Anaïs Nin Writes of the New Woman

“It is the woman who has to speak, and it’s not only the woman Anaïs who has to speak, but I who have to speak for many women.” So says the Cuban-French essayist and novelist in this 1966 reading from the first volume of “The Diary of Anais Nin,” presented in commemoration of Women’s History Month by poet Steven Reigns, Chair of the Anaïs Nin Foundation (produced by Brian DeShazor). Warm remembrances for the March birthdays of Alexandra Billings, the first female transgender actor to portray “Mama Rose” in “Gypsy,” and gay playwright Tennessee Williams, recalling his first meeting with Marlon Brando (courtesy of the Pacifica Radio Archives). More queer milestones include the birthday of ACT-UP, its Bisexual Health Awareness Month, and International Transgender Day of Visibility is March 31st (a Rainbow Rewind written by Sheri Lunn and produced by co-host Brian DeShazor). And in NewsWrap: India’s anti-trans proposal sparks protests, New South Wales acts to stop dating app ambushes, Olympics “sex testing” plan outrages human rights advocates, Trump’s new visa rules call neutral “X” passports “gender fraud,” California and New York lead U.S. states fighting Health and Human Services for trans kids’ care, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Melanie Keller and John Dyer V (News Editor Ebony Joseph, News Producer Brian DeShazor). All this on the March 23, 2026 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at thiswayout.org/donate/.