Angela and Steve outline more about the upcoming Caravan of Hope, during which Angela will travel around the country in an RV to bring legal services to LGBTQ people in conservative or rural areas.
On today’s episode Angela talks about how she can keep LGBTQ people who are not out of the closet, safe while helping them with their legal problems and she’ll also reveal which of the two Arkadelphias she will be visiting.
How did you come up with the Caravan of Hope?
Yeah. So the Caravan of Hope is a nonprofit that I came up with, that I thought up, that I envisioned back in 2016 when Trump was elected president. And regardless of where you fall politically, at the end of the day, the LGBTQ community was scared when Trump was elected, and rightfully so. And as we’ve seen roll out in the years since with all of the anti-LGBTQ bills and legislation that have been introduced and passed, and none of that was seen prior to Trump being elected. So everybody was scared, and I was just sort of sitting with that. It was New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day. And the idea of, I think, hope right from the Barack Obama administration, that hope being such a motto within his administration, that was still very much a part of my, I guess, at the forefront of my mind. And so led with the Caravan of Hope that if I were to bring legal services to the LGBTQ community, I would do so in a caravan of hope. And so literally born from those two thoughts being brought together that how would I bring legal services to everyone around the country?
The Itinerary
So the itinerary was really thought out around the fact that 55% of LGBTQ folks in the United States live in the Midwest and in the south. So we’re talking more than half and with the other half on the coast, anywhere from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to all the way up here in Philadelphia to San Diego and La. And on up. So no one really thinks about the people in the Midwest and in the south, we’re going to hit up as many Pride festivals as possible. Right? So this is the month of June, and we’re going to start in Ptown, little gay mecca at the very tip of the Cape and one of my favorite places, a happy place. It’ll be their pride. And so I love the fact that we’re kicking off in Ptown and during a Pride festival. And then from there we’re going to go to Asbury Park, New Jersey. And from there, Rohomo. We call it RoHomo, but it’s really Rohoboth Beach, Delaware. And everybody there calls it Rohomo, whether you’re straight or not. And then from Rahomo down to Baltimore, Maryland, and from Baltimore, Maryland to DC, which will be the second gay Pride, and that will be able to bring people from multiple states into DC Pride.
And then from there we’re going to shoot straight down south to Charleston, South Carolina, and then over to my favorite state, Birmingham, Alabama. And we’re going to stay there for a couple of nights. And then from there over to Arkansas to a little town called Arkadelphia.
What is your goal?
So the goal is twofold. First and foremost, exactly what it was created for or when I thought of it, which is to bring hope to people all over the country, LGBTQ folks and allies, right. With the mass shootings that just unfolded this week, we are dealing with a level of hate and vitriol in this country across all populations and demographics, right? So a little bit of hope for anyone about any cause is likely welcomed at this point. And so while I thought this up and dreamed it up around the fear of Trump being elected, now, forget that, right? That was 2016. Here we are, 2023. And what we’re dealing with now is don’t say gay. And an unprecedented number of book bannings. An unprecedented number of antitrans legislation being introduced and passed to the Supreme Court of the United States, actively taking an attack on LGBTQ Supreme Court precedent and asking it to be re-examined. So we’re dealing with a whole new level of fear, I feel like, at this point. And so my goal is twofold, the two is the very tactical, literal reason, which is to bring legal services to folks that are likely not out or don’t have access to a lawyer who has knowledge and experience, and expertise in LGBTQ law. In Arkadelphia, Alabama, is there someone there a lawyer that competently and compassionately can do a transgender name change? Right. And so that’s the two-fold goal.
Episode Transcript
[00:00:33.290] – Speaker 2
Hey. Good morning, Philadelphia. Listen, if you only knew what it took to put a live show on versus a prerecorded show, you would give us all kinds of accolades. We’ve been having some problems with some technical problems. I think we’ve got them somewhat straightened out this morning because it’s 10:00. We have a great guest. She’s with us every week, one of the finest attorneys in, I’d say, Pennsylvania. Good morning, Angela.
[00:01:14.870] – Speaker 3
Good morning, Steve. How are you?
[00:01:17.770] – Speaker 2
We’ve been going crazy to get the show on, but I think we’ve done it. I’m so glad you’re here to join us, and we’ve got some really incredible things to talk about today. But I always tell you, we get so many emails from people who find our show by accident, just going through the dial. And once they get our show, Angela, they love the show and become a long time listener. So I know I ask you this every week, but there’s a lot of people out there who don’t know who you are yet. So give everybody a little bit of background.
[00:02:01.750] – Speaker 3
Sure. So I am from Canada originally and moved here to go to college.
[00:02:34.450] – Speaker 3
Moves to the US and very quickly realized that there was gay law and straight law in this country, and that the law is being so different, really, as it relates to marriage equality. There are 1138 state and federal rights tied to the institution of marriage. So with all of those rights come benefits and they come privileges, and they impact every single thing that people do from own businesses. Immigration, bankruptcy, your health Savings Act, any retirement, Social Security benefits, you name it, it is impacted by whether or not you’re married. And so that sort of coming from Canada and seeing how the US. Was so different made me realize that there was a whole group of people here in the United States that needed special legal assistance on how to navigate the difference between gay law and straight law. And so at that point, Giampolo law group was born in 2008. To date myself and Philly Gay Lawyer is the advocacy arm. It’s sort of the brand that I’ve created for radio like this, and any sort of outreach that is Philly Gay lawyer, and Giampolo Law Group is the firm.
[00:04:08.910] – Speaker 2
Well, I got to tell you that Angela works in the areas of family law, business law, real estate law, estate planning, employment law, and they all kind of intertwined with each other. And she is doing so much for the LGBTQ community. And I just want you, if you’ve got a friend in that community, a relative, this is the best show to have them tune into. Every week at 10:00, we touch different topics. Today, we’re going to be talking about your Caravan of Hope, which we’ve talked about before, but it’s so big, it actually lends discussing it even more. Tell everybody what the Caravan of Hope is. Exactly.
[00:05:05.810] – Speaker 3
Yeah. So the Caravan of Hope is a nonprofit that I came up with, that I thought up, that I envisioned back in 2016 when Trump was elected president. And regardless of where you fall politically, at the end of the day, the LGBTQ community was scared when Trump was elected, and rightfully so. And as we’ve seen roll out in the years since with all of the anti LGBTQ bills and legislation that have been introduced and passed, and none of that was seen prior to Trump being elected. So everybody was scared, and I was just sort of sitting with that. It was New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day. And the idea of, I think, hope right from the Barack Obama administration, that hope being such a motto within his administration, that was still very much a part of my, I guess, at the forefront of my mind. And so led with the Caravan of Hope that if I were to bring legal services to the LGBTQ community, that I would do so in a caravan of Hope. And so literally born from those two thoughts being brought together that how would I bring legal services to everyone around the country?
[00:06:39.090] – Speaker 3
I would do so in an RV, in a caravan, and in doing so, bring them hope. And I’ve never done a maiden voyage yet. This June 2023 will be the first maiden voyage. I’ve only ever provided legal services locally, but it’s about time. And I feel like ever since Trump was elected, what I had to deal with locally, regionally, in terms of providing legal services to the community right here, was more than my bandwidth could handle. And so I didn’t have the opportunity to do so nationwide until recently, and very much looking forward to it.
[00:07:27.870] – Speaker 2
Out of curiosity. Okay, so Trump was not a friend to the LGBTQ community. Is the new governor of Pennsylvania, Shapiro? Is he a friend to the community?
[00:07:42.930] – Speaker 3
He is. He is a friend to the community. He’s a great ally, actually. When the Pulse massacre occurred in Orlando and there have been so many mass shootings recently, so my heart and condolences go out to all of the families impacted hate and vitriol, regardless of why, is just so difficult to deal with. So Pulse in Orlando was sort of the first mass shooting that the LGBTQ community dealt with. And it fell on June 12, was the morning of it happened that evening, Saturday night into Sunday morning. But we all woke up Sunday morning and it was pride here in Philadelphia. And it could not have been just a sadder Pride. Everyone was glued to the TVs instead of outside marching and parading. In the wake of that, the neighborhood and all of the local LGBTQ bars came together and decided to have a fundraiser where all of the bars would open up on. And this was the first time in 30 years that every single bar collaborated on one particular issue and did a joint fundraiser. Usually there’s always drama and infighting and something, right? We’re talking gay people. They’re dramatic enough. And then gay bars, it was like to get them all work together for one cause was unprecedented.
[00:09:31.070] – Speaker 3
And so we brought in celebrity bartenders in order to bring even more folks in. And Josh Shapiro and myself bartended at Vilani, one of the local bars. And it turns out he doesn’t drink, and he didn’t even know how to pour bourbon on the rocks. Unlike Josh, it’s bourbon on ice. And you need to get out of my way because you may look cute. The line was just out the door. So definitely an ally to the community. There were a handful of celebrities, if you will, at that point. He was Attorney General. He’s been there for years and I think will fight for us down at the Capitol in Harrisburg.
[00:10:32.130] – Speaker 2
I’m glad to hear you say that. So the Caravan of hope, your baby help people. Some of the cities you’re going to be going to.
[00:10:44.910] – Speaker 3
It’S going to be a whirlwind doozy. Everything from large cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest to itty bitty little towns that I’ve never heard of. But predominantly, we are going to be staying in cities for safety reasons. And I’ve thought long and hard about it, but as much as I would want the caravan to pull into small cities, it behooves people or someone in a small city that may not be out and it may not be safe to be out to have. And I want a lot of press around this. And they’ll be putting out press releases and getting a ton of publicity around the itinerary. So if the itinerary is well known in advance and then people are coming to meet the caravan, and then you, Steve, who are not out hop on the caravan in the middle of the small town in Alabama, you’ve ultimately just outed yourself. And while the caravan leaves and goes off to the next city, you don’t right. You stay in that small town. So after thinking about it, we are sticking near cities, but cities that are within a two to three hour drive from anyone in very small towns.
[00:12:03.470] – Speaker 3
So the itinerary was really thought out around the fact that 55% of LGBTQ folks in the United States live in the Midwest and in the south. So we’re talking more than half and with the other half on the coast, anywhere from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to all the way up here in Philadelphia to San Diego and La. And on up. So no one really thinks about the people in the Midwest and in the south, we’re going to hit up as many Pride festivals as possible. Right? So this is the month of June, and we’re going to start in Ptown, little gay mecca at the very tip of the Cape and one of my favorite places, a happy place. It’ll be their pride. And so I love the fact that we’re kicking off in Ptown and during a Pride festival. And then from there we’re going to go to Asbury Park, New Jersey. And from there, RoHomo. We call it RoHomo, but it’s really Rohoboth Beach, Delaware. And everybody there calls it RoHomo, whether you’re straight or not. And then from RoHomo down to Baltimore, Maryland, and from Baltimore, Maryland to DC, which will be the second gay Pride, and that will be able to bring people from multiple states into DC Pride.
[00:13:34.370] – Speaker 3
And then from there we’re going to shoot straight down south to Charleston, South Carolina, and then over to my favorite state, Birmingham, Alabama. And we’re going to stay there for a couple of nights. And then from there over to Arkansas to a little town called Arkadelphia., the minute I heard that there was a place called Arkadelphia, I just had to make an appointment.
[00:13:59.460] – Speaker 2
Now, wait a minute. You got to decide if you’re going to go to Arkadelphia, Texas or Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Yes, there are two. One in Texas and one in then I’m going to tell you what mine is for you. What is your goal?
[00:14:23.030] – Speaker 3
So the goal is twofold and probably more that haven’t unveiled themselves to me yet, but first and foremost, exactly what it was created for or when I thought of it, which is to bring hope to people all over the country, LGBTQ folks and allies, right. Governor Shapiro, to you, that encompasses everyone who’s an ally. With the mass shootings that just unfolded this week, we are dealing with a level of hate and vitriol in this country across all populations and demographics, right? So a little bit of hope for anyone about any cause is likely welcomed at this point. And so while I thought this up and dreamed it up around the fear of Trump being elected, now, forget that, right? That was 2016. Here we are, 2023. And what we’re dealing with now is don’t say gay. And an unprecedented number of book bannings. An unprecedented number of antitrans legislation being introduced and passed to the Supreme Court of the United States, actively taking attack on LGBTQ Supreme Court precedent and asking it to be re-examined. So we’re dealing with a whole new level of fear, I feel like, at this point. And so my goal being twofold.
[00:16:02.600] – Speaker 3
One, to bring hope to people in the midst of all of that, right? And then two is the very tactical, literal reason, which is to bring legal services to folks that are likely not out or don’t have access to a lawyer who has knowledge and experience, and expertise in LGBTQ law. In Arkadelphia, Alabama, is there someone there a lawyer that competently and compassionately can do a transgender name change? Right. And so that’s the two-fold goal. What’s your goal for me, Steve?
[00:16:46.610] – Speaker 2
This is my goal. I’ve thought about this because I think what you’re doing is amazing because you’re going to be taking time away from your practice. You’re going into the belly of the beast in some of these cities. So my goal to you, and what I pray for, for you, is each day you touch one person and change their life and give them hope. So, listen, I know you want volume, but, God, if you can just touch one person every day and change your life, you’ve done miracles.
[00:17:37.650] – Speaker 3
Absolutely. And I think your goal and my goal, they interrelate and they come from the same place in two very different people, right? Like they’ve been doing this show for years is now. And you and I, on paper, would be two very different people, probably down to political affiliations and religious affiliations and all of the things. But love ultimately stems from one place, and compassion and grace and kindness all stem from one place. And so the fact that yours and I go are one and the same to me, is proof that there can be unity and just an end to the divisiveness and fear and hatred and vitriol that exists currently in this country.
[00:18:33.190] – Speaker 2
We’ve missed our commercial today. We will be playing it afterward. But this is so important, Angela, and I got to tell you, my hat’s off to you. I think what you’re doing is incredible. I think it’s going to be so successful. My question to you is, it seems like hate is worse than ever before. Is that just I’m imagining that or is that really true?
[00:19:08.670] – Speaker 3
I think it’s really true as much as I’m an optimist and always positive. I think we have to go backwards to a certain extent in order to take a quantum leap forward. And we will. Right. But it always gets worse before it gets better. And I think we are in the depths of that right now. And in order to get a large percentage of the population to see exactly how bad it can get, if we don’t take control of the narrative, and we don’t, again, a high percentage of the population start thinking at a higher consciousness level. So, yes, I think hatred is at an all-time high, but it’s because fear is at an all-time high. And fear then translates into many different things. Fear translates into anger. Right. Mass shootings. Fear translates into a lot of negative things, from murder to mass shootings to jealousy to hatred and criticism, judgment. And I think that’s what we’re dealing with now is that the majority of the world is vibrating at a level of fear, and we need to bring that vibration up. And I think we will.
[00:20:47.310] – Speaker 2
Hey, Rodney King had it downright any long time ago, and he said, can we all just get along? And that statement is so true because I look at myself and I went, look where I was three or four years ago. And I am so different now, the way I look at things, a lot of it thanks to you. I’ve learned so much. But gosh, if you can take those teachings and do it to a wider spread of people. Angela, you have done amazing work.
[00:21:26.090] – Speaker 3
Let me ask you this. From the you three, four years ago to the you now, would you say there’s a lighter feeling to you that in letting go the judgment and the criticism and some of the fear that you had around people that are different from you?
[00:21:47.570] – Speaker 2
Absolutely. Oh, absolutely. When I look at someone in the community, LGBTQ community, I used to do more of a stare. And now it’s no big deal. You’re one of us. You bleed red. And we should all be loving and understanding. And I have grown up. I guess that’s the best word. I’ve grown up. And again, thanks to you. It’s a shame there’s not a hundred of you out there to spread around.
[00:22:39.110] – Speaker 3
Would you say It takes more energy to hold on to judgment and fear than it does to just let and let live?
[00:22:46.530] – Speaker 2
Yes, absolutely. I guess the best way is it’s not a big deal anymore. So what? I’m there with open arms. I guess I would say I’m there with open arms. And I wouldn’t say that I was there in open arms, say, three or four years ago. I wasn’t judgmental, so to say. But it was like if I look at where I was three or four years ago, and I look at where I am now, I’m behind you. I’m an ally now. My feelings were so wrong years ago. So I guess that’s the best way to describe it.
[00:23:34.290] – Speaker 3
And I will say because words matter. And so when you say it’s a big deal to us, to the community, it is a big deal to have an ally. And so while for you, the shift is no longer a big deal in your brain, just know, especially to that person in Arkadelphia, Alabama, having one you as an ally is a huge deal.
[00:24:03.230] – Speaker 2
I could see that.
[00:24:06.190] – Speaker 3
Other allies, I should say, if you use those words, it’s a big deal to be an ally. It changes. It reframes it.
[00:24:18.690] – Speaker 2
Look there’s no secret we’ve had phone calls about the show, and at least now I talked to them so much different than I did three or four years ago. And I understand where you’re coming from. It is a big deal. I understand that. I just wish there was more of you, because the way that you educate people makes so much sense. I never felt threatened by you or, you know, how to handle people who are basically on the opposite side of you.
[00:25:21.030] – Speaker 2
Angela, let’s give everybody your phone number and your website address. Angela sure.
[00:25:33.340] – Speaker 3
Give me a call at 215-645-2415, and you can find me online at Giampololaw.com or a blog at lawyer.LGBT.
[00:25:46.590] – Speaker 2
Well, we love you. I always cannot wait until next week’s show. And we really probably should continue this because it’s very important, and people in the Philadelphia area have friends all over the United States, and you never know. So we might be talking about this again next week. Angela, thank you. We’re going to go to break, and we come back. We’ve got attorney Michael Cortimone. Thanks, Angela.
[00:26:17.670] – Speaker 3
Thank you, Steve.