Rainbow District

Beth Cogen

Welcome to Rainbow District, the queer oral history podcast based in Washington, DC. In each episode, Beth shares an interview with a queer activist about their experiences with queer identity, finding community, and activism. Learn more at rainbowdistrictpodcast.com.

Episodes

  1. 09/10/2024

    Season 1 | Episode 4: Dr. Rob and Big Gay Smiles

    Episode transcript available here. In Episode 4 of Rainbow District, Beth talks to queer activist Dr. Robert Mckernan. Dr. Rob is a dentist at ⁠Whitman Walker Health⁠, a public health clinic offering high-quality healthcare to the queer community and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. He is the founder of and lead dentist at Big Gay Smiles, an LGBTQ2IA+ owned practice in Washington, DC that provides queer- (and ally-) focused dental care. 10% of Big Gay Smiles' yearly revenue is donated to HIV/AIDS nonprofits that provide services to some of the most vulnerable members of the queer community. Dr. Rob was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or Mormon Church. In the LDS Church, "acting on same-sex attraction" is ⁠considered a sin⁠. The Church's official stance is that it opposes conversion therapy, the pseudoscientific and dangerous practices intended to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity; still, LDS organizations such as North Star provide "faith-affirming" resources for managing queerness, as if it were a mental illness. Dr. Rob escaped this toxic culture when he moved to New York for medical school, and began embracing his queer identity. Now he passionately serves his community along with his husband, helping the world Smile with Pride™! Queer liberation and Palestinian liberation are inextricably linked. Human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies have concluded that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023 ⁠⁠⁠violate the Genocide Convention of 1948⁠⁠⁠, yet the US continues to ⁠⁠⁠send billions of dollars of aid⁠⁠⁠ to Israel. Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ to provide urgent humanitarian aid to people in Gaza by donating to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Palestine Children's Relief Fund⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ for queer Palestine solidarity resources. If you want to share your oral history for the podcast, schedule an interview with Beth. Learn more about Rainbow District, queer history, and community resources at ⁠⁠rainbowdistrictpodcast.com⁠⁠.

    42 min
  2. 09/03/2024

    Season 1 | Episode 3: Laya

    Episode transcript available ⁠here. In Episode 3 of Rainbow District, Beth talks to queer activist Laya Monarez. Laya is a transgender latinx artist based out of Washington DC.  She studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design where she received her BFA in 2005, and has several murals in the DC area. Laya's work has been shown at the Greater Reston Art Center, Mclean Project for the Arts, Cheshire, and the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. For over a decade, Laya has been an advocate for queer rights and sex worker rights. In support of a bill introduced by Councilman David Grosso to decriminalize sex work, Laya testified at a DC Council hearing, did an interview on Good Morning Washington, and spoke at a rally with the Sex Worker Advocates Coalition. Laya was also featured in the Newsy special on sex work in the US, Sold In America: The Workers. Now she works at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center, a nonprofit that educates, empowers, and uplifts the queer community in DC. Learn more at layamonarez.com. Follow Laya on Instragram: @layamonarez and TikTok: @nina_ninja_skater. Further information on topics discussed in this episode: Decriminalizing sex work: Brooks-Gordon, Morris, & Sanders (2021); Rottier (2019); TED Talk by Juno Mac (2016). Sex work and disability: ⁠⁠Geymonat (2019); Jones (2022); Wotton & Ann (2016). "Spiritual genocide" and the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act: Talbot (2006). Israeli "cemeteries of numbers" keep hundreds of bodies of Palestinians: Al Tahhan (2017). Queer liberation and Palestinian liberation are inextricably linked. Human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies have concluded that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023 ⁠violate the Genocide Convention of 1948⁠, yet the US continues to ⁠send billions of dollars of aid⁠ to Israel. Click ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to provide urgent humanitarian aid to people in Gaza by donating to the ⁠⁠Palestine Children's Relief Fund⁠⁠, and ⁠here⁠ for queer Palestine solidarity resources. If you're a queer activist and want to share your oral history for the podcast, ⁠schedule an interview⁠ with Beth. Learn more about Rainbow District, queer history, and community resources at ⁠rainbowdistrictpodcast.com⁠.

    48 min
  3. Season 1 | Episode 1: Robert

    01/09/2024

    Season 1 | Episode 1: Robert

    Episode transcript available ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. In Episode 1 of Rainbow District, Beth talks to queer activist Robert Rigby Jr. Robert created and is the president of FCPS Pride, and founded what is now the Northern Virginia chapter of a national queer advocacy organization, GLSEN. Robert grew up in Northwest Florida during the rise of Anita Bryant, a notorious anti-gay activist from the 1970’s who led the first organized opposition to the gay rights movement, the "Save Our Children" campaign. Robert fled to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth College, where Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham hired a reporter to secretly record and publish tapes of him and other gay students discussing their sexual identities and experiences. For about twenty years, Robert tried to become straight, which included talk therapy, groups, and electroconvulsive (shock) therapy. Now, he has embraced his queer identity and become a fierce advocate for the queer community.  This episode contains brief mentions of a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support. More mental health resources: ⁠My Safety Plan⁠⁠: create a safety plan to use when you're in crisis. Trevor Project: A suicide intervention and crisis prevention for LGBTQIA+ young people. Call ⁠1-866-488-7386⁠, text ‘START’ to 678-678, or click here for immediate support. Open Counseling⁠: Find free and affordable therapy. MoodTools: Free app that provides six evidence-based tools to aid against clinical depression and negative moods. Calm Harm: Free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm. If you want to be notified when new episodes of Rainbow District are released, click ⁠here⁠ to join the mailing list. Learn more about Rainbow District, queer history, and community resources at ⁠⁠⁠rainbowdistrictpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠.

    48 min

Ratings & Reviews

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About

Welcome to Rainbow District, the queer oral history podcast based in Washington, DC. In each episode, Beth shares an interview with a queer activist about their experiences with queer identity, finding community, and activism. Learn more at rainbowdistrictpodcast.com.