The Gaily Show

It’s the fourth Friday of the month which means: Onstage with Jim Pounds. He takes us on a tour of these shows: 

THEN: Melissa Marr joins us to discuss her new novel A Treason of Magic. Get your copy here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781662536939

Connect with Melissa: https://melissamarrbooks.com

It’s Pride month. But, what does that mean these days? What do we need it to be? How different are the Prides we’re going to this year from the original ones? To unpack this for us, we’re joined by Dr. Brier is a professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and History at the University of Illinois – Chicago. She co-curated the award-winning exhibition “Out in Chicago” on LGBT history at the Chicago History Museum.

Get Dr. Brier’s book Infectious Ideas: US Political Response to the AIDS Crisis  here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780807872116 

Check out Histor...

How bad is Trump’s Iran “deal”? Will Todman joins us to discuss. He’s the chief of staff of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Listen to Will’s podcast State of Play: https://www.csis.org/podcasts/state-play

Read his work and research here: https://www.csis.org/people/will-todman

Then Tammye Nash, Managing Editor of the Dallas Voice joins us to discuss the Texas Senate Race. The Dallas Voice is in its 42nd year as th...

Breaking: A judge has blocked Trump from subpoenaing Gov Walz. Congress just forced Trump to restore suicide prevention resources for LGBTQ youth. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom resigned today. We look at the LGBTQ record of the man who is on track to be his successor. 

PLUS: Will Studivant from the Great River Shakespeare Festival joins us to discuss this year’s shows: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pericles. The productions begin June 24 and run through July 26. For tickets: https://www.grsf.org  William Studivant is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, a McKnight Fellow...

Join TanyaMarck and Nick from Queer Spirit as we explore care and connect with community in innovative ways. Let’s get queer and play outside the box!

We chat about the astrological energies of the week with Venus and Jupiter conjunct in Cancer, calling in care, love and beauty to expand and grow through our homes and communities.

Queer Spirit (QS) is a grassroots non-profit charitable organization. They are space holders who offer care-centered + inclusive virtual spaces centering Queers + Allies. Since 2018 QS has been providing free support and care globally via virtual care circles and th...

It’s the third Friday of the month as John welcomes in author and critic Ilana Masad for her reviews and recommendations!

Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, StoryQuartlerly, Catapult, Buzzfeed, Joyland, The Account, and many more. She is the author of the novel All My Mother’s Lovers and the forthcoming Beings.

Masad holds a PhD in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has taught a wide variety of creative writing and literatur...

Luke Schleusner, CEO of Out in National Security, joins John to discuss LGBT issues as it relates to our military servicemembers and other national security personnel.

At the bottom of the hour, the chair of the Minnesota DFL Party Richard Carlbom will join us. We’ll talk about the midterms, Minnesota as a trans refuge state, and his reflections on leading the very successful Minnesota United For All Families campaign. Up first: the cast of the all-male and super queer production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Bryce Baxter, Jonathan Edwards, David Michaeli, Richard Rigmaiden, Leo Rossmiller, and Kashif Shakti. Get your tickets here: https://www.dreammpls.com/tickets

Broadcasting live from Golden Valley Pride, John Parker and Jim Pounds soak up the gorgeous Minnesota weather to celebrate the vibrant local LGBTQ+ community. They sit down with Pride Magic owner Chaz Raditz to unpack the personal, evolving meaning of Pride while calling out corporate pinkwashing from fair-weather sponsors. To cap it all off, they dive into the latest political news, celebrating the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and stressing the crucial need to vote in the upcoming elections.

Gregory A. Kompes’s new book Busker is out now. He joins us to discuss! Plus, Zia Varajon is here to chat about her new book Love, Your Trans Big Sister: Advice on the Transfeminine Journey

Get your copy of Busker: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798950241017. 

Get your copy of Love, Your Trans Big Sister: Advice on the Transfeminine Journey: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798295583995 

Connect with Gregory: https://kompes.com and https://thewriterworkshop.com

Connect with Zia: https://ziavarajon.com and https://www.instagram.com/tsziaaa

 In a special 2026 Election episode, we sit down with Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon who joins us for the full hour to discuss voting rights, protecting voter data, and how MN is planning for the 2026 midterms. 

Register to vote: https://sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/register-to-vote/  

Find out what’s on your ballot: https://sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/whats-on-my-ballot/ 

Vote on Election Day: https://sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/election-day-voting/ 

Other ways to vote (mail in, absentee, etc): https://sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/

Rep. Nancy Mace Crashed and Burned in the South Carolina Governor primary. The US Department of Justice will not be seeking the death penalty for Vance Luther Boelter. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Pride Problem: He made big promises, but is he keeping them? And Surprise Surprise: Inflation is way up.

Another primary day in America and we look at key races that will have big impacts in 2026. Plus, MAGA can’t stand Pride month, so they’ve come up with “Nuclear Family Month” instead. It’s weird considering that the states with the highest divorce rates and single parent households seem to be MAGA states.

Welcome to our new friends on Alternative Talk 1150 KKNW. THEN: we’re joined by Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke! We discuss the latest poll about marriage equality. For Pride month, he we talk about “the first Prides” and recent anti-LGBT legislation in Africa. 

Dr. Huneke is an award-winning associate professor of history at George Mason University. A historian of modern Germany, he is the author of numerous books and articles, including States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany and A Queer Theory of the State. His new book I Will Not Abandon You Que...

Luis Argueta from Unidos MN joins us to discuss the Minnesota DFL convention and the Governor’s race. George Santos strikes again! Plus, Windy City Times Managing Editor Jake Wittich is back with new reporting (read them all at https://windycitytimes.com):

Pride in a political moment: What’s at stake for LGBTQ+ rights in Illinois
Pride in action: How Illinoisans can defend LGBTQ+ rights
‘‘Health cuts kill’: Chicago coalition joins Seven Days week of action
The Dunes Resort celebrates 45 years as one of the Midwest’s defining queer getaways

Windy City Times has be...

It’s voting day in California…and it’s down to the wire for the candidates for governor. The Minnesota Republicans had their convention this past weekend…and you’re not going to believe who they had a moment of silence for. Derek Chauvin. Plus, Hungary lifts its ban on the Budapest Pride Parade

No, James Talarico is not transgender. We take a look at how the rumor got started and potential impacts. 2026 Midterms: California is choosing its candidates for Governor on June 2. It’s kind of a mess. Plus, there’s an all-new and all-gay Midsummer Night’s Dream opening June 5th. Director Grant Sorenson joins us to discuss! Get your tickets here: https://www.dreammpls.com/tickets

We take a look at the key races happening today in Texas. Major updates from Alabama and South Carolina on the fight to change Congressional maps. An anti-trans voter ballot initiative was just tossed out in Maine.

It’s our monthly On Stage with Jim Pounds segment. He talks with Paul W Kruse who is the playwright of eelpout which is now playing at Chicago’s Witt Theatre. For tickets head to Shattered Globe’s website: https://shtheatre.org. Then he talks with John Heimboch from Walking Shadow in Minneapolis about the upcoming production of Perfect Arrangement. It runs May 30 – June 21, 2026 at the Crane Theater in NE Minneapolis. For tickets: https://walkingshadow.org.

THEN: Ilana Masad is back with her May book recommendations:

Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV by Jack Bal...

Host John Parker sits down with award-winning author and queer historian Hugh Ryan to unpack the pre-internet landscape of LGBTQ+ life in the 1990s. They dive into everything from the wild mega-clubs of New York City and finding queer history using the library’s Dewey Decimal System to the terrifying reality of the “second silence” surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Get ready to explore the analog era of the queer community before Ryan’s new book, My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer 90s and Beyond, hits shelves on May 26th.

John Parker and Jim Pounds sit down to honor the monumental legacy of the late Congressman Barney Frank and his barrier-breaking fight for LGBTQ+ rights on Capitol Hill. They also break down a flurry of trans healthcare lawsuits coming out of Texas and Kansas, exploring how these state-level legal battles impact queer communities nationwide. To cap things off, Windy City Times managing editor Jake Wittich stops by to share the latest on a major Chicago lawsuit against the Trump administration and drop a fun preview of their upcoming Pride Month coverage.

It’s another major election day in America. We look at key races. Dominic Coletti, the Student Press Program Officer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is back to talk about alleged censorship of LGBTQ writing at Pensacola State College. PSC has reversed course and will fund a publication they were planning to defund for LGBTQ writing.

: The Colorado Supreme Court issues landmark ruling in favor of transgender healthcare. Hennepin County files charges against ICE agent. Seattle is looking to declare a civil emergency as so many LGBTQ people have fled to the city from red states. Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, has passed away. King Charles announces a new trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban in the UK.

Jill Rosenberg talks about her new book Now I’m Photogenic and Other Stories I Tell Myself. Get your copy here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781625572172. Connect with Jill here: https://jillrosenberg.me

THEN: Gabriel Rotello drops by to talk about his new novel The CBGB Conspiracy. Buy it here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798888249093. Connect with Gabriel here: https://www.gabrielrotello.com

John Parker sits down with Dr. Perry Zurn to dive deep into the messy, fascinating history of the word “cisgender” and where it actually came from. They explore everything from the word’s roots in early German sexology to its weird mainstream moment on South Park, proving that “cis” isn’t nearly as simple as just matching your birth certificate. By the end, you’ll see why gender is really a lifelong journey for everyone, especially once you consider how it intersects with race and disability.

Dominic Coletti, the Student Press Program Officer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, joins us to talk about alleged censorship of LGBTQ writing at Pensacola State College. The European Commission announces all EU countries must ban conversion therapy. White House Correspondent for the Washington Blade Joe Reberkenny is back with new reporting:

White House counterterrorism strategy targets ‘anti-American, radically pro-transgender’ groups https://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/05/11/white-house-counterterrorism-strategy-targets-anti-american-radically-pro-transgender-groups/

Senate Democrats press DOJ over anti-trans prison directives

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/05/11/senate-democrats-press-doj-over-anti-trans-prison-directives/

DOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy

https://www.wa...

John and Jim chat with activist and writer Chuck Forester about the raw stories in his new memoir, Bonding in the Time of Plague, then bring on Tammy Nash from the Dallas Voice to break down the latest legislative drama unfolding in Texas.

: Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais join us to talk about their new book: Here For All The Reasons Why We Watch The Bachelor.

THEN: Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke joins us to talk about Texas Tech University banning LGBTQ research. Plus, MAGA is using federal funds to promote MAGA think tanks in Europe. And, the Virginia congressional map debacle: the State Supreme Court tossed out both the new voter approved map. Now what?

Get the Here For All The Reasons: here:https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781684426126

Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction...

Join TanyaMarck and Nick from Queer Spirit as we explore ways to find and connect to community in innovative ways. Let’s think outside the box to explore care and share in community.
We also discuss our new Care Menu offerings as part of the QS Fill Our Mug of Care program. Donate and get a Suggestion Hypnosis session with Nick.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/qs-care-menu

Queer Spirit (QS) is a grassroots non-profit charitable organization. They are space holders who offer care-centered + inclusive virtual spaces centering Queers + Allies. Since 2018 QS has been providing fr...

John Parker and Jim Pounds are diving deep into the local arts scene this week, starting with a look at the bone-chilling 15th-anniversary lineup for the Twin Cities Horror Festival alongside artistic director Nissa Nordland. The conversation then shifts to the massive Art-A-Whirl weekend as Anna Becker stops by to explain how over 1,400 artists are turning Northeast Minneapolis into a giant creative playground.

This episode originally aired April 2, 2026:

How can states fight back against fascism and Trump? Turns out there is a taxonomy of five tiers of resistance that States can do right now. It has been developed and researched by Christopher Armitage and he joins us to discuss.

Christopher Armitage is an Air Force veteran, journalist, former law enforcement officer, and author of Conservatism: America’s Personality Disorder and the Substack The Existentialist Republic. You can hear him regularly on the Thom Hartmann show. Read The Existentialist Republic here: https://cmarmitage.substack.com

John Parker and Jim Pounds as they sit down with Luis Argueta from Unidos Minnesota to discuss the “Business for Democracy” initiative and why major Minnesota corporations like Target and Best Buy need to do more than just release PR statements. They also catch up with Jake Wittich of the Windy City Times to dive into the legal limbo of trans healthcare and the recent DOJ investigations targeting dozens of Illinois school districts.

John Parker and Jim Pounds discuss the legal complaint filed against the EEOC chair regarding the investigation of LGBTQ+ employment discrimination. They analyze national discrimination statistics, focusing on high complaint rates in Texas and Florida, and reports on the European Parliament’s recent vote to ban conversion therapy. Then we’re joined by Nissa Nordland, who discusses her performance in the play Feffu and Her Friends and provides a preview of the Twin Cities Horror Festival.

Executive Producer Jim Pounds guest hosts today’s episode. He covers the Western Health Alliance and he’ll also interview James Grace. James is an actor, dancer, choreographer who is performing in A Chorus Line at Park Square. It opens May 15! For tickets and more information: https://www.parksquaretheatre.org/a-chorus-line

We start a new segment today: Onstage with Jim Pounds. Every month, Jim will preview theatre in Minneapolis and Chicago. Today he talks with Leslie Buxbaum the bookwriter and co-lyricist for the new musical Out Here which is now playing at Chicago’s Court Theatre.
Get your tickets to Out Here: https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/out-here/
Connect with Leslie: https://www.lesliebuxbaum.com

THEN: Daniel M. Lavery’s new novel Meeting New People drops June 2nd. He joins us to talk all about it. In its review, Publishers Weekly wrote Meeting New Peop...