Reuters - World champion Tyson Gay's dream of an Olympics double ended in pain when he crashed out of the U.S. 200 meters quarter-finals on Saturday.

AFP - Hundreds of thousands of gays, lesbians and their supporters on Saturday took part in a colourful parade across Madrid, the capital of a country that has become a world leader in gay rights.

Host: Amy Matheny with co-Host Kelli Simpkins

Happy Independence Day! We have an exciting show today. Amy gives some cool props to a couple ladies near and dear to her. Alexandra Billings is going to be featured in the July/August issue of Positively Aware. For more information go to positivelyaware.com. Di-Lish our editor has a new book out! Tomahawk’d by Diane S. Bauden is now available. Check out her website to find out how to get a copy! www.dsbauden.com. Kelli and Amy share their femme and butch stories.

Movie Minute: Will Smith and Charlize Theron in Hancock www.sonypictures.com/movies/hancock

Guest: There’s a conference coming to town! A Femme Conference. How do you identify yourself? Amy talks with Kathe Young, chairwoman of the Femme Collective regarding this confusing subject. They are coming to the Chicago Wyndham O’Hare Hotel from August 15-17th. For more information go to www.femmecollective.com

Amy thanks a couple podcasters for their comments and emails. Keep ‘em coming!

Music Featured on this Queercast:
Scissor Sisters - “Paul McCartney”
No Doubt - “I’m Just a Girl”

Reuters - Rita Boyadjian wishes she were in a better mood to celebrate the weddings of fellow gay friends after California began legally marrying same-sex couples last month.

Host: Amy Matheny with co-Host Kelli Simpkins

Happy Pride everyone! As Amy heads out of town to Tennessee, she and Kelli talk about their first pride parades, fanny packs, and what is the superior donut? They disagree on that one.

Guest: Amy sits down in the lobby of Steppenwolf Theatre with Tina Landau, the award-winning director of the new Tracy Lett’s play - SUPERIOR DONUTS. They talk about being lesbians in theatre, diving into new work, their love of Broadway musicals…and Tina gives Amy a HUGE compliment on XENA LIVE. Plus did Amy make Tina lose her train of thought? All in all, it is a rare interview for Tina answering questions that most interviewers never ask. Superior Donuts plays through August 17th at Steppenwolf. For tickets visit steppenwolf.org

Music Featured on this Queercast:
Yaz - “Goodbye Seventies”
Thelma Houston - “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

AP - Who may now kiss the bride when there are two grooms?

AP - A lesbian motorcycle group dressed in bridal veils, wedding gowns and leather lent a matrimonial touch to San Francisco's gay pride parade Sunday as revelers celebrated their newfound freedom to marry.

AP - Men wore sparkling saris, women wore rainbow boas and hundreds of people chanted for gay rights in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are illegal.

AP - Huge crowds are expected for San Francisco's 38th annual gay pride parade as revelers celebrate their newfound freedom to marry.

AP - Move over Dykes on Bikes. Here come the brides — and grooms.

AFP - Tens of thousands joined gay pride marches across Europe on Saturday but homophobics spoiled the party in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria where scores were arrested for disrupting events.

AP - Move over Dykes on Bikes. Here come the brides — and grooms. Given San Francisco's sizable role in initiating the lawsuits that led California's highest court to strike down the state's bans on same-sex marriage, the city's 38th annual gay pride festival and parade is likely to draw huge crowds this weekend, tourism officials say.

Host: Amy Matheny with co-Host Alexandra Billings

This is a very special and personal show. Alex shares many aspects of her life with Amy on this Queercast, including this sweet baby pic. From quitting smoking, to living in her Republican town, but most importantly she shares her transgender story.

Guest: Author Stephanie Brill joins Amy to discuss her new book, The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals. The novel was co-written by Rachel Pepper. Through extensive research and interviews, as well as years of experience working in the field, the authors cover gender variance from birth through college. For more information visit the Gender Spectrum Web site at www.genderspectrum.org.

Alex is going on a journey to find Nadia Comaneci! We wish Alex bon voyage and look forward to her return to the Queercast in August.

Music Featured on this Queercast:
Katy Perry - “I Kissed a Girl”
Winsome Griffles - “Your New Stupid Boyfriend”
Enya - “Miss Clare Remembers”

AP - About 3,000 gays have marched through Jerusalem in their annual Gay Pride parade. The march was followed by a rally, both proceeding without incident.

AFP - About 2,000 people took part in an annual Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem on Thursday which passed off without major incident even though it had been the focus of violent controversy in the past.