Rita Gonzales has been an activist in the community for over two decades. She began her involvement in GLLU, Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, the oldest LGBT Latino organization in Southern California. She was the president of GLLU in 1986. In addition, Rita was one of the three original sponsors of Bienestar, a Latino health education agency.

She worked as a sound engineer for the television show "LA Kids" which earned her two Emmy's in 1995. This was an exciting time for her because she saw the positive side of what children were doing in our community by helping others and the environment.

Rita has served on several boards of directors which included Connexxus, an organization for women and the Stonewall Democratic Club.  Rita has also won other awards for her activism including the LA Gay and Lesbian Center's LACE (Lesbian and Bisexual Women Active in Community Empowerment) Award.

Rita began her affiliation with radio with the show "Radio GLLU" in 1986. She was co-host and editor of that show for 11 years. In 1995 Rita became co-host of   IMRU, one of the longest running gay and lesbian radio programs in Southern California. Since that time she has worked as a segment producer, technical engineer, board operator and editor. She  is currently the executive producer of IMRU.

She continues to stay active in the community by her involvement with the One National Gay and Lesbian Archives by being on the board.  Rita was also on the advisory board for Women On A Roll, an organization for women seeking alternative recreational activities.  She is currently the chair of the board of directors of Bienestar.

Producer, Curtis Krick  Curtis has written, acted in, produced and directed works for stage and screen from classical to contemporary to original works. He has a BA in theatre from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Directing from Purdue. Curtis was the first Professor of Media and Performing Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and served as the head of SCAD's directing program for 2001-2002. For two years, Curtis headed up Alive Productions at Metropolitan Community Church in the Valley where he founded their staged reading series. With his friends Sean Dillon and Jason Kehler, he has founded Biscuits & Gravy Productions, producing works for stage and screen. Having great interest in radio but little experience, Curtis joined IMRU in the summer of 2004 and has been contributing pieces ever since. Producer, Charley Lang  Charley Lang is a psychotherapist in private practice who has worked extensively with the LGBT community for the past 15 years. His interview segment "Look Who's Talking" on IMRU is an outgrowth of his eclectic connections in the entertainment, education and mental health communities. An actor for many years (the gay republican congressman on The West Wing), he also directed the award-winning documentaries "LIVE TO TELL: The First Gay & Lesbian Prom in America" and "Battle For the Tiara", as well as the upcoming "Gay Cops: Heroes Behind the Badge". Charley also teaches Human Sexuality in the Masters Program at Antioch University and supervises the mental health staff at the AIDS Service Center in Pasadena. He developed his own workshop, "Combatting Homophobia in the Classroom" which is currently presented at middle schools and high schools throughout Los Angeles county. He enjoys traveling, popcorn, his 2 canines Dakota and Cheyenne and co-creating new stories. Check out his website at www.newnarratives.net Producer, Kathy Sanchez  From the desert sand of West Texas/Southern New Mexico to the dusty hills of Los Angeles, Kathy made her way to the ocean. But before she could call LA home, she came out, received a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications with an emphasis on radio, and became active in the LGBT movement. After a period of settling into LA life and a steady paycheck, Kathy joined IMRU and began contributing pieces, producing shows, writing scripts, co-hosting, and directing. In other words, she fell in love with radio all over again and found a home among the other volunteers with IMRU. Says Sanchez of her IMRU family, "They like me. They really, really like me." When she's not volunteering or working full time as a professional lesbian, she sleeps. You may see Kathy marching for peace and equal rights, watching LA's sports teams, admiring art at a museum, in the studios of KPFK, or doing her part in upsetting the radical right any way she can. She tries to do these things with a microphone. Her girlfriend tries to keep her from getting arrested at the marches, from staying too late at the studios, and from losing her sanity when dealing with wingnuts. Kathy's girlfriend tries to do these things with patience. Suggestions, fan mail and general ramblings can be emailed to kpfk@imru.org. Producer, Chris Wilson  Chris Wilson is the founding co-producer of "AudioFile", an independently produced feature that airs regularly on IMRU as well as on other radio programs around the world. Each edition of AudioFile features three musical artists who are either "out" or perform music of interest to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. AudioFile is the recipient of a Silver Reel from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters and two Golden Mikes from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California. AudioFile has also been nominated for a Gay/Lesbian American Music Award in the Radio Broadcast Category. Chris is also a member of Outmusic, an organization of glbt musicians and their supporters and was nominated for an Outmusic Award in the category of Outstanding Support in 2001. In addition to her work with AudioFile, Chris is also IMRU's resident legal commentator as she is also an out attorney. Among other things, she advises domestic partners and gay parents on how to protect themselves legally under California state law. The photograph depicts Chris, (right) and her partner Pam Marshall (left), covering the first Gay Lesbian American Music Awards in New York in October of 1996. Producer, Vivian Marie Varela  Vivian Marie has been a volunteer with IMRU since 1998.  She loves KPFK and radio work. To enhance her skills she studies improv & stand-up comedy with the Gay Mafia's director, Mike Player. She has been a frequent guest star with The Gay Mafia improv/sketch comedy troupe. Vivian debuted her stand-up comedy routine in Orange County at Churro Fest, A Night of Chicano Comedy and has since performed stand-up at Highways in LIPService and in other venues around Los Angeles. She is currently the president of her Toastmasters club in Pasadena. Producer, Bing Tell  Bing's blossoming entertainment career began in the Philippines in 1982, when, at the tender age of 3, her mother forced her to appear onscreen at a live broadcast of a Catholic mass. She vowed never to be in front of the camera again.  Luckily, working behind the scenes in movies and radio has allowed her to keep that vow. In 2005, Bing produced a documentary called "Mangosteen" about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Malaysia, which was considered the "best of the best" at the Visual Communications Film Fest. Since then, Bing has gone on to produce "Unheard Musician" about an 80-year-old classical musician who's getting his music recorded for the first time and a short film called "Potential," which is about a fortysomething rock chick struggling to help a seductive pop princess write the song that will change her image. No matter what's going on in her life, IMRU is the glue that keeps her feet firmly planted on the ground, and Bing is very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful family. Her personal interests include doing the dishes, balancing the checkbook and watching people work out. Producer, Kareem Ferguson Producer, Kathleen Williams What is IMRU? • Who We Are • Show Highlights Local Links • Contact Us