Episode Notes In 1987, the United Nations declared December 1 as World AIDS Day, a day to unite in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, support people living with HIV, and honor those who have lost their life. Join Gabriel, Leah, Anthony, and special guest, Tom Babcock in a discussion about the history and significance of the HIV epidemic. The LGBT community was and continues to be strongly impacted by HIV and AIDS. We will also talk about the socio-political impact on the LGBT community in the Un...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Episode Notes Blind LGBT Pride Int. Launched Pride Connection just a month before the plague known as COVID-19 ravaged its way into America and changed life as we all knew it. Over these 10 months we have presented many informative, introspective and forward thinking conversations and this week is no exception. Is there room at the table this year for sides of joy and gratitude? Has the fatigue of the election and the massive efforts drained us all?? There have been so many moments of sadness an...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr
Episode Notes Please join us on Pride Connection this evening. We will engage in a lively discussion surrounding the news concerning 2 COVID-19 vaccinations that apparently, if press releases can be believed, have an over 90% rate of protection against virus infection. If you had the opportunity to participate in final testing trials, would you do so? Is the risk worth it? We will open a Zoom line for audience participation in this provocative topic. We hope you will share your insights on the v...
Nov 18, 2020
Episode Notes The Election is over and the ballots have been counted (or at least most of them have) leaving us with a clear winner. Pride Connection wants to hear from all BPI members on their voting experiences and election feelings. Join Gabriel, Leah and Anthony as they share their opinions on the outcomes, what’s next and what this change in power means for our community. The lines will be open for all BPI mwmbers to join the call and share with us.
Nov 11, 2020•59 min
Episode Notes Our exceptional ally and affiliate member Cheryl Cumings interviews Brandie Sendziak, supervising attorney at the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco. As the Covid 19 pandemic continues to adversely affect all facets of our society, the discussion revolves around "standard of care" guidelines for hospitals and other medical facilities. Early on in the pandemic, much fear surrounded the possibility that those with disabilities, seniors and those with underlying healt...
Oct 28, 2020•58 min
With the participation of special co-hosts Richard Marion (British Columbia, Canada) and Tom Babcock (Orlando, Florida)! Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was taken by rescuers to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he died from severe head injuries six days later. Suspects Aaron McKinney and Russell Hende...
Oct 21, 2020•59 min
Many of you may remember a historic resolution presented by Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) this past Summer to the Resolutions Committee and to the Advocacy Team of the American Council of the Blind. Drafted in a collaboration between BPI and Kim Charlson and Paul Edwards, this resolution gained immediate action thanks to the tireless efforts of BPI LifeTime Member, Terry Gorman. BPI’s original resolution consisted on urging National Library Services (NLS) to include an LGBTQ category. We ...
Oct 07, 2020•57 min
Join Pride Connection this evening at 10 PM EST, 7 PM Pst on ACB Radio Mainstream. We continue our discussion of COVID-19 and its effect on employment in the visually impaired community. This week, we speak with 4 women who were gainfully employed as the COVID storm hit but found themselves abruptly uprooted early on in the crisis. How does one cope with such sudden life changes that were unanticipated. Kerri Regan, Hannah Mae Aldeza, Jessica Kell and Victoria Herrera share their challenging exp...
Sep 29, 2020•59 min
Episode Notes Pride Connection Presents: Working through the Pandemic Join Gabriel, Leah and Anthony as they welcome Tim Cummings, Mark Hanohano andByron Lee to discuss the changing landscape of the workplace since the beginning of this pandemic. Working from home, furloughed and subsequently laid off, work from home to returning to the office and a ACB intern are a few of the perspectives we will explore. What measures are in place to help the transition and what was not. It is challenging for ...
Sep 24, 2020•59 min
As President of Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI), I would like to invite you to be a part of our on-going conversations around Racial Justice. Pride Connection has had the honor of conducting 2 in-depth conversations with Will Burley, a Black activist and Cultural Humility leader, and Cheryl Cummings, a member of ACB’s Multicultural Affairs Committee. We’ve held conversations around the history of racial inequities injustice in our country; facts and statistics; societal responses to racial ...
Sep 12, 2020•1 hr
Pride Connection is always bringing informative, community-building conversations as well as fun experiences. During the last few weeks we have been focusing on racial justice, and decided to take a week of entertainment before we continue that series of conversations. So, we reached out to Ian who has been working the entertainment industry in various capacities for decades. You may know him from his modeling days with Ford, Elite and as Giorgio Armani’s personal fitting Model He transitioned a...
Sep 12, 2020•56 min
Blind Pride, being the diverse organization that we are, began an on-going conversation with our Past President, Will Burley, and member Cheryl Cummings last week on pride connection focusing around the ever widening national conversation regarding the state of Social Justice and where BPI fits in this important dialogue. The idea that one can be either a ALLY OR CO-CONSPIRITOR or both was raised and decided that this weeks show will address and ask this query. Blind Pride has so many intelligen...
Aug 28, 2020•59 min
This evening on Pride Connection, we emphasize that black lives matter. Will Burley, who has recently been appointed to co-facilitate the Cultural Humility workgroup at Disability Rights Texas will join in on the conversation and share history and personal stories from a Black activist perspective. We will also be joined by other black members of our community who will share their realities and stories with us in a world where racial injustice and oppression pervade society. Please join us for t...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr
Aug 14, 2020•58 min
This evening on ACB Radio Mainstream, Pride Connection goes a little bit gray. Byron Lee is no stranger to ACB. Over the years, he has helped with live streaming at national conventions. His weekly comedy music program, The Fun Zone, kept the ACB Radio audience laughing. In June, BPI benefitted from his brilliance when he produced and edited our Pride month music celebration. But who is the guy behind the comedy and the mixing board? We enter the gray zone with Byron Lee this week as he explores...
Aug 09, 2020•58 min
Please join Pride Connection tonight as we hear the voice of one of BPI’s newest members, Randy Reed. Randy invites us into his journey of self-discovery. He shares the confusion and misunderstanding he went through until he was able to find a word that described his sexual orientation- Asexual. This candid and open conversation educates us on the term “asexual.” we hear from this real-life expert; his struggles; his experiences; and most importantly, the life-transforming moment in which he fou...
Aug 01, 2020•59 min
The ACB 2020 virtual convention burned brightly along with all the 4th of July fireworks, and now it is behind us. We've had a week to recover from the magic, the momentum and lightning speed of workshops, presentations and discussions. BPI successfully hosted an array of events as part of the ACB 2020 conference. Let's discuss perceptions, observations and thoughts. What were your favorite moments, and what would you like to see for next year? Join us live at 10 PM EST, 7 PM PST on Tuesday, Jul...
Aug 01, 2020•58 min
You won’t want to miss this candid and compelling conversation with Rosemary Ketchum, the first trans woman to become an elected official. Rosemary is the Councilwoman for Ward 3 in the city of Wheeling, WV. Rosemary opened up her life to us. From growing up in Ohio; realizing she had to transition; the role of her family during her transition process; her thoughts on inclusive language and pronouns; and how she feels now that she is a successful woman. We also talk politics; her decision to run...
Jul 13, 2020•58 min
New BPI member Laurel joins us live this evening on Pride Connection to share his journey from a child growing up in Syria to his days spent working on the most recognizable hill in the world. He is a proud supporter of homeless advocacy, a champion of human rights, and an eloquent speaker. As we navigate through these turbulent times, his impactful story will intrigue us all and will motivate us to use one of the greatest privileges we have- VOTING!! So join co-hosts Gabriel, Leah, and Anthony ...
Jun 29, 2020•59 min
Dear ACB Family. Please join BPI on Pride Connection on ACB Radio Mainstream as we continue with our special programing for Pride Month. Co-hosts Anthony Corona, Leah Gardner, and Gabriel Lopez Kafati engage in a candid and open conversation around LGBT Pride. We share personal experiences; the challenges of coming out; reactions of loved ones. We compare also compare notes on the specific challenges of the intersectionality of being a blind or visually impaired member of the LGBT community. How...
Jun 16, 2020•57 min
Pride Connection Proudly Celebrates Pride Month We begin with a fascinating show recounting the early days of our beloved organization. Blind Pride started as a small meeting of like minded people just meeting, hanging out and supporting each other at conventions int the late 1990s. Fire, passion and dedication led to the eventual forming of Bflag the family who eventually became BPI!! We were honored to be joined by founding members and not one but two amazing past ACB presidents. Rob hill or f...
Jun 09, 2020•58 min
Pride Connection Proudly presents... Working Blind in a Sighted World! This week we have a dynamic panel of Blind Pride members who all work or have worked in diverse professions,. What they have in common is - working among and alongside sighted people. Hosts Anthony Corona, Leah Gardner and President Gabriel Lopez Kafati are joined by... Jessica Kell- A social worker in the addiction management field. Scott Marshal- A lawyer with a storied professional resume. John Denning- Who’s career path s...
Jun 09, 2020•58 min
Grasp a dream and run with it; see where the flight takes you. This week, Pride Connection features Sarah Chung, a Korean-American Paralympic athlete who identifies as a queer person. Sarah discusses growing up with a foot in 2 worlds, her education, her leap in to competitive judo in her early '20s and her conception of the term "queer". When dreams are not deferred, even the most impossible ones can be realized. Also, join us for a few surprises in the latter part of the show. Pride Connection...
Jun 09, 2020•59 min
On this week's episode of Pride Connection, join us as we gain insight in to the makings of a riveting documentary about sight loss that mixes the personal and the educational. Joseph Lovett of Lovett Productions, an acclaimed medical journalist and documentary film director, released Going Blind in 2010. The movie was based on his exploration of vision loss as glaucoma encroached on his limited sight. He spoke to doctors, low vision specialists and intertwined his story with candid discussions ...
May 14, 2020•56 min
Please join Pride Connection for the melody and cadence of Dwayne Estes this Tuesday, May 5, at 10 PM EST on ACB Radio Mainstream. Dwayne has been a lifelong professional musician and he was a founding member of BPI in 1999. Dwayne discusses how he sustained his career based on grit and determination. He also reflects on the changes in his life as his visual acuity began to shift from legal blindness in 1996 to light perception in 2011. Dwayne conveys light and hope through his words. His CD, Bl...
May 14, 2020•59 min
Pride Connection is proud to present a two-night event with BPI-member Leon Acord… Starting Tuesday night at 10 PM or the replay Wednesday morning at 10 AM We chat with Leon about his book, life and so many other interesting topics! The conversation turned to politics and the need for us to all respect each other and one Republican that he holes in high… Very high regard! It’s a fun conversation… And we celebrate the publication of his new book and resurgence in popularity of his web series, old...
May 14, 2020•59 min
BPI’s Pride connection Presents A Conversation with the star and creators of AFTER FOREVER THE SERIES. Do you believe in love after life? How does one move on after losing the love of ones life? What happens to all of that love? All these themes and so much more are explored in the critically acclaimed and multiple award winning digital series. Besides a tremendous showing at last years EMMYs and receiving multiple LGBT awards and notices the series returns for its second season and it is POWERH...
May 14, 2020•58 min
Blind Pride Internationals weekly ACB radio show is diving into the conversation on gender identity with this fascinating and informative conversation with BPI member, Chris, and his gender fluid child. We explore the definitions, feelings and associations that come with accepting and living this truth. From parenting to sibling and family acceptance to navigating in society this is a show that will open and broaden many horizons. Listen in Tuesday night at 10pm or the replays on Wednesday or Su...
May 14, 2020•58 min
Dating can be a tricky thing for all of us and we wanted to discuss the fun and frustrating sides. From both a LGBT and STRAIGHT perspective we dive into dating as blind and visually impaired people. Having the multiple perspective panel conversation approach made for a fun, lively and even informative conversation. Learn more about Blind LGBT Pride International by visiting https://www.blindlgbtpride.org/
May 14, 2020•56 min
This week we present a very special show dedicated to our ALLIES and friends of BPI with a very special interview with one of our most valued Allies. We honor Al Ellis, who was the honorary father figure of BPI and we speak with his amazing wife Donna who in her own right is an amazing BPI family member. we celebrate the life of Al and the many years of their many years of love and commitment. So join us tonight and come back next week for a very informative conversation about gender fluidity. P...
May 14, 2020•55 min
