Gay USA

Gay USA is a weekly one-hour news program "...devoted to in-depth coverage of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues" on a local, state, national and international level. It is filmed in the studios of, and aired by, Manhattan Neighborhood Network in Manhattan, New York. It airs on Manhattan public access television and Free Speech TV, and is currently available via the Internet as Podcasts.

Current format
Typically, Gay USA begins with a quick introduction by hosts Andy Humm and Ann Northrop then moves into news segments as viewed from the gay perspective. Regular segments include gay news, AIDS news, and entertainment news. The anchors refer to notes kept in front of them on the table during this portion of the show. Hosts Humm and Northrop often interject their news delivery with accounts of personal experiences and "...light, snappy repartee and good-natured verbal sparring and banter." Following the news topics of the week, guests are interviewed and/or videos clips are presented for the second half of the show.

History
Gay USA was preceded by Pride and Progress which first aired in 1985 on the Gay Cable Network (GCN). Independently produced and supported by GCN owner Lou Maletta, Pride and Progress was hosted by journalist/activist Andy Humm. The program covered LGBT topics, including the Democratic and Republican National Conventions from a gay perspective.

In 1996, journalist/activist Ann Northrop began co-hosting Gay USA with Humm.

Since September 2001, the show has aired on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. In 2003, Gay USA became nationally available through Free Speech TV. Podcasts of the show became available in 2006.

Interviews and guests
Gay USA includes interviews of individuals regarding relevant projects, organizations or entertainment. Guests have ranged from an out-gay, and thus unemployed, priest to a gay male couple with adopted children to political figures and entertainers. Some of the program's notable guests have included: Organizations involved in LGBT rights and information dissemination have also been represented on the show by various guests. These include:
 * Edward Albee, three time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright
 * Alison Bechdel, comic strip and graphic author, notably of Fun Home
 * Wayne Besen, gay rights advocate
 * Matthew Bourne, British choreographer
 * Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church
 * Justice Edwin Cameron, senior South African official
 * Thomas Duane, New York State Senator
 * Martin Duberman, historian
 * Marga Gomez, award winning comedian
 * Lesley Gore, singer and songwriter
 * Alan Hollinghurst, author of award winning The Line of Beauty
 * Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, LGBT Synagogue
 * Scott Long, Executive Director of LGBT Rights Project, Human Rights Watch
 * Joseph Lovett, film maker, notably of Gay Sex in the 70s
 * Michael Musto, columnist
 * Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council
 * Tully Satre, youth activist
 * Sir Antony Sher, actor, novelist and artist
 * Lily Tomlin, comedian who publicly came out on the show in 2000
 * Tree, Stonewall Inn Bartender
 * Paula Vogel, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright
 * Kenji Yoshino, author as well as professor of intellectual life at Yale Law School
 * ACLU Lesbian & Gay Rights Project: Litigation Director James Esseks; Matt Coles
 * Equality Ride: Activists Haven Herrin & Jake Reitan
 * Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network: Kevin Jennings
 * Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund: Attorney Alphonso David
 * National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: Executive Director Matt Forman
 * Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States: Monica Rodriguez

Gay USA Team
Frequently, the folks who work on and/or for Gay USA refer to themselves as the "Gay USA Team." In alphabetical order, the team currently consists of:
 * Bill Bahlman - Associate Producer
 * Sam Feder - Technical Director (employed by MNN)
 * Andy Humm - Host, journalist/activist
 * Ann Northrop - Host, journalist/activist
 * Rich Speziale - Studio Director (employed by MNN)