Best PFLAG Podcasts (2026)

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Lori Duron on What It Means to Truly Support a Gender-Nonconforming Child (Encore) 44:54

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18d ago44:54

44:54

In this encore episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with author and advocate Lori Duron, creator of the widely read blog Raising My Rainbow and author of the book of the same name. In the interview, originally released in February 2021, Lori shares the deeply personal and courageous journey of raising her gender-creative…

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Getting to Know Cranford's New Superintendent of Schools, Mark Cantagallo 27:35

25d ago27:35

27:35

Starting January 1, Cranford High School principal Mark Cantagallo will be the superintendent of the Cranford Public Schools. On this episode of Cranford Radio, I chat with Mark to learn about his background, how the transition is going and some of his plans for the schools in the years ahead.By Bernie Wagenblast

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Katherine Zappone on Love, Loss, and Ireland's LGBTQ Transformation 38:05

1M ago38:05

38:05

In this powerful episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with trailblazing Irish leader and LGBTQ advocate Katherine Zappone to explore her extraordinary journey through love, loss, politics, and social change. Born in Seattle and later becoming an Irish citizen through her marriage to Ann Louise Gilligan, Katherine reflect…

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Julia Cumes on Photography as a Force for Social Change 41:26

2M ago41:26

41:26

In this episode, host Rick Koonce interviews award-winning photojournalist Julia Cumes, whose work shines a light on marginalized communities around the world. Born and raised in apartheid-era South Africa, Julia witnessed the power of images to expose truth and inspire change. Her career has been shaped by a commitment to social justice and storyt…

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Custom Men's Clothing with Rob Breslau 25:02

2M ago25:02

25:02

For many men, getting a suit or sports coat means going to a store and buying it off the rack. For some men, however, the process is more involved. That's where Rob Breslau comes in. Rob, who grew up in Cranford, serves a clientele who are willing to spend more to get clothing custom made for them. Rob owns Prestige Custom Wear and he chats with me…

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Musician Mark Manto Coming Out with a New Album 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

Mark Manto' first took drum lessons as a child. The love of music never left. Mark's a triple threat as a musician, singer and composer. He's putting the finishing touches on a new album, The Rocky Hill, and he joins me on the podcast to talk about his Cranford connections, the wide range of musical genres he performs and dreams of someday playing …

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The Shark is Broken to Open CDC Season 16:04

3M ago16:04

16:04

In the movie Jaws the shark was terrifying. In real life, the mechanical shark, known by the actors and crew as "Bruce" was a mechanical nightmare. This first show of the Cranford Dramatic Club's 2025-2026 season is a comedy that looks at how the three main actors in the film dealt with the delays and each other during the filming. On this week's p…

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Safeguarding Kids Online and Offline: A Courageous Conversation with Jacob Stapledon 37:18

3M ago37:18

37:18

Child abuse remains one of the most urgent and under-recognized crises facing families today. In this powerful episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce speaks with Jacob Stapledon, Community Engagement and Education Manager at Children s Cove, a child advocacy center on Cape Cod. Together, they shed light on the staggering reality of …

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Teen Activist Bradley Forcier on Courage, Politics & Pride 32:25

4M ago32:25

32:25

In this episode of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with 16-year-old activist and student Bradley Forcier, whose story is both inspiring and timely. Bradley, a rising junior at Falmouth Academy, shares how coming out at age 12 sparked his passion for advocacy, community involvement, and political engagement. From leading in hi…

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Welcome to Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance 1:16

4M ago1:16

1:16

Have you ever wondered what courage looks like in the LGBTQ+ community? In my podcast series, Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, I share the powerful, authentic stories of individuals and families navigating the complex issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, self acceptance, and human love. From coming out journeys and gender transitions to parent…

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From Cape Cod Roots to State Senate: Julian Cyr's Story 43:20

4M ago43:20

43:20

In this episode of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, I sit down with Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr, who represents Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Julian shares his powerful journey of growing up as a young gay man on the Outer Cape, finding his voice through activism, and ultimately stepping into leadership to serve his community. W…

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Interview with Finn Allen (Wanda Mae) | Ep #45 34:51

5M ago34:51

34:51

Finn Allen (formerly Wanda Mae). Wanda Mae was a little girl raised in a household with an alcoholic mother, an abusive father, and two sisters. She never felt "at home" in her female body, even though at an early age she excelled at sports and was a stand-out school athlete. From the age of 4 or 5, Wanda Mae felt like a boy, not a girl. But in her…

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Interview with Joan and Rick Francolini | Ep #44 32:24

6M ago32:24

32:24

Joan and Rick Francolini are the parents of a bisexual daughter, Renee, who's about to marry a transgender man. They're also committed social justice advocates who recently organized the first-ever Lower Cape Pride celebration on Cape Cod. Dubbed, "Unity in Community," the three-day event, a multi-generational celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, drew hund…

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Skybreak Debuts New Album 37:40

6M ago37:40

37:40

Skybreak, aka Jack Ramsay, is a Cranford musician who released his album, Half Blood, this month. As a relatively new artist, Jack does it all with his music; writing, recording, and promotion, to name just a few responsibilities. Shows this year have included Tokyo, Southern California, Detroit and Portland, Oregon. On this week's podcast we chat …

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Interview with Roger Smith | Ep #43 25:58

6M ago25:58

25:58

The Trump Administration's explicit animus toward transgender people is a well-documented and very public fact. Starting in his first term and now in his second, President Trump and his Administration have carried out a systematic, years-long effort to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people. Beginning in January 2025, the Administration issued a s…

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Connecting to Those Who Served in the American Revolution 18:38

6M ago18:38

18:38

The Declaration of Independence was passed by the Second Continental Congress 249 years ago today. New Jersey is filled with a number of sites connected to the American Revolution, including here in Union County. It's not only historic locations that have a connection with the past, but there are people who can trace their ancestry to that time per…

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Interview with Susanne Bennett | Ep #42 35:49

7M ago35:49

35:49

Susanne Bennett describes herself as a white, queer, cis-gender, able-bodied, and educated elder woman. At 78, this former college professor and retired clinical social worker also describes herself as a questioner, a doubter, and someone who's always sought to better understand herself as a sexual and spiritual person. These are just a few of the …

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PFLAG Cranford-Union Provides a Place for the LGBTQ+ Community to Learn and Advocate 18:46

7M ago18:46

18:46

In 2024 a new organization made its debut in town. PFLAG Cranford-Union wrote that it "hopes to be a beacon of support, advocacy, and education across Union County." As you might imagine, June, as Pride Month, has been a busy season for the organization. Katie Webber, who serves as the non-profit's president, joins me on the podcast to talk about w…

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Cranford High Teacher Writes First Novel 15:20

7M ago15:20

15:20

During school days you'll find Sean W. Bagan in a CHS classroom teaching French. Outside of school hours he's working on a dystopian trilogy that takes place in a new world. The title of the first book, which was published this year, is "On Ravens & Riddles: From the Shelves of the Noktern." Sean joins me on the podcast to not only discuss the book…

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Serenium Therapy & Wellness Opens Cranford Office 19:41

7M ago19:41

19:41

There are many reasons a person will seek out a therapist. It might be due to a major life event or a long-brewing issue a person is trying to cope with. In other cases, someone may view therapy in the same way others go to the gym. They want to maintain or improve their health. Serenium Therapy & Wellness opened their office in Cranford at 25 Comm…

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Union County College Foundation Helps Deserving Students Get An Education 18:27

8M ago18:27

18:27

From its Depression Era beginnings, the school now known as Union College of Union County, NJ, has sought to provide a path for students who might not be able to afford a four-year college education. That mission continues today and the Union County College Foundation is the means to assist students who need financial assistance. Its role today is …

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Cranford Woman Teaches Tapping To Help People Relieve Stress, Discover Possibilities 28:11

8M ago28:11

28:11

Christine Del Negro is a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner and a mindfulness coach. One of the techniques she uses is a process called tapping. On this episode Christine talks about what tapping is and how it can be a useful practice in releasing stress and helping users. Christine's business is School4joy and she talks abou…

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Interview with Lindsey Straus | Ep #41 26:28

8M ago26:28

26:28

Lindsey Straus is a 73-year-old trans woman who's also the biological father of three sons -- triplets -- now in their early 40s. The story of Lindsey's transition --- from husband, devoted dad, and little league coach to trans woman, social activist, and lay minister at her church in Brewster MA --- is truly inspiring and courageous. But that tran…

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Imagine: Helping Kids, Teens and Adults Dealing with Grief 21:40

8M ago21:40

21:40

It's difficult to think of a tragedy more difficult to deal with as a child than the death of a parent or sibling. Kids don't deal with grief in the same way as adults and don't have the same tools to help them through the process. Imagine is an organization formed to help children deal with their suffering. The non-profit offers a number of servic…

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Cranford Dramatic Club Presents Legally Blonde 11:49

9M ago11:49

11:49

Legally Blonde: The Musical closes out the 2024/2025 season of the Cranford Dramatic Club with a run from May 2 to May 18. Three principles involved with the show are my guests this week on the podcast. They are Edgar Hildago, the director, Jaimie Bass, the choreographer and Melissa Calicchio, who plays Elle Woods, the lead of the show.…

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Cranford Film Festival to Showcase Films from Around the World 20:38

9M ago20:38

20:38

For the fifth year, the Cranford Film Festival will take place at the Cranford Theater. The festival is just one part of Arts Day, which will also feature, weather permitting, performances at Eastman Clock Plaza. Money raised through the day's activities benefits the Cranford Schools Friends of Performing Arts. My guests on this week's episode are …

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Cranford Police Chief Matthew Nazzaro 38:08

9M ago38:08

38:08

Often when I do an interview on the podcast I feel as if I'm introducing a person to the Cranford community. In this week's episode, I don't feel that's necessary. Matt Nazzaro grew up in town and has spent his career as a Cranford police officer. In December Matt was sworn-in as the Cranford Police Department's 12th police chief. While Matt is wel…

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Play From Former Cranford Resident To Debut in NYC 17:06

9M ago17:06

17:06

John Patterson grew up in Cranford. After high school he worked for about eight years at the Cranford Public Library. More recently, he's lived in Brooklyn. On Thursday, April 17, his latest play, The Last Supper, will debut in the Gene Frankel Theater at 24 Bond Street in Manhattan. John is my guest on this episode. We talk about the creative proc…

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UCNJ Finalist for Aspen Prize 20:22

9M ago20:22

20:22

Many fields have pinnacle awards. Of course there's the Tony Award on Broadway and the Pulitizer for journalism. Among community colleges, the Aspen Prize is considered by many as the top award. This year, UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ is one of ten finalists for the prize. The announcement of the winner comes April 17 in Washington, DC. T…

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What Does an AI Chatbot Have to Say About Cranford? 13:46

10M ago13:46

13:46

In October 2024 Cranford Radio featured its first AI-hosted podcast. It was amazing and scary. As the technology continues to evolve, there's a new experimental program by a company called Sesame. In a demo available online you can chat live with one of two voices; Maya and Miles. Both have distinct personalities. In this week's episode I have Maya…

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Cranford Construction Company Owner Expands Into Acting 19:24

10M ago19:24

19:24

Emilio DiFabio's first line in a performance was "Chop the tree." Since that inauspicious beginning, Emilio's roles have become much more noteworthy. Most recently, he plays the role of the coroner in American Trash. While being an actor is his latest adventure, he continues working at his company, DiFabio Construction. On this week's podcast he ta…

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Making Your Pitch 25:48

10M ago25:48

25:48

When you stop to think about it we're pitching all the time. It might be something informal, such as telling a friend about a great restaurant they should try. Sometimes the stakes are higher. You want a potential customer to buy your product or service or you're hoping to convince investors to finance your business idea. Lori Stahl Liegeois has sp…

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Cranford Neighbors Introduces You to Some of the Town's Fascinating People 22:08

11M ago22:08

22:08

It's been less than a year that Cranford Neighbors has been published. In that time, the magazine has featured a number of families in town. They come from a variety of backgrounds but they all have wonderful stories to tell. The man behind the publication is Pete Coates. The periodical also includes day trips, recipes and more and it's made possib…

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Former Cranford Resident Examines People of Hope in Podcast Series 29:21

11M ago29:21

29:21

In the 1980s Karen Coburn was attending Cranford High School. Some of her friends and their families had become involved with The People of Hope, a Catholic covenant community. Many years later, after moving to Los Angeles, Karen became interested in what happened to the group and those from Cranford who became a part of it. That interest led to an…

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Cranford to Hold First St. Patrick's Parade 15:13

11M ago15:13

15:13

Given the many Cranford residents who claim some Irish heritage, it might be surprising to learn that there's never been a St. Patrick's Day parade in town. That changes on March 16 when the community's first such parade will kickoff at 1 pm at the Community Center and wind it way down Walnut and North Union avenues. Two of the people behind the ma…

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Latoya Nugent and Among Friends 21:22

11M ago21:22

21:22

EPISODE FOUR – Latoya Nugent and Among Friends “An incredible friendship, an incredible pride.” This episode’s Pink Award Champion from the LGBTQ+ activist award ceremony Pink Awards and LGBTQ icon is activist Latoya Nugent. Daniel speaks with Latoya in her office at Toronto’s Rainbow Railroad and discusses her work with the 2SLGBTQIA+ refugee advo…

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Legacy 25:52

11M ago25:52

25:52

EPISODE SEVEN – Legacy “It’s a hundred and fifty dollars more than we had this morning.” To close this season, we re-visit more hilarious and heartbreaking moments from the inaugural 2024 Pink Award, Canada’s LGBTQ+ advocacys and LGBTQ+ activist award ceremony celebrating queer icons making a difference. Daniel speaks with our first Legacy Award wi…

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Rufus Wainwright and pflag Canada 24:07

11M ago24:07

24:07

EPISODE SIX – Rufus Wainwright and pflag Canada “A new kind of family.” Anchoring this episode is Rufus’ breathtaking performance of his song “Going to a Town” at the PTP Pink Awards, a Toronto awards ceremony celebrating Canada’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy and LGBTQ icons and LGBTQ+ celebrities. In a heartfelt and personal interview from Rufus’ LA home, Dani…

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Elliot Page and Skipping Stone 20:30

11M ago20:30

20:30

EPISODE TWO – Elliot Page and Skipping Stone “Thank you for being the light under the door.” In part one, Daniel talks with fellow East Coaster and LGBTQ icon Elliot Page about the success of Elliot’s New York Times Bestselling memoir Page Boy. They speak about what Elliot learned from the process and how the book’s themes resound with notions of h…

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Marie-Philip Poulin and You Can Play 20:34

11M ago20:34

20:34

EPISODE FIVE – Marie-Philip Poulin and You Can Play “If you can play, you can play.” One of the world’s greatest hockey players, Marie-Philip Poulin, joins us in a break from practice a few weeks before the LGBTQ+ advocacy awards, to share her inspiring story on how she came to lead the top team in the PWHL. To experience her humility and team spir…

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Jeremy Dutcher and 2 Spirited People of the 1st Nations 21:08

11M ago21:08

21:08

EPISODE THREE – Jeremy Dutcher and 2 Spirited People of the 1st Nations “The Indigenous Renaissance has begun.” In part one, Daniel speaks with warm and wonderful composer/musician Jeremy Dutcher from Jeremy’s home in Montreal a few weeks before the Pink Awards, Canada’s top LGBTQ+ Activist Award Ceremony. Jeremy talks about where his queer and Ind…

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Genesis 18:58

11M ago18:58

18:58

EPISODE ONE – Genesis “Without heartbreak how can we know joy, without protest how can we know celebration.” Playwright, performer and content producer at Pink Triangle Press, Daniel MacIvor, leads us through the journey of creating the inaugural PTP Pink Awards, an LGBTQ+ Activist Award Ceremony and Toronto Awards Ceremony celebrating LGBTQ Advoca…

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Father Marc Vicari, Pastor of St. Michael Church 30:29

11M ago30:29

30:29

July will mark the second anniversary of the start of the Rev. Marc Vicari's pastorate at St. Michael Church. The Cranford assignment is just one of a number of roles Father Marc has had during his ministry. These include campus ministry, working for the Newark Archdiocese, and teaching. On today's episode I speak with Father Marc to learn more abo…

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Trailer: Celebrating the Champions and Changemakers of the 2024 PTP Pink Awards 2:30

11M ago2:30

2:30

Queer Joy with Daniel MacIvor Season 1: Celebrating the Champions and Changemakers of the 2024 PTP Pink Awards Queer Joy is a seven part podcast celebrating the 2024 Pink Triangle Press Pink Awards. The PTP Pink Awards are a national pay-it-forward celebration of queer excellence where community champions choose changemaking charities from the quee…

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Angels in America to Hit Cranford Dramatic Club Stage 17:14

12M ago17:14

17:14

In the early 1980s a new, little understood disease was primarily affecting two marginalized groups of people; gay men and intravenous drug users. The deadly ailment which, at the time, had no known treatment, sparked widely varying reactions. Angels in America looks at the AIDS crisis in New York City in the mid 1980s. Cranford Radio spoke with fi…

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Retired Cranford Teacher Finds New Passions and Shares Them Through Her Writings 24:41

12M ago24:41

24:41

Lori Talbot grew up in Cranford and shortly after graduating college returned to town to start a 33-year career as a teacher at Hillside Avenue School. Since retiring she's found new opportunities to use her creative skills as a columnist and content creator. She writes a monthly column for Cranford Neighbors and also has a presence on Facebook and…

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Discerning What That Little Voice Is Saying 25:00

12M ago25:00

25:00

You know that voice. That thought you just can't shake or the one you know is there but you just can't quite hear what it's saying. Cranford resident Carly Berger Nguyen decided to listen to that voice after the birth of her children and leaving her job in the fashion industry. It led to her starting her life coaching and mindset business, Little V…

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Richard Brown - Recipient of This Year's Martin Luther King Jr. Award 28:33

1y ago28:33

28:33

For most of Richard Brown's adult life he has had a passion for repairing the world. In his case, that has largely involved addressing homelessness. In recognition of his work, the Cranford Clergy Council and the Cranford Interfaith Human Relations Committee has decided to present this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Award to Richard. In this week's …

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Behind the Curtain of a Broadway Show with Christy Ney 33:23

1y ago33:23

33:23

Many people in Cranford have attended a play or musical in New York City. While you see the performers on stage there's a lot you don't see that makes the show possible. Cranford resident Christy Ney has worked extensively in theater including stints with the Tony Award-winning Side Man, the first national tour of The Lion King and 14 years in the …

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Cranford to Host Union County Interfaith Homeless Persons Memorial Vigil 14:21

1y ago14:21

14:21

Calvary Lutheran Church will host this annual event the evening of Thursday, December 19. The event is organized by the Union County Interfaith Coordinating Council. One of the leaders of the organization, Rev. Carmine Pernini, the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Rahway, spoke with me about the event.…