Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Mary Gabriel, former Reuters editor and author of the new book, Love & Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution, which looks at the personal life of Karl Marx and his family and how not only was he a world changing intellectual, but as a protective father, husband and visionary.

Guest / 4:30pm EST -In Ohio, a controversial bill know as the Heartbeat Bill has passed in the Ohio House and is likely to pass in the Ohio Senate. And religious right leaders, like Janet Porter, also a major antigay organizer, rallied over the weekend pushing for the bill. Kyle Mantyla, senior fellow with People For The American Way and runs the Right Wing Watch blog.

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Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

NC Senator: "You're trying to trip me up"

Today I interviewed North Carolina GOP state Sen. James Forrester (below is full audio, as well as a video clip), who sponsored a bill that put a measure on the ballot in that state for May that if passed would ban marriage for gays and lesbian in the state constitution. Forrester, who is also a doctor, had made outrageous, defamatory claims in a town hall weeks ago, saying that gay people die 20 years earlier than other people because of their supposed "lifestyle."

This interview has to be heard to be believed: Forrester not only could not back up his claims with any evidence -- after first trying to source the Centers for Disease Control, only to be debunked by me -- but he actually acknowledged that he could be wrong. He eventually credited a Christian activist named Frank Turek (who is associated with Maggie Gallagher and the National Organization for Marriage) as his source of this bogus public health information. Forrester had said in his town hall some of his patients were gay men who died early deaths, yet didn't seem to know anything about public health, including that, on a global level, AIDS drastically affects heterosexuals more than gay men. Later, he couldn't answer why he wasn't proposing a divorce ban if his goal is to save marriage, and couldn't explain why gays harm marriage. He accused me at that point of trying to "trip" him up, after I asked some basic questions, and even said he wasn't going to answer any more questions -- though he stayed on the line when I said it would be cowardly of him to leave.

At one point toward the end of the interview a person could be heard in the background, seemingly coaching him. Think Progress has some of the transcript up:

SIGNORILE: Why don’t you ban divorce, why not?

FORRESTER: That wasn’t my intent of the legislation.

SIGNORILE: Is divorce a good thing? I’ll ask you some yes or nos, how’s that? Divorce a good thing?

FORRESTER: I think I’m going to end this conversation right now because I see you’re completely negative, on the other side, trying to set me up.

Listen in to the full interview, or watch the edited version on video, which grabs the most appalling parts.

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - In North Carolina, a bill was approved that will send a ban on gay marriage to the ballots for May of next year. The lead sponsor for that bill, North Carolina State Senator James Forrester, also a doctor, joins us this afternoon to speak about this bill along with comments he made, claiming that his "homosexuals patients... they're going to die at least 20 years earlier."

Guest / 4:30pm EST - New York based photographer Scott Pasfield joins us this afternoon in studio to speak with us about the release of his new book, Gay In America, in which he spent three years traveling across the country taking pictures and documenting the lives of 140 gay men.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

We're back in New York after a nice few days at the Tennessee Williams Festival in P-Town!

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Former FBI interrogator, Ali Soufan, who has been outspoken against the United States use of enhanced interrogation techniques in recent years, joins us this afternoon to talk about his new book, The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and The War Against al-Qaeda, which is a first hand look at his accounts of how he helped to thwart plots around the globe.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - The always hilarious comedian Judy Gold joins us today to discuss the return of her show, Hatched By Two Chicks on SiriusXM's OutQ, which airs from 9-11am this Saturday and the first Saturday of every month.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Signorile In P-Town!

Hello all! We're having a blast up here in Provincetown. Here are some pictures from yesterdays show. Enjoy!

Our backdrop as we broadcast from The Boatslip Resort:

















Jef Hall-Flavin stopped by to speak with Mike about the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival happening this weekend in P-Town.


Mike spoke with Carol MacDonald and Kathy Clobridge from the CASAS Animal Shelter about this weekends Pet Tea Dance.




Comedian Jim David swung by The Boatslip to speak with us about his one man show, South Patheitc.




Actor and Tennessee Williams aficionado Jeremy Lawrence came by to discuss the influence Tennessee Williams had on P-Town and the influence P-Town had on Tennessee Williams.


And of course, special guest star Artie!!!!!!



We're back today with more from P-Town. If you're in the area, stop by The Boatslip and come meet Mike and me for a drink!

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is history today and gay and lesbian servicemembers are coming out and serving openly. One such closeted servicemember we spoke to throughout the repeal proces under the pseudonym "JD Smith,
joins us today to discuss the finality of the repeal and being able to reveal his real name, 1st Lt. Josh Seefried of the Air Force, co-founder and co-director of OutServe.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - The Village Voices Michael Musto joins us this afternoon to talk about his new book, Fork On The Left, Knife In The Back.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Cathy Davidson, former Vice Provost at Duke University and author of Now You See It: How The Brain Science Of Attention Will Transform The Way We Love, Work, and Learn, joins us this afternoon to discuss how "attention blindness" shapes our lives, in beneficial and harmful ways, in the new digital age.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Tomorrow, we will finally see the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" finally implemented after 17 years. An at midnight, the moment the repeal goes into effect, HBO will premiere a new documentary, "The Strange History Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which looks not only at the 17 years of the laws existance, but why there was a need for this archaic policy. Gabriel Rotello, one producer of the producers of the documentary, joins us today.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - We're in a time of the government looking to cut Social Security and a lot of companies also slashing pensions and health coverage. What do these drastic measures mean for the next generation? Ellen Schultz, author of Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder & Profit From The Nest Egs Of American Workers, joins us this afternoon to talk about it.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - The Town Board of Ledyard, NY could find itself as the first town sued since New York legalized marriage equality. Katie Carmichael & Deidre BiBiaggio, a lesbian couple from Florida, came to Ledyard, satisfying all the legal requirements needed to get married. However, they were denied by a city clerk. Drew Courtney of People For The American Way joins us this afternoon to explain what happens from here.

It's Friday, who or what will get our "Angel, Turkey, Gassy and Climax of the Week" Awards?!

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Professor, author and performce artist E. Patrick Johnson, joins us this afternoon to talk about his play, Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South, which opened in Arlington, VA last night and is running until October 10. In the show, Johnson portrays individuals derived from the book of the same title. Check out the link above for show times and tickets.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - We've been following the recent GOP debates and the news coming out of them, especially the recent attacks against Texas Gov. Rick Perry's executive order mandating young girls get vaccinated for the Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV. The debate over HPV is getting a lot of national attention, with Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann putting out some misleading information about the vaccine Gardasil. Dr. Perry Hilkitis, professor of applied psychology, public health and director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, wrote a piece in Gay City News about how HPV affects gay men and joins us today to clear up the misinformation.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

We'll be going through the highlights of the GOP TeaParty debate last night, and focusing in on North Carolina, where the legislature is debating a ballot measure that would ban marriage in the state constitution.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Throughout history, humans have had an interesting relationship with animals -- from using them to help in hunting and farming, to the evolution of the us having domesticated pets in the home. Many people have taken that love for their pets and turned it into advocacy for animal rights. How has our current relationships with our animals helped to further that advocacy? Kathy Rudy, author of Loving Animals: Toward A New Animal Advocacy, joins us this afternoon to explain.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Gay GOP Leader: Vote for Rick Perry

On the show last week I spoke to Rob Schlein, president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Dallas, who had written this piece in which he said that though he likes Jon Hunstman best he'd support Texas Governor Rick Perry over President Obama because LGBT people need to think about their "pocketbooks" first and their rights later. But the conversation got into other areas, including his claim that, as an employer, he could get around firing someone for being black. Some excerpts (full audio below):

Schlein: When I evaluate a candidate I look at what’s feasible...I don’t think a ban on gay marriage is a realistic legislative agenda...I believe Rick Perry is placating to a social conservative base…

Signorile: But why would you support someone who is placating your enemies, giving them more power, allowing them to organize against you?...Why support someone who is literally saying your rights are not worth much?

Schlein: Well you know, I look at the whole picture...

He went on to say that gays and lesbians need jobs and that he trusts Perry’s jobs plan. I pointed out that Perry is against an anti-discrimination law protecting gays and lesbians, which is certainly about helping LGBT people keep their jobs. I then pointed out that in most states, including Texas people can be fired for being gay or transgender. He responded by implying that anti-discrimination laws don’t matter because he could fire anyone for any reason anyway:

Schlein: Texas is a right to work state. So as an employer, which I am, I can fire anyone at will, there’s no such obligation.

Signorile: You can’t fire someone for being black---

Schlein: I can them for whatever reason I want---

Signorile: You cannot fire someone for being African-American...

Schlein: Well, I wouldn’t tell them...

Signorile:Well, you wouldn’t tell them, but you’d do it anyway?

Schlein: Well, I sure wouldn’t tell them...I’d find a reason if I wanted to fire them...

Signorile: You'd find a reason to fire someone because they're black?

Schlein: I'd find a reason if I wanted to fire anybody not respective of race. It's not about race.

Listen in to the full interview.

Today on the Signorile Show

Back live today after a few days off. Guest / 3:30pm EST - Patricia Bosworth, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and author of Jane Fonda: The Private Life Of A Public Woman, joins us this afternoon to talk about her friend and what she discovered about this iconic actress, activist and businesswoman.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Yesterday, the California Supreme Court held a hearing on Proposition 8 as to whether the state could give special authority to the initiative proponents to appeal the unconstitutional decision by Judge Vaughn Walker last August. Shannon Minter, legal director with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, joins us today to discuss yesterday's hearing and what this could mean moving forward.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.

Today on the Signorile Show

Guest / 2:30pm EST - We're joined by Caleb Laieski, a 16-year-old teen activist, who has met with President Obama and legislators in Washington to share his experience as a bullied teen and asked the president to appoint an LGBT youth adviser.

Guest / 3:30pm EST - Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, author of Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children, joins us this afternoon to talk about her latest book, which looks at children who are bending the "rules" of gender and presents ways that parents whose children live outside the gender box can help them to have a happy child and not grow up tormented and confused.

Guest / 4:30pm EST - Robert Bellah, author of Religion In Human Evolution: From The Paleolithic To The Axial Age, joins us today to talk about his book, which looks at the origins of religion and how they have ties that are deep in human evolution.

It's Thursday, be sure to take the Listener Survey and we'll try to read some on the show today!

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ 108 and on the Sirius XM iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free seven-day pass or, if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for free, for a 7-day trial, and listen on your phone.