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Sherry Vine (a.k.a. Keith Levy) has been performing her hilarious comedy shows, which features her "live" singing and saucy renditions of hit songs for over 30 years, earning her the title of Drag Legend. In this episode, we hear Keith's joyful coming out story amidst the growing pains of self identity, and the hilarious reality of having to come out "twice", once as a queer man and secondly as a drag performer.  She is the star and writer of her own variety show, She's Living For This,  which is currently streaming on Hulu and can be seen in numerous movies and TV shows. She is a founding member of Theatre Couture, and is The Queen of  YouTube, where her video parodies have been viewed over 19 million times. Sherry recently moved to LA where she can be seen as “Blanche” in Golden Girlz Live,  Battle of The Bitches (with BFF Jackie Beat) and is enjoying living the showgirl life. Sherry is currently touring her new one “woman” show Hollywood & Vine. www.sherryvine.comyoutube.com/misssherryvineinstagram: @misssherryvine Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

Sam Feder is an award-winning director and producer whose films explore the intersection of visibility and politics along the lines of race, class, and gender in trans lives, while working towards higher ethical standards in filmmaking. His current film, Disclosure (streaming now on Netflix), which world-premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2020 to high acclaim, thoroughly examines the history of transgender representation in film and television, revealing how Hollywood simultaneously reflects and manufactures our deepest anxieties about gender.His previous film, Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger—portrait of trans icon Kate Bornstein—was named one of the best documentaries of 2014 by The Advocate, and won the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, among many other best feature film awards. His films were most notably programmed by the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, CPH:DOX, MOMA PS-1, The British Film Institute, The Hammer Museum, and were featured in hundreds of film festivals globally.In this episode, Sam reflects on the mechanisms of coming out as he navigates his family, friends, and queer community, and discusses the paradox of trans visibility today, which led to the creation of Disclosure.  Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

Javier Peral is an internationally known sound stylist, music producer and music director,  renowned for his intrinsic approach to sound design. He one of the most sought-after names  for fashion show soundtracks,  as well as creating music for art videos,  performance and film.  Born and raised in Madrid, Javier has been a fixture on the music scene since arriving in New York City in the early 1990s, where he was a DJ at the beloved East Village queer space, Wonderbar. In this episode, Javier brings us to his teen years in Madrid, where he discovers his sexuality, goes to his first gay club, gets outed by his mom and more. This episode was recorded at The Newstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC, with Joseph Hazan.Photo: Robert MapplethorpeSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

KIMBERLY BLISS, is a Philippine-born, Buffalo-bred and Brooklyn-boroughed novelist for hire. Her work has appeared in Hobart and Dime Show Review, she was a 2020 resident at the New Orleans Writers' Residency, and this summer's guest fiction editor at Hobart. She is currently working on her Great American Novel set in the Philippines, Leaving Manila. Find her online at kimberlybliss.com and Twitter @blisster. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

LESLIE COHEN, is someone you might’ve often seen, but not necessarily have known it was her. She and her partner of 44 years, Beth Suskin, sit out in front of Stonewall in NYC, all day everyday. They were the models that posed for George Segal in 1979 and are immortalized in the sculptures at Christopher Park in front of Stonewall. Segal, despite being a highly established artist at the time, had a hard time finding models brave enough to pose for the statues that would commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots which marked the birth of the gay liberation movement. Leslie was also one of the 5 women who in 1976, created the first club owned and operated for women, by women, the legendary Sahara, at 1234 Second Ave at 65th street.This was no small feat then. Or even now. Then, it provided a safe haven from the seedy gay nightlife which was wholly run by and exploited by the mafia.  It was a time when it was difficult for women to even obtain a state liquor license to open such a business, where a husband or father were required to sign the necessary legal documents. Sahara was a new vision for a women’s space, elevated, celebratory, and above-ground.Leslie brought her sensibilities having worked in the art world to bring to it its salon-like  vibe, which would attract celebrities who appeared or performed there such as... Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Patti Smith,  Pat Benatar,  Nona Hendryx, Warren Beatty, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and Elaine Noble, the first openly gay state Representative.Her legacy of contributing to our community and history is rich, and it is rooted in love. Foremost. Love for her Beth, and love for her community.   Leslie has just published her memoir “The Audacity of a Kiss, Love Art & Liberation” through Rutgers University Press which will be out Fall/Winter of 2021/2022.You can also find out more about Sahara online at storiesofsahara.comSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

Linda Villarosa is an award-winning author, journalist, educator and activist, she is a contributing writer and editor for the New York Times Magazine, the NYT at large and its Science Times, where she covers race, inequality and health. She authored 3 books, was the former executive editor of Essence Magazine, and is the current director of the journalism program at the City College of New York where she teaches reporting, writing and Black StudiesIn this episode, Linda shares with us here, her truly inspiring and uniquely public coming out story. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

KAREN SONG is the director and producer of the Sundays at Café Tabac documentary, where she is able to pay homage to a space and community central to her coming of age. She is a queer-identified, Korean-American woman, born and raised in New York City. She is a film director working across various dramatic, documentary, and commercial platforms, with narrative feature film projects currently in development.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

JACQUELINE WOODSON, is a writer of books for children and young adults, and the recipient of the National Book Award for her 2014 book, Brown Girl Dreaming. She was awarded National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2018-2019 by the Library of Congress, and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal this year. Her latest book Red at the Bone was released last year and was an instant New York Times best seller and New York Time Notable book of the year, as well as Oprah’s Best Books of 2019. In this episode, she talks about coming out to her super religious family in the 1980’s. For more info on Jacqueline, visit: www.jacquelinewoodson.comSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)

WANDA ACOSTA, producer & co-creator of the documentary film, Sundays at Café Tabac, and a stalwart icon in lesbian nightlife in downtown New York, recounts her coming out story as a young woman in the early 1990's at the height of lesbian visibility in the media and a turning point for queer culture and lesbian empowerment. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=gwDpOtSRwr2aN0exTy_FAa_lOm9kam0ka6yS_nYth-cILmRaxBLCsx2hKMRqebud8Qy7gG&country.x=US&locale.x=US)