“Sin, Glitter, and Lattes.”

That’s what Ghiovanna, owner of Coterie Lounge & Cafe, recently started printing on t-shirts. Her friends and customers love it — not just because it’s a catchy phrase, but because it’s a reminder that community love can defeat extremist hate.

Ghiovanna and her friend Roxie D. Mocracy had already worked together to put on drag shows at her cafe. The community loved the shows, despite being a fairly conservative suburban area, so Roxie and Ghiovanna thought a Drag Story Hour could be a fun new addition. Unfortunately, a right-wing extremist saw a post advertising the event and began coordinating an attack against Ghiovanna and her business.

But Ghiovanna’s community rallied around her. They defended her and Coterie on social media, sold out the Drag Story Hour event (along with the t-shirts), and business has been better than ever. More tourists have started stopping by to buy coffee from her as they drive through the area, and she’s even received messages of support from as far as Denmark and Australia.

Most importantly, she’s heard from parents in her own community that they appreciate having a safe space for their kids.

The Drag Story Hour was such a success, Ghiovanna and Roxie have already planned more drag and other LGBTQ-friendly events throughout June — and all year long! Because supporting the queer community isn’t just for Pride Month. It’s for every month.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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We were so lucky this week to talk to Judy Richardson, who fought for civil rights alongside John Lewis during the original 1964 Freedom Summer.

She hasn't stopped fighting in the years since and we were honored to hear her inspiring (and, at times, harrowing) stories of being shot at by white supremacists, years of on-the-ground organizing, and hunger strikes in jail. It was all worth it, Judy says, to pursue voting rights for Black people in the South.

When we asked her what kept her going through the hard times (and what keeps her going today), she had a few answers that we could really relate to. First, she said it's her anger at the injustice. Second, it's music -- protest music, gospel music, and even salsa. Third, and most importantly, it's the people. Once she saw the courage and dedication of her fellow workers at the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, she felt she didn't have a choice but to continue the work.

What we're seeing with voting rights this year is unfortunately way too similar to what Judy was fighting back in the 1960s. But far from giving up, Judy energized us to carry on the work for the next generation.

Don't miss this episode! Judy is a national treasure.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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Memorial Day is almost here, so we thought it was a perfect moment to check in with a veteran.

Katie Chorbak isn't just any veteran -- she's passionate about helping other vets in her community adjust to civilian life and heal their mental health. She started a movement called Our Sister's Keeper, which advocates for veterans who survived sexual assault just like Katie herself did. She was also arrested last month at the Capitol for protesting the war in Iran alongside other vets.

Basically, Katie is a badass.

We were also lucky enough to be joined by Red Wine & Blue organizer Torrie, who grew up in a military family and is now a military spouse. She shared her own perspective on military service, community support, and how being honest about your mental health is the first step to feeling better.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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Attacks on voting rights got you down? Tired of feeling like you can’t make a difference on a federal level? Have you considered focusing on… sex ed???

Wait, hear us out! We talked to Jaclyn Friedman and Jenny Steadman from EducateUS this week and it turns out that comprehensive sex education has the power to change everything about our culture and our politics. There’s a reason that authoritarian governments crack down on sex ed.

It’s not just about sex — in fact, in the younger grades, it’s not about sex at all. Jaclyn encouraged us to imagine what our government would look like if every man in power was taught about consent and how to handle rejection from a young age. That’s just one sex ed lesson that could change our country.

It’s also wildly popular, across all demographics and political parties. Not only do 75% of all Americans want sex ed in schools, that number remains at 72% even when they’re specifically told that would include education and inclusion for transgender students.

Extremist politicians and pundits want us to believe this is a divisive issue, but it’s simply not.

If you’re not already a believer based on all of that, sex education is also an issue where you can make a serious difference in your community! A simple conversation with one of your school board members can have a huge impact. And EducateUS is making it even simpler by offering to reach out to your school board members for you! All you have to do is fill out this form.

If you need more resources to help you talk about sex ed with the people in your life, the EducateUS website has tons of free resources.

Happy Sex Ed For All Month!

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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This week, we were joined by Tory Gavito, the president and co-founder of Way To Win — they’re an organization that focuses on multi-racial collaboration to win elections. In fact, this episode itself was a microcosm of how we can win: a Black woman, a Latina woman, and a white woman all chatting together about how we save democracy.

Tory talked to us about how we can turn this country around, even in places like Texas where it seems impossible. She also shared how community and creativity are the secret sauce and, of course, what keeps her from losing her shit.

Speaking of losing our shit, did you catch the news that the Supreme Court just overturned a key part of the Voting Rights Act? We were joined last week by Janai Nelson, the President of the Legal Defense Fund, who argued this case before the Supreme Court.

Janai is coming back this Wednesday to explain what the court decided, how the decision weakens the political power of Black and brown voters, and what steps we can take now to fight back and protect the right to vote for all. You can learn more and RSVP here.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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UPDATE: The Supreme Court just released their ruling on this case today, Wednesday April 29th. It's deeply upsetting, but unfortunately, not that surprising. Red Wine & Blue will be getting together for a virtual event soon to be together and talk about next steps. Stay tuned!

When we wanted to talk about the latest Supreme Court case that could completely gut voting rights, we went straight to the expert. This week, we're sharing the audio of our recent event with Janai Nelson, the hard-hitting NAACP lawyer who argued Louisiana vs Callais at the Supreme Court.

Janai and Katie's conversation covered all of the basics of what's happening (simplified so we can all understand it!), what it was like to present a case to the full-on United States Supreme Court, and what gives her hope.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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There’s no denying that music can help us not lose our sh!t — we’ve discussed it on the pod before with authors, psychologists, political experts, and friends. Chances are, you’ve turned to a song to get yourself through a difficult moment in your life or our current political hellscape.

But today, we’re not just talking about music; we’re actually listening to it.

On this episode, Katie and LaFonda were joined by folk musician Inda Eaton. Together, they listened to songs that have moved them, inspired them, made them laugh, and kept their feet moving in the right direction — from funny viral videos to Inda’s own poignant song FREE.

There’s a reason that music is often said to be “deeper than words.” It captures a feeling, a shared humanity that goes beyond the battlefield of rhetoric. As Inda says, it’s the common ground of the heart.

We encourage everyone to check out the musicians whose work we shared today: Hostile Government Takeover by Todd Givens Jr. (aka AGiftFromTodd), Join ICE by Jesse Welles, Minnesota by the Marsh Family, FREE by Inda Eaton, and Heavy Foot by Mon Rovia.

And there are so many other songs we wished we could’ve shared but it would’ve made this episode 3 hours long! We also recommend All You Fascists Are Bound To Lose, Living In The Future, We Run, Thank You For Replacing The Ayatollah, and How Can You Sing The Blues. There are so many amazing artists out there making music to get us through these hard times, just like there have been throughout history.

Protest music is powerful. We hope this episode helps you, whether it's with a laugh, a cry, a connection, or all of the above.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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On March 31st — just two weeks ago — the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Colorado couldn’t ban conversion therapy for minors. They called it a matter of “free speech.”

But to the nearly 700,000 LGBTQ+ Americans who have gone through conversion therapy, it’s a lot more than an abstract issue about free speech. It’s a trauma they’re still dealing with, even if it happened to them years or decades ago.

One of those 700,000 is Drew Amstutz, Red Wine & Blue’s Chief of Staff and all-around delightful human. On this week’s podcast, he shared some of the horrifying details of being forced through conversion therapy as a 15-year-old kid.

Please be warned if you have trauma around religion or sexual harassment; Drew’s story is hard to hear. But it’s still happening every day to kids across the country, so it’s crucial that we talk about it.

LGBTQ+ youth who go through conversion therapy face a higher suicide risk — not just while they’re experiencing it, but for the rest of their lives. It's a practice that manipulates parents into traumatizing their kids for simply being themselves.

When you hear about a 60-year-old man breaking down a 15-year-old child, including techniques like gaslighting and sexual harassment, it’s hard not to draw connections to other powerful abusers like Epstein. Again and again, we see this country protect the rich and powerful and cast aside women and children.

The episode wasn’t all doom and gloom, though! After discussion Drew’s personal story, we talked about joy in the LGBTQ+ community. When so many powerful forces — from the government to your parents — are telling you that who you are is wrong, fun and community can be lifesaving.

This episode is honest and heartbreaking, but it’s also joyful and full of love. Despite the trauma he experienced, Drew is one of the most kind, uplifting, and competent people that all of us here at Red Wine & Blue have ever had the pleasure to meet. We know you’ll love him too. ❤️

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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