Wed, Jun 21, 2023
Host Joey Gray shares the story of The UpStairs Lounge: the bar, the people who called it home and what it meant to them, and that terrible Sunday night in June when it all came burning down. Guests include: UpStairs Lounge arson survivor Ricky Everett, journalist Clancy DuBos, and documentary filmmaker Robert L. Camina.
Wed, Jun 28, 2023
Host Joey Gray talks to journalist Robert Fieseler, author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation. They discuss how the arson fits within the larger arc of queer history, as well as the cultural and societal climate at the time of the attack and how those factors influenced the events leading up to the fire and its aftermath.
Wed, Jul 12, 2023
Host Joey Gray is joined by international drag superstar BenDeLaCreme to discuss the importance of queer spaces. The two chat about the recent drag bans popping across the country, the importance of fostering community, how queer people pass culture down through generations, and why drag is its own form of rebellion.
Wed, Jul 19, 2023
What is life like for queer people in 2023 and how does that differ from life in 1973? In what ways have we made progress since the days of the UpStairs Lounge and in what ways might we be backsliding? Host Joey Gray chats with Cathryn Oakley, State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel at the Human Rights Campaign and political strategist Brian Derrick. They discuss the wave of anti-LGBT+ legislation that has swept across state legislatures in recent years, the impact these bills will have on the lives of queer people, where we've seen some glimmers of hope in recent days, and how we can best donate our time and resources to help fight for a more equitable world.