Pride with Pridelines
Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Grits and Glitter. I'm Rev Skip Jay.
Terry Dyer:What up? And I'm Terry Dyer.
Rev Skip:Yes. Yes. Yes. You is. Where you at in the hotel room?
Terry Dyer:Sh, why you telling my brother I know.
Rev Skip:I totally I just called you in. I'm sorry. I
Terry Dyer:just You coming in. I am in Columbus, Ohio. Yeah. I know. Thank you.
Terry Dyer:Y'all hear that?
Speaker 3:She put me on. No. I am
Terry Dyer:in Columbus, Ohio this in the court an entire week. I'm here for 2 different, events, 2 speaking events, diversity and inclusivity sports conference where I am the keynote speaker. So, it's been a great week. Great week.
Rev Skip:That's amazing. And have you been playing, it's but it's been raining where you are raining where I am. So you didn't play any tennis while you've been there, have you?
Terry Dyer:No. No. No. No. I did not bring brackets.
Terry Dyer:No. I, you know, I hate to say it. I flew a specific airline, and although they got real expensive tickets, they are not cute because they charge you for everything, like charging you for water.
Rev Skip:What is up with this? What is even on the one? I I know water. Right? Even the ones that are inexpensive tea, they they they screw with you because you're like, okay.
Rev Skip:I got this great to get. I'm not gonna mention any names, Spirit Airlines. I buy this do you gotta pay for to choose that seed, and then you gotta pay for if you wanna carry on, and then you gotta pay for people. What is up with that stuff?
Terry Dyer:Right. I was so beside myself because I always check a bag. It doesn't matter where I'm flying to. I always check a bag. Okay.
Terry Dyer:So in addition to paying for that, I then walk over as I'm, you know, heading to my destination. I walk over to hit TSA pre. They stop me. There's a whole separate section. They stop me.
Terry Dyer:Can we see your ticket, please? So I say, sure. What is what is this? Oh, that'll be another $80 because you're carrying a suit bag.
Rev Skip:What?
Terry Dyer:Say what now? They charged me another $80 because I had a garment bag with a suit in it. Yes.
Rev Skip:Isn't that your carry on or your personal?
Terry Dyer:I had a backpack. Right? Okay. While I
Speaker 3:had to you know? Right. Then I
Terry Dyer:had my suit bag.
Rev Skip:Mhmm. And they got you.
Dr Edward Summers:With a suit.
Rev Skip:It's a suit. You know what, y'all? I would have done I would said, hold hold on here. Hold my bag. I would put the suit on.
Rev Skip:Hold my bag for me, please.
Terry Dyer:I mean, I get it. It's a bag, but it's not as if it's taking up room like a roll on or something like that. You know what I'm saying? So another $80, it's the same it's equivalent to a check-in, but she was like, well, I don't know what to tell you.
Rev Skip:Say what now?
Terry Dyer:Say what now? That's what I really want to do. But I kept the
Speaker 3:cute pairings. Cute and classy,
Terry Dyer:but I let her know this ain't cute. This is not cute.
Rev Skip:Oh my god. Mhmm. I there's a direct airline. There's a airline that goes direct from Fort Lauderdale to Atlantic City, and it's literally 15 minutes to my mom's house from the airport. Now Okay.
Rev Skip:I could go to Philadelphia, but then I have to rent a car and then drive for an hour. So I put up with that airline. It's gotten better, but I think it's convenient. It's very convenient.
Speaker 3:It is.
Rev Skip:Something. The seats have gotten smaller. Yes. And I'm like, hold up. Wait a minute.
Rev Skip:So what I do now is I do get the exit row. I do pay a little extra for the exit row.
Speaker 3:Same. Just
Rev Skip:because my I need my legs. My legs. I will I will do that.
Terry Dyer:I'm 6 2, almost £200, honey. I'm a big I need room. I need space. I need space. 6 2.
Terry Dyer:It was I mean, I
Rev Skip:was tall. 66 in heels. Sometimes.
Terry Dyer:Sometimes.
Rev Skip:Crazy. Crazy.
Speaker 3:Yes. Well, happy pride,
Rev Skip:yo. But happy pride.
Speaker 3:I'm not
Rev Skip:feeling very prideful, for because I don't believe pride like we talked about last week.
Terry Dyer:Yeah.
Rev Skip:Pride is not just a a party day. It's all year long. So
Terry Dyer:just expect
Rev Skip:the week that's coming up. It's been raining, Charles. We've had thunderstorm, flooding watches. Unlike hurricane season here way earlier.
Terry Dyer:I know. I know. That's crazy. Everybody was blowing up my phone via text saying, you know, are you okay? Are you okay?
Terry Dyer:I'm like, I'm fine, honey. I got sun in Columbus, Ohio right now. We're cute.
Rev Skip:That's cool.
Terry Dyer:What's going on there? That's Oh, yeah. It's sunny. It's, like, 70, almost 80 degrees today. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So
Rev Skip:it is Yeah. I clearly brought the sun here. And, you know, when it rains in Florida, it get muggy and hotter. Why does it get hotter when it rains? I'm like
Terry Dyer:Yes. Set steam, honey. They're trying to keep people moisturized. That's what they do.
Rev Skip:Were you at pride last year?
Terry Dyer:So I went to vendors. Or I went to pride for a hot moment. And then, as I was walking down the street because I live a few blocks from the from the Great. And it started pouring.
Rev Skip:Exactly. Just That was it. I'm done.
Terry Dyer:I'm right home. Mhmm.
Rev Skip:That's it. I was in Bali last year, and I was watching pride, and people were, like, doing Facebook. I was looking at it. I'm like, they out in the rain.
Terry Dyer:I'm like,
Rev Skip:I'm great. I'm in Bali because I am not gonna be doing rain.
Terry Dyer:I'll do it.
Rev Skip:You know?
Terry Dyer:I'll do it. And I love it because there's there's plans. One of my besties for over 10, 15 years, he actually is flying into, Fort Lauderdale today from San Francisco. So I get to see him, this weekend. He called me today.
Terry Dyer:I was at the gym. He called me this morning. It was like, are you you're not in Fort Lauderdale. Right? He goes, are are we gonna make it?
Terry Dyer:What's happening with y'all in Fort Lauderdale? So, you know, people are worried. It definitely has folks worried. And so we were trying to figure out when we're gonna meet up on Saturday and all this. I said, listen.
Terry Dyer:I live a block away. If it's pouring, come to my house.
Rev Skip:Pride pride to Terry's house, girl. Pride to Terry's house.
Speaker 3:That's fine.
Rev Skip:No. Here's the thing too, and I and I'm I I I said this before we went on air. I celebrate pride all year long. So for me to have a miss on the day, I don't need to be in the sparkles and the frilly frills and and the I don't need to be on a float.
Speaker 3:And Or running around half naked.
Terry Dyer:Because let's be real. That's what that's that's one of the things that that happens on every pride. Doesn't matter what city you're in. It's an excuse for us to do what? Drink
Rev Skip:and run around naked. Yeah. Mhmm. And, you know, I'm not doing much of the drinking these days, you know, and I would go down there. I might have a cocktail or might not, and then probably I won't after you know?
Rev Skip:And and getting down there, I have 1, and then everyone else is on 10. I'm like
Terry Dyer:Right. Right. Right.
Rev Skip:Lobby. S Right. Sloppy. Slobby mess.
Terry Dyer:I agree.
Rev Skip:I agree. I agree. Know.
Terry Dyer:So so you're not feeling the spirit of pride specifically this month for pride. You know, I I would the first event that I came here for was on Tuesday night, and Yeah. We talked about this. Right? We talked about this in terms of, you know, just checking a box for the fur the 30 days of June.
Terry Dyer:Right? Right. Corporations, you know, everyone jumps on the bandwagon, the float, if you will, no pun intended, where it's let's be prideful during this month. But what about the 11 other months that there are where it's like the LGBTQ folks are forgotten about? Or, okay.
Terry Dyer:We'll we'll see them, you know, next month. So it's a thing. It's a real thing in our society that I think we need to have more conversations about.
Rev Skip:We definitely do. And I I believe in in like we've said and and not to give any things away in our interview that's coming up with our great guests. We talked about that that there's so many LGBTQA plus, black, white, whatever, you know, who need to have funding throughout the year. So if you're gonna be an ally now, you need to be an ally throughout the whole year, not just to throw a rainbow across your your logo. You know, that really bugs me.
Rev Skip:I'm gonna say that. With Yeah. You take your logo and then you take the flag and put it over it, I'm going
Terry Dyer:Yes. Yes. That's
Rev Skip:fine. Yeah. Well, July 1. What happens to July 1? It goes back to the other.
Terry Dyer:Exactly. Take it down. Take it down now. Right.
Rev Skip:We are not quality by out. We're calling you in.
Terry Dyer:So here's what's also interesting. I used to set for a phrase on Tuesday night at the event as well, which I'll talk about a little later. But, I said that to folks. I said, I I've learned, from my business partner and dear friend that it's a matter of no longer calling people out because that creates a negative space and people are they they become defensive when you call people out. If you call people in, it's an opportunity to really sort of create a safe and brave space to have a conversation about, you know, whatever the the the the topic is.
Terry Dyer:Right? So, I agree. We'll call these people in to the table and be like, we're in in July.
Rev Skip:Hi. You're about to make me cry. You, like, listen
Terry Dyer:to me. I talked about Terry. I did. I did.
Rev Skip:Oh my goodness. Well, this is our segment of did you know? And, I you know what? We we are both sportsmen, and, you know, I I'm that oh, I didn't tell you about this, so I'll tell you this. Uh-oh.
Rev Skip:I'm training my first half marathon. I know. Right? Gregory. So I decided that I was gonna do things at the age of 60 that I've never done before.
Rev Skip:And, yes, believe it or not, I'm turning 60 in a couple of weeks. Terry's turning how old in a couple of weeks. What do you do?
Terry Dyer:Not a couple of weeks, child. We are turning 60 and 44 in less than a week.
Rev Skip:Wow. 44. Oh my god. That's amazing. You look really, really good, brother.
Rev Skip:Thank you. That I've never done before. And this week, I started my training for my half marathon, And it's cute and all, and I I really want to push myself because I love running, but I'm a sprinter. I grew up a sprinter. In high school, I was a sprinter.
Rev Skip:Junior high was sprinter. Back in the day, it was the 50 yard dash, and now Yes. And I used to boom. Boom. That would be my thing.
Rev Skip:And then I I graduated to 100, and then I tried the 200, and that was just too much. So I realized that I was not a endurance runner, although 200 is not endurance in its power. But I realized I don't wanna do I don't wanna do anything long periods of time. So I am doing it and running, shooting all, but it's it's hard training for a marathon, a half marathon.
Terry Dyer:Listen. What I'm hearing is that you gonna need coach t to come out and help you a little bit. That's what I'm hearing. You need a little Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:Coach t in your life.
Rev Skip:And you know and you know the thing about it is that, you know, Florida is not runner friendly. I'm sorry. You gotta get way early and awarded or way late at night. So I've been doing my training on my Peloton. Shout out to Peloton.
Rev Skip:And even that is, and I'd see myself doing it. And now, you know, I did the the the the progression run this week, and now I have to do an endurance run. I gotta run for 45 minutes. I am looking forward to that, but I'm a do it because it's gonna push me, and I'm a grow from it. I'm a grow from it.
Terry Dyer:That's all I'm gonna tell you. That's all my advice is going
Dr Edward Summers:to be.
Terry Dyer:Right? Like, put that positivity
Rev Skip:spin on
Terry Dyer:it and just be like, listen. This is an opportunity to expand my horizon
Rev Skip:There you go.
Terry Dyer:And add something else to my arsenal. Right? Like, that's what it is. 60 and 60 sexy fabulous. That's what you're asking.
Rev Skip:Thank you. Thank you, brother. Thank you.
Speaker 3:That's what
Terry Dyer:you do.
Rev Skip:So this is a great segue to our did you know and my did you know. I'm gonna give the facts because we are jumping into really soon. You know, August 26th through excuse me. July 26th to August 11th is the Olympics that's in Paris, and we've talked about it before. I am so excited.
Rev Skip:I am really, really excited. The games will kick off with the open ceremonies on the 20 I love the opening ceremonies. And they come in, Martin. Just can't wait for your country to come in. It says amazing.
Rev Skip:This is the 1st year they're doing something really amazing. I'm more excited than skateboarding. Last year, they they they did skateboarding. They're doing break dancing.
Speaker 3:Breakdancing. I know. Breaking.
Rev Skip:And and this is what the Olympic Committee says. They want to bring more of the origin, the culture to be more inclusive, which I am mad at that. I am not mad at bringing in urban well, and you go back to the seventies where it was called, oh, it's a fad. It's not gonna last. It just celebrated 50, and now it's at the Olympics.
Rev Skip:Are you kidding me? I'm like, oh, so it's debut at the Olympics, and it's also about, you know, they have different, categories. They have b boys and b girls. I mean, they're really doing it. Boom.
Rev Skip:My question is, who gonna be the judges? It's gonna be Run DMC? Is it gonna be LL Cool J? Who's gonna be the judge? Because white people, I'm sorry.
Rev Skip:Yeah. Maybe. I don't know. Who'd I just say that? Oops.
Rev Skip:Oh, that was Terry Dyer, actually. Come on now. Good. No. Okay.
Rev Skip:So check
Speaker 3:this out. Terry, I said nothing. I said nothing. My name
Terry Dyer:is Bennett, and I
Rev Skip:ain't I didn't. But, Terry, who are they going to do to judge? Who are they gonna judge?
Terry Dyer:I don't know. But for me, I am excited because and, of course, I am in Columbus, Ohio for a, shout out to compete sports diversity who focuses on bringing a tremendous amount of diversity and inclusivity into sporting arms. So the NBA, the NFL, they're working with hockey league, etcetera, etcetera. So WNBA, kudos to compete sports diversity. And they're asking me I'm I'm very honored that they've asked me to come out here and keynote speak.
Terry Dyer:To me, having this new art form, in as a sport, this is what diversity and inclusivity looks like. Right? Yes. You're bringing in, as you just talked about, an urban style form, and they've created sports. There's a tremendous amount of endurance that you have to have.
Terry Dyer:You have to work out. You have to be able to last, during the the full competition. Right? Hitting all the different categories. I love it.
Terry Dyer:I love it. And I have been you know, I watch World of Dance and also you think you can dance and all that. So I know pot locking and and b boying and b girls and all that, that's been coming around for the last 10 years. So it's amazing.
Rev Skip:They're ready. They're ready for it. You think the world's ready for it, though? You think the world's ready for it?
Terry Dyer:I do. I do. Because I knew that this could potentially happen years ago when Yeah. Not only did they have so you think you can dance, they also had world of dance. That was, judged by, J.
Terry Dyer:Lo and Derek
Rev Skip:Haas and
Terry Dyer:all this. Right? Yeah. So that, to me, took that form to a whole another level. Yeah.
Terry Dyer:Right? And there's a tremendous amount of urban, folks that participate in this art form. So I think it's shining a light on that. It's giving people another outlet. Right?
Terry Dyer:Get off them streets. Well, technically, they're still on the streets, but, you know, it gives them in in a positive way to remain on the streets. You know?
Rev Skip:Remember remember remember the the the the floor from the kitchen? They put down the roof. Like, I wonder if they're gonna bring a floor. I don't think they bring it from the kitchen. But remember ballroom dancing used to be Olympic sport.
Rev Skip:Correct? I don't think it still is? Was it?
Terry Dyer:It is. It is.
Rev Skip:Yeah. Yeah.
Terry Dyer:Absolutely. Yep. It
Rev Skip:was so here's the other thing too is we look at the history of dancing in the Olympics. You look at in in Winter Olympics, we have, pair dancing, pair skate dancing. So dancing is a big part of Olympics, and it's about time. It's about time. Here's my question before you go to your did did you know?
Rev Skip:I gotta ask you something. Getting on a horse and riding around and jumping over a fence, I I brother, I mean, he may not even sweating or or the the the horse. Yes. The horse
Terry Dyer:I'm a get you for this.
Rev Skip:Okay. Why? Why? Why? Why?
Rev Skip:Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Rev Skip:Talk to me, Terry. Talk to me.
Terry Dyer:Equestrian is absolutely a sport. It is. Yeah.
Speaker 3:They they have
Terry Dyer:to have a tremendous amount of strength to control the horse. Right? There's a lot of different dynamics that is athletic in nature that goes with that sport. Right? Like, you're holding yourself.
Terry Dyer:You're holding the horse. That horse is strong.
Rev Skip:The horse is strong, Terry saying.
Terry Dyer:So to me, brother man, I love you, but no. We can't we can't call Ian equestrian. That is absolutely a sport. And it has a stretch
Rev Skip:Have you rode did you have you ever ridden ridden before?
Terry Dyer:I've rode a horse. Yeah. So my grandparents in, the Bay Area, they used to own, a ranch and had multiple horses there. So I have I've definitely ridden a horse.
Rev Skip:Okay. Alright. Well, I give it to you. I give it to you, child. Learn something every day on this podcast.
Terry Dyer:That's another reason why we're here.
Rev Skip:That's right. That's right. For sure,
Dr Edward Summers:we're sure.
Terry Dyer:To people. So my did you know in this, episode is, of course, being here. I am blown away by the the Columbus LGBTQ community. The at the helm of my dear friend, who is the executive director. We've been friends for over 15 years from San Francisco.
Terry Dyer:They get over 5 100,000 people at their per at their product festivities.
Rev Skip:That's the biggest price.
Terry Dyer:Insane number to me.
Rev Skip:That's the biggest prize?
Terry Dyer:Insane number. So I feel like I I've been to other products, San Diego, LA, San Francisco. I've never been to New York, but I almost went a couple of years ago. I know those folks get a tremendous amount of folks. I don't think the numbers are at Columbus like this.
Terry Dyer:I am beyond impressed at the level of work and how the city. What was that?
Rev Skip:Half a 1000000 people?
Speaker 3:Right. Right.
Rev Skip:That's huge. That's huge prize. Huge.
Terry Dyer:Absolutely. So kudos. That is my did you know. Kudos to them and the amount of how the city just embraces pride. And and there's flags that like, we were just talking about.
Terry Dyer:Right? Corporations have got their decorations up. And I went to a restaurant for lunch on, Tuesday, and they inside the restaurant was all decor with the rainbow and everything. So kudos, you know, kudos to to folks for that, and congratulations to them for having, a successful just in terms of numbers alone. That's huge.
Rev Skip:Yes. Huge. And as they say on drag rates, congratulation. I'm obsessed with with with all stars. I'm obsessed with all stars.
Rev Skip:Have you been watching it?
Terry Dyer:I have. I have. Absolutely. Absolutely. I don't miss I don't miss RuPaul's for sure.
Rev Skip:We have to have a conversation on on one of the episodes for pride coming up because I I like I like the queens on this one, you know, and and, you know, I'd start off going, but
Speaker 3:I love
Rev Skip:miss Vanjie.
Terry Dyer:I know. I've been a big fan of hers for for years. I think she is just unapologetically herself, So I love that. I love that. So I think it's time to call out one of our amazing, amazing partners, with our podcast.
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Terry Dyer:We're super excited to partner with them. So check them out if you need any of your freight carried across the country handy.
Rev Skip:Hello. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. You're getting
Rev Skip:better at that commercial stuff, y'all. Well, you know, she might
Terry Dyer:have been in a couple commercials.
Rev Skip:You know, I think she was. I think she was. I think so. I think so. You know, I love our interview that we just had with doctor, Edward Summers.
Rev Skip:Absolutely. And we've got great and our glitter portion of the episode. Tell us a little bit about him, and we're going to get into his episode and listen to it, and then we'll come back after that. So tell us a little bit about him.
Terry Dyer:So doctor Edward Summers is the executive director of PRidelines, which we have, shout out before, in previous episodes. They are the longest standing, LGBTQ resource based organization in South Florida celebrating 42 years. That's a tremendous feat. Right? And he is the new executive director since about October of 2023 and just really elevating the organization, getting them to a space of rejuvenation, getting them reconnected to, the community.
Terry Dyer:There's been like, a lot of organizations, they went through a couple of challenges and and really have just taken the community by storm in, since he's come on to into the organization, and I am so proud to to stand with them and support their organization. Doctor Edward Summers is a transplant from New York. He is a licensed psychologist or a therapist. He, has a PhD. He's just so amazing.
Terry Dyer:Powerful, powerful black man doing amazing things that is uplifting, not only the LGBTQ community, but the black community community as well. Absolutely. One of the biggest things that I love is they don't just they focus on LGBTQ, but, I recently learned they don't turn anybody away for services. Yeah. Right?
Rev Skip:Exactly.
Terry Dyer:It doesn't matter if you're
Rev Skip:in the interview.
Terry Dyer:Yeah. Absolutely. And that's important to know.
Rev Skip:Really That's why I loved our interview with him because he was so real, down to earth, and inclusivity. Some people say they use the word diversity, inclusivity, and really don't. But in this interview, he really dug deep into it and what it is. So
Terry Dyer:Absolutely.
Rev Skip:We're gonna listen to the interview, and we'll be back after that. So enjoy, everybody. Enjoy. Hey, doctor Edward. Thank you so much for joining us here at Grits and Glitter, the podcast.
Rev Skip:Well It's an honor
Terry Dyer:to have you.
Dr Edward Summers:Thanks. It's it's it's great to be here with you 2. I'm excited to have this conversation. So thanks for having me. I really do appreciate it.
Terry Dyer:It's our first guest. Come on.
Rev Skip:I know, right? We're very excited about it. And it's Pride Month.
Dr Edward Summers:Hello. Yes. Let's be prideful. Pride. I do too.
Terry Dyer:Exactly what we wanted to talk to you about. I mean, your organization has the word pride
Dr Edward Summers:in it.
Terry Dyer:So we really wanna sort of hear from you in terms of what what makes pride lines prideful. What is it that pride lines is prideful for in its 42nd year of existence? Hey.
Dr Edward Summers:Don't tell me I lost you guys.
Rev Skip:Oh, there you go. There you go. There we go. This is live. Hey.
Dr Edward Summers:Live. Live.
Rev Skip:It is live.
Dr Edward Summers:Yes. So we, you know, Pride Alliance has been around for 42 years. We have, tried to serve our community with honor and grace. What, you know, we are very prideful of here at Pride Alliance is that we've always been in and of community. We pride ourselves as an organization that is on the ground.
Dr Edward Summers:We're at the grassroots. We, all, you know, take great pleasure in being very interactive and engaged with our community. So no matter what your position are here at the organization, you can be in finance, you can be in any, position in the organization, but you have to interact with the people that we serve. And what I love most about PrideLine is that PrideLine is not just doesn't just only serve, the majority population in the LGBTQ circle. Right?
Dr Edward Summers:It serves everyone, in our our community. So, that's not just white gay males, right? Who often are associated with community centers, our pride events, but we serve, you know, people of color. We serve immigrants. We serve, you know, the trans community.
Dr Edward Summers:So we serve a lot of our community and everyone in our community, even allies and not people who are allies, who we turn into allies. And so we are prideful for our 42 years of service. The fact that, you know, we have endured such tremendous transition over the last couple of years here in Florida, just with the political climate. Also just, the overall climate of how organizations are funded. It's always tough to be an organization, but we have stood the test of time.
Dr Edward Summers:We are we're 4 decades old, you know, and, not many organizations could say that they've stood that test of time, particularly in a state that has, aggressive policies and are, you know, have had discriminatory policies against our community. So we're prideful that we're here. We're in community. We're of community. And, we get to continue to do our job on a daily basis.
Dr Edward Summers:And that just brings us great joy and pleasure. Every person that we help, we just we just we celebrate them, and and we we love it. And, and we celebrate with them. You know? A question recently came to me about how do you celebrate your your wins and your accolades?
Dr Edward Summers:And, you know, quite frankly, we celebrate with the people we serve. We take them out to dinners, to places that we haven't been to before. Right? So that's how we celebrate who we are, of continuing just to be mindful of that. We we get an honor.
Dr Edward Summers:This is an honor to do this type of work. We get to do
Rev Skip:this. And what I love about what you just said, it's it's very important that we recognize it's not just about one group of people, it's about everyone. And yeah, our podcast is about uplifting the black queer voices. But I love the fact queer voices. But I love the fact that when we rise up in this podcast or whatever we do in nonprofit, everyone rides up together.
Rev Skip:Certain amount of the demographics. The one thing I love is that you recently sold your your building and you moved into the heart of the community. What does that feel like to you?
Dr Edward Summers:I have to tell you, through the labor of love. So we are right in the heart of Liberty City ground 0 of, health disparities, economic disparities, neighborhood change, and development disparities. Just so many disparities, in this community, but it's so rich. It's so rich in culture and community and people. And so it it it's just it's just a blessing to be here.
Dr Edward Summers:One of our approaches when we first moved here was that we were gonna be on the ground talking to the people in this community about who we are and the fact that we are a resource for them, whether they identify as a a person that's LGBTQ plus or not, but that we are gonna be a LGBTQ plus plus plus organization, that not only serves, the gay lesbian community, but the people here in, Liberty City. So it's an honor to be here, and we've gotten such a tremendous welcome from the people here. We host a big barbecue on April 6th where, we just opened it up, and we were out there doing, the electric slide and, we had barbecue.
Rev Skip:Oh, y'all.
Dr Edward Summers:We listen. Listen. I was out there.
Speaker 3:I was
Dr Edward Summers:Listen. Hugging our people. But, you know, it it's a it's it feels really good to be here. I will tell you this. We've had stories from people who are from this community, who are still afraid to come out because of cultural, norms and, cultural challenges or familial challenges.
Dr Edward Summers:We've had 3 young, lesbian, young ladies who go to school, right down the street, who stumbled upon us one day. And we said, come in. And they said, well, we're 3 lesbians queer women. And now they have not left our side. They come here every day that we're open.
Dr Edward Summers:They come and they're in our youth space. They bring their friends here. They bring their girlfriends here. They speak to our therapist. They come here to relax and rest.
Dr Edward Summers:They come here to get food. They come here to get clothing so that they can, get gender affirming clothing that fits who they wanna be. So I love it. They actually go with our computers and, you know, they've been applying for summer jobs. So, it's great that they've found our space.
Dr Edward Summers:I will tell you another story of someone, a man, who's, roughly in his sixties, who lives in Liberty City, is from Liberty City. And he told me about a story of the eighties. When, of course, in the eighties, it was a very tough time and he didn't know who he was. He was rationalized identity. He actually dated a trans female in the eighties, but didn't know as a trans person.
Dr Edward Summers:And, when he found out during sexual intercourse, he reacted, somewhat negatively to that experience. And he had to do some jail time. And then he said while in jail
Terry Dyer:Uh-oh. Oh, no.
Rev Skip:I was loving the story. Did we lose No. I know. This is live, y'all. This happened.
Rev Skip:This happened. Back on. He's definitely gonna come back on, but why is he A little technical difficulty, y'all. This happened. I've only heard about situations happening like that.
Rev Skip:Yeah. And now, you know, someone finding out that someone's a trans person and having a negative reaction. And that oh, there you are. You're back. We're just talking about the story.
Speaker 3:You're just tell talking about your story. Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:I should tell you guys that, Comcast sent us a email, this afternoon saying that they're fixing the wireless in Liberty City because, again, going back to the disparities that exist in this community, the Wi Fi just in general, no matter what company you go through, is just really terrible. The the the fiber optics, underground fiber is not all that great. The infrastructure is really lacking here. So we I apologize about that. But No.
Rev Skip:No apologies because this is the evidence that how we need to work for equality even in Wi Fi y'all. Hello? Hello?
Dr Edward Summers:The digital device. It still it still exists. Baby? Exactly. These these disparities still exist whether we realize it or not, particularly in communities like Liberty City, where they're they've experienced huge disinvestment or not investment at all.
Dr Edward Summers:This these, you know, exist in this community. So, know, that's why we're here. And, we're here to be advocates for this community. But to go back to that story, that so this this, you know, he was dating a transgender female in the eighties. Didn't know the person was transgender.
Dr Edward Summers:Made a mistake and hurt the person and had to serve some jail time. But then while in jail for about 10 years, he fell in love with a man. And And he said that he never knew that a black man could fall in love with another black man. He's he, like, fell generally in love with this person. He subsequently got out of jail and then moved in with this person.
Dr Edward Summers:And they've been together for, you know, about 20 years or so, but he's still not in the closet to his family.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh.
Dr Edward Summers:Wow. He said he never felt safe, you know, telling anybody the story until he came into Pride Alliance. Until, you know, I was just chopping it up with him, being real, being my authentic self, showing up and saying, hey, what's up, brother? What's going on? Like, how are you doing?
Dr Edward Summers:What's what's happening with you? What's the deal? And he just told he just, you know, told me a story. He just opened up. And he says, you know, I never told another person this story, but I wanted I felt like I could tell you this.
Dr Edward Summers:So it's pretty significant to be here in Liberty City, and it means a lot to us. I think we get more than a community gets from us. When we see that every day that we take something away from this community. And we hope we are helping. We hope we're supporting in ways that, you know, that are important and balance the people here.
Terry Dyer:I love that. One of the things that you said a few moments ago is you don't just serve the LGBTQ plus community. You really take anybody who needs some type of assistance. That's really important because a lot of organizations don't necessarily do that because they're so focused on one or the other. So talk a little bit about why that's so important, to make sure that you're serving everybody and not just one demographic.
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah. So of of course, you know, our LGBTQ plus community is so important to us. I I identify as a cis gay man, you know, of color. And so definitely supporting our community is important, but we can't be physically located in the community and not support everyone.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. That's not right.
Dr Edward Summers:That is not right. I'm sorry. It's just not right. So we're gonna live here with the resources that we have and not spread those resources to everyone who needs those resources. We are while we're a community center, we're a social support social services organization that have access to other resources out there.
Dr Edward Summers:It would be a shame to us. It would be a shame if we did not share that with a much larger community who needed us. So if you're a person, whether you're gay straight or not, and you're housing insecure, and we have resources to be, we're gonna connect you with those housing resources. If you're a person who needs clothing, we're gonna help you get clothing because we have a closet here. If you need food, we're gonna feed you.
Dr Edward Summers:You know, if you need therapy, we're gonna we're gonna give you therapy. We have a young lady now from South Miami, who's a person of color, who is not she's not a lesbian, but she's going through a lot. She has kids. She has frustrations with her partner. She came to us, and she says, listen.
Dr Edward Summers:I don't have resources. I I just need somebody to to talk to. We hung up with a therapist. Why not? Why why not?
Dr Edward Summers:Why not? Like, I mean, the the you know, I think, you know, part of it is that we will always do what we can to support and uplift people. And I think that that is our role, whether, you know, it's a gay person, street person, I don't care what it is. We will be there to support. And there's not a day that we will deny anyone who comes through our doors.
Dr Edward Summers:We will just help, because that is the role of our organization. Of course, we have our pocket of gays that we support, and we will always support them, but there's room to serve other people. And I will tell you this, I raised these dollars to do this work, Not from I don't
Speaker 3:have a grant I don't
Dr Edward Summers:have a grant for this work. I don't have a, you know, government funding. I raised these dollars with the team here to be able to support not just our community, but everybody in a much larger community where we're physically located at. That's Liberty City. That's Miami Dade County.
Dr Edward Summers:And we even serve people up in Broward as well. So it is I have to tell you, as a person of color, leading this organization, it is important for me to uplift all my
Speaker 3:people, all my people. Absolutely.
Dr Edward Summers:So that's people, it's right.
Speaker 3:I wanna help look for that person. Everybody.
Dr Edward Summers:Look, everybody. As we as we come along
Rev Skip:as we Everybody.
Dr Edward Summers:Let's bring up a everybody. And I always say I don't wanna get on my soapbox, but I always say
Rev Skip:Oh, get on your soapbox, brother. It's okay.
Terry Dyer:We do all the time. We do all the times.
Rev Skip:I told
Dr Edward Summers:a lot about my my I told my white friends, right, to my white gay friends about the importance of supportive, particularly women of color, right? Who now are, you know, the, have the highest infection of HIV rates, right? They, they, they're just outpacing the other group, right? And so why is it important to support women of color? Because guess what?
Dr Edward Summers:Without women of color, they wouldn't, like, the democratic party would not be carried. Hello. Marriage equality would not be legal. Many of the rights many of the rights and privileges that we enjoy as gay people would not happen without women of color. Women of color are the bedrock.
Dr Edward Summers:They're the bedrock of the Democratic party. They vote Democratic 90 plus percent of the time.
Rev Skip:Yes. Democrat is the one that looks
Dr Edward Summers:at the LGBTQ plus community. Right? And so, like, it is our duty it is our duty to support those women. They uplift us. They've held us down for a long time.
Dr Edward Summers:Without them,
Rev Skip:they will
Dr Edward Summers:be a gay community. I am sorry. Like, they would not be. Right? We would we would be the rest of the country would be very similar to our governor where where Florida is at and where our governor is at.
Dr Edward Summers:Right? If we did not have black women Yeah. Changing, the chambers of congress, changing the chambers of state congresses and assemblies. Right? So it is so critical that we recognize that we are not in a silo as gay folks, and that we are among this bigger community.
Dr Edward Summers:In particular, people of color have uplifted, particularly women of color or black women have uplifted our community for a long time. So it's
Rev Skip:so It is one community. One group is global community, and and you mentioned politics, so we're gonna go there. How are you affecting legislation? Because I believe that is where we're gonna really I mean, we're making a difference, and I believe, you know, we have to come back to the tribe. We have to take care of our crew, our people, our group, but where we can make a big difference is changing law.
Rev Skip:And how do you see you're affecting law right now?
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah. So we, we work a lot with Aquali Florida. We work a lot with, SAVE and SAVE schools. You know, they tend to be more of the advocacy arm. So as background, I'm a therapist.
Dr Edward Summers:I'm a political science actually before a therapist. Right? So my, degrees are in public policy and political science, and I work in
Terry Dyer:Y'all heard that. Right?
Speaker 3:Y'all heard that.
Rev Skip:She got degrees.
Dr Edward Summers:Smart brother.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Dr Edward Summers:Smart brother. I worked in politics, and I taught politics before, you know, my my state in Florida where I I kinda switched industries and came into the council of the world. But, so we we leave a lot of that advocacy up to them. However, you know, we are really, you know, firm and talking with our partners about what we're hearing on the ground, what we're experiencing, using our data and using our experiences to fuel, policy change and policy advocacy that these organizations are doing, We also, you know, because of my background in politics, you know, we tend to have elected officials and our government appointed officials come visit us. So just yesterday, we had, the secretary of, health and human services, the US secretary, not the state of Florida secretary, the US secretary Hey.
Dr Edward Summers:Hey.
Rev Skip:Hello. Hey.
Speaker 3:Hello. Hello.
Rev Skip:You said
Speaker 3:I'm back.
Dr Edward Summers:I'm back, T.
Rev Skip:That is That's what we
Terry Dyer:call that's what we call doing the work, people. Doing the work.
Rev Skip:Some people call it
Terry Dyer:the Lord's work. Some people call it, you know, community work and, no. That's doing the work right there. Getting the people who need to be in the room. Yeah.
Terry Dyer:Getting those people into the room. That's that's
Rev Skip:how to call it working it?
Terry Dyer:Hey. Hey. Hey. I've verified doctor Edward Summers works the 2 now. Don't Oh.
Terry Dyer:No. He works the 2 now.
Speaker 3:I know. It's
Rev Skip:alright, I'll call you on Instagram, brother.
Dr Edward Summers:I am my authentic self. That's one thing about me. You're gonna find that I I live my truth, baby. I don't care, you know? Listen, I've worked hard to get to where I'm at.
Dr Edward Summers:I've studied. I've climbed the ladder. Like, I'm just gonna be me. This is who you get because you get visually, you get me, but you get my heart. And Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:That's the bigger part is that you get my heart and you get my commitment that no matter what, I will always do what I can to help others. Right? Because I think it's so important and I've been given a gift and I know God's given me a gift. He's given me a gift of empathy, of connection, but being able to immediately figure out a problem and identify that problem, but find solutions. And so, so you get all of me.
Dr Edward Summers:You get the sexy, sassy side. I mean, you've then you get
Terry Dyer:Y'all heard it here first, the sexy sassy doctor
Rev Skip:Edward Summers. You know? And make sure you call him doctor put the Doctor if he heard that baby
Terry Dyer:own. That's that's respected. That's because
Rev Skip:I'm making people call me rev. You better call me rev. I don't care Rev rin. Rev
Speaker 3:rin. Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:It it's it it took me coming to to Florida to get in in touch with my, being comfortable with my my my sexual identity and my body and stuff like that. In New York, to be honest with you, it's very it was very tough. I wasn't as, revealing, as I tend to be down here in Florida. But it took me coming down here and really spending time with myself, and doing a lot of healing, previous challenges and traumas and stuff like that to really get comfortable with who I I am and to get comfortable with whatever my body looks like, no matter what it is. I was called chunky as a kid.
Dr Edward Summers:That was my nickname.
Speaker 3:Oh. So
Dr Edward Summers:yeah. Chunky.
Terry Dyer:See, I I this this this all makes so much sense, and I hope that those out there listening or watching in YouTube land really sees the connection, right, with respects to, the Grits and Glitter podcast and why it's so incredibly important for us to provide this safe space. Right? Doctor Edward Summers has talked a lot about authenticity. He's talked a lot about healing trauma. Those are things that we don't typically do, as a people, as gay people, as LGBTQ folks, as as black folks, we don't typically focus on our our wellness.
Terry Dyer:We might focus on the health part and see a doctor and that sort of thing for the physical part, but we don't typically do a tremendous amount of work on healing ourselves, and that's how we have to move forward. That's how we have to be, like you just said, be comfortable in your own skin. Right? So I think that's so incredibly important. And thank you for drawing attention to that because that really speaks to another way that it speaks to who grits and glitter stands for and what our platform is, in healing and mental health and awareness and all that stuff.
Rev Skip:So And Terry too, I wanna say, and doctor Edward, there are still black folks that won't go see a doctor. And I know that you provide health care for people in our communities that would not go to see a doctor. I ain't trust no doctor. My my father died from diabetes, complications of diabetes, and he just would never go to a doctor to take care of himself. How are you breaking down the stigma of seeing a doctor in these in in in this in your organization?
Rev Skip:How are you helping?
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah. So I I what what I what I love about, you know, the place that I work, like, I'm so honored to work at is that we we look like the people too. Right?
Terry Dyer:We look like Representation. What's
Rev Skip:makes a huge difference.
Dr Edward Summers:We look like the people we serve and we truly do have this, like, just this community centered individualized approach to individuals. And so I do fundamentally believe that a lot of what we have to do in our communities work on that healing, and work on, allowing people to be comfortable with who they are and dealing with some of the traumas of the past in order to get them to get to that next step of seeing, for instance, a health care provider. So I mentioned earlier about mental health counseling and the fact that we have free mental health counseling here in the organization. And I tend to do, as a therapist as well, as a trained therapist, I I tend to counsel people all the time. They don't even realize they're getting can counsel.
Dr Edward Summers:Oh, shit.
Rev Skip:And so Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:In my conversations with people, I'm like, oh, let me let me spend a moment with this person real quick. And I I sometimes just sit down and I might be busy, but I'm gonna take that 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Yeah.
Rev Skip:I don't
Dr Edward Summers:even know you're in a session, and I got you to do things that you really need to do for yourself. So I think it's it's like sort of ending in approach that we have too that allows us to break down signals and to allow people to feel more comfortable with who their providers are. Right? I'm not your traditional person that you would think of as a or an political scientist and as a therapist. Right?
Dr Edward Summers:You know, a former power leader. All these things. Right? But, like, I'm able to immediately break down some of these stereotypes for people and and help them get connected to the resources. And so I think that that's been our approach is really, looking like the community, but helping to break down stereotypes of what it means to be a doctor and to talk about issues and concerns.
Dr Edward Summers:And I love our providers. Our providers, they're not just about, like, alright, let's just talk about your your issue and leave. Right?
Speaker 3:They wanna call you. They, like listen.
Dr Edward Summers:1 of the providers I mean, I'm her boss. Right? She, like, was getting into me about something I told them. Right? Me, I'm the boss.
Dr Edward Summers:And she's like, the word? I'm like, no, you should not be doing that. I think you should be thinking
Rev Skip:about x, y, and z.
Dr Edward Summers:And Oondori went down as litany of stuff. She wasn't afraid to, like, be real with me, but to have that authentic conversation as well. And I just treat me as, alright. Here's all the questions answered. There's your prescription.
Dr Edward Summers:Right? No. It wasn't that. It was no. A genuine conversation about her really to get into know me because outside of the relate the work relationship, she didn't really know me about my, like, health and all that, but she got into it.
Dr Edward Summers:And so I think that approach to the fact that we have people who are so human centric. And so we're wanting to get to know the person and engage with the person that changes the dynamic. You're not just a piece of paper or a dollar or a number, but you are actually a person that I see. I see you.
Terry Dyer:I love it. I love it. One of the things that, first of all, like, I love everything that Pride Lines does and what it stands for. And I know that we've talked a lot. You've kind of explained a little bit about, the services, the overarching services that you guys do.
Terry Dyer:Can you give the listener listeners out there or those watching in YouTube land, tell them really 30,000 foot overview of what the services are that are provided from, Pride Lines.
Dr Edward Summers:Sure. We are a community based organization that provides a gamut of, programs services for all members of our communities. So if you're a young person, we provide you safe space. We provide youth programming and mental counseling, and really just a safe space to come, get clothing from our clothing closet or to get food. If you're a housing insecure individual, whether youth or not, you can come to our drop incentive to project safe at both of our locations, Miami Beach and Liberty City, to get, Rack Rounds services.
Dr Edward Summers:So you are linked with a case manager, you're linked with a therapist, and then you're linked with these individuals who will help you navigate your challenging situation. We tend to place people, either in local shelters, we're partners and or if we can't do that, we try to help subsidize out of our own pocket, temporary shelter. So that's a Airbnb or a hotel until we are able to get people into a shelter. Wow. Our program for housing is secure.
Dr Edward Summers:We have programs for seniors where, we do co corporate conversations and really connect in seniors to resources that they need. And then the big part of our organization is our health services. So you can come to us and get, HIV SCI testing, get treated, and or again. Not again. You can again, you can get from STIs, and HRV, and then you can see our or any of our providers as well.
Dr Edward Summers:So really thinking holistically, we are a community center for all, but we have great youth programming, we have, programming for people who are housing insecure, we have premium for seniors, and then we have our health services. So that's a major part of our work.
Terry Dyer:Fantastic. Fantastic.
Rev Skip:So how are you and this is the fun stuff. And we this is the glitter of this conversation. So what is your favorite part about pride? What do you like? Do you like the parade?
Rev Skip:Do you like the the dances? Do you like what what do you like about pride? Yeah. I I I was trying to you could say I am the reverend. I'm being the reverend here today.
Rev Skip:Hi. I own my glitter.
Terry Dyer:I like to be negative.
Dr Edward Summers:Listen. I I I like to be half naked, period.
Speaker 3:What? I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm pretty here.
Dr Edward Summers:Representing Pride Lines, walking in pride with my shirt off and like and the attention of course that we get. But, you know,
Rev Skip:I love it. I love it. I see.
Dr Edward Summers:You know what I love about it is that our community gets to come together. We get to celebrate, our history. And not that many people think about it. A lot of people some people think think about it. But, like, we get to really celebrate our history, how far we've come.
Dr Edward Summers:We have come a long way as a as a group, as a movement. And it's I I reflect on pride and I reflect on the Stonewall riots. I reflect on who were some of the the leaders of the Stonewall riot and what they look like in a demographics and composition. Right? So, like, the fact that, like, we get to celebrate, how far we've come, but it's also a reminder for me and what I I rejoice at is that it's a reminder that we still have a lot of work to get done.
Dr Edward Summers:And so that motivates me because I'm like, I'm a work all day. Right? I like I like to have fun. I like to party and all that stuff, but, like, I like to get to work. So it's a reminder of the work that still needs to be done as well, and that's a motivating factor for me.
Dr Edward Summers:I I get motivated, and I'm like, I wanna do more, more, more, more, more. Like, I I'll tell you this. Right? So, like, I have a friend who has a swimwear company up in New York, and I just saw something that he did California. I was like, probably, honestly, he's at.
Dr Edward Summers:Right? Right?
Speaker 3:Like, I always wanted to do more all
Dr Edward Summers:the time. So I love, again, the historical context of pride and and coming together as a community, but it is a motivating fact that I wanna do more as a support community.
Rev Skip:So I have the link to that, please.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Dr Edward Summers:So more importantly, I like being naked, have naked. It's crazy.
Speaker 3:I wanna
Dr Edward Summers:just let it all hang up, like, my my my chest, but, like, it's fine. I love it.
Rev Skip:I love it.
Terry Dyer:So in addition to pride and pride lines being out at Stonewall Wilson Manor's Pride, you guys have a lot of events coming up. Tell a few Yes. Yes. Yes. Tell us what what we can we expect for the rest of the year for you guys.
Terry Dyer:Yeah. So, busy, busy, busy year. We have,
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah. So, busy busy busy year. We have actually something that's really important coming up, this upcoming Wednesday. Or I don't know when it's going here, but, like, June 12th. This is coming up, where we are unveiling a new mural, that honors the Pulse, the victims of Pulse nightclub the shooting at Pulse nightclub.
Dr Edward Summers:Wow. And so we're doing that June 12th, which is
Rev Skip:How many years is that now?
Dr Edward Summers:Oh, so I
Terry Dyer:have to, like
Rev Skip:I think it's 6 years, 7 years now.
Dr Edward Summers:Right? What what is it? Oh my god. This is so bad. I should know this.
Dr Edward Summers:I should know I should do the math. But I
Rev Skip:think it's I think it's 5, 6 years now.
Dr Edward Summers:I I forget I forget the the anniversary. But the the important thing though about this is that, the memorial is not happening. 2016.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Thank you.
Dr Edward Summers:I can't do that. Sorry.
Rev Skip:8 years. Okay. Nothing like 8 years.
Dr Edward Summers:8 years. So the memorial is not happening in Orlando. The Pulse Foundation shut down. So this is and we used that. We used to under the leadership of Victor, who was our previous ED, and Veronica, we used to have, our board chair.
Dr Edward Summers:We used to have a a post a post memorial at our old center, in Little Haiti before the building sold. So this is so important for us, to to bring back this mural. It's gonna be on the side of our building. It's gonna be pretty big. We're looking forward to talk to a reception and really an opportunity to memorialize and remember the lives that we lost during post.
Dr Edward Summers:And for them for the families who live here locally, to and the friends who live here locally, many people, you know, have friends who died, you know, who live here in Miami, For them to be able to memorialize their friends and to have their names on our building is pretty significant. So that's come up to 12. I should back up. This whole, June 8th, 9th. We have barbecues and cocktail receptions and come, collaboration with Nathan's.
Dr Edward Summers:So that's pretty cool. We're gonna be doing some testing. We're gonna be trying to get people, on PrEP, because we do have PrEP, and PEP. And, you know, if you have insurance, great. You can get prep from us.
Dr Edward Summers:If you don't have insurance, you can get prep from us too. So we'll be gonna be doing that. We have, youth, pride in the end of June, at our Miami Beach location. That's gonna happen. And then big thing big thing is our gala, August 17th.
Dr Edward Summers:We have a disco and a queer for, you know, there's gonna be an announcement out about the honorees this week. We have some great, fantastic national honorees, local honorees. And then this year, we have the joyride. And coming in November, we do that in collaboration with, an organization for FAB Adventures, where this 5 organizations, Pride Alliance, Broward House, Compass, Impact, and Miracle of Love, organizations that are in, you know, Miami, Broward, Palm Beaches, or Orlando, and Tampa area, we all get together to do this, annual, HIV AIDS, bike ride, 165 miles from Miami to the Keys. And we raised money for, HIV AIDS services.
Dr Edward Summers:And this year, we've actually expanded that notion. And so the funds can not only be dedicated to HIV AIDS services, but to all of our mission. So to our much broader mission of supporting the LGBTQ plus community. So it can go towards housing. It can go towards mental
Rev Skip:And it can go through he said mental health. What else?
Terry Dyer:Mental health? Yes. It does.
Rev Skip:Yes. And it goes to housing.
Terry Dyer:Yeah. So I will also say that the joyride is a new iteration of the smart ride used to be right here 20 years, and the smart ride, finished. It had its last ride, just this past year. So the joy ride
Rev Skip:is some important joy ride. Yeah. Yeah. Is smart, and I get it. I get it why they switch it, but let's get some joy.
Rev Skip:And and, you know, one of the things I know people who've asked me, are you going to ride? I'm going, nope. And now I I I could crew. I will crew. I You could join us.
Rev Skip:Yes. My my shorts, but you can get your pit stop. You can get it. I'm like, go ride, baby.
Speaker 3:Ride, y'all.
Terry Dyer:You know, what's what's
Dr Edward Summers:what's important about this ride too is this is the only type of ride of its kind in in in Florida. The there's lots of different rides, course, but in terms of for our community, this is the only type of ride of its kind. And, you know, California has such a big ride. I'm Terry from California. You know, Boston, New York has rides.
Dr Edward Summers:And so this has really been important. And as Terry said, I kinda heard it when we clicked clicked it off. I was that, you know, this is a new iteration of the smart ride, which was around for 20 years, and has had a significant impact on so many different organizations here in South Florida. So this is such an important ride for our community, and what we love is that, we've reimagined it to be the joyride. And it covers a lot more of the challenges that our face, whether housing, whether mental health, whether, you know, gender affirming care.
Dr Edward Summers:You know, whatever the the beneficiaries do, these funds could be used towards that those purposes. And And so this is so significant, you know, for our organizations. Especially like organizations like PrimeLines where we're trying to dabble into housing. We could talk about that in another show, to see what housing is for individuals.
Rev Skip:Lots of
Terry Dyer:Doc doctor doctor professor, you know what? You forgot a very other important event happening. Oh, 2/22. That's benefiting
Rev Skip:That's I'd have the concert.
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah. It was the concert.
Rev Skip:I'd have the concert.
Speaker 3:So Okay.
Rev Skip:Yes. The concert
Dr Edward Summers:is so so important. It's a huge I mean, partnership with Terry. I mean, I think, you know, and Hunter's. Right? This is so so significant for us and so important.
Dr Edward Summers:And, you know, Terry has been working for us to help lead Pride Alliance effort into just really educating people in, Broward and Wilton about Pride Alliance, and that's been pretty significant, and we're grateful for that. The thing is, you know, there has been we've had, like, a crazy year. Crazy year of pry lines. Literally, we have 22 events in June.
Terry Dyer:22. Y'all heard it here. 22 events.
Speaker 3:In 30 days.
Rev Skip:In 30 days. Let's go back to the
Dr Edward Summers:emotion of trying to cover everyone in our community. Right? And, it's so important for us to not forget, you know, people. And it's hard. We will.
Dr Edward Summers:But, like, we we truly are trying to make sure that we reach out to so many different constituencies and make sure that they feel loved during this month and feel heard and feel seen. And so that's why we we have so many events, but it's you know what I love about this, to be honest with you, is the team. Normally, when you have this many events, the team's like, oh my God, like, they're dreading coming in work. No, it's stuff that's pushing me to do some of these.
Rev Skip:And it's
Speaker 3:like, no, Edward, but
Dr Edward Summers:this community is important. This means a lot to them and this means a lot to us. Us. And so to have a team that buys into the vision and understands where we're trying to go and who we're who we're supporting and why it's significant is pretty amazing. But it has been a busy year.
Dr Edward Summers:It's gonna be a busy month, but we're really excited. But that June 27th, that's gonna be
Rev Skip:I love it. It's gonna be amazing. Doctor Edward Summers, thank you so much for making a difference on this planet. Yes. Priceline.
Rev Skip:You know? Hey. Listen. Some people can talk the talk, but you are actually walking the walk. And we appreciate you and and someone who really believes in that we have the power to make a difference on this planet just requires us to say yes.
Rev Skip:Brother, you are saying yes. Thank you so much.
Dr Edward Summers:Thank you. Thanks for being here. Thanks thanks for allowing me to be here. I appreciate it.
Terry Dyer:Awesome. Alright. We appreciate you y'all. This is doctor Edward Summers, executive director of Pride Lines based in Miami Dade County. Thank you so much, brother.
Rev Skip:And we'll put all the information inside our program notes so where you know how to contact and get some help if you need it. So peace and blessings, and thank you. Thank you.
Terry Dyer:Thank you.
Rev Skip:That was amazing interview. It was.
Terry Dyer:Give it up again
Rev Skip:for doctor Edgar
Terry Dyer:Summers, y'all. Give it up for him. Snap, snap, Snap.
Speaker 3:Get involved.
Rev Skip:I know you work with with them, and and I know that you you're active, but it makes you wanna get involved to help our young youth, to make sure that they're gonna have the greatest opportunities to have the most productive life. And you know what? I love his realness about pride, and he does not he's not fearful of taking off his shirt.
Terry Dyer:And He's not. He he
Rev Skip:he he the muscles were like Right. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Rev Skip:He got it going on.
Terry Dyer:Representation that's what representation looks like. Right?
Dr Edward Summers:Yeah.
Terry Dyer:The community at large wants to ensure that they see themselves in folks that are leading and providing these services, and so often, that doesn't happen. So what I love most is the fact that he is real, authentic. He makes himself vulnerable with the community because that's what they that's what we need. So I love it. Absolutely love it.
Rev Skip:And, folks, remember, you can head over to pridelines.org to be part of their community, or you can reach out for volunteer service and give some money. Because, I mean, that's how nonprofits get you know, it takes
Speaker 3:us to
Rev Skip:support them Absolutely. Nonprofits. So they are one of our partners. We support them, and we're so grateful, that we got a chance to interview, doctor Edward. He's amazing.
Rev Skip:He's amazing.
Terry Dyer:Our first interview. Our first day.
Rev Skip:It was great. Come on. On. We did a balls machine here, so we gotta get the balls machine. So but, this is one of my favorite parts of the show, and we get to make a shout out of who's making a difference.
Rev Skip:Who's making a difference in in your in your community and your your your eyesight? Who's making the difference?
Terry Dyer:Yeah. I'm gonna, again, go back to what we were talking about or what I was sort of bringing, awareness to early in this in this episode is Stonewall Columbus. So often, I travel and have the opportunity to meet local organizations in whatever the city that is, and I'm sometimes I'm blown away. Sometimes I'm disappointed. But Stonewall Columbus has just just absolutely touched my spirit and touched my heart this week being here.
Terry Dyer:And, it is I've met some of their staff, amazing, amazing people who are giving themselves to the community. Just like many of the organizations, nonprofits around, they provide services, support groups. They're putting on pride this week. They gave me a cute little t shirt with their pride emblem. You know?
Terry Dyer:I
Speaker 3:another one? Absolutely.
Rev Skip:Can you
Terry Dyer:get another one? I I can get you one. I'll get you one. Give me one second. I'll get you one.
Terry Dyer:But I just I I wanna, you know, call them in and and shout out and make sure that, you know, folks know about all the amazing work that is happening, in their cities across the country because it's crucial to continuing to, take care of each other. It takes a village. Survival with what's happening politically, we we need organizations like Stonewall Columbus to continue thriving in order to make sure that the next generations are taken care of. So kudos to them for all the amazing work and my dear friend Denzel leading at the helm I'm just uber, uber impressed and thankful that they brought me, here to to have some some conversations with me this week.
Rev Skip:Did you say Denzel? You know Denzel?
Terry Dyer:His name is Denzel.
Speaker 3:I think
Terry Dyer:he he looks like Denzel.
Rev Skip:He might be looking at Denzel.
Speaker 3:I'm like, he hang out with Denzel. Dang.
Rev Skip:I need to be hanging out with you. Yanking out with Denzel.
Terry Dyer:Yes. I mean, Disney, everything. Girl. Call me.
Speaker 3:Call me.
Rev Skip:That's what hey. Call me. Call me. Call me.
Terry Dyer:Who is your who is your who's making a difference?
Rev Skip:So I am really I've always been fixated with this person since, I saw the original Kinky Boots on Broadway with Billy Porter. And I have seen the progression of of what he's done on, you know, from from, you know, Kinky Boots, and then how he made a real splash on, on Pose as Sprattell.
Terry Dyer:Yeah.
Rev Skip:And then how he came up. He's the first, you know, openly gay man to win Emmy award, and it was truly amazing, how he brought his style to the red carpets, which gave a lot of other people permission to wear what they want to wear. Wear your heels, wear your dress, wear your tuxedo on the top, you're dressed at the very bottom. It's all good. And I believe, you know, what he does as an advocate is so much more probably important than what he does, you know, in front of the camera, but he's speaking out.
Rev Skip:And I read his, memoir, and I his his his upbringing and the things that he's gone through has been open about his HIV status. And I believe that takes a lot of courage to do. And so I believe in in my eyes, he's making a difference, And, I'm gonna continue to support him and and, you know, wishing him well as he's gone through his his his his time of divorce. He just came to a divorce. It can't be hard.
Rev Skip:It got it can't be easy going through any type of a breakup, but I am In public. In publically and publicly. So, because, you know, so I believe what he's doing right now is making a difference for, having more eyes on our black queer brothers and sisters, and, I can't wait to see what he does in front of the camera coming up very soon. And his music, come on. His music is dope.
Rev Skip:Yeah. You gotta let these kids know he can sing.
Terry Dyer:Sing. He
Rev Skip:can sing. Have you ever done a duet with him?
Terry Dyer:No. But I did recently have a moment. Well so he's been spending a lot of time in in South Florida. So I have, hung out with him a little bit
Rev Skip:in Right. A couple of the,
Terry Dyer:spaces on Wilton Drive in South Florida. We we had a little hugging moment. He's one of the reasons why I, went into music in college and and Oh, wow. Studied music and got a degree in music. So we, I was dressed to the nines, very my style, very androgyny like him.
Terry Dyer:And so we had a moment at an event, last October, and he walked he sees me walking toward him, and he's like, oh, no. She didn't come in here dressed better than me at my event.
Rev Skip:Of course.
Terry Dyer:And there's there's photos where we're hugging each other, and we just had a moment. And he started tearing, and I was tearing, and because I whispered in his ear, you're the reason why I went to school so to study music and I wanted people to see more, you know, young, queer, black, gays in opera, musical theater, that sort of thing, especially where I lived, which was, you know, not all that diverse. So, yeah, we had a moment together last fall.
Rev Skip:So I I because I don't really go out to Wilton Manors all that much. How was he dressed? That's that's how is he dressed out in Wilton Manors with Dee?
Terry Dyer:So that night because I've been around him a few times.
Rev Skip:Yeah. In Wilson.
Terry Dyer:That night, that specific event, he was very casual, very casually dressed, and it was, very comfortable, you know, just some oversized pants and There
Rev Skip:you go.
Terry Dyer:And that sort
Speaker 3:of Yeah.
Rev Skip:Yeah. Yeah.
Terry Dyer:Some slats, some sandals. She was very He
Rev Skip:wasn't aware of big head in into into drink. He wasn't wearing a big
Terry Dyer:head in
Speaker 3:the drink. No.
Rev Skip:I'm not my mind went like, I'm seeing him and drink with the big ass hat on.
Terry Dyer:Holding court. Holding court.
Rev Skip:Out here. Can you imagine a Drake have a curtain that opens up rather than yes. It is I.
Terry Dyer:Absolutely. Absolutely.
Rev Skip:It's I
Terry Dyer:love it. I love it.
Rev Skip:Episode. A little bit different.
Terry Dyer:It has been.
Rev Skip:But we're we're new you know, we are you are in Columbus and I'm in Florida, and normally we're to boom, and we we're splitting it up a little bit. So and and part of this is real deal stuff. You're coming from the, the hotel and I'm here and it's raining and stuff, so we know it's all good news. All good news.
Terry Dyer:Love it. Love it. Another incredible episode. What we're creating and what we're doing and hope we hopefully, the listeners are continuing to engage and and and enjoy our kicking and laughter and all that good stuff.
Rev Skip:Make sure y'all please, we want you to like, we want you to share, leave a comment, let us know what you think. And please, I want you to tell people about this because this is how podcasts grow. It's word-of-mouth that gets it out that we're here. And a friend of mine said, y'all 2 of the best kept secret in gay radio. So I'm like, oh, that was very sweet in a gay podcast.
Rev Skip:So we're gonna expand that. We're gonna make sure that we're not well kept secret that we're gonna move forward and get word out there, you know. So, hey, I love you brother and get back to parties soon. Love you, love you, love you, everyone.
Terry Dyer:I'll see y'all very soon.
Rev Skip:Everybody, please be kind to people. Why Terry? Because it's free. Show is. Love you, peace and blessings, everybody.
Rev Skip:Alright. See y'all soon. Remember to like, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to your podcast.
