Deidre McCalla showed a flair for the limelight even when she was 7, so it was no surprise to find her performing folk music with her high school trio, Friendship, which brought them to the edge of local fame. A university theater degree got overridden by the comparative ease of a life as a performing musician, although Deidre later realized that a couple years at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music would shore up and deepen her musical skills.

North Carolina in 2017 is surely not the most welcoming place for a trans guy, yet it's where Liam Hooper is doing the work he's called to do. As Minister of Welcome & Beyond at Parkway UCC, Winston Salem, NC, Liam delivers a message of inclusion and strength to government, institutions, and individuals all around the state, rabble-rousing, preaching, and lecturing to make a difference.

There's a sea change going on around marriage equality/homosexuality/alternative sexuality, and one sign is 3 new memoirs.

There's a sea change going on around marriage equality/homosexuality/alternative sexuality, and one sign is 3 new memoirs. Chana Wilson wrote Riding Fury Home, including the trials of the "mental illness" of her lesbian mother. Annie Lanzillotto released L is for Lion: An Italian Bronx Butch Freedom Memoir, including her trials with cancer, a raucous Italian family, and much more.

Visit with Louise Knight, author of Jane Addams: Spirit In Action. Around a century ago Jane Addams stood at the head of the major peace & justice efforts of her day.

Sara Thomsen is strongly called to heal the world through her music. One of her songs, "Is It For Freedom", has been heard repeatedly on Democracy Now, because of its poignant call for our nation's self-examination following 9-11. Her concerns are wide - women, LGBT issues, care for creation, peace and more - and she writes and sings with soul-deep sensitivity.

All the songs in this program are performed by Sara Thomsen