I have to say that I was honored by the NBNA (Northwest Broadcasters News Association) with an Eric Sevareid Award for best medium size market Talk/Public affairs show that I did at the end of September of 2013. An award that literally was a surprise to me…no, more of a shock. The NBNA is made of up six states including the Dakota’s, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

Paul Jurgens, our news director at KFGO asked if I had any shows I’d like to enter in the competition. Well we have a lot of fun at night, sometimes serious, and that evening in September we had a little of both on the show. Jennifer Knapp, long known for her Christian music in the early 2,000’s and winner of a number of Dove Awards for Christian Music and a Grammy nominee, took a hiatus and moved to Australia with her partner. That’s right, partner. Jennifer decided to “come out” and reveal her sexuality as a lesbian. She returned in a different direction after some five years off the music scene. She decided to part with her record company for artistic reasons and said that to this day, still remains very much friends.

She said “Well, I just talk about my experience of what it’s been like in the community coming out of a Christian Community, that I’m actually still engaged in very much, but what it’s like because there’s often times a lot of controversy centered around sexual orientation and faith. What is it like? We often think it’s incompatible to be a person of faith, that people who give over to their sexual orientation have somehow lost their faith”.

She had three appearances to answer questions and perform in the FM area. Jennifer says “But at the same time there aren’t any openly gay Christian artists out there working in the proper mainstream Christian Artists. One of the first reactions that happened for me was that retailors pulled me off the shelves, and the Christian music that I had, was kind of viewed as something that was then broken. And something that people couldn’t accept. And I think what that does is speaks negatively to a lot of LGBT people. To be able see somebody continue to try and erase that legacy. Something that’s really dramatic and can really be a negative effect and I think part of sharing my story is trying to put that in perspective and show that you can have a real positive life by coming out and sharing your and your gifts. Jennifer added ‘Some people think that being gay is a fashion trend, but it’s not. But what we are seeing is more and more people being comfortable telling what it’s like. When we share, we kind of lift a veil of surprise and secrecy and the shame out of not being heterosexual….and that’s a really positive thing.

I loved the fact that she mentioned she was from Kansas and we got into Twins Baseball a bit and she got a giggle about our team’s problems, but then she said “Don’t get me started on the Royals!”

We also talked about how things have turned around since she was in Kansas growing up. She would have never believed an A.M. radio station would be talking about homosexuality. “It would have been a mind blowing event, but I’m not even breaking a sweat! I don’t know about you?

I had a Dove award winner. A Grammy nominee and a women who has sold millions of records sitting next to me talking about her music, her life, and I can tell you this…not one drop of sweat.

The entire interview that includes Jennifer singing two songs in studio are podcast under “Nighttime Live” at www.kfgo.com