{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F76d83782-6183-4f3a-80b0-303da7a30624","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"<iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" title=\"386: Transformation \u2013 Building Acceptance One Community At A Time \u2013 Brandon Eisman\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"clipboard-write\" seamless src=\"http://player.captivate.fm/episode/76d83782-6183-4f3a-80b0-303da7a30624\"></iframe>","title":"386: Transformation \u2013 Building Acceptance One Community At A Time \u2013 Brandon Eisman","description":"Deep in the heart of Kansas, there\u2019s a transformation of acceptance going on. Women dressing as women but glammed up like nobody\u2019s bizness! Nothing unusual you might say! Tis true to some degree sugah\u2019s but when the men decided they needed a little piece of that action, you\u2019d have thunk the world was coming to an end. Because here\u2019s what\u2019s going on in little old Lawrence Kansas \u2013 home of the KU Jayhawks. There\u2019s a transformation, competition, and men doing drag, and not all of them are gay men. And, it\u2019s all being done in the name of charity.\r\nLeading the charge is Deja Brooks, a.k.a. Brandon Eisman , a vibrant artist, entertainer, advocate, educator and local personality, Brandon, known as Deja Brooks when performing, has made an impressive, cultural footprint (often beneath a stunning rainbow gown) on Lawrence \u2013 a city known for academia, diversity and the arts. He/She is also the star of the documentary \u2013 Transformations \u2013 that captures the magic and essence of the journey when local men, who are \u201cman enough,\u201d to discover what it means to go full drag for their favorite charity. Heartwarming, laugh until you cry, and touching,\u00a0 Deaj Brooks/Brandon Eisman and team take these men and the audience on a journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and appreciation of what it means to be a woman for a day.\r\nWe\u2019re blessed to have Deja and Brandon with us in the studio for a fun and touching interview that will make you shout, I want a transformation too!\r\nAbout Brandon\r\nBrandon Eisman is extra.\r\n\u2026extra committed to love, acceptance, and diversity; extra focused on creating a positive platform for the LGBTQ+ community; extra determined to keep Lawrence a community supportive of ALL people.\r\nA vibrant artist, entertainer, advocate, educator and local personality, Brandon, known as Deja Brooks when performing, has made an impressive, cultural footprint (often beneath a stunning rainbow gown) on Lawrence \u2013 a city known for academia, diversity and the arts.\r\nEisman\u2019s ambition to celebrate compassion and community is as high-reaching as Deja\u2019s hair.\r\nHe is an active contributor to the AIDS Walk, Red Ribbon Art Auction, Cooper\u2019s Couture, Lawrence Humane Society, Willow Domestic Violence Center, and board member for Douglas County AIDS Project and Theatre Lawrence. Recently, Eisman was selected as one of the Unmistakably Local Experts for Explore Lawrence.\r\nAdditionally, Deja has been crowned the Kansas City Pride Queen, Miss Gay Tri-States America, 1st Alt. to Miss Gay Western States America and was a serious contender for Miss Gay America, the longest running pageantry system for female impersonation.\r\nDespite his numerous accomplishments and titles, Brandon\u2019s Transformations Charity Gala and Deja\u2019s Reading Rainbow at the Lawrence Public Library are the crown jewels. Transformations, voted 2017\u2019s Best Annual Event, has raised over $80,000 for local charities since its inception in 2012 and empowers local men and women to embrace their inner drag queens. At the library, bedecked in one-of-a-kind dresses and over-thetop accessories, Deja hosts a drag queen story time, celebrating families of all kinds, love, friendship and pride for what makes us each unique.\r\nClearly, Eisman is extra.\r\nHe manages to do all of this while also being the proud parent of a pre-teen son. He wears multiple hats (each perfectly paired with Louis and Louboutins) and his narrative of hope, kindness and unity gives us life.\r\nConnect With Brandon \u2013 a.k.a Deja Brooks\r\n<a href=\"http://transformationslawrence.com/\">Website</a>\r\n<a href=\"https://twitter.com/LawTrans\">Twitter</a>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/TransformationsCharityGala/\">Facebook \u2013 Transformations</a>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/brandon.eisman.9\">Facebook \u2013 Brandon Eisman</a>\r\n&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4b9b6c41-474a-4fd0-a374-cbb2a7aa23a4/1400x1400_uncloseted_artwork-01-573.jpg"}