Audio from yesterday's show...

 Yesterday I played audio from the March 22 Gender Freedom March and Rally. This event was very well-attended by the LGBT community, its allies and other patriots and people who value decency, honor and truth. The speakers were from all walks of life - from a comedian to a staff sergeant from Fairchild AFB. When future generations look back at this time in our nation's history, they will view gatherings like these as a historical attempt to stop the evil of foreign-influenced fascism which has gripped America and seeks its destruction. And as always, we started off the broadcast with a small snippet from Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny. If you would like to listen to the show, here's a link.

And here's a video of the march itself. Thank you Spokane FaVs

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Today's Out and About - Audio from the Gender Freedom Rally and March

Today on Out and About, I will be playing audio from the Gender Freedom Rally and March. Thanks to KYRS’s own Lynnea for grabbing this audio. Thanks to Spokane Favs for the video! 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Haiku Friday March 28, 2025

 

Hey, tow truck driver!

Please don’t take my car away. 

Wrecked beyond repair. 

Max Q 

It’s ubiquitous:

Just another white Tesla. 

Terrorist’s delight.

Max Q 

Hold my hand, my friend 

As we bear witness to the 

Beauty of two hearts

Laurel

Transparent intent

Manufacturing chaos 

Truth is in hiding 

Rikosan

Planned like a schoolday

Write, read, theater, art, math

First class is PE 

Maeve

Yesterday's Out and About - Nerdgasm!!!!

Yesterday I had Mexi-Pexi, Muffy and Dana-mite on to talk about their burlesque fundraiser for Spokane's Spectrum Center. I learned a lot about a lot of things - burlesque, the burlesquernauts, how burlesque is a great way to combat fascism, and most importantly - what is a "nerdgasm." 

This show is a fundraiser for a segment of our population which is under attack. If you want to support trans people, give the finger to a fascist government, and most importantly, HAVE FUN, you won't want to miss the show. 

And guess what, if you have read this message this far, why don't you hit me up for a couple of free tickets? My wife and I bought tickets but family obligations both nights will keep us at home. Boo! But, our loss is your gain. The first one to message me (Maeve Griffith - Facebook Messenger) asking for the tickets will get them. This is a $70 value (in money - priceless for the good things it will do for your soul). 

If you missed the show, you can listen here.

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Some other ways of keeping in touch:
Websites: 

Art: http://maevegriffith.com, 

Haiku Friday: http://haikufriday.com, 

KYRS: https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/

Fish Respectin': https://fishrespectin.com

Spokanarama: http://www.spokanarama.com

Bluesky: spokanarama.bsky.social 

Substack: https://substack.com/@spokanarama?utm_source=user-menu

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spokanarama

Today's Out and About - NERDGASM - A burlesque fundraiser for Spokane's Spectrum Center!

 

I am so excited to be talking today with my buddies Erin Sellers and Dana Sammond. You've seen them in many theatrical productions in the area, but did you know that they are also burlesque performers!?!!?

YES THEY ARE!

And I will be talking with them about this show - NERDGASM - in particular, while also doing a bit of a dive into the world of burlesque and why burlesque is so apropos for a fundraiser that will benefit the transgender community in Spokane. I also want to learn a little bit more about The Guardian - A Church of Art and Expression. So much to talk about in less than an hour! 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Yesterday's Gender Freedom March

• 

Here's a nice article about the rally and march, featuring this really nice picture of yours truly. I heard a guesstimate of a thousand people being there. For sure there were at least 500, I would think. Here is the text of the speech I gave:

Hi. my name is Maeve Griffith. I am a transgender woman. But, that’s not the main thing that I think about when I want to say who I am. I am a retired fire captain for the City of Spokane. I’m also an air force veteran, grandparent, parent and spouse. Like many of you here today, I never thought that I would have to publicly defend this little fact that I am transgender.

My trans siblings this is very hard time for us. We are now the poster children for everything that our current fascist president and his enablers hate, and we are paying the price. But in some ways, things have never been better for us and I will tell you why.

Look around you. Look who is standing with us. Look who else is under attack by the same corrupt, lawless administration. We have never had so many allies. Veterans, teachers, seniors, children, scientist, doctors, nurses, firefighters, immigrants, people of color, police officers, soldiers, workers, farmers, business owners - we are all standing together as these dark forces seek to harm us, dismantle democracy, rob us and destroy our nation. LGBTQIA people have never had as many allies as we do now. Donald Trump and his demented band of dummies have done the impossible - they have united the most diverse group of patriots ever assembled against a common threat - them.

Maybe it’s time we look at why they hate us. To me it’s pretty simple. These pathetic people worship a felon, a traitor, an adjudicated rapist. And as OUT members of the LGBT community we are the opposite of liars, we are people who tell the truth about ourselves, even when that truth has cost us so very much. They don’t understand that, they don’t “get” honor or honesty, and our honesty makes them feel even more ashamed of their cowardice and their dishonesty. They worship the prince of lies, whose administration, every day does one dishonorable thing after another. And we are the opposite of that.

I don’t know about you but it makes me happy to be hated by people like that. It means I am doing something right. It is a sign that I am acting honorably.

Now's the time for all of us to act and to act honorably. Let’s make sure that we trans folk stand up for all the people I mentioned who now stand with us. March in their demonstrations. Offer them support. Who knows what world-changing forces will come out of our alliances together. Most importantly, only when you stand up for others will you will feel the strength that you truly possess in yourself.
Elon Musk has been blaming trans people for setting Teslas on fire. As if they need any help. But Elon isn’t the only oligarch ally of Trump. What about the other cowardly billionaires, billionaires who could have been heroes but now have joined the traitors?

You can use your power against them right now peacefully and effectively. Divest. Don’t give Jeff Bezos any more of your money. Stop your Amazon Prime membership. I did. And if I can do it, you can do it too. I used to get at least three shipments a week from Amazon. Ask my wife! Now, I go to local merchants if I can. And whether I buy online or at a local store, I do a little research into what they have done in response to the Trump administration’s attack on anti discrimination policies. When you shop at local stores, as a trans person, those local merchants get to see a trans person spending money in their stores, joking around with their employees and just being a normal nice person. There is nothing better you can do to advance gender freedom and acceptance of us than to just go about your daily life as a normal person engaged with your neighbors. I know as a trans person, it’s easier to get things in the mail, to stay hidden, to not risk, but we have to. And you can look around you right now and see the people who will be at your side at the first sign of trouble. WE ARE NOT ALONE!

I am seeing things I never thought I would see happen to my nation - it being destroyed not from war but from the inside as we watch our country abandon democracy and join with our enemies against the Free World. We hear our elected leaders and one political party encourage us to turn our backs on our Constitution, on empathy and on justice. It is easy to feel hopeless. I find hope in revisiting the touchstones in my life, reminders of how things were and how they should be. One of the ways I do this is by looking at the oaths I have taken in my life, in the air force, as a union member, my baptismal vows. All these give me strength and a guiding star and remind me of what was and what could be again. Find and revisit the touchstones in your life.

Lastly, take care of yourselves. It’s OK to be sad, to be angry at what these people are doing to us and to our nation. But If possible, do it in private. Don’t let these pathetic people see you angry, sad or hurt. Like a Star Trek episode (The Day of the Dove - Season 3, Episode 7) this is an evil entity that feeds off of your negative feelings. The fascists celebrate“liberal tears” even when those tears are shed for them, for what they have become. Don’t feed the imbeciles. It’s not good for you or for them. Let’s have fun. Fighting fascists should be fun. Get a good night’s sleep. Watch what you eat and what you drink. Pray. Meditate. Work out. Hang out with friends. Enjoy the arts. Create art. There is a reason why you are on this planet right now. You have a mission. Gray areas have faded to black and white. Things are crystal clear. We will not be denied our rights. And America will not be denied a democratic future. We will accomplish this peacefully but ruthlessly and without hesitation.

Never forget, that, without a doubt, all of us gathered here today are the “good guys.” That’s what the history books will say. I am thankful that I get to be a part of it. Let’s join together and march on.

Pieta

Sympathy for the devil and the red guy too.

Haiku Friday - March 21, 2025

 Haiku Friday March 21,  2025

Afternoon zephyr:

Sweet spring kisses from the west

Working on line three. 

Max Q 

Creative process

feeds me now more than ever.

Sleeping well tonight.

Susan

My morning bagel

with a shmear. Heaven on Earth!

Lox, you say? Yes please!

Susan

Snails of Sun and Night:

Oceanids' art palette...

Who masters Romans?

-Ashuvyahu

A united front 

Coalition of the sane

Bring the eagle down

Rikosan

I feel great turning

Feet placed firm on crust’s thin shell

Earth’s core bops below

Maeve 

Today's Out and About show...

 

Today on Out and About, I will be talking with Matt Danielson, Executive Director of Spokane Pride. There are a lot of great Pride events coming up, not the least of which is the March for Gender Freedom on March 22nd. Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Some other ways of keeping in touch:
Websites: 

Art: http://maevegriffith.com, 

Haiku Friday: http://haikufriday.com, 

KYRS: https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/

Fish Respectin': https://fishrespectin.com

Spokanarama: http://www.spokanarama.com

Bluesky: spokanarama.bsky.social 

Substack: https://substack.com/@spokanarama?utm_source=user-menu

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spokanarama

This old outhouse…

Being reclaimed by nature is an apt metaphor for…

Haiku Friday!!!!

 

Haiku Friday March 14, 2025

local blowing snow
it's spring time in alberta
winter won't let go

Bill

See Spot; see Spot pee;

See Spot’s puddles pool and dry. 

Two puppies: oh, my! 

Max Q

Lining up for eggs;

Snaking past toilet paper:

A Covid redux. 

Max Q

Morning efforts to

Love with curiosity 

Embrace peace softly

Laurel

In the crowded streets

Everybody on their phones

We can be alone

Rikosan

Nuremberg trials

For the Nazi destroyers

Justice is for all

Maeve

Out and About - Your Plans for the next four years...

 On yesterday's show, I played audio from Spokane's January 20th Martin Luther King Day rally (which also coincided with the inauguration of what was supposed to be a president). 

I recorded people's answers when I asked them what they planned on doing the next four years. Some of the answers are so hopeful and some of the people answered in a way that you might think that they had a crystal ball that would portend the awful unfolding of the last two months. I also played a little music and shared some news that might have slipped under the radar. If you want to have a listen, here's the link: https://archive.kyrs.org/mp3/kyrs_250311_160000b.mp3

Out and About airs every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS - 88.1 and 92.3 fm. You can also stream it from kyrs.org, where you will find the archives. Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

My presence is pretty limited on Facebook. If you want to keep track of future shows and other stuff, subscribe to my blog -   http://spokanarama.blogspot.com

Some other ways of keeping in touch:
Websites: 

Art: http://maevegriffith.com, 

Haiku Friday: http://haikufriday.com, 

KYRS: https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/

Fish Respectin': https://fishrespectin.com

Spokanarama: http://www.spokanarama.com

Bluesky: spokanarama.bsky.social 

Substack: https://substack.com/@spokanarama?utm_source=user-menu

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spokanarama

Stage Left's Ride The Cyclone is a much-appreciated triumph!

Sarah and I went to Ride The Cyclone last night. I had heard really good things about the play and the performances, but I was not prepared for how really wonderful the whole thing was. Every actor gave an amazing performance. The set was exquisite. The costumes were fantastical and fantastic. 

It's a musical about a group of choir students who die in a carnival ride accident, so I was expecting something kind of tongue-in-cheek and dark, and there was that. What I did not expect was the absolute joyfulness that this play embodies. 

These are dark times for all of us (unless you are a Russian leader, traitor, Russian spy or an oligarch). This play might be what you need to keep you going. Its sheer exuberance and the beautiful unfolding of story is a dazzling work of talent, labor and trust. Kudos to Holland Jones for the direction and coalescing a vision that, for me, was as prescriptive as a magical spring tonic.  

This show has been selling out every night. Accordingly and thankfully, Stage Left Theater has extended the run, SEE THIS PLAY, PLEASE! You won't know how much you needed it until it reaches its sweet ending. Tickets are available here. 

Haiku Friday March 7, 2025

 

Haiku Friday March 7 2025

Christmas lights reflect

In puddles of March’s rain:

It’s hard to let go.

Max Q 

There’s a place for him

In the tenth circle of hell

Just south of Gaza.

Max Q

 

I nearly forgot

To write those haikus to you:

Plenty on my mind. 

Max Q 

I heard a robin

longer days and warmer temps

is it spring yet, please

Bill

tariffs, tomorrow,

next week, next month, next quarter?

a reveal party

Bill

My dear red father

Hold me like the Pieta 

When I return home 

Rikosan

They must pay big time

With their dollars and their lives

Rebuild, Prosecute. 

Maeve