Gay Climate Activist Faces Potential 7 Years in Prison; also Troubling Transphobia at the 2024 Olympics

Out-FM's Bob Lederer interviews John Mark Rozendaal, a 63-year-old gay man active with the national anti-fossil fuels group Extinction Rebellion, of which he is a core New York City organizer. On July 18, Rozendaal and Alec Connon, Executive Director of Stop the Money Pipeline, both of whom had participated in past nonviolent protests at Citibank's headquarters, were served with restraining orders intended to prevent them from returning to Citibank and attempting to suppress their right to protest. Despite this, on August 8, Rozendaal, an accomplished cellist, performed in the public plaza outside Citibank's Lower West Side HQ, wearing a Palestinian kaffiyeh. When 14 colleagues encircled him, the NYPD arrested all of them and then arrested Rozendaal and Connon on a criminal contempt charge. Both now face up to 7 years in prison.
 
These actions are part of the "Summer of Heat on Wall Street" campaign demanding that Citibank divest from fossil fuels, which has led to 500 arrests for nonviolent actions thus far. The July protests at which Rozendaal and Connon were arrested particularly highlighted Citibank's direct support for U.S. militarism, including the Gaza genocide. Corporate media has virtually ignored the campaign and the repression. In the Out-FM interview, Rozendaal discusses the reasons for this campaign and the connections he sees as a gay man between queer liberation, climate justice, and an end to imperialist wars.

More on Rozendaal's arrest and the campaign here.
 

Women Boxing Their Way Through Troubling Transphobia at the 2024 Olympics

Imane Khelif & Lin Yu-Ting are both women but both were ridiculed for their masculine appearance and mischaracterized as trans, amidst calls to have them ejected from the women's boxing competition in the 2024 Olympics. Out-FM producers Pauline Park & Naomi Brussel discuss the troubling transphobia that roiled the games in Paris.

-----------------------------------------------

About Out-FM

Out-FM is a weekly progressive, intersectional queer show by and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, gender non-conforming, intersex, queer, and questioning communities. Our program originates from listener-sponsored, noncommercial WBAI/Pacifica Radio in New York, 99.5 FM and wbai.org. It’s also heard on Pacifica station KPFK in Los Angeles, 90.7 FM and kpfk.org. Our programs are archived at outfm.org. You can also follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. 

We urge you to consider becoming a WBAI Buddy (sustainer) at $10/month or more to get this premium, along with our fabulous canvas tote bag. 
To make your donation online, go to give2wbai.org and, in the drop-down menu, click on Out-FM as your favorite show. Or send a check made out to WBAI/Pacifica via USPS mail to:
WBAI/Pacifica
388 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
 
Also: Sign up for Out-FM's Weekly Newsletter with show announcements.