Hello from Baehr and Curadh, a podcast from the Land of Awes Information Services.
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I love you, Baehr.
This is episode 147 of the Baehr and Curadh podcast.
We're going to talk about recent news.
Okay.
Pride organizers say sponsors are pulling back amid diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks.
Not surprised.
Are you surprised?
No.
I'm surprised it's taken someone this long.
And a lot of these pride organizations in smaller towns really depend on that sponsorship money.
Mm-hmm.
It's really too bad.
But, um, really, doesn't this tell you who our friends really are?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
When the publicity that they get for it, um,
outweighs,
you know,
the amount that they're spending,
that they're donating.
Yeah.
Kind of wears out its welcome.
Um,
and just because the government is rolling back their diversity programs doesn't mean these companies have to.
No.
Um,
they're only doing it to gain favor with the administration.
Yeah, and when the administration doesn't give a crap,
why should they?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, that's too bad.
Um,
they also,
they also possibly want to avoid any bad publicity.
I could see some MAGA person saying,
um,
you shouldn't be sponsoring these faggots in this parade.
Yeah.
You think so?
Uh,
I can see it going through their heads.
Oh, yeah.
This could be the perfect.
Especially when they don't have the support of the current administration.
Yeah, I mean,
and this is a perfect excuse to get out of it.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, it's too bad.
It's,
well, like I just said,
um,
who,
who's your real friends?
You,
you find out who they are.
When the wind blows another way.
Yeah, yeah.
You'll see truly how it is.
But did you see,
did you see that,
uh,
this is a little sign of how his organization was held $2.2 billion from Harvard?
Yes.
And Harvard went,
screw you.
We got enough money.
We've got $80 billion of our own.
Yeah.
I thought that was awesome.
And I think it's just going to take time for a lot of other people to do that.
Or a lot of court cases.
For a lot of people to say,
screw you.
We don't need your money.
Mm-hmm.
So,
but a lot of,
most of them will take the money.
But,
the larger universities or whatever,
basically, get the money.
Can,
some of them can turn around and say no.
They have plenty of money or endowments,
I guess.
Mm-hmm.
So,
I'm just looking forward to seeing who will and who won't.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Once again,
we find out who our friends are.
exactly.
I would advise everyone listening,
if you,
even if you don't go to the gay pride events in your town,
or the nearest town,
at least look up who is sponsoring them.
Mm-hmm.
And take a moment to send an email to thank that company.
Mm-hmm.
Because that one email will speak volumes.
Yeah.
That's true.
Yeah.
Try to visit those places as business,
though.
Mm-hmm.
You know what I mean?
So,
support local,
as you know,
if they're supporting us.
Go to your pride festival and get a business card from every booth.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
We do that every year anyway.
Mm-hmm.
Just so,
in the course of the year,
if we need,
you know,
a new roof or,
Mm-hmm.
new floors or whatever,
we know who our friends are and who we should buy from.
Mm-hmm.
Very good point.
Take care of your own.
Mm-hmm.
The Trump administration
axes more than $125 million in gay health funding.
I'm surprised it took them this long.
I would guess the majority of that is probably AIDS funding.
That or probably trans?
Yes.
Oh.
You remember last year at the Pride Festival,
the health department had people lined up to get mumps.
Mm-hmm.
Vaccinations.
Vaccinations, yeah.
Why was that?
Was it because of...
There was an outbreak,
and there's an outbreak again this year.
Oh, really?
Okay.
Hmm.
That's too bad.
So that will go away now?
All of that will go away.
Wow.
That's super freaking bad.
Some of that money is also for,
like,
phone lines.
Oh.
Health lines,
where people can call if they have a question.
Hmm.
A lot of it is mental health.
That's going to go away, too.
It just kills me.
It's very frustrating.
Well,
we've been here before.
Oh, yeah.
I know.
I mean, this is old.
It's history repeating itself.
It's the tick-tock of the metronome
from one side to the other.
Mm-hmm.
I know.
I know you have a better attitude about it
than I do.
Well,
no matter how bad the situation,
it could always be worse.
Mm-hmm.
It's true.
We can live some of it.
We could have the laws that Russia has.
Oh, yeah.
Where just being gay,
you can be convicted for propaganda.
Mm-hmm.
Spend time in prison for it.
Yeah.
No, no thank you.
Okay.
Pope Francis created a seismic shift
toward acceptance,
gay Catholics say,
I think that's true.
I think so, too.
Pope Francis famously said,
well, when he was asked about
gay people becoming priests,
Mm-hmm.
he says,
who am I to judge?
Yeah.
When you come down to it,
the Pope really,
his job is to judge.
Yeah.
I mean,
isn't he supposed to be doing God's work
while he's around Earth?
Yeah, he's supposed to represent God,
I think.
Hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Um,
I,
I grew up
going to a parochial school.
My parents were Catholic.
Mm-hmm.
I don't know,
I might still be Catholic
if it wasn't for that parochial school,
but,
um,
I've seen popes come and go.
Mm-hmm.
And
he was probably the best one we've had
in 200 years.
Well,
I don't know that much about them.
I just,
I don't know.
I don't know that he's been liked.
He did say some things
that were sort of anti-trans.
Oh, really?
Um,
so, you know,
nobody's perfect.
Yeah,
by any means.
But I hope that they put on his memorial,
how,
who am I to judge?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah,
I mean,
aren't they supposed to be, like,
wiser than wise
and holier than thou,
and,
Mm-hmm.
so, I mean.
He was the first
that had any,
any kind of humility
Wow.
in a long, long, long time.
That's impressive,
that's impressive,
considering.
Sinse, Pope Pious, really.
Wow.
Wow, that's impressive.
And I mean,
I know that I've read things about him
saying that he,
like, when he moved in,
they can move,
I mean,
he's very luscious
and lavish,
uh,
like,
housing,
and they're the best of the best,
and they're rich,
and he moved in all out.
He's like,
I'm gonna live a meager life.
And he basically lives,
like,
in a little one-bedroom apartment,
Like he did in Argentina.
Like he did in Argentina,
and, you know,
and, uh,
the old pope,
Benedict,
he was,
he was still living right next to him,
but basically Alzheimer's,
living the life that,
you know,
but, yeah,
he just,
I just want to live a very simple,
safe life,
blah, blah, blah.
Except when he's born,
or when he's buried,
when he just wants to be buried in the earth,
out, like,
in the middle of the pasture,
or something like that,
pretty,
nothing of the grandeur,
and,
of, like,
the other popes,
and stuff like that.
So,
it's kind of neat,
in my opinion.
Mm-hmm.
World Pride events organizers
changed their venues
after Trump's Kennedy Center takeover.
Hmm.
World Pride was to be
at Kennedy Center,
basically.
Okay.
And they found someplace else.
Okay.
And I,
I know that they weren't welcome.
Really?
But I suspect
they
wanted to make,
to get out of there anyway,
but before he could kick them out.
Really?
That's too,
well,
I guess it's good then,
though, right?
Well, I don't know.
I've never been to World Pride.
You hardly ever hear anything about it.
I mean,
that's the first time I've ever heard about it.
It's in a different city every year,
and it just so happens this year
it's going to be in Washington, D.C.
Yeah.
It's the first time I've ever heard about it,
so.
Huh.
I really don't have much to say about it.
It's sad that
Trump did to the Kennedy Center
what he does to his golf courses.
He takes it over
and then declares himself king,
and
nobody stops him.
No, no.
He's a big bully.
I mean, seriously,
that's what he is, so.
Mm-hmm.
All right.
World Pride organizers issue travel warnings
to the transgender community.
I think that needs to go, yeah.
Everybody needs to learn.
Actually, the United States
should issue a travel advisory
against itself.
Pretty much.
Yeah.
There's nobody else to do it.
Yeah.
Canada's travel industry has said,
we do not recommend you visit
the United States at all.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
It's because we're a political hotbed?
Mm-hmm.
Well, you know,
Trump keeps saying that Canada
is going to be our 51st state.
They didn't back away from it today
on the Marco Rubio's on there,
and they said, you know,
so do you think there'd be better,
or something around it?
He goes, well, I think there'd be a better state
if they can't support themselves.
And it's like, shut the ____ up.
Sorry.
And just,
no, I don't want to go down that road.
I wouldn't advise any gay people
to come to the United States.
No.
I wouldn't recommend anyone come here.
Period.
I mean, would you?
No.
See?
I mean, what do you mean, good, I mean...
And how many people from the United States
are going to go on vacation
and just never come back?
Yeah, that's true.
Just, yeah.
Can't get back in the country for some reason, or...
Or don't want to.
Yeah, that's true.
There's an idea.
Where do you want to go on vacation to?
Mm, Cancun's nice.
You can't speak a lick of Spanish.
No.
You'd stick out like a sore thumb, too.
So, like, Santa Claus moved to town.
Yeah.
And that sounds like your Kansas accent
would fit in real well with your new language
that you'd have to learn.
Hola, amigo.
Alright.
The Supreme Court appears posed
to rule for parents who object
to gay content in elementary schools.
Can't say I'm surprised about this, either.
No.
The right has very surreptitiously taken over.
They were losing at the Supreme Court so often.
I think they decided to focus on that.
Okay.
And get themselves a majority.
So, you can't bring it to a local level?
Yeah, if this passes,
then any parent anywhere would be able...
would be able to say, we do not want you to have any gay content in any school program.
Wow.
Unfortunately, the way they're defining gay content is if gays even exist in the book.
Really?
That that's gay content, that that's sexualizing children just because there are gay people
who exist in the world.
Wow.
So, wow.
So, showing them something that's actually factual, true, in real life is bad now?
Mm-hmm.
Ridiculous.
For instance, you remember reading The Diary of Anne Frank when you were in school?
Mm-hmm.
She had some lesbian thoughts that she recorded in her diary.
They would not be able to read that book in school because of that.
Wow.
Just wow.
Cutting off our nose to spite our face.
Hmm.
Seriously.
It doesn't do kids any good to deny that gay people exist.
They could become one, you know, or have to deal with gay people and, you know, they need
to learn how the world works.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, being ignorant is not going to help.
You know what I mean?
Do they feel the same way about guns?
No.
They don't want...
They don't want them to know about guns either?
No.
I mean, they have active shooter drills.
Yeah.
You know, if kids can stand an active shooter drill, they should be able to understand that
gay people exist.
Yeah.
I agree.
Full heartedly so.
All right.
Where are we at?
Number seven?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Department of Justice will investigate doctors who provide trans care to minors.
I can't see how that's going to survive any kind of court review.
Because of HIPAA.
I mean, privacy laws, right?
Um, I don't know what that would have to do with it.
But, um, parents should be able to give their kids whatever kind of health care they need.
Yeah.
I mean, they're basically saying until you're 18...
Yeah, no rights.
...you can't be trans.
You have no rights.
Yeah.
And, um, kids who need puberty blockers...
Yeah.
...need them well before they're 18.
Yeah.
By the time they're eligible to get their own health care, it's too late.
Yeah.
Everything's already, yeah, done and taken its toll.
It's so sad.
People shouldn't have to deal with that.
This thing of, think of the children, that's what the religious people cry all the time.
Think of the children.
Mm-hmm.
How should I have to explain to my kids that men get married to each other?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It's something they don't want to discuss, so it's easier to just get rid of it than deal with it.
Mm-hmm.
Just like they don't want them to...
They think that if they don't know about sex that they won't have any.
Yeah.
No, normally with the cases...
...they're more interested in having it because they're not supposed to be doing it.
Mm-hmm.
So, that's why you have these kids, babies having babies and stuff like that, so...
Mm-hmm.
Last of Us star Pedro Pascal calls J.K. Rowling's anti-trans social posts heinous.
I agree.
So, you want to move on to the next?
No.
I mean, do you have anything to say about it?
I know you don't...
Oftentimes, I wonder why celebrities need to involve themselves in things, you know, that they're not directly...
Involved in.
I believe Pedro Pascal has a brother or sister who's trans.
Trans sister.
Sister who's trans.
So, he's taking her on plenty of red-carpet dates and stuff like that.
He's a very...
He's an advocate for the community.
Mm-hmm.
So...
And that's what it takes.
It takes somebody who knows...
Mm-hmm.
That's why for so, so, so many years, we told people, come out.
Mm-hmm.
Come out to everyone that you can, because people will say, well, I don't know any gay people.
Mm-hmm.
They didn't know that they knew any gay people.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
You're right.
You know, people are still doing it, though.
And Pedro Pascal's not only known for Last of Us, but for a lot of things.
Mm-hmm.
So, a lot of people probably recognize his name.
And it doesn't hurt.
No, no.
To get some positive publicity out of it.
No, I agree completely.
So, she just needs to pull Harry Potter and disappear.
Just go away.
Seriously, I mean, I really think, I mean, it's a shame.
So, what's the spell that they say to make somebody disappear?
Oh, I have no idea.
Get the ____ out of here.
I'm sorry.
I have two words now that I have to censor.
Well, I hope they get the point when they hear what I'm trying to say.
All right.
Women's sports bars are expected to quadruple across the U.S. in 2025.
I don't know why that's considered gay news.
Do they think women's sports bars are all lesbians?
I suppose.
I guess that's what they're trying to say.
But that's kind of funny.
I mean, I would expect it more if it was the Women's World Cup that's taking place here.
Hmm.
You know what the Women's World Cup is?
Isn't this based mostly on basketball?
Women's basketball is more popular than it's ever been before.
It could be.
Or it has something to do with women's soccer.
Okay.
I don't know.
It has to do something with that.
I can't remember.
I can't guarantee it.
Hmm.
I don't know.
I'm probably going to sound like a misogynistic pig, but I don't know.
It has to be.
Well, I'm in favor of them having their own places.
Hell yeah.
I can see there's going to be a women's sports bar where they're going to say women only
and transgendered women no.
Yeah.
That happens a lot.
Does it really?
Mm-hmm.
That's too bad.
All right.
The United Kingdom's highest court rules.
It's that the law defines a woman as someone born biologically female.
Mm-hmm.
I'm very surprised by this.
Why?
Because Europe is usually far ahead of us in these social issues.
Yeah.
So, this is kind of screwed up.
Don't you think?
Yeah, because it's gone as high as it can go in their country.
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
And given the opportunity, I think our Supreme Court would do the same thing.
Mm-hmm.
I agree with you.
And then it'd be 50 years of living with that before anybody could fix it.
Mm-hmm.
Exactly.
I mean, it's for people.
Mm-hmm.
That's so sad.
So very sad.
Well, the only thing we can do is hope to keep it away from here.
You know what I mean?
What do you mean, keep it away from here?
Well, hopefully keep trans rights going here in the States, at least.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
Of all the issues, all the social issues, that's the biggest hot button.
Yeah.
And it's just because they don't have an organized defense.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It's an easy target.
Mm-hmm.
That's sad.
Just like gay people were.
Back in the 80s, 70s, and 80s.
Yeah.
You're right.
So, we've got to be able to step up and back them up.
Yes.
And expect the trans community to strengthen by this.
Mm-hmm.
Because they're going to be forced to organize where they weren't before.
Mm-hmm.
100% agree.
So, in the long run, the religious right's going to lose.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It may take 50 years.
But it's going to happen.
It's going to happen, yeah.
What is King's...
It's, quote, the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You always get the good ones to say.
Okay.
Gay people find confidence in community in self-defense classes.
Isn't that the idea behind them?
Yeah.
I'm all for it.
Mm-hmm.
Would you take a self-defense class?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think I would.
During the AIDS crisis, that became...
That became a really big thing, too.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
Not just for learning how to defend yourself, but also, you know, the communities that surrounds it.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
People make good lifelong friends that way.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
There's a lot of camaraderie and stuff like that.
Mm-hmm.
I'm sad that it's necessary, but I think it's a good idea.
Yeah, I mean, it's better than carrying a weapon around.
Yeah.
So many people want to carry a gun.
I'm not comfortable with that.
Me neither.
So, I'm glad you aren't.
So, there's too many times I think you might have shot me already.
No, I think it's good that people are finding, you know, confidence in this community.
It reminds me of back when I rowed.
I found a lot of confidence in there's a community in what I rowed
You know what I mean?
Being part of a group.
Being part of something.
Larger than yourself.
So, it was a lot of fun.
So, I think it's great.
I can offer anything like that.
Mm-hmm.
So, all right.
Do you have a joke for us this week?
What do you get when you cross an elephant and a skunk?
Hmm.
Be nice.
I don't know.
A smell that you'll never forget.
God.
You're a dork.
I get it.
This is Baehr.
This is Curadh.
Goodbye.
- Bye.
You have been listening to the Baehr and Curadh Podcast,
a production of the Land of Awes Information Services.
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