What did you promise yourself you would do different in 2017? For most, 2017 is the year you are going to work out, eat healthy, work on yourself or even participate in a social cause dear to your heart. Let start the conversation about fitness, work outs and personal trainers with Jai Davis, Professional Athlete, Firefighter, Paramedic, Personal T…

SCHOOL HAS NOW OFFICIALLY OPENED FOR MILLIONS OF CHILDREN. Nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students (86.2 percent) experience harassment at school because of their sexual orientation, and 60.8 percent feel unsafe, according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) 2007 National School Climate Survey. The 2015 National School Climate …

We previously had couples from the Chicago area who agreed to join us and juts talk raw about marriage and their feelings about issues that affect us all no matter who you marry. Tonight on Can WE Talk for REAL we are going to continue that conversation. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL tonight, August17, 2016 is Lisa (Verse) Ware has been married to R…

School starts soon and for many it will be a new experience with a group of classmates they have never met and they know nothing about. For those returning to school there is the in crowd, the jocks, the brainy students and the TARGETS, and not just the new kids in schools but “friends”, “neighbors” or just the “outsiders”. Middle school and High s…

It’s been a little past the year mark since the landmark Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, decided the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples. The actual number of couples that have wed since the decision is unknown. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL on Wednesday, August 3, 2016 is Imani Baskin. President and CEO of Women Heal…

Tonight's showBy Tori s Teen Talk

Do you remember what you thought, how you felt or what you were doing when you heard that 49 people who were out enjoying the evening had been shot and killed in an Orlando Nightclub? Now the same question, when it was announced the club was a gay club? Did this horrible event impact you in such a way that you needed to talk to a friend, family, ve…

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast. In 2016 Ramadan begins in the evening of Sunday, June 5th and ends in the evening of Tuesday, July 5th. Muslims currently make up approximately 0.9% of the U.S. adult population. If children ar…

Each year on Memorial Day we remember members of our community – family, friends, neighbors even strangers – who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. We visit their graves, hold memorials, march in parades and thank them for their service but what about the remaining 364 days of the year.After a successful career as an entrepreneur in …

May is Lupus Awareness Month! Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints and/or organs inside the body). African-Americans are three times more likely than Caucasians to develop lupus and with greater severity. Black females disproportionately are burdened by lupus. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL ,May 25…

The relationship between women is based on a complexity of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. The mother-daughter bond has a powerful impact on women’s relationships. This relationship of dependence and nurturance, engulfment, power and control, is what gets re-activated in same sex relationships between women. This is where the nature of the mothe…

The Strength of My Soul: Stories of Sisterhood, Triumph and Inspiration includes stories that also highlight mothers and their struggles. As noted about the book women are the bearers of life. Women breathe live, live life and love life with all its turns in the roads. This week Can We Talk for REAL will continue to celebrate Mothers in our own uni…

The Black Trans Advocacy Conference (BTAC) is not just a convention, it's a joyful family reunion. This year the gathering celebrated its 5th anniversary with attendees from across the country and as far away as Jamaica. BTAC is a unique life changing five day program that furthers education, provides linkage to resources, community building and or…

Earlier this month the North Carolina Legislature passed HB2 a discriminatory law taking aim at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and especially the Transgender communities. There are several things involved in HB2 but the one that has gotten the most attention is the requirement that anyone using a public or school multiuser bathroom must use the bathroo…

APRIL is SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH. Around the world activists and survivors of sexual assault are participating in Take Back The Night events, marches, rallies and vigils as a protest and direct action against rape and other forms of sexual, relationship and domestic violence. On WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2016, Kalimah Johnson, Founder and CEO of t…

It’s a new look at life from a Black LGBTQ perspective. It’s “THE SIP!” - A weekly two-hour LGBTQ radio talk show that unites four intellectual African-American gay men from diverse occupations and life journeys on a quest to discover and report on everything from world headline news to pop culture. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL cohosts Teresa (Terr…

Wednesday March 30, 2016 playwright, curator, visual artist, poet, writer, spoken word artist, performer, and trans activist Andrea Jenkins.Jenkin's work is concerned with the interplay of words, mediums and genres that can be mashed together to create a new narrative. She views her work as collage, working primarily with paper and mixed media as a…

Natasha “T” Miller is African American, lesbian woman, dedicated LGBTQ activist, author and poet, raised on the west side of Detroit. The Artists Inn is located in the historical east village neighborhood of Detroit. The Inn will provide quality yet inexpensive lodging for visiting artists, while providing them an opportunity to give back to their …

The Strength of My Soul, Stories of Sisterhood, Triumph and Inspiration, Presented by SharRon Jamison is an anthology that premiere the trials, tribulations and victories of 27 women from different races, classes and backgrounds. These women share their pains, their moment of despairs and the moment of victories. They use prose and narratives to te…

March is NATIONAL READING MONTH. In celebration of National Reading Month CAN WE TALK FOR REAL co-hosts Teresa (Terry Boi) Jackson and Michelle E. Brown welcome LaWayne Childrey to the show to talk about his book “Peeing Back the Layers: A Story of Trauma, Grace and Triumph.” His book was selected as one of the top six autobiographies of 2015 by th…

It is estimated that over 60 million families are caring for an aging or disabled person at home. At least 80-90% of caregivers are women. There is no question that most of the burden falls on women for the physical and financial impacts of caregiving. As parents live longer, more women are feeling the crunch. What does it cost women caregivers to …

The National Black Trans Advocacy Conference & Awards Gala (BTAC) is a distinct educational and empowerment program event, home to nearly 300 plus trans and gender non-conforming individuals, our family, friends, community allies and corporate partners from across the country who are focused on advancing black trans equality. BTAC is a unique life …

On, Wednesday February 17, 2016 CAN WE TALK FOR REAL cohosts Teresa Jackson and Michelle Brown are joined by Marcus Dargan and Zachary Frater. Both men are participating on a panel for “Shout, Sister, Shout: Seeing and Hearing African American LGBT People in Fine Art and Music” at the Center of the city College of New York on February 25, 2016. The…

Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL co-hosts Teresa M. Jackson and Michelle E. Brown on Wednesday, February 10th to talk about the Obama Presidency – its place in Black history, its impact on LGBTQ rights and preserving its legacy for equal rights – is Earl Fowlkes. President/CEO of the Center For Black Equity, Inc. (formerly the International Federation …

Joining “CAN WE TALK FOR REAL”, cohosts Teresa Jackson and Michelle E. Brown on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 to address the Asian/Pacific HIV/AIDS awareness strategy and [Prep] will be Jens Tamang from the Minnesota Aids Project who before joining MAP he provided care coordination for individuals living with HIV in adult foster care and served as a …

Have you been to a workshop or conference lately and been asked what was your “preferred pronoun?” Conveners aren’t just being politically correct but acknowledging the diverse gender identities within our community. As more and more LGBTQ individuals come out and take their place at work, schools and in their communities, society is learning that …

At the top of many New Year's Resolution lists each year is getting control of our finances. It can be expressed in many ways - getting a better job, making/keeping a budget, saving more, etc. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL co-hosts Teresa Jackson and Michelle E. Brown on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 is Karen Green Reynolds a regular contributor to th…

Russell D. Roybal, National LGBTQ Task Force Deputy Executive Director and Mary Morton President of Morten Group, a consulting firm specializing in social change through skills development, public policy and advocacy, will join CWT4R. This year marks the 28th year that the National LGBTQ Task Force will present Creating Change, the pre-eminent poli…

In the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 8, Amber Monroe of Detroit became the 12th transgender woman of color to be killed in 2015 Amber was only 20 years old and a student at Michigan's Wayne State University. She was also a good friend of Bre Campbell a Detroit and national activists for Transgender rights. She knew Monroe from the Horizons Project,…

It has become the norm that when you turn on the news before the month is over another young black person has been killed at the hands of a police officer somewhere in the country. Recently Chicago has been in the news and something different happened. Out of this a new civil rights movement has emerged and it is organized and its membership is all…

Every day from 1981 people have lived and died from AIDS. But for the same number of years communities have gone without the proper education to understand the disease and prevent the spread of it. Over the course of the past 30 years, facts have emerged that have put the AIDS myths to bed. Treatments have been developed to allow people to live ful…

Joining CWT4R co –host Michelle and Terry Boi will be Tracy Baim, Editor of Windy City Times and partner with the newly formed Pride Action Tank, AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Tracy has been pushing Youth Homeless Awareness for over 5 years and now she is working tirelessly with community leaders and organizations to address this issue that is leadin…

On Wednesday November 11th we celebrate Veterans Day in the USA. It is a holiday to honor all who have served in the United States Military Services. We would like to thank each and every one of you for your service. Many times we don’t show the appreciation we should for them protecting and defending this country. We just casually mention it. Call…

Our very special guest Wednesday, November 4, 2015 on CAN WE TALK FOR REAL is the TransGrio herself - Ms. Monica Roberts. Monica just became the first African-American transperson to be honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award at the 2015 Fantasia Fair in Provincetown, MA. The award honors those who have sacrificed their careers, …

So many times a disaster will happen and we watch, we talk, we listen, we mourn then we move on to the next disaster. August 29, 2005, we watched in horror as levees broke and men, women, children, families, the homeless and animals perished one after another leaving a total of close to 2000 dead. Katrina affected many lives and we can only image t…

Now that marriage is the law of the land it's time to get focused on the other challenges facing the LGBTQ community including youth homelessness, economic disparity, discrimination in the workplace, etc. The African-American LGBTQ Community has been affected disproportionately by these and other social and equities. Joining Can We Talk For Real co…

Joining Can We Talk for REAL, co-host Terry and Michelle, Wednesday Night, October 14, 2015 will be Kim Hunt out- going Executive Director for Affinity in Chicago. Kim held the position for over 6 years and has many memories, good and bad. She has lead groups in celebration and protest never afraid to say what she knew had to be said. We will have …

Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL co-hosts Terry (Terry Boi) Jackson and Michelle Brown on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 is MARY EATMON author of “NINE HOUSES: Chronicles of One Woman’s Triumph Over Abuse, Shame and Neglect.” Mrs. Eatmon was born in 1931 in Boligee City in Green County, Alabama. At age 15 she was raped and out of fear for her family she en…

Sometimes the truth in your face is what you need. HERE IS THE TRUTH: More than 20 states are in financial trouble along with the federal government and other countries. Agencies such as the Department of Aging, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Public Aid, and Department of Human Services are working for the people but are …

Jillian’s Peak is a ground breaking web-series based on a true story of a young African American woman from Detroit dealing with her hidden inner conflicts about her sexuality and her life. Wednesday night, August 19th, joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL co-hosts Terry and Michelle are series CEO/Creator/Executive Producer and Writer Charzette Torrance a…

Each November on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we mourn the loss of our transgender sisters and brothers and pledge to end transphobia but sadly our work is not done. Although Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, and others are opening doors for the transgender community, too many of our brothers and sisters every day must face discrimination, violence and t…

Women have at least five stages of health transitions in the life. At each stage different health issues may affect you and without knowing what to ask you may be missing vital information that will help with your future wellness. Have you taken a more comprehensive approach to your health? From the time a girl is born there are the normal wellness…

Africa the motherland and where there are many storytellers passing on traditions to the African and African American Communities. The stories told answer questions of history, tell of lessons passed on and taught to generation after generation. Through oral tradition the storytellers pass on folktales, traditional knowledge, practices and the rich…

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In June, 2015 the United States Supreme Justices agreed with the pledged that there would be Liberty and Justice for ALL, when they told all 50 states in the United States of America t…

There's a new HIV prevention method - PrEP! PrEP is short for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. PrEP, is a way for people who do not have HIV but who are at substantial risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. The pill (brand name Truvada) contains two medicines that are used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV. …

With the Supreme Court decision on June 26th same sex couples won the right to marry nationwide. Joining CAN WE TALK FOR REAL cohosts Terry Boi and Michelle on WEDNESDAY JULY 8 to discuss the decision, backlash and next steps for LGBTQ couples as well as the barriers/fights that lay ahead are James Bennett Midwest Regional Director at LAMBDA LEGAL …

welcome back Esteem Awards Founder and Publisher of PrideIndex .com, Phillip Eteem. Philip started working in the community with Black Pride (Chicago in 2005) he began networking and was being introduced to people that were doing good things in the community and never really recognized as they should have been. After a short time Philip founded the…

Todd ReSean will join Can WE TALK FOR REAL, co-host Terry Boi and Michelle to discuss his journey to adopt his son Taylen. Todd, a single father would like to motivate more men to adopt and give a child a loving home. He is still in the process but would like to share his hopes and dreams for his son and encourage others to do the same. Todd is sla…

Tiera Craig a veteran, entrepreneur, activist and community leader. Serving in the United States Army from 1995 to 2004, Tiera navigated through the Veterans Compensation Appeals process and after helping a few soldiers that were having issues with the process and the feeling that they could not openly talk about their issues of being gay to anothe…

Trans Sisters are raising the bar on diversity and inclusion. Activists like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox are more than out and proud. They are using their visibility as a platform to educate, break barriers and open doors. From OPRAH to ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK TO the BOLD & BEAUTIFUL the lives of transgender men and women are being talked about and …