Radio Gag - The Gays Against Guns Show

Parkland Remembrance at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In this episode Sarah talks to Florida GAG member Dana Cotton about her commitment to remembering Parkland and supporting the community. Dana takes us to Project: Grow Love, a memorial garden started on the High School campus where 17 students and teachers were killed in 2018. Dana gave Sarah a sweet little painted stone from @RockinBrowardwithaPurpose at Gays Against Guns Pulse Memorial 2024, and Suzanne chimed in to tell us she made it!!!!! "Beth", Elizabeth Weigard, joins us with heartfelt and thoughtful commentary on addressing the tragedy of gun deaths in America. Robert DeDominic shares the unthinking and unfeeling action of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who has declared a tax holiday on the sale of guns and ammunition in Florida. We remember the seventeen who died in this tragedy, and continue to work to reduce gun deaths and injuries. Guests & Socials: Dana Cotton , Elizabeth Weigard @RockinBrowardWithaPurpose Contributors: Robert DeDo

Episode #:1 Title/Topic: Artivism 2025 Hosting: Ti Cersley Join host Ti Cersley for Episode 1 of 2025…How do we arm ourselves to fight white nationalism? Fascism? The return of McCarthyism? On this podcast the answer is Artivism! All art must be made! Our guest is Stonewall Inn resident DJ Chauncey Dandridge, we discuss artivism in NYC and his calling to support queer artists. From The People’s March on Jan 18th, some inspiring words from Gays Against Guns President, Jay W. Walker. GVP Editorial by Robert DeDominc on how the Arizona House plans to reduce school gun violence by allowing more guns on campus. Our in Memoriam: Starmichael Tucker, 30 years old, 1/2/25, Pensacola, Florida. Guests & Socials: @djchaunceyd, @jaywwalker Contributors: @robb_dedo

Costs of Gun Violence pt 3 : Safer Shopping to All! In this podcast, we dig into some OG GAG history with Kenn Kidd, who organized direct actions against Wells Fargo and Fedex around their support for the NRA and gun makers. Our GVP news this week is about the costs of gun violence to taxpayers in Columbus Ohio, estimated at half a Billion per year, thank you to Sean Stefanic. We speak to Morgan Avirgean, the Campaign Manager of Business Must Act for Guns Down America about the ways the stores we shop in and the corporations that control them prop up the gun industry or actually make us safer against gun violence. Then dig into GAG’s corporate action wins with GAG activists and founding members Cathy Marino Thomas and Ken Kidd. And as always we start with our In Memoriam, young single mother Jessinya Mina… Thank you to Libby Edwards for this contribution and our production team,.Sarah Germain Lilly, Ti Cersley, Sean Stefanic, Libby Edwards, Cathay Marino Thomas and guest Ken Kidd.

Join Radio GAG as we approach Transgender Day of Remembrance, this Wednesday, November 20th, holding Trans victims of gun violence in our hearts with a new podcast that pushes back against Christian Nationalist hate. Hosts Sarah Germain Lilly and Ti Cersley bring you Part 2 of Churches Against Gun Violence. We speak to two faith leaders who see ending gun violence as part of their Christian call…Bryan Miller, of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence and Shane Claiborne, author and founder of Red Letter Christians. Both men speak to a broad bi-partisan community in churches in and around Pennsylvania and in the national conversation on gun violence.

RED-FLAG LAWS – Extreme-Risk Protection October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, host Libby Edwards explores how red-flag laws can help protect individuals who are under immediate threat of gun violence. Our guest, Tom Verni, a retired NYPD detective with over 27 years in law enforcement and former city-wide LGBTQ+ liaison in NYC, will discuss the red-flag law and how extreme-risk protection orders can be used to stop firearms deaths in cases of domestic violence. We will also review Manuel Oliver’s one-man show, "GUAC", now playing at the Public Theater, and "Trickled Down Decadence: Screams for Hope,” an exhibition where the artists address gun violence at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. In Remembrance of Ellie Claire Young, 22 years old, 10/19/24, Memphis, Tennessee. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The N

Join us on Radio GAG for There's Nothing to it…VOTE!. Well there's a lot to it this year. Host Ti Cersley dives into few facts and final dates for registering and voting in NY. Sarah Germain Lilly held a roundtable with gun violence prevention activists who have been canvassing in the final days to this historic election. Guests: Ashbey Beasley, Sonni Mun, Josh Tjaden discuss their experiences going door to door in swing states to get out the vote!. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is a time to recognize victims, raise awareness, and support survivors of domestic violence. In Remembrance of Arlene Connolly O’Neill, 47 years old, 10/16/24, Yonkers, NY. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. Other resources: --New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Hotline NYS: 1 (800) 942-6906 Hotline NYC: 1 (800) 621-4673 --The National Domestic Viol

Join us on Radio GAG for Suicide Prevention Month and how to be aware if someone is contemplating suicide. Libby Edwards and Cathy Marino-Thomas host with guest Hudson Munoz, executive director of Guns Down America. We discuss how they ended the NRA’s lucrative insurance program, pushed major American banks to end their business relationships with irresponsible gun manufacturers, and forced large retailers like Walmart to dramatically shrink gun sales. In Memoriam is Vanity Williams. Contributors: Donna Aceto, Frank Gargiulo, Sarah Germain Lily, Ti Cersley @gunsdownmovement Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ young people four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. We will talk about suicide prevention--how to tell if someone you know is thinking of harming themselves and how to get help, in a crisis and beyond. Below are organizations that provide crisis support:   National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: CALL or TEXT 988

SAMSA (https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicide/warning-signs). The Substance Abu

Join us on Radio GAG for The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. A bus load of gun violence prevention activists were in NYC for Guacathon 2024. On the bus, we met up with Scout Cardillo from March for Our Lives and Bulletproof Pride. We discuss how this national GVP, youth lead organization is working to address the intersectional issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community at an upcoming advocacy day in DC. Beep! Beep! Out on the street… New York City Council Member and one of GAG’s “Fierce Queenz”, Eric Bottcher introduced legislation requiring gun stores to display graphic imagery, in addition to warning signage, that conveys the health dangers of firearm ownership. GAG President, Jay W. Walker delivers inspiring words at the event. For show and tell, Change the Ref and March for Our Lives have collaborated on theshotline.org…a new way to contact your representative about gun violence. AI technology has re-created the voices of those shot and killed by guns so they can call our representatives in hopes of c

Join us on Radio GAG for Churches Against Gun Violence! Christian Nationalists are grabbing headlines with slogans like “God, Guns and Country”, the more crude and sensational the better. With all the press on far right evangelical churches (was Jesus a Republican or a Democrat?), we have forgotten that churches have been a powerful force in Social Justice movements in the past and can still be today. With 40-50% of adults over fifty attending church in America, churches still have considerable political and economic clout. On our podcast today we talk with members of a grass roots, national group of gun violence prevention activists from the Methodist Church, the largest Protestant Denomination in the US. From the push for safe storage to common sense gun laws , Methodists are taking action with powerful , specific resolutions at their conference and national level, and actions and networking with gun safety groups. Views on gun regulation vary from state to state, and can make the work of gun violence pre

Join Radio GAG for our 50 States of Gun Violence podcast! Ti Cersley and Sarah Germain Lilly catch up with friend and Queer ally, Jeremy Stein, now serving as the Executive Director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence. We discuss his vital role in supporting state-led activists. Sarah reports back from the Stop Project 2025 Rally in time Square NY and from Illinois we honor the life of Sonya Massey. https://supgv.org/

Join Radio GAG for our 2024 Youth Power 2 podcast and tap into the power of change! Radio GAG catches up with Enough Plays to End Gun Violence’s young playwright Niarra C. Bell and actors Eddie Moore and Sky Carrington about their art and views on Gun Violence in America. Then survivor activist Sam Schwartz of the 2024 Tour to Save Democracy gets on board to tell us about his work. We share the beauty of the Gays Against Guns 2024 Pulse Memorial June 19 in NYC as reported by Pix 11 News and we honor the life of Jasai Guy, 15 who was killed by another young teen in June. And join us at a special Gays Against Guns summer action to flip “New York 4” blue with Sam Schwartz in August. Thanks to the Radio GAG team, Sarah Germain Lilly, Sean Stefanic, Ti Cersley, Libby Edwards, and producers Paul Rowley and Gene Graham for their work on this podcast, and to Frank Gargiulo for our graphics.

Radio GAG introduced Project 2025 (officially the Presidential Transition Project) in our April 7th podcast, which gave a broad overview of this right-wing Republican plan to dismantle American democracy. In the coming months, we will focus on specific aspects of Project 2025 and how this authoritarian, white-supremicist effort to restructure our government will affect us. We welcome back Anna-christine d’Adesky of “Stop the Coup 2025,” who explains how their policies will impact the LGBTQAI+ and immigrant communities, and strip away women's fundamental human rights. Please take time to investigate the links below and tune in to gain a deeper understanding of this plot and what is at stake with the coming election. https://www.stopthecoup2025.org https://rebrand.ly/NotOnOurWatch

Project 2025 (officially the Presidential Transition Project) is the right-wing Republican plan to dismantle American democracy--a harrowing plot that reads like dystopian fiction but is all too real. These policies will turn America to an authoritarian, white-supremacist, autocratic state, much like Hungry. Anne-christine d’Adesky of “Stop the Coup 2025,” along with GAG’s Jay W. Walker, will discuss the ways in which Project 2025 will limit our freedoms—especially for members of the LGBTQIA+, immigrant and other minorities--and change the structure of our country. This may be THE most important issue we will confront in the coming months. Please take time to investigate the links below and tune in to gain a deeper understanding this plot and what is at stake with this election. https://www.stopthecoup2025.org https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/project-2025-promises-revenge-oppression https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025 https://ww

Radio GAG Speaks with Ashbey Beasley, Highland Park survivor and lobbyist extraordinaire, about the dollar cost for families and communities when a mass shooting occurs. Ashbey breaks it down and explains how laws shield gunmakers from liability. Our GVP news focuses on New York City, and we treat you to We Wanna Take Your Gun sung by our fab queertet Sing Out Louise.

Remember Valentine’s Day before the Parkland Florida shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School? How many memories survive for the parents who lost children at that horrific event? One father, Manuel Oliver, has made a mission of continuing his son Joaquin’s activism against gun violence and has filed an international lawsuit condemning the American laws and corrupt culture that allow gun violence like the Parkland Massacre to flourish. The suit is Joaquin Oliver vs. the USA for the right to live free from gun violence, brought by Global Action Against Gun Violence. In this episode, Manny talks to Radio GAG about the suit. Our In Memoriam is for Richard Henderson, who died not far from his home in Brooklyn, NY, standing up to bullies on the subway train. Check out the Gun Violence Prevention news and a feature on Enough Plays to End Gun Violence with Sean Stefanic and Sarah Germain Lilly. Josh Tjaden and Ti Cersley host.

“I need it for protection..” Most Americans give protection as the reason they obtained a gun. But are you safer with a gun? What is the difference between feeling safe and actually being safer? Olivia Brown, from Project Unloaded and Katherine Schweit, author and former FBI Agent and expert on school mass shootings, share their differing perspectives and strategies on these critical questions about owning and using guns with Radio GAG. The GVP News focuses on recent legislative wins including with White House Executive orders and progress on holding the gun industry accountable for weapons trafficking. Enough Plays to End Gun Violence is back. Sarah Germain Lilly and Sean Stefanic tell us about this new production of six plays that amplify the voices of American youth on gun violence

Libby Edwards takes a look at the state of gun laws in Iowa.

This week, Radio GAG marks the sixth annual National Gun-Violence Survivors Week (January 22 – 26) and begins its examination of the costs of gun violence. Our special guest will be Patricia Oliver, a co-founder of “Change the Ref,” and mother of Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, who was killed on Valentine’s Day in Parkland. In Memoriam: Ahmir Jolliff and Dan Marburger of Perry, Iowa. The GVP News will feature very powerful and damning comments concerning the findings of the DOJ’S newly released “Critical Incident Report” on the shooting in Uvalde, TX .

How Safe Storage Laws can change the landscape of gun violence in America. Gun Violence prevention news: The 11th Annual Vigil for All Survivors of gun violence brought historic gains for the gun violence prevention movement including Senate votes and sponsorship by Senator Charles Schumer. Our In Memoriam: Francesco Cochran, age 17, who took his life with an unsecured weapon. In Conversation: Radio GAG interviews Diana Cochran, mother of Francesco. Diana shares some experiences lobbying for Ethan’s Law, a federal law for Safe Storage concurrent with the 11th Annual National Vigil for All Survivors in DC and Francesco’s law, a NY State bill that will extend the protections of Safe Storage to all children up to age 18.

Trans Day of Remembrance 2023 Our actions: On November 20th, Gays Against Guns teamed up with NYCyouth4transrights and The Clinton School GSA at their event in Washington Square Park. GAG’s Human Beings represented transgender, gender non-conforming/non-binary and TwoSpirit Americans who have been killed by gun violence in the last year - Ti Cersley has a report back. Our In Memoriam is for Koko Da Doll, who was a transgender star in the Sundance Film Festival documentary Kokomo City. In Conversation: Radio GAG interviews Kiara St. James of NYTAG, the New York Transgender Advocacy Group, on their mission to advocate for more inclusive gender-based policies that benefit Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming/Non-Binary (TGNCNB) individuals through building community leaders, educating practitioners, and influencing policy makers. We close our show with an interview with Erene Mastrangelli, a new Gays Against Guns member who shares her activism and her beautiful song "Love Shine".