-
Why Question 2 Matters to My Marriage
Why is Virginia’s Ballot Question 2 so important? Here is why my wife Lauri and I voted “yes” to protect our marriage and secure fundamental equal rights under state law.
-
Not a Bad Woman – Just Not a Woman
Kris spent much of their life thinking they simply weren’t very good at being a woman. It wasn’t until the pandemic, when they discovered the language of non-binary and agender identities and found others with similar experiences, that they realized they didn’t have to fit either side of the gender binary. In this episode, Kris…
-
The Problem With Pronouns
Why are pronouns such a big deal? English has always changed, and singular “they” has been around for centuries. The real problem isn’t the language—it’s refusing to respect what someone tells us about themselves.
-
Why Maria Transitioned at 58
or most of her life, Maria believed she understood who she was. After the end of a long marriage, she set out to answer a simple question: “How can I be happy?” The unexpected journey that followed led her to discover herself, embrace her identity, and find a sense of freedom she’d never known. In…
-
More Than A Building – Creating a Home for the LGBTQ Community
ake an inside look at Our Center, Casa BruMar Foundation’s LGBTQIA+ community center in Prince William County, Virginia. Designed not as a sterile facility, but as a welcoming, home-like safe space, Our Center provides vital health partnerships, educational classes, and essential resources for the community. Join Linda as she speaks with Executive Director Evelyn Brumar,…
-
Why I Transitioned — Speaking Out After 37 Years
Nearly 37 years after transitioning, I reveal that the anonymous “Emma” from Emma’s Story was me. This is not simply the story of my transition, but of the fear, depression, hope, and healing that shaped my life. My hope is that by sharing my own experience, I can help others better understand what it means…
-
Discovering I Was Gay as an Adult
Billy shares his deeply personal coming out story, reflecting on what it was like to grow up without fully understanding his identity and eventually come out later in life. In this honest conversation, he discusses self-discovery, acceptance, and the challenges of recognizing who he was as an adult, offering insight for anyone navigating identity, coming…
-
Why I Voted YES for a Gerrymander in Virginia
In this episode of The Spectrum, recorded on March 27, 2026, we explore the complex ethics of the upcoming Virginia redistricting vote and its national implications for the LGBTQ community. Host Linda discusses her difficult decision to vote “yes” for a partisan gerrymander—a move that seemingly contradicts her core principles but is intended to “fight…
-
From Space Force Colonel to Congressional Candidate | Bree Fram
Retired U.S. Space Force Colonel **Bree Fram** joins *The Spectrum* to discuss her 23-year military career, coming out as a transgender woman while on active duty, and the impact of policies banning transgender service members. In this wide-ranging conversation, she reflects on leadership, service, and the challenges facing transgender Americans today, and explains why she…
-
What They Didn’t Teach You In Biology
Nature’s response to a simple binary is usually: ‘Hold my beer.’ In Episode 36 of The Spectrum, we’re moving past the oversimplified diagrams of middle school textbooks to explore the fascinating, messy, and beautiful reality of human biology. From the social lives of bonobos to the intricacies of the SRY gene, we dive into why…
-
The “Ick” Factor
In this episode of *The Spectrum*, we explore what homophobia and transphobia really are — not just in their most extreme forms, but in the subtle, everyday reactions that often go unnoticed or are dismissed as harmless discomfort. From personal avoidance to institutional discrimination, bias exists on a spectrum and is frequently rooted in instinctive…
-
Polite Words, Real Exclusion
In this episode, Linda shares a recent personal experience that shaped how she wanted to begin the 2026 season. After offering to help test a remote astronomy setup at a friend’s request, she was unexpectedly declined—not because of her skills, but because of discomfort with pronouns and LGBTQ-related links in her email signature.