A statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization discusses the historic gains made in this year’s Midterm election and how the community is responding to this month’s mass shooting at a gay club in Colorado. Yosemite National Park’s decision to suspend its peak hour reservation system for Summer 2023 and its impact on the local tourism economy.

Equality California

The Midterm saw a record-breaking number of openly LGBTQ+ candidates running for and winning elected offices across the country in what advocates are calling a “Rainbow Wave”. That wave also crested here in the Golden State as California became the first state in the nation to reach at least 10% LGBTQ+ representation in its state legislature. These lawmakers will be taking office during a poignant time in our country after more than a dozen states passed what advocates call “anti-LGBTQ+” legislation and a mass shooting at a gay club in Colorado Springs which claimed the lives of five people and injured at least 17 others less than two weeks after Election Day. Tony Hoang, Executive Director of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, joined Insight to talk about how the LGBTQ+ community is responding to the tragedy as well as the historic gains made by candidates this year.

Yosemite National Park ends reservations

Visiting one of California’s natural treasures will be a little bit easier next summer. Yosemite National Park announced it no longer requires reservations to enter the park for Summer 2023. The reservation system was put in place in 2020 to stymie the flow of people flocking to the park during the early months of the pandemic. And it’s remained through 2021 and even this summer, partly due to park renovations. While some environmentalists hailed the decision to limit the number of park visitors, the reservation system put a squeeze on Mariposa County’s tourism economy. The park admits it’s been struggling to address overcrowding and congestion at one of America’s most popular national parks for decades and hopes to apply the lesson’s learned over the last three summers to improve the visitor experience while preserving Yosemite’s natural splendor. Scott Gediman, Park Ranger and spokesperson for Yosemite National Park, joined Insight to provide more details about the decision, and Jonathan Farrington, Executive Director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, shares how this decision is expected to impact the county’s tourism industry.

B Street Theatre's 'Tis the Season

Lyndsay Burch, Artistic Director of The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre and Director of "'Tis The Season," discusses the upcoming performance for the Family series at the B Street Theatre and the holiday cheer shared through storytelling.