A Girl Talk throwback episode! This show was recorded live at The Hideout in Chicago on June 26, 2017.

On June 12, 2016, one of the biggest terrorist attacks in U.S. history shattered the LGBTQ community in Orlando. Then, we watched the White House fill up with homophobes while states banned trans people from bathrooms. For years, the fight for marriage equality dominated the conversation when it came to LGBTQ rights. We won that battle, but the fight is clearly far from over.

On June 27, 2017, The Girl Talk welcomed women fighting for LGBTQ rights in Chicago and beyond. From tackling rampant homelessness among queer youth to a civil rights attorney focused on intersectionality, our guests talk about the issues facing our queer communities today and what we can do to better support them.

Also, Jen really wants to talk about lesbian bars.

What is The Girl Talk, you ask? It's a monthly show on the last Tuesday of the month hosted by women (DNAinfo’s Jen Sabella and public education warrior/CPS teacher Erika Wozniak) and featuring influential Chicago women. Though the show features women and femme-identified individuals on stage, we welcome all gender identities and expressions to join us for these important conversations.

THE GUESTS

Gaylon B. Alcaraz is an activist, organizer and champion of human rights. As the past Executive Director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, she worked within the reproductive justice/rights/health movement to advocate for low-income women seeking to control their reproductive freedom. Among the many social justice accomplishments credited to Gaylon, she served as a founding board member of Affinity Community Services, a social justice organization that advocates for the rights of black lesbian and bisexual women in the Chicago land area. During her board tenure at Affinity, she assumed increased leadership roles, across all areas of the organization’s functions including the role of Vice-President of the board, prior to the end of her final board service. She is also a past board member of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and the Midwest Access Project.

For more than twenty years, she has worked on behalf of sexual minority women, anti-violence, gender equity, health prevention, reproductive rights, as well as race and culture issues. Gaylon has consistently applied her knowledge in practice towards quality improvement, increased access, and by challenging frameworks that do not allow for the exploration of diversity across multiple dimensions when working with, and on behalf of diverse constituencies. These passionate beliefs have led her to advocate on behalf of all women and children.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois she was awarded her BA and MA from DePaul University. Gaylon is currently a Ph.D candidate in Community Psychology at National Louis University. She has received awards from Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, Northwest Suburban NOW, Choice USA, Chicago Foundation for Women and Chicago NOW for her work in the reproductive rights/health and justice field. The Chicago Reader recognized her as “The Activist” in the 2014 Chicago Reader People edition. In 2013, Gaylon was inducted into Chicago’s Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame – the only LGBT Hall of Fame in the country.

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Aisha N. Davis, Esq., is a fellow at Loevy & Loevy and was born in Washington, DC and raised in Maryland. After attending Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA, she went on to Columbia Law School and the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies for her JD and LLM, respectively.

As an avid student of intersectionality, Aisha has worked on civil rights issues throughout her legal career, including work with Amnesty International, the Human Rights Foundation, Columbia Law School’s Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies, the African American Policy Forum, and Lambda Legal. Since her move to Chicago, Aisha has continued this mission through her work with Affinity Community Services, the Pride Action Tank, and as a board member of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.

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Amie Klujian is a top-producing Chicago real estate broker and executive vice president of SwakeGroup at Dream Town Realty. In 2004, Amie co-founded Back Lot Bash-- a Chicago pride festival showcasing a diverse array of women musicians, performers and artists. Now in its 14th year, Back Lot Bash has established itself as the Midwest's largest, outdoor pride event for women in the LGBTQ community. Amie earned an a degree in politics from Princeton University and a master's in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University. She's an HRC Federal Club Member and serves with pride on the Executive Board of Directors at Girls in the Game, a nonprofit that helps girls become empowered game changers.

Hope you enjoy the show!
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Special thanks to the amazing Bleach Party for our theme music. Check them out at http://letshaveableachparty.bandcamp.com/