Tag: Lambda Legal

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Episode 84: Chicago Pride, Busy Weekends, and Keeping Sane

It’s been a busy few weeks, but we’re back after a brief hiatus. This week, we talk about what we’ve been up to lately, including a whirlwind weekend that included a cookout with friends, our second screening of the documentary, Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between (produced and directed by our dear friend Claire Jeffreys), and a fantastic Sunday day marching in the Chicago Pride Parade with one of our favorite organizations, Lambda Legal.

We also talk about our newfound appreciation for non-alcoholic beer. Not that we’re turning into teetotalers, but a lot of breweries are making excellent non-alcoholic varieties these days. We’re especially fond of Athletic Brewing, which specializes in non-alcoholic beers and cocktails.

Finally, we spend some time talking about the Supreme Court’s disappointing ruling in the Skrmetti case (see Episode 64 for more on the case) and how to protect your mental health during these dangerous times.

You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel, and please follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). 

We hope you enjoy this episode, and please feel free to leave us a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

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Episode 80: Fundraising, Food Finds, and Frightening Headlines

We’re back with a new episode, and this week we’re diving into a little bit of everything, from our ongoing support of Lambda Legal, to a delicious neighborhood discovery, and yes… some eyebrow-raising political developments.

First up, we’re so excited to share more about our fundraising efforts leading up to the Bon Foster Gala on May 9th. It’s such an important cause, and we’re grateful to everyone who has supported our campaign so far. There’s still time to contribute, and if you’d like to donate to our page, we’d be so thankful! Every bit helps in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. And for more information on the cases that Lambda is working on, check out their website.

On a lighter note, we recently tried a new restaurant near our house, and, wow, it did not disappoint. We probably never would have found it if not for our local Facebook group, which has turned out to be a surprisingly great resource for everything from food recs to local happenings. If you’re not already in one for your town, we definitely recommend checking it out to see if one exists. It’s a great way to meet new people and stay connected to what’s going on around you, especially if you are new to the area.

Of course, no week goes by without a bit of chaos in the political sphere. We touch on RFK Jr.’s troubling remarks about autism, and the incredibly concerning news that Dr. Oz is now heading Medicare and Medicaid. Yes… really. 

It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed sometimes, but talking through it together helps.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t have support or you feel alone and alienated by what’s happening in today’s world, you’re always welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

Until next time, stay kind, stay informed, and take care of yourselves.

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Episode 79: Parenthood

We begin this week’s episode with a reminder that we are raising money for Lambda Legal’s critical work in defending the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and people living with HIV. As Lambda Legal’s CEO Kevin Jennings often says, this is our “What did you do during the War” moment, and we hope everyone rises to the occasion. 

For more information on Lambda Legal’s work and their recent successes against the Trump administration’s assault on the rule of law, check out their website. If you’d like to help, you can buy tickets to the Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration here, or donate any amount on our fundraising page.

We then turn to the main topic of this week’s episode, which is parenthood. Specifically, we talk about understanding the assignment, as the kids say — which is to support your children and love them unconditionally no matter who they are or what they do. It’s pretty simple, really, but a lot of parents don’t get it. From accepting your kids’ identity and orientation, to vaccinating your kids for their good and the good of the community, to learning how to cede control when it’s necessary for your kids’ welfare, that’s the job you signed up for and that’s what you’re required to do.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t have support or you feel alone and alienated by what’s happening in today’s world, you’re always welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

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Episode 78: Fundraising for Lambda Legal

In this episode of In The Shadow of the Evening Trees, we talk about our fundraising efforts for Lambda Legal and the Midwest Region’s annual Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration, which takes place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can buy tickets to the event here, or donate any amount on our fundraising page.    

The money raised helps with legal costs for the LGBTQ+ Community.  This cause is personal for our family. As parents of a transgender daughter, we care deeply about ensuring that everyone—no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation—has the right to live freely, safely, and with dignity.

If you’re able, we would be so grateful for your support. No donation is too small to make a difference.

We also discuss a recent news story about an unnamed trans fencer who’s opponent would not fence them because they were transgender. This also brought up that sports in general there are MANY people who are born with certain abilities that help them excel at sports, and being transgender, or cisgender – the playing field is never equal and mindset also plays a big role in how people can be successful in their various sport.  

We hope you enjoy this episode and want to remind you that if you feel alone about what is going on in todays world and don’t have support – you are welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

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Episode 73: Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration

What do you do when the world has gone mad and American democracy seems to be collapsing right in front of you? One thing you can do is to find the thing that matters most to you and dedicate yourself to that cause. It might be diversity, equity and inclusion. It might be climate change. It might be economic justice. But find that one thing and focus your efforts and your energy on it, because no one of us can solve all the world’s problems.

That’s why we continue to be involved in Lambda Legal, one of the country’s oldest and most successful LGBTQIA+ civil rights and advocacy groups. For 51 years, Lambda Legal has fought for and secured the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and people living with HIV, and they are more dedicated to that fight than ever before.

So, as we discuss on this week’s episode, we ask you to join us for (or, at the very least, contribute to) Lambda Legal Midwest Region’s major annual event: the Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration, which takes place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central time at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can buy tickets for the event here, or, if you’re not able to make it, you can donate here. We’ve got our tickets, and we hope to see you there!

There’s more to this week’s episode, too, including other ways to maintain your sanity in these crazy times, our Valentine’s celebration, and ways to stay connected with friends and family, which is incredibly important right now.

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave).

We hope you enjoy the show, please feel free to leave us a comment, and we’ll talk again soon. 

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Episode 51: Time Warp

Hey, we’re back already! After a less-than-consistent podcasting schedule, we’re posting an episode for the second week in a row. Which is pretty remarkable, all things considered.

This week we talk about using people’s preferred names. That is, everybody’s preferred names. Not just trans and nonbinary people. It’s a sign of respect and you should get in the habit of doing it.

On a sort of related note, we talk about the term nibling, a gender-neutral collective term for nieces and nephews, which is particularly useful if you have nonbinary relatives with that relation to you. Again, it’s all about treating people with respect.

And because we’ve been inconsistent with posting lately, we talk about trying to record and post more often and suggest that you might be interested in some of our earlier episodes, including Episodes 49 and 50, in which we talk about our recent trip to Ireland to see Bruce Springsteen and a host of other things.

That leads us to revisit our recent impromptu/informal high school “reunion” and how we reconnected with old friends. We also spend some time talking about maintaining lifelong friendships and how valuable they can be for your mental health. And we talk about surprise parties, which are somehow related to this topic. You’ll just have to trust us.

From there, we recap our past couple of weeks, including walking in the Chicago Pride Parade with Lambda Legal, a fantastic organization that advocates (and litigates!) for LGBTQIA+ individuals and people living with HIV. We did an awful lot of walking that day — and struggled to find parking, as you do in Chicago — but it was a great time.

Finally, we talk about our youngest daughter’s college graduation party, living in a swamp, and the curious (and annoying!) morning time warp. Which is an appropriate way to wrap up this episode!

So, we hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter, where our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time! 

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Episode 48: Civil Rights Galas, College Graduations, Kind Words, and Bruce in Ireland

In this week’s episode, we talk about Lambda Legal’s Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago, for which Dave is on the host committee. It’s not too late to make a donation to this fantastic organization, which has been fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights for more than 50 years. 

Then, Jennifer gives a recap of her fun but very hectic trip to San Antonio last weekend, we talk about our youngest’s college graduation this weekend, and the importance of sharing kind and supportive words … even if it doesn’t come naturally to some of us!

Finally, we spend some time talking about our upcoming trip to Ireland to see Bruce Springsteen (again!), Bruce’s European tour opener in Cardiff, and his (first ever?) performance in Belfast, a city that could use a lot of love.

We hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter, where our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time

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Episode 42: Channeling Difficult Emotions

Since we rebooted our podcast, we begin this week’s show discussing topics we plan to cover going forward, including familiar themes such as LGBTQIA+ rights, family, and music, and new(ish) themes like cooking and physical and mental health.

From there, we discuss the tragic death of indigenous nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict after a brutal attack at a high school in Oklahoma, and the range of emotions their death evokes: anger, rage, frustration, despair. But, more importantly, we talk about how to channel those emotions in a constructive and positive way, because losing hope is not an option.

To that end, we also talk about an important fundraising project we are involved in: the annual Lambda Legal Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration in Chicago, which takes place on Friday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. Central at the Art Institute. Please consider joining us if you can, and, if that’s not possible, please consider making a donation to Lambda Legal, one of the country’s oldest, largest, and most successful legal organizations fighting for LGBTQIA+ Americans and people living with HIV.

Above all, to paraphrase the late, great Joe Strummer of the Clash, we urge everyone who’s feeling justifiable anger today to turn that anger into power.

So, we hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter. Our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time! 

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