After attending Boston University with a major in English Literature, Peter continued his studies at the Actors’ Workshop of Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Dance, and HB Studio in NYC. He directed and/or choreographed regional and off-Broadway productions before turning to TV where he produced and directed for USA Network and SyFy for over 20 years, most notably the award-winning children’s animated series CALLIOPE and the magazine-format program INSIDE SPACE as well as dozens of on-air promotional spots. In addition, he assisted the Broadway director/choreographer Bob Avian on “Miss Saigon”, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Follies” (London). He acted as assistant director on the hit Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line” and later as associate director on the London revival and the US national tour of that production.
As for not-for-profit experience, Peter was on the national board of Lambda Legal for four years and continues his support of that LGBT organization as a member of its National Leadership Council. Peter was honored by Lambda Legal with the 2012 Broward County Leadership Award. In addition, he and his husband Bob Avian are sponsors of The Pride Center, SunServe, SAGE, Equality Florida, Our Fund, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Miami City Ballet and many others. Peter and Bob split their time between New York and Fort Lauderdale. Peter joined the MFPG board of directors in October 2014.
Juli Grey-Owens is a Long Island and New York State Transgender Community Advocate. She regularly speaks at churches and public forums about the need for statewide Transgender Civil Rights and gave a key address at the 2012 New York State LGBT Equality and Justice Day held in Albany.
Juli is the Executive Director of Trans PAC, New York’s first Political Action Committee totally focused on Transgender Rights. In addition, she is the Executive Director of the Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition and the Coordinating Committee Facilitator for the New York State Transgender Rights Coalition. She is also the Chair of the GLBT Democrats of Long Island, and a member of the Suffolk County Democratic Party Executive Committee.
She recently completed six years on the Empire State Pride Agenda Board of Directors, the New York statewide LGBT advocacy organization. She was a Long Island Pride Parade Marshal in 2009, was the recipient of the Empire State Pride Agenda Star Award in 2007, the 2008 Auntie M’s Helping Hands Humanitarian Award, and Outlook-Long Island’s Activist of the Year Award in 2009, and the 2013 Long Island Crisis Center Groundbreaker Award.
She lives in Huntington with her wife Barbara and their two cats, Fraidy and Sylvia.
How can someone with a conservatory degree in voice from the Eastman School of Music end up spinning rock and other crazy stuff on the airwaves? Easy! Suppression never lasts too long…most of my radio listening was done on the sly and my obsession with the Beatles, the Roches, and jazz was looked down upon from on high while I continued to nurture my vocal talent by cutting it on opera (also a great love of mine) and, under threat of disinheritence, in a rock band along with some bass playing and songwriting.
In 2011 "Sunny" Di re-located to Westchester County, New York, from upstate Rochester. She'd spent most of her adult life there working first in radio and later in public relations, where she directed publicity, organized special events, and managed volunteers for mostly nonprofit organizations. She prides herself on original and imaginative thinking: as a PR generalist who thrives on wearing many hats, creative challenges, and multiple projects, Di a great fit for our little enterprise.
Meet the LGBTQ youth and straight allies who create OutCasting — and watch this video and this one of OutCasters talking about what working on the show means to them. Working with professional guidance, training, and supervision, these young adults come up with topics, research issues, book guests, prepare and conduct interviews, write scripts, edit and produce the show, create videos, and more. Along the way, they gain substantive knowledge on the topics OutCasting covers. And listen to individual profiles in our OutCaster of the Month series.
In-depth, well researched, and punchy in the right ways... NPR-level production values.... What makes all this remarkable is that most of the people working on the show... are barely old enough to drive."
And from GLAAD:
some of the most honest and accurate representations of LGBT and allied youth in the media.
Some OutCasters have trans, fluid, and non-binary gender identifications. Some of them use traditional he/him and she/her pronouns; others use the singular they/them. Pronoun choice is important to self-identification, and the pronouns OutCasters choose are the ones we use.
Some OutCasting youth participants prefer to remain anonymous and are not included here.
OutCasters with asterisks were members of the founding group of OutCasters in 2011.
OutCasting is led by Marc Sophos.
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LGBTQ+ issues seen from the rarely heard perspectives of LGBTQ youth and straight allies — not by and for LGBTQ youth, but by LGBTQ youth and straight allies and for anyone who wants to better understand LGBTQ issues — parents, grandparents, kids, relatives, straight, LGBTQ, everyone!
OutCasting »
In-depth coverage of LGBTQ issues, featuring discussions with highly authoritative experts and people with compelling stories
OutCasting Overtime »
Working extra hard to bring you commentaries, discussions, and perspectives from our youth participants
OutCasting Off the Clock »
Having fun with the Ga[y]me Show, extra commentaries, and other behind-the scenes stuff
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Our groundbreaking LGBTQ youth program, nationally distributed on the Pacifica Radio Network, all major podcast sites, and here at MFPG.org.
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