Today's Show: Deciphering Terror Threats

3:30pm EST: Karen Greenberg, Executive Director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University Law School, joins me this afternoon to talk about the Najibullah Zazi case, and why this may not be a "fantasy terrorism case" on the order of all those we came to know under Bush-Cheney, which often were used to drum up fear and amounted to nothing. We'll talk about what is different about this case.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Second Class Citizens

This story should make you realize how much we are completely crapped on by the system. It certainly make me more outraged at the President and Congress for dragging their feet: A woman was denied hospital visitation rights to see her dying partner who had an aneurysm while they were on vacation. She filed a lawsuit with Lambda Legal representing her, and now a federal judge has dismissed the case.

Dems Vote for Abstinence-Only Funds

So glad we have a supposedly filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority: The Senate Finance Committee has voted to restore abstinence-only funds, though the President opposes this and though every study has shown this is both bad public health policy -- adversely affecting young people's lives -- and a waste of money. The two Dems who made it happen, by the way, are among those who voted against the public option today: Arkansas's Blanche Lincoln and North Dakota's Kent Conrad:

Two Democrats — Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas — joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting "yes" on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

These people are literally allowing young gay men and others to become infected with HIV, and allowing young women to get pregnant. Latest poll shows Lincoln is doing badly up against Republican challengers for re-election in 2010. I say, let her lose! Why are we even putting hope in these people if they will vote against us anyway? Let's replace them.

Today's Show: What's the Greenest City?

3:30pm EST: Author David Owen talks with me today about his book, Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability, and we'll talk about why New York City is much greener than supposedly-green communities such as Portland, Oregon and Snowmass, Colorado.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Mixner: Obama Must Speak Out Now on Maine

I couldn't agree more with David Mixner. Yesterday Obama offered what seemed like more empty words, mentioning gay parents during his proclamation on Family Day. If those weren't empty words and he really cares about gay families The President will speak up now about the Maine amendment that would strip away the right to marry that both the Maine Legislature and the governor approved. And Mixner points to the urgency of now:

Time is running out in Maine. Soon people will begin to request their absentee ballots and start voting. The time for President Obama to make clear that he opposes the ballot measure in that state is now. If he waits any longer, the Maggie Gallagher brigade against human rights will use his opposition to marriage to prove that he supports the proposition. During his presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama was quite clear that he opposed all such measures, despite his opposition to marriage equality...

...The president must stop allowing himself to be used and remain silent while it is happening. He won't be left out on a limb alone if he stands for justice. Thousands and thousands of his supporters from Maine and around the nation are contributing, volunteering and working hard to defeat this hate-filled effort. At the recent National Convention of the AFL-CIO, delegates were urged by leaders to call family and friends in Maine. Countless people of faith are working and praying for the defeat of this proposition. The Democratic Party in Maine has come out against it. So the president shouldn't fear about being out there alone, his friends will be by his side.

Go read the whole thing.

Obama on Gay/Lebian Parents

Obama lauded and and lesbian parents yesterday. Two things: 1)Why is this administration hell-bent on only focusing on gay parents, it seems, on gays neutered non-sexual caretakers? We saw this with the Easter Egg Roll and the presence of Jennifer Chrisler of the Family at every damn White House event. Okay, I like seeing gay families, and gays parents portrayed as upstanding, but it's getting a to the point where it excludes the 75% of us (and that's being generous to gay parents) who are not parents; 2P If the president holds gay parents in such high esteem why does does he continue to kick gay dads out of military and ban lesbian moms' marriages on the federal level? Shouldn't those kids in those families be treated equally? Isn't the president adding to their inability to get a fair shake.

Today's Show: The Heat Turns Up

The United Nations Environmental Program released a report Thursday, now predicting that even if world leaders fulfill their most ambitious climate pledges, the planet will still warm by 6.3 degrees F. Dr. Robert Corell, who chairs the Climate Action Initiative, reviewed the UNEP report's scientific findings, said "the significant global temperature rise is likely to occur even if industrialized and developed countries enact every climate policy they have proposed at this point."

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Cooper Union's New Green Building

This afternoon I walked over the East Village and was completely struck by new Cooper Union Science and Art Building, designed by architect Thom Mayne. Here are a couple of pics I took with my phone. I'm sure there are people who hate it but I absolutely love it, and it's all environment-friendly.

Clips of the Week: “In Touch With My Feminine Side”

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: “In Touch with My Feminine Side”

Today's Show: Paul Rudnick

4:30pm EST: The hilarious author, playwright (Jeffrey), and screenwriter (Addams Family Values) Paul Rudnick joins the show this afternoon to talk about his new book: I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey, which offers aside splitting stories from his early childhood, growing up gay in the Jersey suburbs, and his journey through film and theater.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: Acting Up in India

3:30pm EST - We'll speak with one of the few openly gay activists in India, Nitin Karani, editor-at-large of Bombay Dost, India's LGBT magazine. The Delhi High Court recently decriminalized homosexual sex and the Indian government will let the ruling stand, a huge victory for gays and lesbians in India. Karani, who worked hard with other activists to make that happen, recently told a reporter he was inspired by my book, Queer In America, which was quite an honor to read.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Dems Freaking Over Fundraising Drop

According to this report Democratic leaders are very concerned about a fundraising drop. I think this is all the more reason for LGBT donors to continue boycotting the DNC and for activists to make a lot of noise the next time there is an LGBT fundraiser, as we did a few months ago very effectively, threaten the DC fundraiser. The Democrats need our money now more than ever. But they're going to to deliver if they want it.

Today's Show: National Equality March Update

4:30pm EST: Cleve Jones and Kip Williams of the National Equality March on Washington join us this afternoon to talk about their efforts in setting up for the march on the weekend of Oct 10.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

HIV Vaccine Breakthrough?

I don't usually focus on HIV/AIDS breakthrough news as its often fleeting. But this looks very promising. Researchers have created a vaccine that reduces risk by 31%. While that's not enough, it's the very beginning in an area that has daunted scientists for years:

Even though the benefit is modest, "it's the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine," said colonel Jerome Kim who helped lead the study for the US Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy

and Infectious Diseases.

The institute's director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that this was "not the end of the road," but said he was surprised and very pleased by the outcome.

"It gives me cautious optimism about the possibility of improving this result" and developing a more effective Aids vaccine, he said. "This is something that we can do."

Today's Show: Mormons and Maine

4:30: Fred Karger, Campaign Manager with Californians Against Hate, will be in studio with us to discuss his continued fight to expose the Mormon money connection to the National Organization for Marriage.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: My Prison, My Home

3:30pm EST: Haleh Esfandiari, founding Director of the Woodrow Wislon Center's Middle East Program, will talk about her time in prison in Iran and her new book- My Prison, My Home.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Straight Porn Makes You Gay

Rachel Maddow continues on the implications and impact for the GOP of Tom Coburn's chief of staff Michael Schwartz, and his "straight porn makes you gay" speech at the Values Voter Summit last weekend.

Today's Show: More Troops In Afghanistan?

4:30ET Brian Katulis,senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, joins us to discuss the liklihood that the US could send more troops to Afghanistan.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: Inside the Secret Service

3:30pm ET - New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler give us a behind the scenes look at the Secret Service and speaks about his latest book, In The President's Secret Service: Behind The Scenes With Agents In The Line Of Fire and The Presidents They Protect.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: Health Care and LGBTs

2:30 ET Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-2nd/ Wi) joins us to talk about the heated health care debate and what the impact will be for the LGBT community when reform takes place.

Tom Delay Finds his "Feminine Side"

Today's Guests - Bloomberg and Gay Marriage; President Obama and Governor Paterson; And continuing the health care debate...

At 3:30, we'll be joined by Paul Schindler, Editor-in-Chief at Gay City News, to talk about Mayor Bloomberg putting gay marriage chances at "Zero, Zero" and President Obama asking New York Governor Paterson not to seek another term for governor.

And at 4:30, Drew Westen, author of The Political Brain, will continue the conversation on health care reform.


Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

A Call from Harley in Indiana

During a discussion last week on the show about health care (and specifically about Jimmy Carter's comments that some of the criticism of President Obama is racially motivated), Harley from Indiana called in. The clip is below, and I've posted it by popular demand of listeners who were blown away by her anger, and, yes, laughing at her wingnuttery. She is a trucker who drank about a gallon of the Glenn Beck Kool-Aid. We can laugh at people like her -- and I certainly did, all in good fun -- but let's just take note that she represents the many people out there who are very angry, uneducated about the issues and don't have the time (or say they don't) to find out the facts.

Easily swept in by all the paranoid fantasies spun out by right-wing commentators, these people (whether birthers, deathers, teabaggers, 9/12ers, whatever) are not something Democrats should just slough off politically, and certainly we're all worried about the dangerous ways this anger could play out. Frank Rich gets at some of this in his column today about Glenn Beck and his minions. As Rich notes, and Harley confirms, they're angry at both Democrats and Republicans, often for reasons they don't even understand and just because someone has given them permission to be. They're dealing with the same difficult issues everyone else is dealing with: Harley talks about how her mother is terminally ill, and of course she's getting all the wrong facts about the future of health care. From where? Harley mentions "Channel 32" as her news source -- it's the Fox News channel, we later confirm, and I bet Glenn Beck is feeding her delusions. Her rage -- including at me, for having a supposedly "luxurious" job -- is quite notable. Pathetically, these people don't realize many of their problems lead right back to the policies of George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and the party they all no doubt supported. And of course, the media doesn't ever point this out to them.

Saturday Back Talk

Here are some listener survey comments I read on the show this week. If you have not taken the listener survey and are a listener to the show please do so by scrolling down and clicking through on the right. Thanks!

Oakland, CA (XM)
I can't say I always agree with you and sometimes I think you're a total whack job with an "ivory tower" outlook on the world but I listen anyway. I think it's important to have your voice and views on the air as well, however whacky they may sometimes be.

Baltimore, MD (Sirius)
I've heard people complaining about you discussing various topics outside of gay-related issues. While I do think your main focus of the show should be topics that affect the GLBT community, I think it would be a disservice to your listeners to talk about ONLY gay issues. I think there are many issues in the world that deserve discussion and are important to talk about but might not be inherently gay issues.

Clearfield, KY (XM)
I am extremely impressed with the Michelangelo's interviews. I am still haunted by the Steven Andersen interview. I was extremely impressed by your ability to calmly pose questions so that he could reveal his true character. His assertion that "God sends imperfect people to do his work" was truly chilling. How he could claim that he wasn't encouraging his congregants to do violent acts against Obama and gays is beyond me given his hateful words. Was one of the most powerful interviews I've ever heard.

Tampa, FL (Sirius)
Kudos for the great interview with Steven L. Anderson. You pushed him just hard enough without going over the line and being disrespectful. I don't understand why the secret service has not arrested him for encouraging the assassination of the President. How can someone in a position of authority stand up in public and say they hope the President or someone else dies because they have done something terrible or threaten the country? Isn't that saying to some unbalanced person that they should resort to violence?

Atlanta, GA (XM)
I just listened to (as much as I could stomach of) your interview with Steven Anderson the whacko preacher. I really wish you had been better prepared for this interview --perhaps you should have pre-recorded it so that you could be in the right frame of mind. You sounded almost as ill-informed as he did. At times you seemed to be caught in the undertow of his circular logic on what is a crime vs. murder vs. biblical teachings vs. US law etc. Have your producers looking up the biblical references.. Have a theologian available who can counter the arguments... Have a criminal lawyer available. You had an EXCELLENT opportunity to put this man in his place --but I feel you really dropped the ball on this one.

Bristol, WI (Sirius)
I love the show. Michael is very smart and I relate to his opinions and views. I feel so much more informed and in touch with the LGBT movement and culture since I began listening to the show. I find it very resourceful. I'm most proud to say I will be at the gay rights march in D. C. in October and have coordinated for others to join me/us. I don't think I'd even be aware of it if it weren't for listening to the show.

Berkeley, CA (XM)
While I don't always agree with Michelangelo, I find the show very informative regarding policy and legislature that impacts gay rights. Michelangelo has a good mix of seriousness and comedy.

Santa Rosa Beach, FL (XM)
I like when you blast idiots like Rush, Dobbs and Beck. It is refreshing to hear your views on how they twist Obama's views and try to demonize our President. I only wish the White House would listen and act on views you espouse on your show. The LGBT community needs to have DOMA and "don't ask, don't tell" repealed. I am losing faith in this Administration. In fact, I have stopped sending them my hard earned money since they have failed to support OUR concerns.

Lakewood, OH (Sirius)
I appreciate your questioning of all political views, such as, Is Obama really living up to his promise to the GLBT community? I want and will win a book this year. Keep up the great professional broadcasting.

Los Angeles, CA (XM)
I love your show. It is a shaft of sunlight in a dark sinister world that seems to get darker everyday these racist bigots are out there. They are the lowest form of humanity and insist on bringing the rest of us down with them. It's just stunning to me that our civilization feels like it is not far from the brink of self destruction while these fucks are fiddling away.

Mosheim, TN (Sirius)
Michelangelo, your show is outstanding, even for a straight (but not narrow) white man like me. I would much rather listen to your show than Sirius Left, for the best in progressive talk radio. I especially want to thank you for bringing front & center Steven L. Anderson. I am an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and this man Anderson gives a very bad name to all other pastors. It is very important that people know that hate merchants such as him are out there. Please continue your show in the spirit of Love, Peace & Compassion which is there now. I pray that Peace & Love will be with you always, sir.

Dunlap, TN (XM)
I think your program is a real asset for the LGBT community. As a new listener, I really was not sure what was going on specifically in the " GAY WORLD" until now. I am able to keep up with events , news, and every now and then have a laugh. CNN cannot do that. It is really nice to know that there is a powerful voice out there who can really expose whats really going on in LGBT defense.

Ft Lauderdale, FL (Sirius)
The only major criticism I have of your show is how much time you peddle your own other businesses. Every five minutes we have a two minute discussion of exact spellings of all your blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. accounts. It is very self serving and unbecoming for such an important news show for our community. Other than that, well done!

Clips of the Week: "The Shout Was Racist"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: “The Shout Was Racist”

Today's Show: Caster Semenya's gender issue

3:30ET: Dave Zirin Host of Edge of Sports Radio with Dave Zirin, Sports Nation XM Channel 143, will join me to discuss Intersex Athlete, Caster Semenya and how her gender may effect her career and sports in general.

Today's Show: Changing How We Aquire Music

4:30ET: Greg Kot, Author of Ripped; How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music, will join me to discuss his book.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Cleve Jones on Politcal Violence

Yesterday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed the ugly rhetoric coming from the wingnuts at their protests and elsewhere and expressed her fears of violence, referring to the murders of Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

Rachel Maddow had Cleve Jones, who of course vividly remembers those days working alongside Harvey Milk, on her show to discuss it. Cleve also mentioned the National Equality March happening on October 10-11.

Today's Show: The Man who Made Glenn Beck

4:30ET: Alexander Zaitchik will join me to discuss W. Cleon Skousen,Beck's favorite writer and the author of the "The 5,000 Year Leap."
A once-famous anti-communist "historian," Skousen was too extreme even for the conservative activists of the Goldwater era, but Glenn Beck has now rescued him from the remainder pile of history, and introduced him to a receptive new audience.

Today's Show: Trans Pastor Comes Out to Church

3:30ET: Today I will speak with Rev. David Weekley of the Epworth United Methodist Church about coming out as a transgender man to his congregation after 27 years in silence.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Respect for Marriage Act

You've got to agree, it's a great name. The RMA is Rep. Jerry Nadler's bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, and which Barney Frank hasn't co-sponsored (though 91 other House members have, including the other two openly gay members) because he believes it doesn't have a good chance. To which some of us say: So what? Why not have many approaches and opportunities for debate and votes on gay bills?

I had Jerry Nadler on the show yesterday and we discussed the issues Barney Frank raises (as well as what is clearly a bit of a power tug) as well as the White House's potential blockades. He vowed that he would not bow to any White House pressure that might emerge (Obama has said he wants to repeal DOMA but clearly would want to push it far off) and pull the bill, but did say it was too early to talk about when hearings might happen, as they're still getting co-sponsors aboard.

The Man Who Changed Glenn Beck's Life

You won't be shocked to know it's a crazy Mormon-inspired conspiracy theorist crackpot who Glenn Beck looks to for inspiration. A guy so nutty that right-wing conservatives did what they could to distance themselves from him:

In reality, however, the so-called 912ers were summoned to D.C. by the man who changed Beck's life, and that helps explain why the movement is not the nonpartisan lovefest that Beck first sold on air with his trademark tears. Beck has created a massive meet-up for the disaffected, paranoid Palin-ite "death panel" wing of the GOP, those ideologues most susceptible to conspiracy theories and prone to latch on to eccentric distortions of fact in the name of opposing "socialism." In that, they are true disciples of the late W. Cleon Skousen, Beck's favorite writer and the author of the bible of the 9/12 movement, "The 5,000 Year Leap." A once-famous anti-communist "historian," Skousen was too extreme even for the conservative activists of the Goldwater era, but Glenn Beck has now rescued him from the remainder pile of history, and introduced him to a receptive new audience.

Today's Show: Repealing DOMA

3:30ET: I will speak with Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Congressman representing the 8th District of New York, who this morning introduced a bill that will repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

Today's Show: More on Madoff

4:30ET: Erin Arvedlund, Author of Too Good To Be True; The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff, will join me to discuss he book on the Ponzi Scheme King.

"Tea Party" Madness

I watched this last night on CNN and was blown about by this clown. Anderson Cooper slices through the idiocy and hypocritical rhetoric of a one of the Tea Party protest leaders who took to the mall in Washington on last Saturday. James Carville had pointed out that they had signs saying "Bury Obamacare with Ted Kennedy."

Today's Show: Another Gay Bar Raid

3:30ET: Richard Ramey, co-owner Atlanta Eagle will join me to discuss a recent raid on his bar where eight employees were arrested when Atlanta police raided the gay leather bar.

Today's Show: Not a Chimp

4:30ET: Author Jeremy Taylor will join me to discuss his First book, NOT a Chimp; The hunt to Find the Genes that Make Us Human.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

CNN Appearance Re: Hate from the Pulpit

I was interviewed on CNN by Don Lemon on Saturday night while I was still in Montreal attending the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention. We discussed my interview with the hate preacher Steven L. Anderson, who prays for President Obama to die, and believes all gays should be executed. He also made a death wish upon me too during the interview. (We had some technical issues at the studio in Montreal, so, as you will see, much of the interview took place on the phone while CNN ran video clips of my interview with the hate preacher.)




You can see the full video clip of the interview with Anderson and hear the entire audio interview, which is much longer, right here.

On CNN Saturday Night

I will be on CNN tomorrow night, probably at about 10:30 but will have exact time tomorrow, discussing my interview with the rabid antigay preacher Steven L. Anderson. For those who need a refresher, he is praying for President Obama to die (and one of his congregants took an automatic weapon to an Obama speech in Arizona) and he also said I should get brain cancer "like Ted Kennedy" and die.

I'll be in a studio here in Montreal, as still attending the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention. I'll be discussing the interview with Don Lemon, and we'll focus on this extremism, what it means, why it's dangerous, why it needs to be exposed and how much race may be a factor.

From Montreal

Here are a couple of pics of the special live show from Montreal yesterday, Going Global, at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention.

From left to right is the panel that was there in Montreal (we had two other panelists, one in Mexico City and on in London.) From left to right is me; Michael Luongo, who has reported from over 80 countries around the world for the gay press and has been doing groundbreaking reporting on the brutality against LGBT people in Iraq, where he traveled twice: David Walberg, editor and publisher of Canada's Pink Triangle Press, which publishes the Xtra chain of LGBT newspapers; and Jon Barrett, editor-in-chief of the Advocate and Advocate.com.

Going Global

We are bringing the show to you live today from Montreal, broadcasting from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association Convention. The panel discussion of the live show will be: Going Global: The Demands for International LGBT Reporting and the Challenges It Presents. It will air live today at 2 ET for two hours, and then rebroadcast at 4 ET.

Reporter Michael Luongo will join us just back from Iraq where he has been bringing us incredible reporting over the past two years.

Advocate editor Jon Barrett is on the panel as well; the Advocate's next issue focuses on Cuba, with an interview by Canadian reporter Michael Rowe with Mariela Castro Espín, an LGBT activist and niece of Fidel Castro. Jon will talk about the ways the magazine is using its website to foster international reporting.

We will also have the activist and writer Peter Tatchell via satellite from London, talking about his activities documenting events at LGBT prides in Eastern Europe and Russia, which have been met by violent homophobic reactions; he'll discuss the challenges for LGBT press in covering these events and why it is so important.

Also on the panel will be David Walberg, Canadian editor and publisher for Xtra, a chain of LGBT newspapers across Canada. And we will try to check in with reporter Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City. Please join us, live from Montreal at 2 East, 11 West.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

No Live Show Today

We're traveling to Montreal today for the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention, so no live show today; we'll replay some requested interviews and caller discussions in a rebroadcast today. We'll be coming to you live tomorrow from Montreal, for a special show, Going Global. Same time as usual, 2 East, 11 West.

Today's Show: Inside Republican Gomorrah

3:30ET: I will speak with Max Blumenthal, Author of Republican Gomorrah; Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party.


Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Obama's "Indoctrination" Speech

We talked a lot of about this on the show on Friday and I'm going to bring it up today and get your thoughts about an email I received. A listener said I was wrong and nasty to say that the caller who took his kids out of school for the speech was a" bad father" and that I have no right to tell people what is and what is not good parenting? I'm sorry, but he's producing the people who will go out and either foment bias or stop it in the future, and that does affect me. Anyway, I'll read it and we'll talk about it.

The White released the speech the president will give today to students which Republicans -- who had not read it -- claimed was radical socialist indoctrination,. Here's The gist of it:

“If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.....We can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents and the best schools in the world. And none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities.”

I've now realized this is indoctrination into something foreign to the Republican mindset: Actually studying and finding out the truth about the world and moving on from there with hard work, rather than: a) being rich and getting Daddy or Mummy to get you a job (i.e., Mary and Liz Cheney, Jenna Bush, Jonah Goldberg, and on and on); or b) being not-so-rich and being deprived a good eduction because of Republican policies and, in your ignorance, then believing whatever some emotion-based, exploitative smear artists (whether politicians or part of the insurance industry) tell you about who caused your problems instead of actually studying and getting the facts. Yes, that is really radical!

By the way, Republican Party chair Jim Greer, who you'll remember I debated a few times in CNN, says he still believes Obama may slip in a different speech. I kid you not. Shameless.

But Are you Heterosexual?

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer of South Carolina addressed the stories out there asserting that he is gay, as the media still tries to claim this is a smear by his opponents (and Gov. Sanford) when it is a gay activist, Mike Rogers, simply exposing truth. Anyway, in this interview he says the rumors are "silly" and "don't matter" but he doesn't say he's straight. Interesting.

WaPo Ombudsman Slams NOM Profile

Last week I had Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse on the show to talk about her piece on the National Organization for Marriage's Brian Brown (who I then then on the program later in the week.) Hesse was pretty shocked that her piece was seen as a puff piece which came under a lot of criticism by LGBT activists, liberal bloggers and journalism critics. She came on the show to defend herself and explain how it went wrong (editing took out the sly bits, she pretty much said, and with those barbs included she didn't think she needed opposing views, so she had none) and, I guess, to let us know she's not some sort of religious right monster.

Now the Washington Post ombudsman has apologized for the piece, chastised Hesse and the editors for not providing critics of Brown, provides some thoughts on how the piece happened and reveals that Hesse is bisexual herself and wept over the response to the piece:

Hesse has been blistered in the blogosphere, even cast as a bigoted conservative who endorses a homophobic agenda.

I agree that the story fell short, but not because Hesse was naïve or lacked journalistic diligence. In retracing her reporting, it's clear the research was extensive. And some details about her personal life seem to belie claims she has a conservative agenda (more on that later).

Rather, this is a case where three things -- a storytelling concept, a writing technique and a bad headline -- combined to ignite reader reaction as vitriolic as any I've experienced in my seven months as ombudsman.

I would go further and say it's an example of how the Post, ever mindful of sagging circulation, is desperately trying to be hip and cool in competing with blogs and online media, as we've seem time and again, blundering in the process. In this case, perhaps fearful of the repercussions of past juvenile antics in trying to compete, they took the teeth out of writing that was attempting to emulate that competition by being sarcastic and having a clear point of view. What's left is a puff piece, which the reporter then of course went along with too. It's all part of the paper's and print journalism's identity crisis, and it's clearly still not serving the public.

Saturday Back Talk

Listener survey comments, many of which I read on the show this week, as well as a few more I didn't get to. If you're a listener to the show, and haven't taken the survey, please do so by clicking through on the right. Thanks. Have a great holiday weekend!


Houston, TX (Sirius)
Although I enjoy the topics that Michelangelo talks about, he comes across as a gay version of a Fox newscaster. He acts as if he has all the answers. He is as fundamentalist as it come to his brand of atheism and anti-gun views. He is disrespectful to those who don't agree exactly as he believes. Again I feel I am listening to a gay version of a Fox or right wing radio channel.

Palm Desert, CA (Sirius)
I love that you have guests from both sides of the fence. Your passion and motivation is inspiring. I do also enjoy the fact that you do listen to others, even though you have strong opinions and views of your own.

Meridian, ID (Sirius)
I like that you confront the assholes that are out there trying to spread their stupidity and hate. The problem with democrats/progressives and gay folks is that we are too nice. We keep getting trampled or shouted down. Go, Mike, Go!

Lakeside City, TX (XM)
I appreciate that you confront not only the wingnut homophobia, but also the "benign" type, wherein people deign to tolerate us and believe that what we want is some sort of special protection, not that what we want is to have simply the same rights that they enjoy. You articulate that most basic tenet frequently and well.

New Orleans, LA (Sirius)
Great show. Like it or not, you are OUR voice and give OUR cause credibility.

Whitehorse, YT, Canada (Sirius)
I find comfort in the show because way up here in The Yukon there are many lesbians, but not that many gay men. So when I can't find any gay men, I can turn on the radio and listen to your show. Keep up your campaign Signorile. I haven't disagreed with your opinions yet.

Bel Air, MD, (Sirius)
Thanks for enlightening me on all the events and news every day. Your show makes my commute much easier to handle. Hopefully I'll get up the nerve to call in someday. BTW, is caller Jay in New Haven single?

Deltona, FL (Sirius)
Great show Michelangelo. Enjoy the reaction of my 89 year old mother and 65 year old brother when they travel in my car and listen along with me. They love and support you and me!

San Francisco, CA (Sirius)
I think the guys behind the boards get a little carried away with the bots (or whatever you call the audio bits of sound like Mike Rogers “ooof”) . I find the taser noise that is played for Steven L Anderson disturbing enough that I just turn off my computer speakers for a few minutes until Mike is through talking about him. But then I also turn off the speakers during the commercials too.

Phoenix, AZ (Sirius)
I love the show, and have been a regular listener for nearly a year now. My favorite part of the show are the interviews with opposing parties. I love the interviews, but I do have a suggestion. Michelangelo needs to let the people he is interviewing finish their answers to his questions, especially when he disagrees with their opinions. Let them hang themselves! They do not need any help.

Collegeville, PA (Sirius)
I love the clips of the week. I am still trying to get my Partner of 18 years to listen to you more often.. You really keep me company on my commute home everyday. P.S.: I also love the sound bits, especially "poemary" and "that is a horrible idea" I know them all.

Tampa, FL (Sirius)
Kudos for the great interview with Steven L. Anderson. You pushed him just hard enough without going over the line and being disrespectful. I don't understand why the secret service has not arrested him for encouraging the assassination of the President. How can someone in a position of authority stand up in public and say they hope the President or someone else dies because they have done something terrible or threaten the country? Isn't that saying to some unbalanced person that they should resort to violence?

Atlanta, GA (XM)
I just listened to (as much as I could stomach of) your interview with Steven Anderson the whacko preacher. I really wish you had been better prepared for this interview --perhaps you should have pre-recorded it so that you could be in the right frame of mind. You sounded almost as ill-informed as he did. At times you seemed to be caught in the undertow of his circular logic on what is a crime vs. murder vs. biblical teachings vs. US law etc. Have your producers looking up the biblical references.. Have a theologian available who can counter the arguments... Have a criminal lawyer available. You had an EXCELLENT opportunity to put this man in his place --but I feel you really dropped the ball on this one.

North Bay, ON, Canada (XM)
I don't know how you get through the interviews with your really anti-gay guests... it’s hard to believe some of these people really exist. My personality is very non-confrontational, so I have a hard time listening to some of your more heated interviews, but I’m truly thankful our community has a voice like you.

Bowie, MD (Sirius)
Interviews are great. You are a great debater and it is refreshing to hear your perspective full throttle. But at times, it can get me too riled up. Sometimes after a hard day's work, I also would like to hear more positive focused uplifting news and stories.

Boston, MA (Sirius)
I learned of you from the movie Outrage, and enjoy your calling out the hypocrites and haters in our culture. I don't agree with you on everything, but respect your opinions and you often make me reexamine my own views on issues. You're a refreshing change from the blowhards on the rest of the dial. I get the feeling that you're not just posturing for ratings, but voicing and defending your beliefs. And you're not afraid to inject humor when that's really the only response to something.

Katy, TX (Sirius)
I think this show is brilliant. Thoughtful, intelligent, PASSIONATE, and NEVER apologetic, Michelangelo is one of my heroes, and he's an angel not only to the GLBT community, but to society at large...an intelligent and outspoken gay voice for ALL to hear. Mr. Guggenheim is an outstanding producer, and this show keeps me with satellite radio. Keep up the good work!

Pensacola, FL (Sirius)
You are such a fascinating individual. And, I very much enjoy how you engage your listeners in conversation. I usually have my mind set on the various topics you discuss on your show. However, after that segment of the show is done and you've moved on to other topics, I often times find that I have a better understanding of what was being discussed and that my views on the topic have changed.

Little Rock, AR (XM)
I like the show. some issues can go on and on. I do wish we would quit calling the crazy people Christians. Jesus was about love, fed the hungry and healed the ill. These idiots at these town meetings are not Jesus followers nor are these gay haters. they need to be called something else. Thank you I do like your show and your Friday highlights at the end of each hour.

Clips of the Week: "I Would Not Condemn That Person"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: “I Would Not Condemn that Person”

Today's Show: Wal-Mart and God

4:30ET: I will speak with Bethany Moreton, Author of; To Serve God and Wal-Mart; The Making of Christian Free Enterprise.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: Making Aseuxal an Orientation?

3:30ET: David Jay, Founder of asexuality.org, will join me to discuss why he thinks asexuality is an orientation that it should be recognized as LGBT.

Media Distorting Bauer Outing Story

It's pretty bizarre, and I can only conclude that reporters don't want to give legitimacy to the story by actually crediting activist and blogger Mike Rogers (who has a 100% track record), but media reports on the discussions of South Carolina's Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's sexual orientation keep attributing the rumors to a smear campaign by embattled Republican Governor Mark Sanford and his allies.

Politico claims this and so does CNN and McClatchy. It's true that Republican State Senator Jake Knotts,an ally of Bauer, is charging that it's a smear campaign by Sandford. But the reporters doing these stories know full well that that is simply not true: The claims are emanating not from political opponents in South Carolina but from gay activist Mike Rogers, pointing to the hypocrisy of yet another right-wing Christian conservative politician.

These media outlets are not only distorting the story and downplaying what might be the truth of the rumors (by not attributing Rogers, who has always been right) but they are really helping to smear Sanford, since they know it's not him putting the rumors out there and yet push this idea. Don't they have a responsibility to get all the facts? Or are they afraid that they're then confirming it because it's Mike Rogers -- who was right about Larry Craig and others -- and they don't want to actually say that someone might be gay, which to them and their editors appears to be the worst thing imaginable? Whatever the reasons, it's distorting the news, and that's not journalism.

Going Global

We are taking the show to Montreal next week, broadcasting live on Thursday from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association Convention. The panel discussion of the live show will be: Going Global: The Demands for International LGBT Reporting and the Challenges It Presents. It will air live on Thursday at 2 ET for two hours, and then rebroadcast at 4 ET.

Reporter Michael Luongo will join us just back from Iraq where he has been bringing us incredible reporting over the past two years.

Advocate editor Jon Barrett is on the panel as well; the Advocate's next issue focuses on Cuba, with an interview by Canadian reporter Michael Rowe with Mariela Castro Espín, an LGBT activist and niece of Fidel Castro. Jon will talk about the ways the magazine is using its website to foster international reporting.

We will also have the activist and writer Peter Tatchell via satellite from London, talking about his activities documenting events at LGBT prides in Eastern Europe and Russia, which have been met by violent homophobic reactions; he'll discuss the challenges for LGBT press in covering these events and why it is so important.

Also on the panel will be David Walberg, Canadian editor and publisher for Xtra, a chain of LGBT newspapers across Canada. And we will try to check in with reporters in the field via satellite, in China and Mexico City. Please join us next Thursday, September 10, live from Montreal at 2 East, 11 West.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today's Show: Drug's, Sex and Woodstock

3:30ET: Elliot Tiber author of Taking Woodstock, will join me to talk about his book, the movie version directed by Ang Lee and some titillating stories that Elliot experienced along the way.

Today's Show: NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality

4:30ET: I will speak with Jesse Connolly Campaign Manager, NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality on what they are doing in Maine and they have some big news to report today!


Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ: Sirius 109, XM 98 and on the Sirius XM iPhone app. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass or, if you have an iPhone, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Interview with NOM's Brian Brown

Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage joined me on the show yesterday, a few days after a very puffy piece about him and the group appeared in The Washington Post (I had interviewed reporter Monica Hesse about the criticism of the article on Tuesday.)

In the video clip above, which includes selected parts of the interview, I challenge him to explain why he doesn't believe there should have been ballot measures on interracial marriage, ask him to address some of the controversy surrounding the group (and money funneled to another group that is run by him) and discuss the religious agenda of a group which he and Maggie Gallagher have contended is a secular organization.

Below is an audio clip of the full interview, where we discuss other issues as well.

Today's Show: Lou Dobbs Supporting Hate Groups?

4:30ET: I will speak with Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters about Lou Dobbs and his affiliation with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

You may ask who are the people behind FAIR and what do they represent? Well, last year when he attended the group bragged in a press release that the CNN host's "prominence will add to the visibility and stature of the event."