In the Life, the gay and lesbian TV newsmagazine, will focus on being out of the closet at work and being young and LGBT in the December and January episodes hosted by Alan Cumming and Ani DiFranco.
This month, In the Life will take a look at some LGBT people who are living outside the closet while in the workplace in "Downsizing Stereotypes." Hosted by Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming, the episode will include special messages from Judy Shepard, Sam Behrens and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.
Watch as In the Life follows Fire Captain Michele Kaemmerer, second in command at Engine Company Number 63 in Venice, California. Kaemmerer has made a distinctive mark at the firehouse over the years while navigating some major life transitions of her own. "I think being a lesbian was in my favor," she says.
"Downsizing Stereotypes" also introduces viewers to Rev. Irene Monroe. Abandoned at six months old, Rev. Monroe defied all odds throughout her life by becoming a 'public theologian,' professor and columnist whose work blends African-American, gender, queer and religious studies. In the Life visited Rev. Monroe at Harvard University, where she attended the Harvard Divinity School, to explore her struggles and triumphs.
When it comes to having a major impact on the face of pop culture, only a handful of people in the world can boast the accomplishments of Tom Schumacher. In "Man Behind the Mouse", In the Life profiles Schumacher of the Walt Disney Company.
December's In The Life also looks at drag performer Russ King, better known as Miss Richfield 1981, a beauty queen who relishes coming from much simpler times, as well as the documentary "Simon and I," a film that traces the lives of the late Simon Nkoli and Beverly Ditsie, two dynamic South African activists who secured civil rights for the gay community in a most unlikely place, and at a most unlikely time.
A sneak peek at January's episode
Join host Ani DiFranco in January as In the Life explores being young and gay in America.
"The Principles of Youth" is an episode dedicated entirely to stories about LGBT youth in order to give voice to an often unheard and overlooked population.
In The Life will visit rural Iowa to meet 17-year-old Emily Frerichs, the only person to publicly come out in her community, and discuss her efforts to start a GSA in her community. Frerichs offers a window into what it means to be young, gay, and a devout Christian in America's heartland.
In January In the Life introduces blogger Jeremy Hooper, the wisecracking guy behind GoodAsYou.org, and Liz, a transgendered youth on a journey to fame through New York City's ballroom community. Plus LGBT youth share their coming out stories.
In the Life is the TV newsmagazine of record on gay and lesbian America. A three-time Emmy Award nominee, In the Life has blended journalism, entertainment reports, and commentary for an entertaining and educational look at gay and lesbian life since 1992.
