Napa Valley College on October 6, 2023. This is going to be a free event open to the general public and will feature a speaking program at 7:30PM that night with Charley Beal and Cleve Jones. As we reported on Outbeat News, the tragic shooting of a store owner in San Bernardino County because she was flying a Pride rainbow flag is an example of hate at its worst. The Flag in the Map exhibit includes more than 40 images from around the world, sometimes in very dangerous places, where p ..read more

Sonoma County has become a destination for fine dining, wine and fresh food.  This month we talk with Clark Wolf, a local gay man, who has more than 25 years of experience in the food industry and is the founder and president of Clark Wolf Company, a New-York based food and restaurant consulting firm. Clark will share his personal story and talk about queer people in the restaurant and food industry. Learn More Clark Wolf Company Savoring Sonoma Radio Show Clark Wolf – Forbes Magazine Listen To This Edition Of Outbeat News In Depth Here   ..read more