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The AIH Transcript For September 08, 2021

[hosts]Carol Off, Chris Howden[/hosts]

CAROL OFF: Hello, I'm Carol Off.

CHRIS HOWDEN: Good evening. I'm Chris Howden. This is “As It Happens”.

[music: theme]

Prologue

CH: Tonight:

CO: Calculated risk. A young woman in northern Afghanistan who took to the streets to protest against the Taliban tells us why she's determined to keep raising her voice despite the dangers.

CH: Stranger than fiction. A Vancouver doctor who writes medical thrillers describes the mood in his hospital, as health-care workers navigate vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaxxers, and protests against COVID-19 mandates.

CO: Big love. After her remarkable week at the U.S. Open, Leylah Fernandez's father and coach tells us the teen tennis phenom knows she can't play perfectly -- but that doesn't stop her from trying.

CH: Breaking ground -- and losing ground. After the death of Patricia Maginnis, her grand-niece reflects on how the prominent abortion rights activist would feel about the rollbacks happening in the U.S. today.

CO: More bronze than brains. It cost officials in the city of Jingzhou millions to build a gargantuan statue of a Chinese warrior god -- and it'll cost millions more to move it, because everyone hates it.

CH: And …he's going to need a bailout. In his pandemic downtime, a New Brunswick man built his own pirate ship, only to find it sinking because of troublesome stowaways: the otters who've taken up residence belowdecks.

CH: “As It Happens”, the Wednesday edition. Radio that comes from otter space.

[music: theme]

Part 1: Afghanistan Women's Rights, Leylah Fernandez Father, New Brunswick Pirate Boat

Afghanistan Women's Rights

Guest: Karima Shujazada

CH: Whether the Taliban has changed remains to be seen. But it's abundantly clear that Afghanistan has. Scenes of women across the country taking to the streets to march for their rights are proof of that. Their bare faces are a defiant reminder that a generation of university-educated women isn't about to go home quietly. Particularly not after yesterday's announcement that the Taliban's cabinet will be composed mostly of senior hardliners -- and won't include a single woman. Karima Shujazada helped organize a march for women's rights in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif this week. That's where we reached her.

CO: Karima. Why did you decide to join the other women protesting in Mazar-e-Sharif this week?

KARIMA SHUJAZADA: It has been more than 20 days since the arrival of Taliban. And all of this... I'm at home. And we were really tired of this. And then my sister established a chat group to coordinate the Monday demonstration in Mazar-e-Sharif for Raise Our Voice. In this demonstration, we want our human rights.

CO: This... going into the street, women were doing that, as you know, in Kabul and in Herat, other places. We saw how the Taliban responded, that women were beaten in the streets of Kabul for being there. How did the Taliban respond to your protest?

KS: Nearly 10 girls, we started our demonstration from the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, and we go to governments of Balkh province. And then, Taliban beat two womans in the street. But we continued. And we were at the end of the demonstration when the Taliban attacked the journalist and beat them. The journalists want to cover our demonstration, but the Taliban beat them, and we escaped.

CO: You escaped. I just want to ask a bit about your time in Afghanistan. You are 26 years old, I think?

KS: Yeah, yeah.

CO: So you were a child, a baby when the Taliban had power back in the 1990s. And your family left. They left Afghanistan, went to Iran.

KS: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

CO: What is... what is your family? What is your mother? What do your parents tell you about that time of the Taliban then?

KS: I was born in 94.

CO: Just before the Taliban took power.

KS: Yeah. Yeah. Then, Taliban get the power. We immigrate to Iran. And I'm six years old. Then, we were in Iran for two years, and then we come back to Afghanistan in 2003, yeah.

CO: So you were just a child when the Taliban was in power the last time. And you left with your family to go to Iran. What is your... what is your mother... what do your parents remember about that time of the Taliban being in power in Afghanistan?

KS: We don't have any good story from the Taliban. They come kill... kill people like woman, man, children. They attacked.

CO: And that was... for people who don't know, the Taliban in power would not let girls go to school. They wouldn't…. even education for boys was very limited. People were beaten. They were executed. They were imprisoned if they defied this organization. So what gives you courage then to go into the streets? How does your mother feel about you going into the streets to protest against the Taliban?

KS: My mother want freedom. And she is, I think, a free person. And she... and she don't want to go for demonstration. But in the end, I don't have any work. And I studied for 16 years. And --

CO: You kept up your education over these past years.

KS: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

CO: And so do you still… do you see a future for yourself in Afghanistan, for you and your sister?

KS: If I stay in Afghanistan, I don't have any future, not just me, all girl of... in Afghanistan. All boys which want the freedom. We can't work. We can't raise our voice. I think we should... just alive, not living. Qhen I think... when you think of all these women you're describing, these women and girls who have this education, we now know they're women who have work, they have... they're teachers, they're doctors, they're lawyers, they're politicians, they're journalists. Over these 20 years, so many opportunities for girls and women in Afghanistan. And do you think it's possible for them now to go back to being behind closed doors, to going out only wearing a burqa and staying in the house all the time? Is it possible for those women and girls to... to do that. If Taliban continued their government and if Taliban be here, all thing is possible because Taliban not change it. Taliban is that Taliban from 20 years ago. But the women of Afghanistan are changed. And the woman can write raise their voice. But as you know, last night Taliban announced their cabinet. And five per cent of this cabinet are in blacklist of United Nation and FBI.

CO: Yeah, they're wanted. They're on the list for being terrorists, the ones who are in the cabinet. And... but they've also made it clear that they will govern according to Sharia law. And the culture minister has already said that no girls or women can play sports anymore. So do you have any hope that you will have the freedoms that you have enjoyed in these past 20 years?

KS: If the Taliban be here, we don't have any future, all of people in this country. Not just me, all girls, all womans. Some says Taliban changed. No, Taliban not changed.

CO: Will you go back out into the streets and protest again?

KS: Yeah. Yeah. Because I don't want this life. If I be at home, and I can't work, and I can't continue my education, again and again, we demonstrate. Because I don't want this life. And I think that is better than this life. Just I afraid for my family, not for myself.

CO: Karima, I... I admire your courage. It takes great strength to do what you're doing. And I… I hope you stay safe. And I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

KS: Thanks a lot. I most appreciate to speak to you. And thanks a lot.

CO: Bye-bye.

KS: Bye.

CH: Karima Shujazada is a university graduate living in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif. And you can find more on the story on our webpage at: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[music: glassy guitar]

Leylah Fernandez Father

Guest: Jorge Fernandez

CH: She went into the U.S. Open ranked a lowly 73rd in the world. But today, no one is underestimating 19-year old Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez. Yesterday, the young star continued her remarkable run -- winning a spot in the semi-finals over the Number Five seed Elina Svitolina. Here is part of what Ms. Fernandez said after the match yesterday when asked what she tells herself during tense moments.

SOUNDCLIP

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Just to trust myself because Elina, she's a great player. She fought for everything. She runs for everything. She... she deserves to be in the quarterfinals. [fans clap and cheer] And I'm honoured to have a fight with her. So I just told myself to trust my shots, trust that everything is going to go well, even if I lose, I got to go for it. And I'm glad I did.

CH: Leylah Fernandez is the U.S. Open's youngest semifinalist since Maria Sharapova in 2005. And she'll be facing more pressure in her semi-final match tomorrow. Jorge Fernandez is Leylah Fernandez's father. We reached him in Boynton Beach, Florida.

CO: Jorge, first of all, big congratulations to you and that remarkable daughter of yours.

JORGE FERNANDEZ: Thank you very much. Thank you very much. It's... I wish I could tell you it's all me, but no, it has a lot to do with her.

CO: [laughing] Of course she does. But she's... but what is so obvious in that clip we just heard is her confidence. And people have remarked that it is just her belief in herself that seems to carry the day. And so, which is quite something to be at the very top of the world stage. What was it like for you to see her do that?

JF: You know, I'm extremely happy. I'm extremely happy for her because she's really, you know, a… a remarkable person. She's one of those... one of those people that, you know, don't come around too often. I remember telling, you know, a coach at the National Training Centre years ago, years ago. And he said, you know, what you have to remember is that if you need to win a match, Leylah will get the win for you. Because she just lets it all out there. Because if she doesn't get it, nobody else could.

CO: Wow!

JF: And I knew that from a very long time because she puts her heart and soul out there. So I'm happy because the world is getting to see who she is. And although she's very confident and, you know, she's extremely, you know, sure of herself, you know, you speak to her, you know, off-court and she's sweet, timid, you know, shy, reserved. She likes to have fun. She's... she's very, you know, almost, you know, uncomfortable, you know?

CO: She's 19.

JF: Exactly. [chuckling]

CO: Well, when you see her on the court, the confidence. And that battle yesterday with Elina Svitolina was extraordinary. She said that she... she was nervous, but she says, I'm just trying to do what my coach told me to do, which is you. So what did you say to her on the phone before that match?

JF: Well, um, before her match, that's when I become more of a motivator. And I told her, I said, look, you know, this is exactly what you've been dreaming of your... your whole life. So don't let this be your last match today. Because you have so much more tennis to... to show the world and to show yourself that you can do it. So go out there and fight, run everything down, and you're not fighting to win. You know, I said don't forget you're fighting for your dream. So --

CO: And that's what she did.

JF: Go do that. That's what she did.

CO: And what did you say to her after she won?

JF: I congratulated her. You know, I was... I was happy. And I said, you know, the first thing that... unfortunately, you know, [laughing] the first thing I said was, what happened to your serve? What'd ya do? [laughing]

CO: What?!

JF: Yeah, we both started... we both started laughing. And she went, aye Papi! And I said, yeah, I know, I know. Wouldn't be me if I didn't say it. And we started laughing, and I said, no, listen, the most important thing is that it's... you won the last point. You know, you won the last point. I told you it was going to be a fight. I told you I was going to be really a dog fight. So you hung in there. You fought till the end. And you were blessed enough to... to be able to win that last point. And here you are. So, you know, I'm happy for you and congratulations.

CO: But you told us you could have played a better game?

JF: Oh, yeah, of course. Of course.

CO: [chuckling] These... these matches, she went in ranked 73 in the world. And she just had these five upsets, one right after the other. Everyone was just such a fan of hers. Was... I mean, she didn't just win these matches. She seems to have won the hearts of people in the stands. People... everything she said, every time she lifted her arm in victory, there were these loud cheers. What do you think that was about?

JF: She's different than almost every other player out there because she brings joy to the game, right? She's playing this... this beautiful tennis, this brand of tennis that is offensive, that isn't shy, that is an exclamation mark. And she's smiling to everybody. Even when things don't go her way, she kind of smiles. And I think, you know, that... that's been gone away from... from the sport for so long that when they see that, it's almost like a, you know, an innocence to it. And... and it's very attractive coming from someone who's playing with a maturity beyond her years, [clap] you know, giggling her way back to the baseline so she can serve, you know, an important point, right? And so it's kind of... that... I think those are the things that she's bringing to everybody and makes everyone believe that, you know, there is some good out there, right? We don't all have to be big and mean.

CO: And she's going into all that tomorrow, playing against the number two ranked Aryna Sabalenka in those semi-finals. And so, what are you going to tell your daughter about how she should approach that game?

JF: Well, you know, the first thing is I got to remind her that she's hit with men that are bigger than her. So, to not to not be intimidated, right? That's the number one thing. Because Aryna brings a very physical, you know, she's a physical athlete. You know, her stature is, you know, incredible, impressive. So she's going to bring that intimidation factor. So I got to remind her that we have trained in the past. And then, if we can do it in our environment, we can do it tomorrow from that standpoint. So not to be afraid to trust, again, her game that has gotten her... that has gotten her there. It may not be perfect, but it's gotten... it's gotten her the wins she needed. And then in the end, of course, you know, I know it's silly, but, you know, I always remind her to be confident in herself because no matter how well things are going, you know, doubt sometimes settles in. So to be confident in herself and really enjoy the moment. Because, you know, as far as I'm concerned, you know, she can write herself a beautiful… a beautiful story, you know? And now's not the time to give up on all the work that she's done throughout all the years. I think she can do it.

CO: She's writing a beautiful story now, and we will be watching. Jorge, it's good to talk to you. Thank you.

JF: Thank you very much.

CH: Jorge Fernandez is Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez's dad and her coach. We reached him in Boynton Beach, Florida.

[music: upbeat pop]

New Brunswick Pirate Boat

Guest: Dwayne Craig

CH: When cabinet maker and boating enthusiast Dwayne Craig built his pirate ship "The Captain Kidd," he didn't plan for actual pirates to make a home on it. But a family of otters recently took a liking to his vessel. And now, his admittedly cute house guests have started to give him a sinking feeling. We reached Dwayne Craig in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

CO: Dwayne, have you been down to check on your boat today?

DWAYNE CRAIG: Well, I took my boat out and put it on the trailer because it was in the river, and a couple of people messaged me and said that the rear of the boat looked like it was taking on a little water, listing towards the back.

CO: Yikes! Well, just before we get into why you had to take it out, just what does "The Captain Kidd" actually look like?

DC: "The Captain Kidd" is... it's kind of like a floating gazebo. It's screened in all the way around. And it has this Fraser siding that's stained like a grey, gunmetal grey. And the pontoons are gunmetal grey. And it's got a little deck on the front, and it's got a little deck on the back with an outboard motor. And it's got a little outhouse on the back of it. And an overhang on the top to kind of give you some shade. And it has the Jolly Roger flying as a flag on it.

CO: And you built this yourself?

DC: Yes, I did. Yeah.

CO: OK, at what point did you realize that you had some guests who were sleeping... well, were making something below deck?

DC: Well, when me and my dog were sleeping out there, and I heard this thud. I looked out, and I could see this thing swimming, and I thought it was a muskrat or something. And it turned around, and it swam back towards me, and it looked at me through the screen. But it was dark, and I couldn't see because, you know, I couldn't pick out exactly what it was, but.

CO: Did you think you were dreaming? [chuckling] You were seeing sea monsters out there?

DC: No, I just... whatever it was kind of looked at me as if to say, what are you doing in my fishing grounds? [CO chuckling] Or what's this thing doing parked here right in the middle of the river? So.

CO: And what did you figure out finally that it was?

DC: Well, after that, I walked down the shore one time, and I saw one jump off the shore. And then he was swimming along, and I took his picture, and it was an otter. And he was just as cute as could be. And, you know, had that cute little otter face. And since then, I've seen them a number of times swimming around the boat, even in the daytime. You know, they... they have kind of strange hours they keep.

CO: As you've been learning. When you sleep on the boat, they're up and about and doing otter things. And so what... what are they doing under your boat, actually?

DC: Well, they've got it full of clamshells and seaweed and sticks. And there's a little hole towards the back where the outboard motor sets, and it's about a foot by two feet. And the dog looks down the hall and can smell them down there. But they have got it full of clamshells. I assume they're eating the clams, and then they're shoving the shells all up to plug the hole so the dog can't see them. And... and they go in and out, up over the sides, over the pontoons.

CO: Yikes!

DC: With the full length of the boat, which is like 20 feet long,. right? So they've got all kinds of access up in there, but they're trying to block us out, basically. So.

CO: Now, do you think that they're settling in for the winter, or they thought they were going to be settling in for the winter?

DC: The St. John River is a big river, right? It's old, and it's really wide, and there's a lot of musky and sturgeon. And I think they just think it's great because it's a safe place, right? They can get right up in there, and nothing can bother them. And I think it's the ideal place for them. And I've heard some chattering, which I assume there's more than one of them. So, yeah.

CO: So you have a family, possibly, of river otters?

DC: Possibly, yeah.

CO: You pulled the boat out. So what can you see now at the bottom of it since you got out of the water?

DC: My daughter was with me, and she dug all the clamshells out of the back end. And they were a big pile on a boat ramp, right? But I assume they bailed out long before we got to shore.

CO: So, but when the boat was in the water, it was listing a bit. You... did you think it was the outhouse? Did you know that it was this pack of shells and everything?

DC: Oh no, it was... it was a little heavy on the back because of that. And I put on these weights on the front to compensate, which kind of had it, you know, sitting fairly good. But you could see the back end kept going down and down. [CO chuckles] And... and… and I had a couple of people message me, say, you know, your boat looks like it's sinking in the back, so.

CO: [chuckling] Oh no! Now, so you have taken it out and cleaned it up, but you have plans for "The Captain Kidd", I would imagine?

DC: Yes, I do. Yeah, it'll be going back in, and I'm putting more flotation around it. I have, like, plans to maybe even put two more pontoons on the outside and make it like a deck that goes right around it and kind of have a pirate theme about it and so.

CO: And why is it called "The Captain Kid"?

DC: Well, we have a lot of legends around here being on the East Coast, eh? And... and I've kind of studied Captain Kidd, and he's like our maritime pirate. Like, he's... he's big down around the south shore of Nova Scotia. And this was kind of his stomping grounds. And so his history is that, you know, he could have very well been up this river and... and stashed some booty on the Island, right? So.

CO: Lots of stories about Captain Kidd and the river. And now, I guess, your Captain Kidd boat occupied by otters is yet another one?

DC: [chuckle] Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

CO: Well, I hope it gets back in the water. [chuckle] And I hope that the... the otters respect your space there.

DC: Oh, they're going to have fun. I may make it even better for them next year. [CO laughs] So they...they... yeah, if I could talk to them, I'd ask them if they want me to decorate it a certain way or something to make it more convenient? But I'll have to leave that up to them.

CO: All right. Well, we'll leave it there, Dwayne. Thanks.

DC: You're welcome.

CO: Bye.

DC: Bye.

CH: Dwayne Craig is the owner of the homemade pirate ship, "The Captain Kidd". We reached him in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

[music: Spanish guitar]

Giant Chinese Warrior God Statue

CH: It's tough when you take a chance and splurge on a very expensive, very enormous piece of art and it just doesn't work in your space. Like, say, when you spend over 30 million dollars to have a 57-metre-tall -- that's 190 feet -- bronze statue of Chinese warrior god Guan Yu built in a park in the city of Jingzhou. And everyone hates it so much that you have to spend an additional 25 million dollars to relocate it somewhere, anywhere, else. If that seems like a lot, it's because the statue is a lot. Too much, one might say. Or millions might say. Guan Yu -- a famous general two millennia ago -- is depicted frowning dramatically while dramatically holding a spear, as his swirling robes and equally swirling beard are blown by the wind. It is dramatic. Hence the drama. Not only is it a mockery among citizens of Jingzhou, but the Chinese government has publicly said that "ruined Jingzhou's historical appearance and culture". So now, the statue is being painstakingly, expensively, and embarrassingly dismantled and moved eight kilometres away, where it will be reconstructed in a less central location. I'm sure the officials who bent every municipal law to see their majestic vision come to life are disappointed. But the powers-that-be want it moved -- and that's a tall order.

[music: folk]

Part 2: Hospital Anti-Vax Protest, Patricia Maginnis Obit

Hospital Anti-Vax Protest

Guest: Daniel Kalla

CH: These days, the beginning of the pandemic feels very, very long ago. Back then, people took time out of their nights to show gratitude to health-care workers -- banging pots from their balconies or on the street or clapping at their windows. Now, health-care workers are navigating a fourth wave of the virus, while also battling vaccine hesitancy, and watching protests across the country against measures meant to prevent COVID-19. For Dr. Daniel Kalla, last week was a breaking point. Thousands of protesters gathered by Vancouver General Hospital and City Hall for a so-called "health freedom" demonstration. Dr. Kalla is the department head of emergency medicine at nearby St. Paul's Hospital. He's also an author who has written thrillers about pandemics and vaccines. We reached him in Vancouver.

CO: Dr. Kalla, what is the mood like in your emergency room these days as these protests gather and continue?

DANIEL KALLA: Well, I mean, I think there's a few emotions that are prevailing. One is just kind of weariness, like everybody from COVID. But particularly, health care workers. We’re just so tired of it. But, you know, the protests really added a new dimension. There's a real indignation and frustration to see protesters standing out front and blocking, you know, access to patients to one of our major hospitals in the city. It was just so disheartening. The health care community has… has worked so hard to help. And... and, you know, and... and mitigate the pandemic as much as possible. And to see people protesting in a cause that most of us think is nonsense. It was really frustrating. It really stoked some, I think, some pent-up frustration and anger amongst certainly a lot of my colleagues.

CO: There was a paramedic who said she was close to quitting her job after witnessing these protests. How has it been for you personally?

DK: Yeah, I don't think I've reached that level, but it's certainly made me question. You know, a year ago, they were cheering us with pots and pans every night. And now, we have a pandemic of the unvaccinated. And to see people come in with self-induced illness that... that could be prevented, for the most part, is so frustrating at this point. It makes no sense to defy science and public health and all the experts because of, you know, untruths and misinformation on social media and elsewhere. It really makes us, you know, I shouldn't speak for my whole community, but at times, for me, a lot more judgemental than I ever was. I mean, I felt nothing but compassion and pity for the victims before.

CO: And we know that in British Columbia, there is reported 2,425 new cases of COVID over the four-day Labour Day weekend period. And so, the people who are coming to the emergency, people coming to the hospital with COVID, COVID symptoms, how does that conversation go? If they're coming, they've not been vaccinated to the degree it's possible to have a conversation, how does... how does it go?

DK: Well, it can be a difficult conversation. First of all, Carol, we should be clear that some of the people coming are vaccinated, and they have breakthrough infections. But almost exclusively, the ones who are very sick, who are ending up in a hospital or in our ICUs, are the unvaccinated. But the conversations with the unvaccinated is difficult. I mean, and it's a little too late. There's not... vaccines don't help you by the time you've developed COVID pneumonia. I've seen a couple of very repentant people already. I mean, it's just so sad, especially when you see all the kind of political leaders, a few of them who've died in the U.S., who had this kind of deathbed conversions to vaccines. But we see it with our own eyes. These people are terrified. And so we don't tend to lecture to the ones who are already sick. But when we see other people, because everybody comes in, is screened for a vaccination status, if they're coming in with a sprained ankle or abdominal pain or something that's not related to COVID, we try to convince them. We try to have that conversation. And I think I've seen one or two where I have converted. And we've been giving out some COVID vaccines in the emergency department. And that's very heartening. But as you know, you know, anti-vax or vaccine hesitancy, it runs the spectrum frow people who are just nervous and have genuine questions, to those who are fanatical in a kind of an absolute belief system that they have that's healthy.

CO: And those are the people, for the most part, we see out in the streets who are hurling all kinds of insults. In some places in United States, even, they've had death threats from the protesters, insisting that this is... that they're having their rights stolen, comparing their situation to being in Nazi Germany, these sort of things. This is... you distinguish between vaccine hesitancy, those people who are just nervous for whatever reason and what we're seeing in these demonstrations?

DK: Absolutely. And that... that... most of those people in my eyes are purely fanatical, you know? And I had my own brush with it last summer when the first person I intubated and put on a ventilator for COVID was a terrified patient in his 60s, who’s wife couldn't join him because of the risk of COVID. And he was alone. And it was a very draining, traumatic experience for the patient and for the staff, quite frankly. And I walked out onto Burrard Street in front of my hospital, and there was an anti-mask protest going by. And one of the protesters saw me in my scrubs and turned and screamed at me COVID is a hoax. That was one of my low points before the protests last week.

CO: You perhaps anticipated some of this when you actually wore a different hat, when you... you're also a fiction writer, in addition to being a doctor. And you wrote... you wrote a thriller before this pandemic hit called “Lost Immunity” that actually explores vaccine hesitancy. So what were you thinking when you wrote that novel?

DK: [chuckling] Well, I'm always looking as a... as a... as a thriller writer who writes sort of medical and science thrillers, I'm always looking for that next hot-button issue. Back then, I was thinking about the measles. You know, people are anti-vax about measles vaccines. And we were starting to see measles come back. And it seemed like such a rife, dramatic subject to tackle. But it was just so bizarre. I finished it on the first draft on the day I heard about this new virus in Wuhan, China, that turned out to be COVID. And everything that I discussed, all the issues in the novel, became a thousand times more relevant. You know, all the backlash that I sort of predicted in the book sort of came to pass. I mean, people, unfortunately, behaviours are predictable, and we tend to repeat, you know, our mistakes in history. And especially when... when tribalism and sort of groupthink takes over. And that's what I tried to establish in the book. And I can't believe how much we're seeing. It's been very discouraging. I mean, I've seen so much bravery and wonderful stuff during this pandemic, but that part is really the superstitial... superstitious tribalism has really disappointed me.

CO: Dr. Kalla, we’ll let you get back to work. And I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

DK: Pleasure talking to you. Thanks for having me.

CH: That was emergency doctor Daniel Kalla in Vancouver. And you can find more on that story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[music: light rock]

Kitchen Staffing Shortages

CH: Staffing shortages have been a problem in the restaurant industry throughout the pandemic. But one Alberta chef and restaurant manager says things are finally reaching a boiling point. Stephane Prevost runs Shoku and Block Kitchen and Bar in Banff. And while business has been improving at both establishments, the staffing situation hasn't. Mr. Prevost says things started to get really bad last month -- and government restrictions on foreign workers are partly to blame.

SOUNDCLIP

STEPHANE PREVOST: We've been holding up pretty good until August. You know, we are in the same boat as many other places. Our staff has been doing an amazing job going through... you know, rolling with the punches and accommodating a lot of people because we've been back to 2019 summer business level with less staff. As again, with most places, it's the kitchen staff that's really hurting. They're very low in numbers. But we managed to, you know, to... to fight hard and be able to... to control that with a certain ease until August hit, where everybody got to be very tired and, you know, very challenged. And we had no choice but to start doing some weekly closures as well.

DAVID GRAY: So what's at the heart of all this? Where are all the workers? And why is it so hard to retain staff right now?

SP: Well, you know, this problem is... is... was actually pre-pandemic. The pandemic made it worse. This has been going on for years and years. And it was, you know, predicted a long time ago. And during the pandemic, a lot of people reflected on their lifestyles and decided that maybe the hospitality industry, working in restaurants, was not what they wanted to do anymore. And some people have left because of that. We still have to be resilient to wait until things get better. But what I would like to see in the meantime as well is for the Canadian government to make it easier for people that are currently in work permit applications for extensions, for example, that are already in the country. I've got a couple of my own staff that I'm working on applications for that. And one of them, I'm waiting to see what's going to happen, but another one has been refused for, you know, nebulous reasons. A perfect candidate, who's a good worker, fits all their criterias. The government has to loosen up restrictions or has to be easier to work with.

CH: Stephane Prevost is a chef and managing partner at Shoku and Block Kitchen and Bar in Banff. He spoke with the CBC's David Gray on "The Eyeopener" this morning.

[music: banjo]

Patricia Maginnis Obit

Guest: Elana Bloom

CH: The fight over access to abortion is still making headlines around the world -- including in two neighbouring countries. In Mexico, the Supreme Court has ruled that criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional. And across the border, in Texas, a new law prevents women from getting abortions -- before most even know they're pregnant. And against this backdrop, Elana Bloom is now navigating a world without her great-aunt, Patricia Maginnis -- who, the New York Times says, "many consider the first abortion-rights activist in the United States." Years before Roe v Wade existed, Ms. Maginnis -- in her outspoken and provocative style -- fought to for access to abortion. She died last week at the age of 93. We reached Elana Bloom in Oakland, California.

CO: Elana, first of all, I'm sorry for your loss.

ELANA BLOOM: Thank you. I appreciate that.

CO: You came to know about your great aunt's history of activism when you're growing up, but not at first. What can you tell us about when you first learned her remarkable story?

EB: Yeah, I definitely knew her as my great aunt growing up, but I didn't know about her activism until I was a student. I was at Smith College, and I was in a class. I was a woman and gender studies major, and I saw her in a documentary. It was very surprising. I mean, I honestly didn't believe at first that I was watching my great aunt on the screen. I mean, I thought so, but I wasn't entirely sure, and I didn't want to be presumptuous. But once I confirmed it with my grandmother, I mean, I was very impacted and very moved.

CO: She's less known then some other of the really important feminists and women's rights advocates like Margaret Sanger or Betty Friedan. But absolutely, she had an enormous effect, didn't she? So how is it that you didn't hear about her when you were younger?

EB: You know, our family never spoke about her activism. My father actually didn't know about it until I found out. Just nobody had ever thought to tell me, which I always found pretty surprising because I was always interested in feminism and always interested in women's rights. But they just didn't think that it was maybe something that you'd tell a young girl about, or maybe they thought I wouldn't be interested.

CO: Did you speak with your great aunt about this later? [chuckling] Did you ask her about the story?

EB Oh yeah. [laughing] Oh yeah. Well, I mean, as soon as I found out about her work, the first thing I did was ask for her phone number and call her up. And I thanked her for what she had done because I felt like that was really important to do. I mean, this didn't just have an effect on, I mean, all of the women in America, but from even just a personal standpoint, I just felt like, wow, here's this person in my family who fought for my own freedom to do with my body what I please as a woman. And she was so humble, though. She... she did talk quite a bit about her views on abortion and her views on reproductive justice. But she never, at least to me, never spoke of her work as these, like, accomplishments.

CO: But she was... this is pioneering work that she was doing. This is before Roe versus Wade. And this is --

EB: Yeah.

CO: And most importantly, to try and shift the debate away from just laws around abortions and start to address the issue of the rights of women to control their bodies. I mean, this was new language. This was a new idea from her, wasn't it? What was it like... did she tell you about what was like in the 60s, what she was up against?

EB: She mostly spoke to me about the horrors that she saw working in the army hospital in Panama. Women being brought in who had ever tried to give themselves selves abortion, or women who couldn't get abortions, or women who were suffering horrific fates due to unwanted pregnancies or pregnancies out of wedlock. And some of the things that she experienced and some of the things she described, I think, were very chilling to her. And she always made it very clear that it wasn't just that women didn't have rights [chuckle] in regard to abortion. It was that I mean, maybe you could get an abortion if you agreed to be sterilized. Or maybe you... maybe if you went to seek, you know, contraception, the doctor, if you were a single woman or a divorced woman, would just recommend that she be sterilized right away instead of making it an actual choice. And I think she found all of those things very horrific and very upsetting, especially as she navigated the world as a single woman, as a woman who was never married.

CO: She spoke about abortion. She distributed lists of abortion providers in other countries. She had had abortions herself. And she did something else extremely controversial: she taught classes about the techniques for do-it-yourself abortions, didn't she?

EB: Yes. Yes, she did. And I know that they covered in those classes... over the years, I thought that they were teaching women how to give themselves abortions. But in actuality, you're right. It was mostly focussed on the techniques, you know, whether it was surgical abortion or medical abortion, and what kinds of challenges women needed to encounter in order to even get a safe abortion, different doctors in different countries, providers. And then also, female anatomy. That was really a huge focus because a lot of these women had never had comprehensive sex-ed. She really wanted people to understand so that if they were thinking about giving themselves an abortion, which obviously she would have said was very dangerous and a very, very risky thing to do, that they kind of understood that, you know, there's bacteria, there's things that can really hurt you if, you know, under the wrong circumstances. And she wanted women to get that because a lot of women just didn't have access to that information.

CO: But this was against the law to give... well, even to talk about this. Even to... the pamphlets, even, about abortion was against the law at the time. So did she risk... was she ever arrested?

EB: Oh yes, [chuckle] she was arrested. And actually, she wanted to be arrested. That was one of her biggest goals was to get arrested because she knew that if she was arrested, she could be a test case. And that was extremely important to her. She... she was begging for them to arrest her. In fact, she would send the dates and times, of course, her DIY abortion classes to the local police station.

CO: She died at 93 last week. But in the midst of a time in your country where so much of what she fought for is being rolled back, isn't it? Was she conscious of that? Was she seeing the erosion of her efforts in some of the parts of the U.S. for years?

EB: For years, I know she was. I can't speak to the very, very, very end. But I do know that when a lot of stuff started to happen, at least over the last decade, I mean, she was very, very upset by it. And she never really stopped fighting for reproductive justice. Even after Roe v. Wade, she continued on. And, you know, there's all kinds of letters and materials that I'm finding in her house as I go through it that really indicate that this was always an issue she was very passionate about and very focussed on. I do know, though, I mean, she told me numerous times back when I lived with her, I think that was in 2014, that she was horrified by how much backlash there was against the very idea that women could exercise their right to an abortion. And I think it was really painful for her to watch all of that backsliding. She was extremely disappointed.

CO: Elana, I really appreciate you telling us about Patricia Maginnis. Thank you.

EB: Thank you.

CO: Bye-bye.

CH: Elana Bloom is the grandniece of abortion-rights activist Patricia Maginnis, who has died at 93. We reached Ms. Bloom in Oakland, California.

[music: vocalization]

FOA: Pothole Penises

CH: There's letter writing. Petitions. Canvassing. And -- when all those tactics fail to bear fruit -- there's always planting a banana tree in the middle of the road. That's what a frustrated driver in Fort Myers, Florida has done, in an attempt to help draw attention to a particularly large pothole. The tree -- in case it wasn't clear -- is planted in the pothole. And the man who put it there says it's an attempt to "make sure nobody gets in the hole." It's the kind of automotive activism former "As It Happens" guest Geoff Upson would likely applaud. Earlier this year, he told Carol why he'd taken to drawing attention to Auckland's potholes -- by drawing fluorescent penises around them.

SOUNDCLIP

GU: Well, actually, I saw what was done over in the UK. Somebody did it. They've been nicknamed Wanksy. And I thought, hey, it's worked before, we'll try the same again. And so far I have had some success. Sometimes council just spray paints over my drawings and leaves the pothole behind unfortunately.

CO: How many of these penises have you actually drawn on the roads of Auckland?

GU: I actually haven't been keeping track. I don't record every one and I don't even photograph every one. And sometimes I just draw a circle or I just draw the outline of the pothole just so that drivers can see it easier to avoid hitting it and damaging the wheels. But I estimate that I've drawn on well over 100, but not always do I draw a penis. Sometimes it's just a circle.

CO: But lots of penises.

GU: Lots of penises. Yes. [Laughs]

CO: And so how big are your penises?

GU: Depends on the size of the pothole. So I'm always very very careful to keep my drawing within the area of the road, which needs to be replaced.

CO: Okay, so how big are the potholes?

GU: [Laughs] Some of them are quite big. There were two really big potholes right next to each other. The total length of the potholes was 48 metres long, about 1.2 metres wide.

CO: Cars could disappear into that.

GU: Just a bit. I watched the school bus drive over it, the kids were bouncing off their seats. So the kids were actually getting airborne on their seats as the bus driver, you know, she had an absolute petrified look on her face as she realised she was about to hit these huge, big potholes. But luckily, that road was actually fixed right after I drew on it.

CO: Was that look of horror because she was seeing a giant penis on the road?

GU: Actually I'm not sure.

CO: How much of your time do you spend doing this?

GU: Not much. Not much. I'm on the road for work anyway. So when I'm driving around and I see a pothole, I just pull over and mark it out.

CO: [Laughs] So you're driving around and you see a pothole or you hit a pothole and you pull over and you get your spray cans out and you start making penises on the road.

GU: Yeah, yeah. I put my hi--vis on so that drivers can see me. And then I just stop on the side of the road wherever I can safely and mark them out with my spray can.

CO: Just go to town.

CH: Geoff Upson is a road safety campaigner in Auckland, New Zealand. He spoke with Carol in May. And to hear more of that conversation, visit our website: www.cbc.ca/aih.

[music: funky guitar]

Part 3: Paris Attack Trial, U.K. Spider Silk Show

Ontario Vaccine Passport

CH: Twelve mayors in northern Alberta, including Edmonton, have come together to send a message to their provincial health minister: do more to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an open letter, they called on the province to implement a vaccine passport system -- writing that most Albertans support the idea and that, in other places, it has led more people to get the vaccine. But Alberta maintains a provincial passport system isn't in the cards. Across the country, the same debate is happening. Jackie Rombouts is mayor of Warwick Township, west of London, Ontario. Now, Ontario has announced a vaccine passport. But Mayor Rombouts says she will not be a patron to any business or organization that will not welcome all my fellow Ontarians equally.

SOUNDCLIP

JACKIE ROMBOUTS: I would like to say that I am not against the vaccine in any way, shape or form. I'm very grateful for it that those people who wanted to get vaccinated were able to. I even volunteered at our mass vaccination clinic for several days, wiping off chairs and doing disinfection. So I'm not against the vaccine. I just am against the mandates that are forcing people to make a decision.

CHRIS DELA TORRE: If Warwick Township refuses the Ontario vaccine passport, what will that mean for the people that live there?

JR: Well, just to be clear, I don't speak for all of Warwick Township. This is my opinion and my opinion alone. I need that to be very clear. I would expect that the township of Warwick will continue to abide by the provincial rules as we are mandated to do.

CDT: And as you said, you're not against the vaccine. But I wonder if speaking out like this goes against not only the province's recommendation of this vaccine passport but also that of Lambton County's Board of Health, of which you are a part. So, I mean, what has the… the reaction been from... from your fellow board members?

JR: Well, I think it's the responsibility of every county councillor to voice their opinions and to speak out when they see that something is wrong, and especially when they're getting all kinds of feedback from their public. I think there are councillors on our county council who have spoken in favour of it very openly and have not received any repercussions from that. So I don't see why me having a differing opinion should be any different than them sharing their opinions.

CDT: Now, the passport system encourages the unvaccinated to... to get the shots so that they... they can take part in non-essential services. And as you've said, you are not against the vaccine. So does it make sense at all to... to be discouraging people to be getting the shot?

JR: I haven't discouraged anyone from getting the shot. Like I said, I have been encouraging people by helping volunteer at the clinic. I am just for the rights of people who have... for parents who are looking at their children going, you know what? We just... let's wait a few... a few years and see what happens. People have a right to make choices that are best for themselves and for their family. And by coercing them and limiting and discriminating against them, this vaccine passport isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing, which is encouraging. It's actually discouraging people from getting the vaccine.

CH: Warwick Township mayor Jackie Rombouts speaking with the CBC's Chris dela Torre on "Afternoon Drive" in Ontario. Today, Warwick county clarified the mayor's stance is out of step with the community's.

[music: banjo]

Paris Attack Trial

Guest: Jean-Pierre Albertini

CH: In a purpose-built courthouse in Paris today, one of the biggest trials in French history began. Twenty men are being tried for their involvement in the 2015 ISIS attacks that killed 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall and other locations around the city. Only 14 defendants will be tried in person -- and only one, Salah Abdeslam, is accused of actually participating in the attacks. Mr. Abdeslam survived and fled after dropping his suicide vest, which was found to be defective. Jean-Pierre Albertini's 39-year old son, Stephane, was killed in the Bataclan concert hall. We reached him in Forcalquier, France. And a warning -- they will be talking about his son's death.

CO: Jean-Pierre, first of all, I'm sorry for your loss.

JEAN-PIERRE ALBERTINI: [dry chuckle] Well, it's a situation that you cannot imagine. But when it happens, you have to face it. And that's what my family tried to do since 2015.

CO: But now, today, you are facing another series of emotions, I'm sure, as you watch this trial begin. What… what are you feeling? What are you... what... what are you going through as this trial starts?

JPA: Well, unfortunately, the trial will not give the life back to our children. I hope we learn things about the networks, the financial aspects, the journeys of the jihadists, how they got the weapons and where things that should avoid a new mass assassination.

CO: The only person who… of the suicide bombers who survived is on trial isn’t he, Salah Abdeslam, who didn't detonate his vest or failed to detonate. He has responded only once to... in court so far. He says he is a soldier of ISIS, that he is still pledging allegiance to ISIS. What was it like for you to hear him say that?

JPA: We didn't expect any interesting word of Salah Abdeslam because he doesn't... he doesn't speak. The only time he spoke, he said exactly the same thing as today, that he doesn't know the justice of men. He just know the justice of God. And that's the problem of this trial. The trial is conducted by democracies and facing our rules. We have a person who only knows the justice of God.

CO: This attack in November 2015 horrified the world, not just your country. And there were 130 people killed, hundreds others wounded. There were six bars and restaurants attacked in this... in that night, and including the Bataclan concert hall, which is where your son, Stephane, was killed. Can you tell us a bit about him?

JPA: He was very original. He was a father. [chuckling] as a... as the second second child, he was the... the hyphen between between the two sisters. And he loved books. He loved music. That's why he was at the Bataclan. He was playing guitar. And he wrote very, very well. And he was very, very original. Once, I told him your… your boy looks very much like you and me. Oh, yes. It's very strange. When I am looking at him, I have the feeling that I see myself as a child. So I understood that the link was very, very strong between the father and his son.

CO: Such a loss for that boy as well.

JPA: Yes. And it was very difficult to tell his son his father was dead because it was a few… a few days before Christmas. At the end of November, we had to tell him that his father was dead. So his mother said, I have something very important to tell you. And as Christmas was going to... to happen pretty soon, he was jumping on the sofa and said... saying, you know what... what is it... what is it, Mom? What is it, Mom? And she had to say, I'm sorry. That there was a great explosion, and... and daddy, like the King Lion, couldn't escape. And he was dead. And he was killed. And so the young boy just repeated, that Daddy is dead. And that was very hard to hear.

CO: Your family has gone through so much through all of that and a little boy who's going to grow up without his father. There's so little that can actually bring you peace, I'm sure. But is it at all possible that this trial might give you and your family some peace of mind, that you might get something out of it that... that helps?

JPA: The things that help are the psychologists, the groups of victims. And writing was the kind of healing. As I told you, the trial is very ambiguous. I think the real and responsible people wouldn't be…. wouldn't be there because the responsibilities are much higher or much farther.

CO: The people who... the people, really the real people who organized this attack, you mean?

JPA: That's what I mean. That's exactly what I mean. And the people who are mentally stuck to that ideology.

CO: Of ISIS.

JPA: Yes.

CO: John-Pierre, we will be following the trial. And I really appreciate you telling us about Stephane and.. and telling us about your feelings about the trial. Thank you.

JPA: Thank you. Thank you to you.

CO: Goodnight.

JPA: Bye

CH: Jean-Pierre Albertini's son was killed in the Bataclan concert hall during the terrorist attack in Paris in 2015. We reached him in Forcalquier, France.

[music: folk]

Edmonton Slug Researcher

CH: Lien Luoang wants your slugs. The Edmonton researcher wants gardeners in her city to know that her team will show up to collect any of their unwanted slugs. The purpose? Finding a better way to control the slimy pests.

SOUNDCLIP

LIEN LUOANG: As many gardeners know, slugs presents a huge problem. They are considered a major pest, not only in the home gardens but also in horticultural and agricultural settings. And right now, the main method for controlling slugs is to use chemical pesticides. But many homeowners don't want to use that, so, you know, it's harder to use something natural. And in Europe and some other countries, there is a commercial product available that naturally kills slugs. And this is a parasitic roundworm or nematode. And so, in Alberta, we discovered this nematode years ago. And now, we're trying to study the effect of this nematode parasite on slugs. And the long-term hope is that we can use this slug, this nematode, as a natural or biological control agent to suppress slug populations. So we're asking people to donate their slugs so we can use them for experiments in our lab.

TARA MCCARTHY: Now, is this because you have a slug shortage, or why do you need other people's slugs?

LL: Well, we always need slugs because they serve as the natural host for the parasite. So in order for us to propagate this parasite, we need to provide a host for it. We do trying to rear the slugs in our lab, but we don't get nearly enough. And we use the slugs not only to propagate the parasite but also for experiments.

CH: University of Alberta scientist Lien Luong speaking to CBC Edmonton host Tara McCarthy.

[music: smooth jazz]

U.K. Spider Silk Show

Guest: Simon Peers

CH: You couldn't call it "fast fashion". Simon Peers and his team spent almost a decade on their creations -- unique textile pieces made of shimmering golden spider silk. And it's no wonder it took so long. Workers in Madagascar harvested the silk from almost two million spiders. Three of the four rare garments will soon be on display in London as part of an exhibit of rare objects connected to the natural world. We reached textile designer Simon Peers in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

CO: Simon, I know it's difficult to put into words what these garments look like, but can you give it your best shot?

SIMON PEERS: Well, okay, there are three textiles on... on show. Two of them, I suppose, are best described as shawls. So they're rectangular pieces. They're bright yellow colour, a sort of golden yellow colour. The third textile is a large, brocaded, woven textile, which is based on a tradition of Madagas weaving with very elaborate patterns on the surface.

CO And what are... what are the patterns that you have woven into it?

SP: The patterns... well, they're very idiosyncratic, very geometric patterns, which are part of a tradition of weaving from the highlands of Madagascar, which caught my eye many, many years ago. And I think they're just wonderful. They're extraordinary. They're hard to describe. They're sort of like more like stylized flowers and maybe bird patterns. It's hard to say exactly. There's a lot of conjecture as to what the original source was. But they're... they're very unusual geometric patterns.

CO: I understand there's one of the... the garments that actually has spiders woven into it, or the images of spiders, is that right?

SP: Yeah, that is right. So the one piece which is not in show, which is a cape, the cape, is covered in embroidered images of both spiders and plants and other things going on. It actually tells many stories, in fact. But the obvious one is anything to do with spiders and everything to do with spiders.

CO: Just before we get into the spiders, what is it... I understand the fabric feels quite extraordinary against the skin?

SP: Yeah, I have never worn anything that we've made. I have to say that. One... only one or two people have actually worn that cape. But what I do know is that if you get a large handful of the silk, putting it into one's hand, one doesn't actually feel anything. It's quite uncanny. So if you close your eyes and place the silk onto someone's hand, the only sensation you have is the heat reflected from your hand back onto your hand. So it's really quite bizarre. And I can't... I'm not a scientist, so I can't explain it. But it is sort of the invisibility cloak type of thing. I mean, it really is... it's unlike ordinary silk. It is a huge undertaking and requires literally millions of spiders.

CO: How did you do it?

SP: Well, I have to sort of go back slightly in time because the story of people trying to do this goes back several hundred years. So back in the early 18th century, someone tried to do this. And it was repeated one or two times after that. And the last time really anyone tried to do it was in Madagascar at the end of the 19th century. And they managed to produce silk, which was used as sort of bed hangings. And after that, the whole thing sort of died out. So I thought when I was living and started living in Madagascar, I was interested in textiles, that this was a sort of mad apocryphal story. Then, discovered it wasn't and then thought, well, one should try and do it because no one's done it since then. And that's how it sort of started. That was the germ of the idea. And then, there was... there was a lot of trial and error and also trying to find out how they did it back in the 1890s.

CO: All right. So the spiders themselves, what do they look like?

SP: Well, the spider that you see is the female, and the female is a large spider. When it's a full-grown spider, it sort of would sit in the palm of your hand and fill the palm of your hand, basically. So it's a big spider. The male is minute, sort of not bigger than your little fingernail sort of thing. It's a very small thing. And usually ends up being lunch for the female.

CO: [laughs] Oh dear!

SP But the female is... well, I like spiders. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing this. And they're very, very beautiful, I think.

CO: And when you say it would fit in the palm of your hand, would you put it in the palm of your hand? Is this a spider that might... if it eats its mate, might it bite you too?

SP: They do bite. Obviously, if it's provoked in any way, it will bite you. I mean, it has a very minute amount of poison in that bite, which doesn't have any effect on a human. Obviously, it does on another insect. But it does have a very sharp sort of pincer-like mandibles, and that will... will punch the skin and actually hurts. But... but they don't really do any harm. Having said that, the people who have been involved in this whole project over the years, it's the women who have been the ones who don't mind being bitten. Basically, the men run away from the spiders and don't want to handle them. [CO laughs] But the women are fearless.

CO: But they... but they have... the women have been harvesting this thread, right? So how difficult is that to do?

SP: Well, it is quite difficult. The silk is literally extracted directly from the spider's abdomen. One thread obviously is far too fine to use. We need about 24 threads together, which are pulled and twisted at the same time in order to use the thread, which we can then start as a sort of basis for going on to doing other things.

CO: And do these spiders get to go home at the end of the day, or what happens to them?

SP: Yeah, they... they absolutely do. So we collected the spiders in the morning and re-release them again in the afternoon.

CO: Good heavens!

SP: So no harm came to the spiders basically doing this. I mean, it did take an awful long time, but we managed it.

CO: It has taken years in order to get enough silk for these garments. And so what... will they... what happens to them now? They're going to be on a show, and then do they become part of somebody's wardrobe one day?

SP: [chuckling] Well, I can't really answer that. It would be nice to think that, you know, a couple of them may end up, you know, in a public collection somewhere, in a museum collection. I think that would be the ideal place. [CO laughs] But who knows? Who knows?

CO: I mean, might it be, if they're being auctioned off, do you think that somebody might purchase it and wear it to dinner and spill their soup on it?

SP: Well, [chuckle] I think it would be pretty brash to go out and wear it with the chance of soup being spilt. I think that would be... that would be tempting fate. [CO chuckles] But it's more for a sort of cabinet of curiosities. But you never know. I mean, I'm not one to say what might happen.

CO: Simon, it just sounds like extraordinary work and extraordinary pieces. And so I appreciate speaking with you about it. Thank you.

SP: Not at all. A pleasure.

CO: Bye.

SP: Bye.

CH: Simon Peers is a textile designer. He was in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

[music: bright piano]

Carl Bean Obit

[music: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga]

CH: This is Lady Gaga, with the title track from her 2011 album, "Born This Way". Maybe you already knew that. After all, it's one of the best-selling singles of all time. But you might not know the name Archbishop Carl Bean -- who Lady Gaga credits as the inspiration for that record-breaking record. The gospel vocalist and minister died yesterday. He was 77. In recent years, Archbishop Bean was known for establishing the Minority AIDS Project and the Unity Fellowship Church of Christ -- one of the first Black churches for LGBTQ people. But before he became a trailblazing activist, and founded his network of LGBTQ-friendly churches, Archbishop Bean was the lead singer of the band Carl Bean and Universal Love. His group eventually caught the ear of Motown Records. And in 1977, they recorded a disco single for the label, called "I Was Born This Way." It became an anthem for the LGBTQ community and inspired generations of artists. As Lady Gaga told Archbishop Bean on the 10th anniversary of "Born This Way" earlier this year, quote: "Thank you for decades of relentless love, bravery, and a reason to sing. So we can all feel joy because we deserve joy. Because we deserve the right to inspire tolerance, acceptance, and freedom for all." Unquote.

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September 08, 2021 Episode Transcript

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