Please join Pride Connection tonight as we hear the voice of one of BPI’s newest members, Randy Reed.

Randy invites us into his journey of self-discovery. He shares the confusion and misunderstanding he went through until he was able to find a word that described his sexual orientation- Asexual.

This candid and open conversation educates us on the term “asexual.” we hear from this real-life expert; his struggles; his experiences; and most importantly, the life-transforming moment in which he found and understood himself.

Join us tonight, Tuesday July 28 at 10:00 PM on ACB Radio Mainstream, as we learn and share. You can also find this edition of Pride Connection during any of our replays this week- Tomorrow, Wednesday at 10:00 AM or this up-coming Sunday at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, all on ACB Radio Mainstream.

As always, we welcome your feedback and/or suggestions. You can reach Pride Connection at:

[email protected]

The ACB 2020 virtual convention burned brightly along with all the 4th
of July fireworks, and now it is behind us. We've had a week to
recover from the magic, the momentum and lightning speed of workshops,
presentations and discussions. BPI successfully hosted an array of
events as part of the ACB 2020 conference. Let's discuss perceptions,
observations and thoughts. What were your favorite moments, and what
would you like to see for next year?

Join us live at 10 PM EST, 7 PM PST on Tuesday, July 21st for this
recap and celebration. All Bpi members are welcome to join the Zoom
call and share.

You won’t want to miss this candid and compelling conversation with Rosemary Ketchum, the first trans woman to become an elected official. Rosemary is the Councilwoman for Ward 3 in the city of Wheeling, WV.

Rosemary opened up her life to us. From growing up in Ohio; realizing she had to transition; the role of her family during her transition process; her thoughts on inclusive language and pronouns; and how she feels now that she is a successful woman. We also talk politics; her decision to run for a Council Seat; the issues she cares for; and her work ethics.

Rosemary has been a community organizer in the state of West Virginia for a long time. Some of the issues she tackles from her Council Seat include homelessness and poverty. As a Mental Health professional, she focuses on insuring availability of mental health resources in her community.

Please join us in this historic interview, as we close our special Pride Month programing. Tonight Tuesday, June 30 at 10:00 PM on ACB Radio Mainstream.

You can also listen to Pride Connection’s replay tomorrow Wednesday at 10:00 AM. We will not have our Sunday replays this week as ACB Radio will be focused on Convention; but we will surely replay this interview in the near future.

For comments and questions regarding Pride Connection, please contact us at:

[email protected]

New BPI member Laurel joins us live this evening on Pride Connection to share his journey from a child growing up in Syria to his days spent working on the most recognizable hill in the world.

He is a proud supporter of homeless advocacy, a champion of human rights, and an eloquent speaker.

As we navigate through these turbulent times, his impactful story will intrigue us all and will motivate us to use one of the greatest privileges we have- VOTING!!

So join co-hosts Gabriel, Leah, and Anthony as we explore the life and journey of Laurel Hilbert.

Pride Connection airs on ACB Radio Mainstream every Tuesday at 10PM, repeating Wednesday at 10AM, and Sundays at 7AM and 7PM.

Dear ACB Family.

Please join BPI on Pride Connection on ACB Radio Mainstream as we continue with our special programing for Pride Month.

Co-hosts Anthony Corona, Leah Gardner, and Gabriel Lopez Kafati engage in a candid and open conversation around LGBT Pride.

We share personal experiences; the challenges of coming out; reactions of loved ones. We compare also compare notes on the specific challenges of the intersectionality of being a blind or visually impaired member of the LGBT community. How do you connect with the LGBT community being blind? How do you connect with the blind community being an LGBT person? All these aspects and many more are part of our conversation.

We address the concept of Pride in the mist of the racial injustice surrounding our nation. We discuss what it means to be a part of a community that has been historically discriminated against. We have a powerful illustration of solidarity expressed through the extraordinary poetic gift of our very own, Leah Gardner.

Please tune in tonight at 10:00 PM; or during any of our replays this week- Wednesday at 10:00 AM and Sunday at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM; on ACB Radio Mainstream.

As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. You can reach Pride Connection at:

[email protected]

Thanks and stay well.

Pride Connection Proudly Celebrates Pride Month

We begin with a fascinating show recounting the early days of our beloved organization.
Blind Pride started as a small meeting of like minded people just meeting, hanging out and supporting each other at conventions int the late 1990s. Fire, passion and dedication led to the eventual forming of Bflag the family who eventually became BPI!!
We were honored to be joined by founding members and not one but two amazing past ACB presidents.

Rob hill or founding father shares his recollections and storied journey.
Harvey Miller a dynamic founding member as well as Dwayne Estes, Leah Garner.
Paul Edwards and Chris Gray as the incoming and out going ACB presidents share their unique perspectives and recollections.

The road wasn’t always easy, but BPI is now one of the strongest and highly respected affiliates in the ACB family. We celebrate the beginning and the journey of 20 years strong!!

Pride Connection can be heard weekly on Tuesday nights @10pm on ACB radio mainstream
Or replayed Wednesday @ 10am and both 7am and pm on Sundays!
Please enjoy our month long pride programming and look for some great surprises along the way.

Questions, comments or feedback for the show can be emailed to-

[email protected]

Pride Connection Proudly presents... Working Blind in a Sighted World!

This week we have a dynamic panel of Blind Pride members who all work or have worked in diverse professions,. What they have in common is - working among and alongside sighted people.
Hosts Anthony Corona, Leah Gardner and President Gabriel Lopez Kafati are joined by...

• Jessica Kell- A social worker in the addiction management field.
• Scott Marshal- A lawyer with a storied professional resume.
• John Denning- Who’s career path started with the police and ended with the IRS.
• Dennis Sims- he also works with the IRS.
• Maria Kristic- Who’s title starts with MBA and ends with Lawyer, she works for the state of NY.
• Richard Marion- He has a rich history of working in sighted arenas.

What was it like to get the job? Was it challenging to work at the same level and what was getting accommodations like? We spoke about all that and so much more!
Want to know some of their more funny experiences?
Join us Tuesday night @ 10pm EST on ACB radio mainsttream
Or catch the replay on Wed. @10 am
Or Sunday @ both 7am/pm and, of course, right here on the podcast.

We want to keep the conversation going so please email us your thoughts and your own stories of working in the sighted world at-
[email protected]

Grasp a dream and run with it; see where the flight takes you. This
week, Pride Connection features Sarah Chung, a Korean-American
Paralympic athlete who identifies as a queer person. Sarah discusses
growing up with a foot in 2 worlds, her education, her leap in to
competitive judo in her early '20s and her conception of the term
"queer". When dreams are not deferred, even the most impossible ones
can be realized. Also, join us for a few surprises in the latter part
of the show.

Pride Connection airs on ACB Radio Mainstream at 10 PM every
Tuesday evening and 10 AM Wednesday mornings. The show is rebroadcast
Sundays at 7 AM and 7 PM.

On this week's episode of Pride Connection, join us as we gain insight
in to the makings of a riveting documentary about sight loss that
mixes the personal and the educational. Joseph Lovett of Lovett
Productions, an acclaimed medical journalist and documentary film
director, released Going Blind in 2010. The movie was based on his
exploration of vision loss as glaucoma encroached on his limited
sight. He spoke to doctors, low vision specialists and intertwined
his story with candid discussions with other people who lost their
sight at various life stages. The documentary is compelling and
timeless in its message to both the medical community as well as the
general public. This film has been screened on many PBS stations
across America and at countless medical conferences to engage
ophthalmologists and other eye specialists in a discussion about
better assisting patients who are struggling with vision loss.

-- Joe Lovett joins us along with Jessica Jones, one of the key guests
in his documentary. They speak about the making of the film, the
aftermath of its release and the hopes for societal change in dealing
more positively with vision loss.

The film, Going Blind, can be rented for $3.99 by visiting:
https://www.goingblindmovie.com.
This film is available for rent in an audio described format.

Pride Connection airs on Acb radio Tuesdays at 10 PM Eastern,
the following day at 10 AM Eastern and will be rebroadcast at 7 AM and
7 PM Sundays EST.

Visit and learn more about us at https://www.blindlgbtpride.org/

Please join Pride Connection for the melody and cadence of Dwayne
Estes this Tuesday, May 5, at 10 PM EST on ACB Radio Mainstream.
Dwayne has been a lifelong professional musician and he was a founding
member of BPI in 1999. Dwayne discusses how he sustained his career
based on grit and determination. He also reflects on the changes in
his life as his visual acuity began to shift from legal blindness in
1996 to light perception in 2011. Dwayne conveys light and hope
through his words.

His CD, Blind Ambition, can be downloaded from Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music.

To hear the song Blind Ambition, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SfRwBGqFy4

Our amazing conversation went long, got very funny and a little more than PG rated… So we at pride connection decided to create a second string pride connection After show that we will post once the podcast is up and running or send out upon request via [email protected].
This special after show also includes the wonderful poetry slam recording by our very own Leah as discussed on the radio program!
We hope you enjoy the show and look forward to your feedback.