Front Porch AF

Hosts Kelli and Sue welcome Lauren Egan of The Bulwark to discuss the high-stakes Tennessee District 7 special election between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps, the effects of gerrymandering, and why national Democrats are pouring in resources.

The conversation covers campaign strategy, cultural messaging, the role of social media and rising Democratic figures, the impact of the Epstein files, and Lauren’s reportin...

Given the topic of immigration and immigrants in today's America, this episode's guest is most enlightening. Kelli and Sue sit down with Diana Perez from Conexión Américas to learn how the nonprofit supports Nashville's Latino community through English classes, education assistance, food distribution, workforce programs, and more.

The episode highlights personal stories of success, current challenges facing immigrant families, comm...

"Big change has to start somewhere, and it starts just by doing it." In this episode of Front Porch AF, hosts Kelli and Sue chat over drinks and laughter before welcoming Joseph Clark from Nashville’s Oasis Center to discuss support networks for LGBTQ+ youth.

They cover Oasis’s Just Us program, mental health services, the Stonewall Scholars internship, ways to volunteer or donate, and how adults can advocate for young people. For m...

“Right now we just can’t forget that on a long enough timeline, fascism always loses.”  —My Cluck Hut co-founder Trevor Silva

Fighting against fascism and for love and acceptance — that’s My Cluck Hut, a company started during the 2020 pandemic on a mission to change the world, one bar of soap at a time. Founders Dr. (by marriage) Trevor Silva and Dr. (for real) Jennifer Berry join Kelli and Sue to talk about their mission-driven c...

After scintillating talk of snapping metal huggies, haunted drive-through car washes, and Taylor Swift’s new album (Sue is clueless), we talk about how to change the system from within with Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run For Something, a nonprofit organization which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office.

Since its launch in 2017, Run for Something has helped elect more than 1500 leaders ...

Our little town of Madison, Tennessee gets the big-city treatment with a new coffee table book!

On this episode, Kelli and Sue sit down with author — and neighbor — Laura Amaral to talk about the new book MADISON: Portraits of Our Neighbors, created with award-winning photographer (and yes, neighbor) Stacie Huckeba. This luscious book captures nearly a hundred Madisonians ...

"With Instagram and internet research, there is no excuse now for going to a bad tattoo artist." —SHANNON WAGES, Tattoo Artist   We start off with how Sue got her first tattoo at age 77 (from a great tattoo artist, Chuy, at his Tatuajes Raza studio), and why the rainbow peace sign is so meaningful to her. And fun fact: Kelli's first tattoo was administered by a dude named Buzzard in a Mississippi double-wide.   Then t...

Q: What is the one thing you want our listeners to know?

A: If you've been impacted by sexual assault, it was NOT. YOUR. FAULT.    —Greta McClain, founder of Silent No Longer

This episode focuses on gender-based sexual violence. Our guest is Greta McClain, founder of Silent No Longer, an organization which empowers survivors of sexual violence to transform their stories into powerful forces for education and inspiration.

Greta serv...

Kelli and Sue welcome veteran Wes Minto to the front porch to discuss his Army experience, deployment to Iraq, and concerns about the use of military forces in U.S. cities, especially in the light of a soldier’s training to “toe the line.” Wes also offers practical advice on supporting veterans and how the public can engage with service members during tense moments.

Along with travel tales from Down Under (Kelli went to Australia) ...

“The best thing about getting older is ... I got nothin’ to lose!”

—Dr. Bob, on the Front Porch of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Madison, TN

To set the stage for our foray into the topic of aging, we checked in with neighbors and friends about what they considered to be the worst and best parts of getting older. From the worst of chin hairs, sore joints, and the loss of loved ones, to the best of gaining wisdom, getting more com...

After recapping a week of barbeque and burgers, juke joint dancing, beer parkas, and how Kelli is Rube-Goldberg-ing her own swimming pool, we spoke with our special guest, Francie Hunt, Executive Director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP).

Francie made headlines in 2022, when she walked 538 miles across Tennessee, from Memphis to Johnson City, on Walk for Our Lives, what she calls her “pilgrimage for abortion rig...

After a glorious month of Pride festivities and shenanigans (see below), we capped it all off with a conversation with Kathy Halbrooks, PFLAG National Board Member and former Co-Chair, now Community Liaison, of PFLAG Nashville.

PFLAG ​is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Founded in 1973 by the parents of a gay man who was beaten at a prote...

<Porch Talk Video HERE.> Our current Pride Special episode features an interview with Olivia Hill, Tennessee's first transgender elected official. Part of our outreach on socials included boosting a video of a short extra interview with Olivia to a wider Facebook audience than we usually get to.

And it worked! The first day we got hundreds of new views--and then we got comments. All of which were, shall we say, discouraging a...

“They can tell me what bathroom to use ... but they can’t take away who I am.”

—OLIVIA HILL

Kelli and Sue celebrate Pride Month with our special guest, Olivia Hill, Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member, and the first elected transgender lawmaker in Tennessee history!

Olivia’s transition journey belies the scare-tactic claim that kids can go to school one sex and come ...

“The problem isn’t organized religion. It’s bad religion.” —Rev. Jay Voorhees

Saving the world by activism and outreach—or simply by helping your fellow human beings when they need you—is our theme, and we were thrilled to welcome our dear friend and spiritual advisor, Reverend Jay Voorhees, to talk with us.

After bailing Kelli out of Grammar Jail, we review some Very Important Happenings on the Bend, including fire ants, a Tecate ...

Well, Kelli almost didn't make it for this episode—her flight to Nashville was diverted (in the middle of a tornado!) to St. Louis, where she had to rent a car to make it back—just in time to welcome our special guest for this episode: Laurie Green, founder of SAFPAW (Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare), a nonprofit that helps the homeless community face the daily challenges of living in poverty with their pets. 

Laur...

In this special edition of the pod, Front Porch videographer/researcher Piper Miegs returns from her travels and joins Kelli and Sue to quaff a cocktail and solve all the problems ... oh wait. We don't solve *anything* on this episode! We just sit around and gab about all sorts of things—especially about growing older.

At 77, Sue is a lot closer to The End than Kelli or Piper, but turns out we all share the changes aging brings to ...

After a week when Sue survived a bloody (the blood was on her!) wrestling match and Kelli returned without serious injury from horse (no drinking while riding) camp, we gathered on our audio front porch to welcome neighbor Robbin Nolen to talk about equine assisted therapy.

Robbin is a certified EAGALA Equine Specialist and runs Di...