The Spectrum

Episode 30: The Transgender Scare – McCarthyism for the 21st Century Hello, and welcome to episode 30 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 28, 2025. Today we’re going to be looking at the modern right-wing political movement and comparing it to the McCarthy era of the 1950’s. Spoiler alert: they are doing it again. Joseph McCarthy was a Republican US Senator from Wisconsin. He was in the Senate from 1947 through 1957.

Episode 30: The Transgender Scare – McCarthyism for the 21st Century

Hello, and welcome to episode 30 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 28, 2025. Today we’re going to be looking at the modern right-wing political movement and comparing it to the McCarthy era of the 1950’s. Spoiler…

Episode 29: Emma’s Story, Part 3 Hello, and welcome to episode 29 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is the final part of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also wanted to remain anonymous to protect her and her family.

Episode 29: Emma’s Story, Part 3

Hello, and welcome to episode 29 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is the final part of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also…

Episode 28: Emma’s Story, Part 2 Hello, and welcome to episode 28 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is part 2 of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also wanted to remain anonymous to protect her and her family.

Episode 28: Emma’s Story, Part 2

Hello, and welcome to episode 28 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is part 2 of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also wanted to…

Episode 27: Emma’s Story, Part 1 Hello, and welcome to episode 27 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is the start of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also wanted to remain anonymous to protect her and her family.

Episode 27: Emma’s Story, Part 1

Hello, and welcome to episode 27 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on September 1, 2025. Today’s episode is the start of a a three part series. This is the life story of a transgender woman we are going to call Emma. She wanted to share her story but also wanted…

Episode 26: Shenandoah County Public School Update August 2025 Hello, and welcome to episode 26 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on August 16, 2025. In this episode, we’re going to come up to speed on the current situation in the Shenandoah County Public Schools. I was not able to follow the events of the last two months directly but in that time the school board added an entire section to policy GBAB/JFHAB: Dignity and Respect for Students that banned transgender students from participating in school athletics with students of the same gender.

Episode 26: Shenandoah County Public School Update August 2025

Hello, and welcome to episode 26 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on August 16, 2025. In this episode, we’re going to come up to speed on the current situation in the Shenandoah County Public Schools. I was not able to follow the…

Episode 25: Interview With Susie Wilburn, President of PFLAG Woodstock Virginia This is an interview with Susie Wilburn, President of the Woodstock, Virginia chapter of PFLAG. It was recorded on July 29, 2025. LindaHello and welcome to episode 25 of The Spectrum. Today we have somebody who actually helped inspire me doing this, which is Susie Wilburn. She's the president of the PFLAG Woodstock chapter. And Susie was kind enough to sit down with us today to talk about kind of her involvement with the PFLAG chapter and the history of the chapter and about PFLAG in general.

Episode 25: Interview With Susie Wilburn, President of PFLAG Woodstock Virginia

This is an interview with Susie Wilburn, President of the Woodstock, Virginia chapter of PFLAG. It was recorded on July 29, 2025. LindaHello and welcome to episode 25 of The Spectrum. Today we have somebody who…

Episode 24: This Is Not Free Speech Hello, and welcome to episode 24 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on July 18, 2025. Today we’re going to examine what some people are saying about LGBTQ+ people and how, in my opinion, this is not free speech. But, first, what is free speech? Most Americans grow up thinking that free speech is the right to say whatever they want.

Episode 24: This Is Not Free Speech

Hello, and welcome to episode 24 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on July 18, 2025. Today we’re going to examine what some people are saying about LGBTQ+ people and how, in my opinion, this is not free speech. But, first, what is free speech? Most Americans…

Episode 23: Coming Out for the Straight Person Hello, and welcome to episode 23 of The Spectrum. Todays’ episode is kind of a coming out guide for the straight person. No, it’s not a guide to help straight people come out. It’s all but axiomatic that straight people are out. What this is is a discussion to help the straight, cisgender person understand what coming out means to the LGBT+ community and why it’s so important.

Episode 23: Coming Out for the Straight Person

Hello, and welcome to episode 23 of The Spectrum. Todays’ episode is kind of a coming out guide for the straight person. No, it’s not a guide to help straight people come out. It’s all but axiomatic that straight people are out. What this is is a…

Episode 22: Political Parties Are Evil Hello and welcome to episode 22 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on June 30, 2025. This episode is broken into two parts. The first is a bit of a “state of LGBT+ people” mid-way through the year. I’m going to start at the local level and work up to international. But, what is happening here in Shenandoah County is happening or about to happen all over the country so I think it has relevance to people all over the country.

Episode 22: Political Parties Are Evil

Hello and welcome to episode 22 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on June 30, 2025. This episode is broken into two parts. The first is a bit of a “state of LGBT+ people” mid-way through the year. I’m going to start at the local level and work up to…

Episode 21: The Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee’s Ban on Gender Affirming Care for Minors Hello and welcome to episode 21 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on June 18, 2025. In this episode we have bad news from the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. This is terrible news, not just for transgender children in Tennessee, but for children in the 25 states who face similar bans.

Episode 21: The Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee’s Ban on Gender Affirming Care for Minors

Hello and welcome to episode 21 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on June 18, 2025. In this episode we have bad news from the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the court upheld Tennessee’s ban on…

Episode 20: Housekeeping Welcome to episode 20 of The Spectrum. This was recorded on June 16, 2025. The subject for today is about the podcast itself. The podcast has been available in video form on YouTube and in audio fo…

Episode 20 is a housekeeping episode bring everyone up to date on recent changes with the podcast. The primary change is a new website for the podcast. Find out all about it at spectrumpodcast.org/2025/06/16/e...

S2025E19 - A Brief History of Pride # Episode Notes Notes go hereWelcome to Episode 19 of The Spectrum! In this special Pride Month episode, recorded on June 6, 2025, we dive into the powerful origins and ongoing importance of LGBT+ ...

Episode 19: A Brief History of Pride
Podcast format: the-spectrum.pinecast.co/episode/4639...

#lgbt #lgbtq #pride #gaypride #transpride #lgbtpride #stonewallriots

YouTube video by The Spectrum A Brief History of Pride

Episode 19: A Brief History of Pride on YouTube: youtu.be/dWJxUO7mUXI

#lgbt #pride #gaypride #transpride #lgbtpride #stonewallriots

YouTube video by The Spectrum Evolution of an Ally

Episode 12 was Evolution of an Ally. I discuss a straight man's journey to being an ally of the LGBT community:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ICz...
pinecast.com/listen/e3a73...

#lgbt #lgbt-ally

YouTube video by The Spectrum Ten Years of Same Sex Marriage

Episode 18 of The Spectrum is a personal story about ten years of marriage.

Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrVs...
Audio: pinecast.com/listen/dcb1e...

#lgbt #same-sex-marriage #gay-marriage #marriage

The Spectrum This is a podcast about LGBT issues. But, don't run away if none of those letters apply to you. The goal is to help explain to the wider community why these issues are important and why equality matte...

You can find it on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SpectrumPod...

or in audio format here: the-spectrum.pinecast.co

You can find the audio version on most podcatcher apps. Just make sure the logo matches to know you are in the right spot.

#podcast, #lgbt

It's based in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and while it does cover local issues, it also talks about national issues that impact all our lives and issues that are independent of where we all live.

The Spectrum is about the variety that fills the spectrum from straight to gay, from cisgender to transgender, and all the other variety of ways for people other than exist.