*Official Announcement* Re: Three Strange Women on UNregular Radio

To Our Beloved Listeners & Followers:

UNregular Radio as we knew it is no longer. The studio at 82 Bedford Street has officially been shut down and the new home of The UNregular Radio Studio is located in the Dig Boston office space.

We are going through a transition period right now, and although this has not been an easy process, Three Strange Women will continue. UNregular Radio is planning to relaunch on Monday, April 15th, 2013.

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Volume 13

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Vol. 13; Gay Boston Media Past and Present

Carmelita, Jackie, Sue

Last week's LGBT Files article was about gay friendly travel in the U.S. and around the world. This week, we're taking it back home to Massachusetts to examine some of the gay culture here in Boston's media scene.

First, a brief look at Boston's gay marriage history:

On May 17th, 2004, just over 8 years ago, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same sex marriage. This would then make us the 6th jurisdiction world wide to incorporate same sex marriage laws into legislation, along with Belgium, Quebec, the Netherlands, Ontario, and British Colombia at the time. Since 2004 the list has grown to include 8 other countries and 5 more U.S. states: Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Portugal (2010), Iceland (2010), & Argentina (2010) along with U.S. StatesConnecticut (2008), Iowa (2009), Vermont (2009),  New Hampshire (2010) , and New York (2011).

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Volume 12

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Vol. 12 Gay Friendly Travel

If you're like me, and you love to travel and meet new people, then this article is for you! Summer is here, and the festival scene is bumping! I will be traveling here and there over the summer, exploring everything the scene has to offer .

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Volume 11

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Vol. 11 "Gender Idendity & Sexual Orientation"

Although the two often go hand in hand, there is a distinct difference between gender identity and sexual orientation.  Gender identity typically refers to what is happening in relation to the physical body, where as orientation deals with who we are attracted to sexually.

Gender identity is how we identify on the male/female spectrum and how we'd like others to perceive us. Most people are born as either physically male or physically female (with some obvious exceptions). That being said, this is not always the case when it comes down to how the person identifies emotionally, as some people feel that their gender does not match their physical sex. 

Gender identity affects a person's life in many, if not all areas on a daily basis. We use gender specific restrooms, have gender specific departments in stores, and have created gender specific fragrances. In many cases, gender even affects how we interact with each individual person we encounter in terms of behavioral expectations, roles at jobs or in households, and on many other levels. We have a tendency to place gender specific expectations on people based on their identity as male or female, men being stereo-typically strong and given the role as provider, and women being seen as stereo-typically sensitive or emotional and are expected to be caretakers.

From a young age, we are conditioned to accept our gender. Boys play with trucks and tools, girls play with dolls and tea sets. Many children don't often think about gender growing up because their gender matches their anatomy. However, in some cases, boys want to play with dolls and girls want to play with trucks. While it can be an extreme situation, this can sometimes be the first sign of a child's gender identity shifting (or a preview to the child's sexuality which is usually determined a little later in life). Some societies are very accepting of the fact that not everyone fits directly into the male and female categories and they acknowledge a third gender. Trans individuals have the tough job of dealing with issues of gender in society because they want to physically represent who they truly are on the inside.

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Volume 10

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Vol. 10 "Coming Out"

Coming out, also known as "coming out of the closet", is a figure of speech used by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community to describe when an individual voluntarily discloses his or her sexual identity. Coming out can be both a comforting and stressful event. It is about so much more than just proclaiming one's sexuality to the public. 

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Volume 9

UR Lesbian: LGBT Files Vol. 9 Celebrities and the LGBT Community

There are many prominent celebrities who identify within the LGBT community. As someone who identifies with said community, it is comforting to be able to look to the mainstream media for support. 

From my standpoint, the queer lifestyle is something quite normal.

On occasion, I find myself debating this topic, even with people who are encompassed by the LGBT umbrella. More often than not, I will end with a retort somewhere along the lines of "I feel that homosexuality and the queer lifestyle are normal because this is a lifestyle I choose to live and have identified with for close to a decade. What is not normal to me is seeing people so overly concerned with my choices." I live my life everyday as the best person I can be, and my sexuality is an entirely separate entity. 

The number of celebrities who identify as L-G-B or T has steadily risen over the past decade, and even more so over the past 4 or 5 years. A good amount of those celebrities are also working to raise awareness and create a positive image for the community.