Welcome to The Gayest Generation, where we hear LGBTQ older adults speak for themselves. Every episode, we sit down with a different member of the LGBTQ community who laid the foundation for the freedoms we have today. Their stories make noise where there is silence and that silence has lived for far too long. 

In this episode, we speak with theater director and educator Michael Walling. We discuss growing up in Portland during the 70's, being a New Yorker during the AIDS crisis, and the staying power of Tom Selleck's moustache.

Welcome to The Gayest Generation, where we hear LGBTQ older adults speak for themselves. Every episode, we sit down with a different member of the LGBTQ community who laid the foundation for the freedoms we have today. Their stories make noise where there is silence and that silence has lived for far too long. 

Welcome to The Gayest Generation, where we hear LGBTQ older adults speak for themselves. Every episode, we sit down with a different member of the LGBTQ community who laid the foundation for the freedoms we have today. Their stories make noise where there is silence and that silence has lived for far too long. It is time we let their voices fill the room.

In Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid, local author William D. Lopez examines the lasting damage done by this daylong act of collaborative immigration enforcement in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Nick is joined by Ashkan Kazemi of the Iranian Graduate Student Association at the University of Michigan to discuss the upcoming Abbas Kiarostami retrospective beginning in March at the Michigan Theater. They discuss the impact of Kiarostami on each other's lives, the role of the artist in Iran, Iranian humor, and more. And as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.

Eunice L. Burns was born in 1923 and grew up on a farm in Caledonia, Minnesota. She attended La Crosse State Teachers College and became a physical education teacher. She and her husband Carl Burns had four children, and the family enjoyed camping and other outdoor activities. They were married for fifteen years before his tragic death in a sailing accident. Burns (D) represented the First Ward on the Ann Arbor City Council for six years (1962-68). She championed the Fair Housing Ordinance and the establishment of the Huron River Watershed Council.

Nick is joined by Michigan Theater house organist David Hufford to discuss his work to restore the historic Barton Organ, what makes it unique, a bit of its history, and what it’s like to accompany a silent film or sing-along.

Alma Wheeler Smith was born in 1941. She recalls attending Civil Rights meetings in Ann Arbor with her parents. Her father Albert H. Wheeler was the first African American mayor of Ann Arbor (1975-78). Smith worked for nearly a decade as a TV producer before becoming a politician. Smith (D) served in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Michigan delegation from 2005-2010 representing the 54th District.  Prior to her tenure in the U.S.

Nick, Makenzie, Ariel and Jay recap 2019, discuss their favorite films of the last decade, what they’re most looking forward to in 2020, what trends they hope to continue in the next decade, and conclude with their “Movie Gifts”.

Nick is joined by Zoe Clark (Program Director of Michigan Radio and Co-Host of ‘It’s Just Politics’) and Robert Yoon (Visiting Professor of Journalism at U of M and former CNN Director of Political Research) to talk about the upcoming Journalism on Screen film series at the State Theatre! Discussion includes journalism’s depiction in the movies, its impact on our daily lives, takeaways from each film in the series, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.