UPDATE: The Supreme Court just released their ruling on this case today, Wednesday April 29th. It's deeply upsetting, but unfortunately, not that surprising. Red Wine & Blue will be getting together for a virtual event soon to be together and talk about next steps. Stay tuned!

When we wanted to talk about the latest Supreme Court case that could completely gut voting rights, we went straight to the expert. This week, we're sharing the audio of our recent event with Janai Nelson, the hard-hitting NAACP lawyer who argued Louisiana vs Callais at the Supreme Court.

Janai and Katie's conversation covered all of the basics of what's happening (simplified so we can all understand it!), what it was like to present a case to the full-on United States Supreme Court, and what gives her hope.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

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There’s no denying that music can help us not lose our sh!t — we’ve discussed it on the pod before with authors, psychologists, political experts, and friends. Chances are, you’ve turned to a song to get yourself through a difficult moment in your life or our current political hellscape.

But today, we’re not just talking about music; we’re actually listening to it.

On this episode, Katie and LaFonda were joined by folk musician Inda Eaton. Together, they listened to songs that have moved them, inspired them, made them laugh, and kept their feet moving in the right direction — from funny viral videos to Inda’s own poignant song FREE.

There’s a reason that music is often said to be “deeper than words.” It captures a feeling, a shared humanity that goes beyond the battlefield of rhetoric. As Inda says, it’s the common ground of the heart.

We encourage everyone to check out the musicians whose work we shared today: Hostile Government Takeover by Todd Givens Jr. (aka AGiftFromTodd), Join ICE by Jesse Welles, Minnesota by the Marsh Family, FREE by Inda Eaton, and Heavy Foot by Mon Rovia.

And there are so many other songs we wished we could’ve shared but it would’ve made this episode 3 hours long! We also recommend All You Fascists Are Bound To Lose, Living In The Future, We Run, Thank You For Replacing The Ayatollah, and How Can You Sing The Blues. There are so many amazing artists out there making music to get us through these hard times, just like there have been throughout history.

Protest music is powerful. We hope this episode helps you, whether it's with a laugh, a cry, a connection, or all of the above.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

On March 31st — just two weeks ago — the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Colorado couldn’t ban conversion therapy for minors. They called it a matter of “free speech.”

But to the nearly 700,000 LGBTQ+ Americans who have gone through conversion therapy, it’s a lot more than an abstract issue about free speech. It’s a trauma they’re still dealing with, even if it happened to them years or decades ago.

One of those 700,000 is Drew Amstutz, Red Wine & Blue’s Chief of Staff and all-around delightful human. On this week’s podcast, he shared some of the horrifying details of being forced through conversion therapy as a 15-year-old kid.

Please be warned if you have trauma around religion or sexual harassment; Drew’s story is hard to hear. But it’s still happening every day to kids across the country, so it’s crucial that we talk about it.

LGBTQ+ youth who go through conversion therapy face a higher suicide risk — not just while they’re experiencing it, but for the rest of their lives. It's a practice that manipulates parents into traumatizing their kids for simply being themselves.

When you hear about a 60-year-old man breaking down a 15-year-old child, including techniques like gaslighting and sexual harassment, it’s hard not to draw connections to other powerful abusers like Epstein. Again and again, we see this country protect the rich and powerful and cast aside women and children.

The episode wasn’t all doom and gloom, though! After discussion Drew’s personal story, we talked about joy in the LGBTQ+ community. When so many powerful forces — from the government to your parents — are telling you that who you are is wrong, fun and community can be lifesaving.

This episode is honest and heartbreaking, but it’s also joyful and full of love. Despite the trauma he experienced, Drew is one of the most kind, uplifting, and competent people that all of us here at Red Wine & Blue have ever had the pleasure to meet. We know you’ll love him too. ❤️

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

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