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LGBTQ+ youth continue to face a myriad of challenges in living their authentic lives. What are some of the latest challenges being covered out there? Representation of LGBTQ+ characters in film and TV is under fire yet again; what is the FCC trying to do now? Plus: corporate support at Pride. How do Americans really feel about brands getting in on the Pride action? This week’s roundtable: Investigative journalist and lead designer at Uncloseted Media, Sam Donndelinger Senior Director of local news for the U.S. South for GLAAD, Darian Aaron It is the Buckeye Flame’s 6th birthday and we are celebrating all month. We need your support to keep the Buckeye Flame burning bright, so become a recurring donor to our scrappy queer nonprofit newsroom and it will support our journalism, which includes This News is So Gay. To donate, go to thebuckeyeflame.com Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re covering highlights from a recent report on 2025 weekday evening news coverage of LGBTQ issues; including how trans and gender-nonconforming people were rarely featured in the coverage. While Pride Month has us celebrating in the present, it’s important to take a look back to history. This week’s roundtable: Deputy Research Director for Special Projects and former LGBTQ program director at Media Matters, Brennan Suen Writer, editor, fact checker, and former senior politics editor at The Advocate, Trudy Ring Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Pride Month with events aplenty! How does that affect the life of queer journalists? GLAAD released their Social Media Safety Index & Platform Scorecard – is there good news to be found there? And it’s not just Pride Month – it’s also summer! What queer culture content should you be watching and reading this summer? This week’s roundtable: Managing director and editor of News is Out, Dana Piccoli Host of The Gaily Show, John Parker Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was some very helpful LGBTQ+ public health information online provided by the CDC – and now it’s gone. Why has it disappeared? Plus, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continues to be introduced with mixed results all over the country – what’s the latest you need to know? And of course, where are we finding queer joy in the news right now? This week’s guest is Christopher Wiggins, politics and news editor at The Advocate, leading national coverage at the intersection of public policy, politics, and LGBTQ+ lives. Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Extra Extra is an opportunity to hear more from the individuals who have helped define our field and continue to shape possibilities for the LGBTQ+ media landscape. V is the creator and host of Under the Desk News, with recognitions that include everything from the Time 100 list to the Outstanding Independent Journalism Award from GLAAD. V shares their journey from culinary arts to becoming a prominent LGBTQ+ journalist and content creator. They discuss how their authentic storytelling approach came to be, along with the importance of community and collaboration in journalism. Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are gayborhoods faring across the United States? Ken speaks with Jake Wittich and Jason Villemez to discuss the current drama in Philadelphia’s Washington Square West regarding its historical designation, as well as Chicago’s Boystown rebranding to North Halsted and their efforts to increase inclusivity. The panel also explores the different ways that journalists are combating misinformation, including the “Transquake” movement in Chicago. This week’s roundtable: Managing editor for The Windy City Times, Jake Wittich Former editor of and current frequent contributor to Philadelphia Gay News, Jason Villemez Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rainbow flags – they can fly proudly, but they apparently can get banned from coffee shops or burned to the ground. We’re covering the latest drama around rainbow flag displays this week. Also, Mpox is on the rise once again – what do you need to know on that public health issue? This week’s roundtable: Senior staff writer for The Buckeye Flame, H.L. Comeriato California Politics Editor for The Sacramento Bee, Lauren Chapman Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A tale of two legislatures – how are Ohio and Kentucky’s legislative bodies, which are only a few miles from each other, having such vastly different outcomes in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation? There are also countless LGBTQ+ education stories to cover between the states; including a failed bill that attempted to prevent trans Kentuckians from being teachers, and how an Ohio teacher was forced to remove a “Hate Has No Home Here” sign from his classroom because there were LGBTQ+ flags on it. This week’s roundtable: Rural LGBTQ+ beat reporter for The Buckeye Flame and a corps member for Report for America, Ben Jodway Editorial manager for Queer Kentucky, Divya Karthikeyan Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As political attacks continue to escalate, LGBTQ+ people are always looking for places they know can provide refuge. However, drama is still cropping up in safe spaces like coffee shops, libraries, and bars – what are some of those stories? In the realm of health news – there is a new proposed law to mandate a 24-hour waiting period before abortion care. Why is this an LGBTQ+ issue? This week’s roundtable: Reporter for The Ohio Capital Journal, Susan Tebben Training Director at Investigative Reporters and Editors, Adam Rhodes Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State legislatures continue to prioritize anti-LGBTQ+ legislation over bills that would help us buy groceries and gas – what are folks in other states seeing? As threats to HIV funding continue across the country, where are some regional HIV care providers seeing the effects? And how did the Real Housewives find their way onto This News is So Gay this week? This week’s roundtable: LGBTQ+ Reporter for The 19th, Orion Rummler White House Correspondent for The Washington Blade, Joe Reberkenny Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online: Website: https://thebuckeyeflame.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckeyeflame/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices