With the participation of special co-hosts Richard Marion (British Columbia, Canada) and Tom Babcock (Orlando, Florida)!

Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was taken by rescuers to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he died from severe head injuries six days later.

Suspects Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with first-degree murder following Shepard's death. Significant media coverage was given to the murder and what role Shepard's sexual orientation played as a motive for the commission of the crime. The prosecutor argued that McKinney's murder of Shepard was premeditated and driven by greed. McKinney's defense counsel countered by arguing that he had intended only to rob Shepard but killed him in a rage when Shepard made a sexual advance toward him. McKinney's girlfriend told police that he had been motivated by anti-gay sentiment, but later recanted her statement, saying that she had lied because she thought it would help him. Both McKinney and Henderson were convicted of the murder, and each of them received two consecutive life sentences.

Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at both the state and federal level. In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard – James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Legislation (commonly the "Matthew Shepard Act" or "Shepard/Byrd Act" for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.

Following her son's murder, Judy Shepard became a prominent LGBT Rights activist and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Shepard's death has inspired films, novels, plays, songs, and other works.

Tonight, on Pride Connection, BPI Members Richard Marion and Tom Babcock co-host with us to remember Matthew Shepard. Both Richard and Tom bring to the table first-hand knowledge of the case; they have both been strong LGBT-rights advocates; and they have personal experiences in this arena. Richard and Tom will also discuss with us how the LGBTQ community is still being the target of many hate crimes in the United States and in other parts of the world.

As always, Pride Connection welcomes your comments, requests, and suggestions. You can reach us at:

[email protected]

Many of you may remember a historic resolution presented by Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) this past Summer to the Resolutions Committee and to the Advocacy Team of the American Council of the Blind. Drafted in a collaboration between BPI and Kim Charlson and Paul Edwards, this resolution gained immediate action thanks to the tireless efforts of BPI LifeTime Member, Terry Gorman.

BPI’s original resolution consisted on urging National Library Services (NLS) to include an LGBTQ category. We were able to back up our ask by offering a compilation of all LGBTQ titles already available on BARD. This compilation was the result of the continuous and meticulous work of none other than Terry Gorman.

Terry has a passion for learning through reading, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature in general. He decided to undertake the task of creating a catalog of all LGBTQ-related titles available through NLS. When he presented this beautifully compiled bibliography to BPI, we were sure we needed to complement Terry’s laborious toil, and decided to move forth with our resolution.

Even though we did not have an in-person General Session this year, BPI promoted this resolution together with Terry’s bibliography at different ACB-Convention workshops where NLS representatives were present. To our surprise, and thanks to Terry’s already-completed bibliography, NLS acted upon our ask in a matter of days! BPI then worked with ACB’s Resolution Committee to adjust our resolution, now thanking NLS for the incorporation of an LGBTQ category, and requesting the distinction of three LGBTQ categories- Fiction, non-fiction, and young adult.

Tonight, we are honored and humbled to talk to Terry Gorman. He will tell us about his passion for Braille and literature. He will share his personal journey with us. He will also tell us what prompted him to undertake this project that has become a milestone enriching the life of those of us who are part of the intersectionality of being blind/visually impaired and LGBTQ. Terry has also been working on other projects that include platforms like Bookshare, and he will share this and other impactful initiatives he is currently leading.

Be a part of Pride Connection!

The theme song of Pride Connection; "Rainbow Connection" has been covered by many noteworthy and not-so-noteworthy bands over the years. We thought it would be cool to pair the voices of our community with the voices behind these covers of our theme song! If you want your voice to be featured in the intro and outro of our weekly radio show and podcast, then keep reading for more details!

Step 1:

Record yourself reading the intro and outro script included in this e-mail. Don't worry if you mess up... just start over and we'll fix it with the magic of post-production! Please record your voice with the highest quality settings you can.

Step 2:

Pick a version of "Rainbow Connection" that you would like your voice on top of. Include an alternate version in case someone else has already taken the one you wanted. If there is a version that is not on the list please let us know who it is by and if possible, provide us with a link to where we can hear it.

Step 3:

E-mail us your recording and song pick, we'll do the rest! Send all submissions to [email protected] the subject line of "Rainbow Connection".

Intro Script:

BPI Presents: Pride Connection. Sponsored by Blind LGBT Pride International. Tuesdays at 10 PM Eastern on ACB Radio Mainstream or wherever you get your podcasts.

Outro Script:

You have been listening to Pride Connection, sponsored by Blind LGBT Pride International. For more information go to blindLGBTpride.org.

Cover Versions:

The Rainbow Connection by Kermit Rainbow Connection by Dana Valery The Rainbow Connection by Kamahl The Rainbow Connection by Judy Collins The Rainbow Connection by Daryle Rice with The Loonis McGlohon Quartet Rainbow Connection by Ronny Whyte The Rainbow Connection by Mary O'Hara Rainbow Connection by Lea Salonga Rainbow Connection by The Band of the Royal New Zealand Navy The Rainbow Connection by Gloria Loring The Rainbow Connection by Michelle Nicastro The Rainbow Connection by Kenny Loggins Rainbow Connection by Fifteen. The Rainbow Connection by Peter Cousens The Rainbow Connection by Charles Tichenor Rainbow Connection by Less Than Jake The Rainbow Medley: Rainbow Connection by Paige O'Hara The Rainbow Connection by Me First and The Gimme Gimmes Rainbow Connection by Voice Male [US] Rainbow Connection by Willie Nelson The Rainbow Connection by Carpenters The Rainbow Connection by Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand The Rainbow Connection by Daniel Ahren Rainbow Connection by The Jabberwocks Rainbow Connection by Kacey Musgraves The Rainbow Connection by Sarah McLachlan Rainbow Connection by Peter Cincotti Rainbow Connection by Mark Trevorrow The Rainbow Connection by Dixie Chicks Rainbow Connection by Jason Mraz The Rainbow Connection by Kiki & Herb The Rainbow Connection by Jeff Hedberg The Rainbow Connection by David Hobson The Rainbow Connection by Johnny Mathis Rainbow Connection by Wendee Glick Rainbow Connection by John Cassel Rainbow Connection by Jasper Kump Rainbow Connection by Double Down Rainbow Connection by MichaelAngelo Rainbow Connection by Daphne Rubin-Vega The Rainbow Connection by Paul Williams, Willie Nelson Rainbow Connection by Beverley Mahood The Rainbow Connection by Dwayne Britton The Rainbow Connection by Beth McDonald Rainbow Connection by Jane Monheit The Rainbow Connection by Trespassers William Rainbow Connection by Weezer and Hayley Williams The Rainbow Connection by Maria Markesini The Rainbow Connection by Josh Young Rainbow Connection by Amy Yassinger Rainbow Connection by Marissa Mulder The Rainbow Connection by edu Rainbow Connection by Joey Sontz Rainbow Connection by Chapter 6 Rainbow Connection by Marco Rosato Rainbow Connection by Regine Velasquez-Alcasid Rainbow Connection by Glee Cast Rainbow Connection by Zee Avi The Rainbow Connection by Nick Ziobro Rainbow Connection by Joshua Payne Rainbow Connection by Death Blossoms The Rainbow Connection by Diana Panton Rainbow Connection by Gwen Stefani Rainbow Connection by Emerson Parris Rainbow Connection by Sam Tsui Rainbow Connection by Malinda Kathleen Reese Rainbow Connection by Megan Hilty Rainbow Connection by Jeremy Stolle The Rainbow Connection by Nicki Parrott Rainbow Connection by Joe Stilgoe Rainbow Connection by Sleeping at Last The Rainbow Connection by Adam Lopez Rainbow Connection by Lisa Loeb Rainbow Connection by Alexis Michelle Rainbow Connection by Andy Reed Rainbow Connection by The Radish Friends The Rainbow Connection by Mimi Bessette Rainbow Connection by Michael Longoria Rainbow Connection by Pomplamoose Rainbow Connection by Joseph Vincent Rainbow Connection by Puddles Pity Party featuring Petra Haden Rainbow Connection by The Midnight Strings Orchestra The Rainbow Connection by David Weiss with Members of the Los Angeles Philarmonic The Rainbow Connection by Kenny Drew Jr. The Rainbow Connection by Joe Locke The Rainbow Connection by Ken Rhodes Trio Rainbow Connection by Tommy Newsom Rainbow Connection by Jacek Mielcarek, Marek Walarowski The Rainbow Connection by John Livingston Rainbow Connection by Lorie Line The Rainbow Connection by Dave Baker Rainbow Connection by Jackie Bradley The Rainbow Connection by Paul Rigby The Rainbow Connection by Jim McDonough The Rainbow Connection by Ted Yoder The Rainbow Connection by Lullaby Baby Trio Rainbow Connection by Midnite String Quartet Rainbow Connection by Death Blossoms Rainbow Connection by Adriel Bote The Rainbow Connection by Acoustic Heartstrings Rainbow Connection by Stringspace Rainbow Connection (Moopets version) by Fozzie Bear and The Moopets Chanson de l'arc-en-ciel by Kermit Rainbow Connection by The Brothers Cazimero

Join Pride Connection this evening at 10 PM EST, 7 PM Pst on ACB Radio Mainstream. We continue our discussion of COVID-19 and its effect on employment in the visually impaired community. This week, we speak with 4 women who were gainfully employed as the COVID storm hit but found themselves abruptly uprooted early on in the crisis. How does one cope with such sudden life changes that were unanticipated. Kerri Regan, Hannah Mae Aldeza, Jessica Kell and Victoria Herrera share their challenging experiences with us and their hopes and outlook on the future.

Episode Notes

Pride Connection Presents: Working through the Pandemic

Join Gabriel, Leah and Anthony as they welcome Tim Cummings, Mark Hanohano andByron Lee to discuss the changing landscape of the workplace since the beginning of this pandemic.

Working from home, furloughed and subsequently laid off, work from home to returning to the office and a ACB intern are a few of the perspectives we will explore. What measures are in place to help the transition and what was not.

It is challenging for our community to find employment that is fully accessible and during Covid-19 a lot of the established access and routines were shifted rapidly. However, much has been learned about working from home that will apply to work opportunities in the future.

Join us Tuesday night at 10pm eastern on ACB Radio as we discuss all this and more.

Pride Connection can now be found on all your major Podcast engines including Apple and Echo devices. Subscribe to the podcast and never miss our fascinating discussions.

Replays on ACB Radio are Wednesday 10am And Sunday at 7 am and pm

Questions and comments can be sent to

[email protected] We look forward to your feedback.

As President of Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI), I would like to invite you to be a part of our on-going conversations around Racial Justice.

Pride Connection has had the honor of conducting 2 in-depth conversations with Will Burley, a Black activist and Cultural Humility leader, and Cheryl Cummings, a member of ACB’s Multicultural Affairs Committee. We’ve held conversations around the history of racial inequities injustice in our country; facts and statistics; societal responses to racial injustice, including the true role of the BLM movement; and, most importantly, the personal experiences of our panelists and their families.

This week, our conversations continue. First, join Pride Connection on Tuesday, September 8 at 10:00 PM on ACB Radio Mainstream. BPI has invited ACB President, Dan Spoone to open our program with his thoughts and feelings. Will and Cheryl will then lead a dialog about racial justice by exploring the emotional impact of having this necessary conversation on the human experience. This will be a considerate heart-to-heart conversation, as they discuss how 24-hour and social media as well as these hard talks of change are affecting relationships.

We then invite you to join a listening session on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 7:30 PM EDT. The purpose is to allow each of us to get past the social media clutter and television commentary to understand how this time in our country’s history is shaping us.

BPI Listening Session will give people an opportunity to listen, share and consider with empathy and love. This session, while allowing for everyone to share their thoughts and feelings, is intended to be a safe space, where we will listen to each other without debate or comments. The truest way form of listening is by doing exactly that; listening and taking what we’ve heard away for our own contemplation and understanding. Additionally, we have decided not to broadcast this session to ensure the privacy of such a sensitive conversation.

As we strive to work together to make this a more perfect union of our human existence, join Will Burley and BPI in a heart-to-heart with ACB family and friends as we come together for this necessary first step in strengthening, rebuilding and reconciling relationships, one person at a time.

Pride Connection is always bringing informative, community-building conversations as well as fun experiences. During the last few weeks we have been focusing on racial justice, and decided to take a week of entertainment before we continue that series of conversations.

So, we reached out to Ian who has been working the entertainment industry in various capacities for decades. You may know him from his modeling days with Ford, Elite and as Giorgio Armani’s personal fitting Model

He transitioned and exploded into acting in the mid-80s at the hight of the Soap Opera Golden Age as Duke Lavery. The Anna-Duke Super couple is still one of General Hospitals most beloved pairings!

He spent 17 years on the Bold & Beautiful as well as Time on All My Children and Days of our Lives.

He took Prime-time by storm in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks as well as so many memorable guest spots, animation and video gaming voice over work.

In Marilyn and Bobby he made his name in feature films. There is a lot to talk about career wise but we will also dip into the life of working as a quietly out actor.

Questions for Ian can be sent to [email protected]

Pride Connection airs on ACB Radio Mainstream Tuesday night at 10:00 PM, with replays on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, and Sundays at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Blind Pride, being the diverse organization that we are, began an on-going conversation with our Past President, Will Burley, and member Cheryl Cummings last week on pride connection focusing around the ever widening national conversation regarding the state of Social Justice and where BPI fits in this important dialogue. The idea that one can be either a ALLY OR CO-CONSPIRITOR or both was raised and decided that this weeks show will address and ask this query.

Blind Pride has so many intelligent, dynamic and passionate voices who we call on to answer the call-to-action not only for this week's conversation but in standing with our members of color who live the conversation every day.

This evening on Pride Connection, we emphasize that black lives matter.
Will Burley, who has recently been appointed to co-facilitate the Cultural Humility workgroup at Disability Rights Texas will join in on the conversation and share history and personal stories from a Black activist perspective. We will also be joined by other black members of our community who will share their realities and stories with us in a world where racial injustice and oppression pervade society. Please join us for this crucial conversation.

Pride Connection airs on Acb Radio mainstream at 10 PM EST and 7 PM PST this evening. This show also runs at 10 AM EST and 7 AM PST tomorrow morning.

You can also find Pride Connection in podcast form at
acbradio.org.
Visit the podcasts link on the front page and select Pride Connection.

This evening on ACB Radio Mainstream, Pride Connection goes a little
bit gray. Byron Lee is no stranger to ACB. Over the years, he has
helped with live streaming at national conventions. His weekly
comedy music program, The Fun Zone, kept the ACB Radio audience
laughing. In June, BPI benefitted from his brilliance when he
produced and edited our Pride month music celebration. But who is the
guy behind the comedy and the mixing board? We enter the gray zone
with Byron Lee this week as he explores the shades of coming out on
his own terms with us. You will want to hear Byron's journey of self
discovery and pride in his own words.

Listen to Pride Connection on ACB Radio Mainstream at 10 PM Est, 7 PM
PST this evening, or catch the rebroadcast Wednesday morning at 10 AM
EST, 7 AM PST.

Our podcast can also be downloaded from the Acbradio.org web site.
Just visit the home page and click on the pride Connection podcast
link.