Radio Free Qtopia

On this very special episode, we mark Human Rights Day by speaking with Jessica Stern, the fierce & fabulous Executive Director of OutRight Action International. Founded in 1990 as the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), OutRight is one of the world's oldest & most important organizations working to advance LGBTI human rights. Collaborating with grassroots activists, researchers, elected officials, the United Nations, and many more partners across the globe, Jessica & OutRight are truly indispensable to the work of creating truly LGBTI-inclusive societies.

For World AIDS Day, Greg Millett surveys where we are in the fight against HIV: the good news, the challenges & concerns, and the surprising news. Greg is the Vice President and Director of Public Policy for amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and has previously held leadership roles at the White House Office of National AIDS Policy and at the Centers for Disease Control. A globally recognized advocate and researcher, Greg's work has fundamentally transformed how we understand the disparities of HIV infection for African American gay, bisexual, and other men who sex with men. This is a must-listen interview!   Links • Linda Villarosa, "America's Hidden HIV Epidemic," New York Times (June 6, 2017) • Greg Millett, "Time to Close HIV's Racial Disparities," CNN (Feb. 7, 2015) • Tim Murphy, "HIV: Mystery Solved?" The Nation (Feb. 15, 2016)

On September 26, the United Nations released its global Standards of Conduct to support the business community as it tackles discrimination against LGBTI people. In this episode, we speak with Fabrice Houdart from the UN Human Rights Office about these new Standards, the role of business in promoting human rights, and more generally the connections between business, development, and supporting LGBTI people around the world.   Read more about the United Nations Free and Equal campaign against homophobia & transphobia, and follow Fabrice on Twitter at @houdartUN.

What do you know about the “I” in “LGBTI”? On this week’s episode, we talk with Irene, an activist with Intersex Russia, who talks about her experiences being intersex – including how a Buzzfeed video (really!) changed her life.   As mentioned in the episode, here’s Irene’s article, "I Discovered I'm Intersex from the Buzzfeed Video," along with the original Buzzfeed video, "What It's Like to Be Intersex."   Check out Intersex Russia and InterACT's websites. The two 2017 reports mentioned in our conversation are:   • Human Rights Watch and InterACT, "I Want to Be Like Nature Made Me: Medically Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex Children in the US" • Amnesty International, "First, Do No Harm: Ensuring the Rights of Children Born Intersex"