First hour: Previewing the 2019 ImageOut Festival
Second hour: Discussing friendships with people who have different values and political views
The ImageOut Film Festival is back. The annual event presents LGBT arts and cultural experiences to promote awareness and foster dialogue. It kicks off this Thursday. We preview this year's lineup, including a film called “For They Know Not What They Do,” which explores the evangelical church’s reaction to LGBTQ issues. We also discuss the film, "Unsettled," which tells the story of LGBTQ refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. after being persecuted in their home countries. Our guests:
- Michael Gamilla, programming director for ImageOut
- Samantha Bonanno, member of the Protestant Church
- Bishop Denise Donato, pastor at Mary Magdalene Church
- Daniel Karslake, director of “For They Know Not What They Do”
- Tom Shepard, director and producer of “Unsettled”
Then in our second hour, Ellen DeGeneres faced criticism after a photo of her laughing with former President George W. Bush went viral. DeGeneres and Bush sat next to each other at a Dallas Cowboys game over the weekend. As DeGeneres said, critics thought, “Why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president? A lot of people were mad.” But during a monologue on her show, DeGeneres defended her friendship with President Bush, saying that just because she doesn’t agree with him, doesn’t mean that she won’t be friends with him. She asked viewers to be kind to everyone. This hour, our guests discuss their thoughts on having friendships with people who have different values and political views. In studio:
- Danielle Ponder, criminal defense attorney, and lead singer of Danielle Ponder and The Tomorrow People
- Colin Coffey, small business owner
- Rev. Matthew Martin Nickoloff, pastor of the South Wedge Mission
- Penny Sterling, storyteller, and co-host of the podcast, "Transformation Thursday" on WAYO-FM
