Speaking Of Happy

This past March we sat down with Eris Koleszar after meeting her at numerous events over the past year and little did we know she was going to become an outspoken advocate so quickly in Omaha! She started a selfie campaign to support trans inclusion after numerous states have started to pass laws that threaten the safety of transgender people and using public facilities. When we first met Eris we knew she was something special! We hope you enjoy our interview and getting to know her a little better.

Transgender Day of Visibility Omaha is in it's second year and today we chat with Miles Christiano Jordan who is one of the organizers of the event. Miles shares with us how it started and what to expect if you choose to come to the event.

SNAP! Productions brings us COCK by Mike Bartlett a play that challenges ones idea of relationships, love, sex, gender, and cheating. Is anything worth having worth fighting for?

I first saw Jocelyn when a friend posted a video shot on her iPhone of Jocelyn singing at an open mic. I was blown away at her talent in a less than perfect cell phone video! She jumped off the screen and I knew I had to meet her. Well as fate would have it I messaged her a few times and asked if she would be willing to play at a fundraiser I was hosting and she AGREED! She blew the small crowd away and we all left that night feeling as though we witnessed something very special. So, it was a given I asked Jocelyn to come on the show and share her talent with Speaking Of Happy fans! So this is our wonderful conversation and also included as a bonus is her most recent single she released back in January and an acoustic version of another song she wrote! We hope you enjoy the show!

Marilynn is a talented playwrite who had a world premiere production of her play "Mama's Girls" at SNAP! Productions in Omaha, NE. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Marilynn about her play and how her career as a playwrite started. Her story is inspiring and the play was so brilliantly done.

Andrew Joseph Kimberley O'Donnell is an amazing human! An author, an activist, a democrat, an all around great young person who is determined to succeed. Andrew shares about the struggles they have had growing up with adversity and does so with great eloquence and clarity. ENJOY!

On the podcast today I sat down with local photographer Joshua Foo to chat with him about his project "As you were" and how it came about along with some fun stories he shares about the people he has met along the way. This interview took place on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams in Omaha.

Musician Brody Ray chats with us about his music, trying out for American Idol and The Voice, as well as what life has been like for him growing up Trans.

Founded in 1986, River City Gender Alliance (RCGA) is an Omaha based support organization that provides peer support, friendship and understanding for crossdressers, transgenderists and transsexuals. RCGA also seeks to further transgender acceptance through outreach and being socially active in the greater community.

Today we talk with Jordan Delmundo, Executive Director of the Nebraska AIDS Project! Jordan shares with us some history of NAP as well as all the great things they do to educate our community on HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Randall is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Grace Abbott School of Social Work at UNO and a therapist who works predominently with the LGBTQ Community. She shares how her career started along with some interesting insights from a practitioners perspective about what it means to be Transgender.

Kate Parrish, President of RCGA, River City Gender Alliance, shares with us about TDOR, Transgender Day of Rememberance, which is being held at First Unitarian Church this Friday November 20th. Along with some news about RCGA and local events.

Moved by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Ferial Pearson wondered if a simple act of kindness could change a life. She thought of the school where she taught and the students she guided every day and wondered, what would happen if we started secretly carrying out small acts of kindness in school? Could a modest act of compassion really change the course of a life? She posed the question to her students. They didn’t have the answers but they were willing to find out. And so they became the Secret Kindness Agents. On todays podcast Ferial shares how a simple conversation with her son started a movement! The podcast will make you laugh and may also make you cry but if it accomplishes anything it will definitely make you feel more kind!

Todays show we are chatting with Jordan Brown, President of the Queer Nebraska Youth Network, QNYN, in Omaha. The Queer Nebraska Youth Network is a grassroots organization that aims to create a healthy, empowered, and visible community of LGBTQ+ youth in Nebraska. composed of 3 subgroups: the Queer Women’s Subgroup, the Queer Men’s Subgroup, and the Trans*/Genderqueer Subgroup. Peer leaders known as “admins” lead each of these groups, which are made up of youth, age 15-24, across the state of Nebraska and parts of western Iowa. The QNYN’s current membership exceeds 700 LGBTQ+ youth. Members’ hometowns stretch from Council Bluffs, IA to Alliance, NE. Our growing community represents a diversity of experiences in terms of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, ability, and sexual/gender identities. We learn from the experiences of one another every day and work to make the QNYNs as radically welcoming as we can!

SNAP! Productions has been presenting Omaha with high quality, ground breaking theatre promoting AIDS awareness and diversity tolerance since 1993. Originally SNAP was an acronym for Supporting Nebraska Aids Project because they formed to help raise money and awareness for the cause. As time went on they have expanded their focus on diversity and with 22 years of experience under their belt they continue to produce award winning unique productions! This interview is with Michal Simpson the Artistic Director who has been with the SNAP! from the beginning.

On todays podcast we talk to JohnCarl Denkovich of GLSEN Omaha and he shares with us some of the wonderful things GLSEN does to support LGBTQIA Youth in our Omaha area schools.

Interview with Ellen James, board member. Founded in February of 1987 PFLAG Omaha is a 501 (c) (3) non profit who meets people where they are and in collaborating with others they realize their vision through: -Support for families, allies, and people who are LGBTQ -Education for ourselves and others about the unique issues and challenges facing people who are LGBTQ -Advocacy in our communities to change the attitudes and create policies and laws that achieve full equality for people who are LGBTQ. for confidential support or information contact the helpline 402.291.6781 or email them at info@pflag-omaha. org

Eli Rigatuso of Speaking Of Happy Interviews, Jay Irwin and Jessi Hitchins of UNO's Gender and Sexuality Resource Center.

A long time friend and myself sat down to do an interview for StoryCorps. This is the entire interview, unedited and in all of it's glory. The interview was conducted shortly after the Caitlyn Jenner 20/20 interview aired and I do refer to her as Bruce and he/him but only because she had yet to introduce the world to Caitlyn. After watching the 20/20 interview I realized I too am Transgender. Since the interview I have come out to my family and friends and have begun my transition. This interview was conducted literally one week after I came to this realization myself.