Charles Karel Bouley
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Charles Raymond Bouley, Jr. (on air as Karel) is a weekend talk show host for KGO in San Francisco. He is a columnist for Advocate.com and IN Magazine Los Angeles and his book of essays You Can't Say That is published by Alyson Press.
In 1998 Bouley and his on-and-off-air partner, Andrew Howard, made talk radio history when they became the first openly gay couple in U.S. history to host a major-market drive-time radio show on a major station. They began afternoon drive at KFI AM 640, replacing John and Ken. The #1 Arbitron-rated John and Ken mocked the pair, calling them (in print and on the air) "Siegfried and Roy". Bouley and Howard were able to have a "large and loyal following" [1] until they were replaced by Phil Hendrie.
Bouley and Howard continued on KFI in the evenings almost to Howard's death in 2001. After Howard's death, Bouley went on to win a battle in appellate court in Los Angeles that allowed him to sue as a domestic partner in the alleged malpractice in Howard's death. That win effectively rewrote the wrongful death laws in California, making them retroactive.
Bouley also has appeared on television, having completed two seasons on TNN's Ultimate Revenge, directed by Woody Fraiser. He also wrote and directed a 60-second spot "Barbarians At The Gate of Our Future". The spot won second place in the GLAAD "I Do" Marriage Equality project.
Bouley is married platonically to Karen Dittman, a lifelong friend. After the death of Bouley's domestic partner, Andrew Howard, Bouley married Dittman for estate security, insurance, and other protections. Dittman has since moved to Texas.
Bouley currently resides in Long Beach, California and remote-broadcasts his KGO radio show from his Tuff Shed home studio located in his backyard.
