Michelle Bown's guest appearances

Michelle Bown

Collections by Michelle Brown

Ryan O'Donnell

John Collins

Carter Brown

Jackie Jones

Karen Hardy

Scott Ellis

Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Ruth Ellis

Karen Williams

Eric Darnell

Willy Wilkinson

Imani Williams

John Sykes

Pauli Murray

Danielle Johnson

OwlTail

Ryan O'Donnell is an activist who cares deeply about social and environmental justice. This Chicago native attended Howard University and is an endless well of talent. His wide array of skills makes him tend to enhance anything that he is involved in as he fights for justice including organizing to help refugees and connecting with animal rights and environmental activists.O’Donnell wants to shine a light on the plight of LGBTQI+ refugees, particularly in The Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya.The Kakuma Refugee Camp has always been full of problems: dust storms, high temperatures, poisonous spiders, snakes, and scorpions, outbreaks of malaria, cholera, and other hardships especially if you are LGBTQIA. Many of these refugees fled homophobic and transphobic violence in nearby Uganda but continue to face threats and violence from locals and other refugees for the simple reason that they are LGBTQI. LGBTQI people in Africa are frequently subject to mob and state-sponsored violence and criminalization. Many are forced to become refugees, and when they flee for their lives and leave behind their homes, expecting to find safety—to get the rights that were denied in their home countriesO’Donnell believes it is important to shine a light on the LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma and reminds us that “Until we are all free, none of us are free.”He works with "Team Rainbow Kakuma" a coalition of LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma, Kenya. They face constant anti-LGBTQI persecution and violence that UNHCR allows. The Coalition uses democratic principles to organize a network of LGBTQI refugees throughout all of Kakuma to support each other.

Ryan O'Donnell is an activist who cares deeply about social and environmental justice. This Chicago native attended Howard University and is an endless well of talent. His wide array of skills makes him tend to enhance anything that he is involved in as he fights for justice including organizing to help refugees and connecting with animal rights and environmental activists. O’Donnell wants to shine a light on the plight of LGBTQI+ refugees, particularly in The Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. The Kakuma Refugee Camp has always been full of problems: dust storms, high temperatures, poisonous spiders, snakes, and scorpions, outbreaks of malaria, cholera, and other hardships especially if you are LGBTQIA. Many of these refugees fled homophobic and transphobic violence in nearby Uganda but continue to face threats and violence from locals and other refugees for the simple reason that they are LGBTQI.  LGBTQI people in Africa are frequently subject to mob and state-sponsored violence and criminalization. Many are forced to become refugees, and when they flee for their lives and leave behind their homes, expecting to find safety—to get the rights that were denied in their home countries O’Donnell believes it is important to shine a light on the LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma and reminds us that “Until we are all free, none of us are free.” He works with "Team Rainbow Kakuma" a coalition of LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma, Kenya. They face constant anti-LGBTQI persecution and violence that UNHCR allows. The Coalition uses democratic principles to organize a network of LGBTQI refugees throughout all of Kakuma to support each other.

Collections by Michelle Bown wsg Chicago Activist Ryan O'Donnell

Judith Kasen-Windsor

Judith first met Edie Windsor in 2010 at an LGBTQ event. Their encounters over the years led to conversations that led to romance and eventually marriage.Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court case which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and was considered a landmark legal victory for the same-sex marriage movement in the United States.Longevity is not an indicator of intensity. Although Windsor died in 2017, theirs’s was a relationship filled with love.Windsor was working on her memoir at the time of her death. That memoir “A Wild and Precious Life” was released on October 8, 2019.Edie worked on the book with Joshua Lyon until her death. He finished the book using the hundreds of files Edie left behind that included files on all her family members, letters, photographs, musings and detailed day calendars dating back to 1953 among other things. This allowed him to trace every move of her life and provide details to bring the story to life, but the meat of the book was all Edie.And she told her story from childhood to the end, “warts and all’ as only she could tell.Since Edie’s death, Judith Kasen-Windsor has been traveling continuing Edie Windsor’s legacy.  But most of all she is talking about her most favorite topic, the love of her life, Edie Windsor.

Judith first met Edie Windsor in 2010 at an LGBTQ event. Their encounters over the years led to conversations that led to romance and eventually marriage. Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court case which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and was considered a landmark legal victory for the same-sex marriage movement in the United States. Longevity is not an indicator of intensity. Although Windsor died in 2017, theirs’s was a relationship filled with love. Windsor was working on her memoir at the time of her death. That memoir “A Wild and Precious Life” was released on October 8, 2019. Edie worked on the book with Joshua Lyon until her death. He finished the book using the hundreds of files Edie left behind that included files on all her family members, letters, photographs, musings and detailed day calendars dating back to 1953 among other things. This allowed him to trace every move of her life and provide details to bring the story to life, but the meat of the book was all Edie. And she told her story from childhood to the end, “warts and all’ as only she could tell. Since Edie’s death, Judith Kasen-Windsor has been traveling continuing Edie Windsor’s legacy.  But most of all she is talking about her most favorite topic, the love of her life, Edie Windsor.

Collections by Michelle Bown WSG Judith Kasen-Windsor