S4 Ep 12: Getting Your Sh*t Together with Cynthia Wright

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Clubhouse has revealed itself to be a place where folks (like me) who have difficulty moderating will quickly run into trouble. Luckily, before I weaned myself off, I had the opportunity to meet Cynthia Wright, a self-described "queer writer and military brat" who also hosts the fabulous recovery podcast Getting Your Sh*t Together. Cynthia's pod offers a unique mix of storytelling, interviews, personal development, social commentary, and—of course—recovery tips. We had a great conversation about how podcasting can be a form of therapy, how intersectionality shows up in recovery spaces, and how self-compassion played a pivotal role in her own story. Enjoy! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 11: Suicide is a Feminist Issue with Sara Scofield

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Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation.

When Sara and I first spoke about her appearance on Feminist Hotdog, I wasn't entirely clear on the connection between feminism and suicide prevention. However, after this conversation, I realized that suicide is a stigma-laden topic that—like addiction and abuse—often impacts women in unseen ways and must be talked about openly for anything to improve.

In this episode, Sara explains how our medical and emergency response systems are falling short when it comes to suicide prevention and how we can become agents of change by using our voices to challenge cultural narratives about women and mental health. We also dig into some promising developments in policy and treatment and how you can get involved in spreading the word and smashing the stigma around suicide.

If you've ever lost someone to suicide or know someone who has, I highly recommend you listen to this healing and inspiring episode. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 10: Abolitionist Socialist Feminism with Zillah Eisenstein

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Zillah Eisenstein is an influential scholar, writer, and activist who has engaged in feminist action and inquiry for over 40 years. Her book Abolitionist Socialist Feminism profoundly affected me when I read it last year, so I was thrilled when she agreed to come on the show to discuss her career and the state of the world. Among many other topics, we talked about being a white woman raised as an anti-racist, why protests of police brutality gained so much traction in 2020, the many social hierarchies COVID has exposed, and how she stays engaged and inspired after 40-plus years of feminist and progressive activism. One particular powerful mantra she shared: “Whatever you do, you don’t wait.”

S4 Ep 9: Women and the Far Right with Heidi Beirich

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Warning: This episode contains disturbing themes and bigoted language. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode may not be a very joyful one, but it is fascinating and urgent—possibly more urgent than ever. My guest is Dr. Heidi Beirich, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at the nonprofit organization Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.

Heidi is an international expert on the far right. Our conversation focused on the role of women within anti-democratic movements and the relationship between feminism, misogyny, and extremism. We talk about what it means for women globally that far-right political candidates are gaining power in countries around the world, including the U.S. And we explore the uncomfortable question: How does the supportive role white women play in white nationalist movements mirror the role white women have played in supporting white supremacy throughout history? (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S4 Ep 8: Speaking Light Into Abortion with Amanda Star Kingsley

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What do you feel when you hear the word abortion? What words do you associate with it? If you’re Amanda Star Kingsley, those words might be fear or sadness but they might also be strength, purpose, and light.

Amanda is a post-abortion life coach. Her mission is to help people achieve the vision for their lives that compelled them to choose abortion. Through her coaching and her podcast, Speaking Light Into Abortion, Amanda is smashing stigmas and asking critical—and sometimes messy—questions designed to help her clients embrace their agency and move forward in confidence. Regardless of your relationship to abortion, prepare to feel a paradigm shift during this powerful conversation. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S4 Ep 7: Calling Each Other In with Loretta J. Ross

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It's not every day you get to interview a woman who has inspired you for decades. In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with feminist icon Loretta J. Ross, activist, writer, and scholar, and a critical voice who has helped shape many aspects of the Women's Movement and the ongoing struggle for human rights worldwide.

Over the course of her career, Loretta has worked to center Black women and girls in conversations about sexual and gender-based violence, sterilization abuse, violent extremism, and reproductive justice (a framework she co-created). Her more recent work focuses on helping activists hone the skills they need to hold each other accountable without undermining their humanity—an approach she refers to as "calling in," an alternative to "calling out." For anyone who needs a beautiful reminder of the benefits of treating each other more gently, this episode is for you.

S4 Ep 6: Fifty Feminist Mantras with Amelia Hruby

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What is your feminist story? What do you desire from your feminist life? My guest this week, Amelia Hruby (you may know her from the Fifty Feminist States podcast, among other great work), has written a beautiful new book that inspires readers to ponder these questions and process their answers in writing: Fifty Feminist Mantras.

Learn more about Amelia, her interactive book (and how to use it), and hear about her latest invitation to reflect in feminist community, Feminist Mantra Mondays. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S4 Ep 5: The Social Justice Doula with Lutze B. Segu

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What conditions are necessary for you to practice the kind of feminism you want to practice? This question is at the heart of today's episode featuring Lutze B. Segu, also known as the Social Justice Doula. Lutze specializes in helping people and organizations create conditions that support deep, sustained social justice work. There's no box-checking on her watch: If you're in Lutze's orbit, you're interrogating white supremacy, un-gentrifying intersectionality, and answering the question, "What do you want your feminism to do?" 

This episode is a call to action and the perfect way to spark your thinking about what you want your feminist practice to look like in 2021. Happy New Year! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

Read the transcript here.

S4 Ep 4: Making an LGBTQ Family with Robin Hopkins and Jaimie Kelton

Meet Robin and Jaimie. They’re lesbian moms (NOT MARRIED TO EACH OTHER) who set out to find LGBTQ parenting stories and ended up starting a podcast—and, now, writing a book: If These Ovaries Could Talk: The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family. It’s a great read based on a great show. It’s also an important one because stories about how LGBTQ folks become parents are as diverse as each letter of the acronym, yet rarely do they get the airtime they deserve.

Get ready to laugh and learn with the women behind If These Ovaries Could Talk! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 EP 3: Radical Magick with Dr. Kate Tomas

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Light some candles and get cozy. This week, I’m featuring a guest who has had a profound personal influence on me: Dr. Kate Tomas, creator of the Spiritual Life Upgrade program and the Money Magic Manifestation course. Kate is a psychic, a witch, and a spiritual empowerment mentor who specializes in helping women and femmes activate their power. She’s also an anti-capitalist who’s ready to hex racists and burn it all to the ground!

Everything is an energy game, and I highly recommend you direct some of your energy toward Dr. Kate if you have questions about how to remove money blocks, set boundaries, say “no” to losers, or anything else, really. She’s literally magick! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 2: Caring for Your Soul and Mindset with Jocellyn Harvey

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It’s a stressful week for just about everybody. As of posting time for this episode, we still don’t know who the next president will be. It’s time to spend some extra time caring for ourselves, and Jocellyn Harvey is here to help. 

The founder of Soul and Mindset shares some of her favorite techniques for remaining grounded when life feels unbearable, including befriending anger, an emotion most of us try hard to suppress. We also talk about approaching spiritual work with compassion and why love and light isn’t a great recipe for enlightenment—especially when the world feels as fractures as it does right now. 

Take a deep breath, press play, and take a moment to nurture your soul and check on your mindset. 

BONUS: Feminist Hotdog listeners get $25 off Jocellyn’s signature course, Befriending Anger. Just use the code 25ONME at checkout. 

S4 Ep 1: Racism and Recovery with Jessica Hoppe

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Recovery spaces are not immune from the “isms” people experience in other spaces. My first guest of Season 4, writer Jessica Hoppe, addressed this topic after she noticed people of color being shut down in meetings for talking about police brutality and the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The solution, she says, lies in connection and sharing stories *without restrictions* so everyone can bring their full, authentic selves into recovery. Hear her own inspiring story and learn why “the first step to recovery is admitting you are not powerless over your privilege.” 

S3 Ep 13: Confronting the Cash Bail System with Ashley Edwards

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Bailout funds have been in the news for weeks now, but how do they fit into the bigger picture of the criminal justice and cash bail systems? Ashley Edwards of MGM Bailout joins Feminist Hotdog this week to talk about the racism inherent in the cash bail system, the predatory lending practices that surround it, how listeners can work to abolish cash bail, and why we must view this as a feminist issue.

S3 Ep 12: Feminism and Policing Abolition

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Advocates of policing abolition have been pushing to defund the police for for years, but the recent explosion of public attention on the Movement for Black Lives has more people than ever talking about what an entirely new system of public safety could look like. In this episode, I summarize what I’ve learned over the last few weeks about community-based alternatives to policing, feminist tensions surrounding the abolitionist stance, and what people mean when they say “defund the police.”

NOTE: I am not an expert on policing abolition. This episode offers a high-level overview and recommendations for where you can find much more detailed information from people who are immersed in this work, such as those listed in the show notes.

Things We Talked About on This Episode

S3 Ep 11: Black Lives Matter

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This week, Feminist Hotdog is participating in Podcast Blackout out of respect for the memories of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and in observance of the ongoing fight for racial justice that is happening in cities all across the US. Please listen to today's message. It is short but important.

I am also adding my voice to the Women of Color podcast community's Podcasters for Justice campaign. It is in solidarity with these podcasters that I share this message and commitment.

We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and many many others at the hands of police.

This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception, and we are committed so standing against racism in all its forms.

We believe that to be silent is to be complicit. We believe that Black lives matter.

We believe that we have the responsibility to use our platform to speak out against this injustice whenever and wherever we witness it.

In creating digital media, we have built audiences that return week after week to hear our voices, and we will use our voices to speak against anti-blackness and police brutality, and we encourage our audiences to be educated, engages, and to take action.

Things We Talked About on This Episode

S3 Ep 10: Period Poverty and Menstrual Equity

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Let’s talk about periods! Period poverty affects millions of people all over the world, but we rarely talk about it. Because there’s so much shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, people who can’t afford period products—whether in schools, prisons, or in their daily lives—are often left with nowhere to turn for help. But, thanks to activists and advocates like the guests featured in this episode, that’s changing. You’ll meet Leah Rodriguez, a journalist who covers period poverty globally; Breanna and Brooke Bennett, 12-year-old sisters who started a nonprofit to promote menstrual equity in their community; and LaToya Clark, a physician committed to making sure every young person who has a period knows how to take care of their body. Let’s put an end to period stigma, once and for all!

S3 Ep 9: Blast From the Past

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Finding it hard to remember the days before COVID hijacked the world? Me too. That’s why, for this episode, I went into the archives and took a trip down memory lane, unearthing some of my favorite moments from my favorite interviews. I chose three guests who all talked about their incredible passion projects and how their work—whether as writers, performers, or teachers—furthers their visions for collective liberation. You’ll hear from two podcasters, Jana Schmieding of Woman of Size and Amelia Hruby of Fifty Feminist States, as well as anti-bias anti-racist educator and writer Liz Kleinrock of Teach and Transform. It’s a highlight reel of inspiration designed to lift you up if the coronavirus (and the surrounding ocean of bullshit) has got you down. 

Stuff We Talked About on This Episode

S3 Ep 8: Reading for Liberation

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Today’s episode is a celebration of the written word in honor of a major milestone—the completion of the Feminist Hotdog book manuscript! (Coming January 2021 from Lit Riot Press.)

Since words have been dominating my psyche, I decided to devote this week’s episode to reading (and writing!) for liberation. I spoke with Stef Bernal-Martinez of 1977 Books, poet Angbeen Saleem, and Alana Baumann and Samra Michael of the new podcast She Well Read about the role books and poems are playing in their pandemic lives, and the writers who help them envision a more just and intersectional future. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S3 Ep 7: Managing Trauma While Isolating

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Yep, we’re still inside. Is anyone else scraping the bottom of their self-care toolkit? 

If virtual happy hour and Tiger King aren’t cutting it anymore, you need this episode. The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on our mental health, especially for the millions of people in this country who suffer from mental illness or have a history of sexual trauma. My guests this week are two mental health providers who each have unique and helpful resources to share. 

Stephanie James, host of The Spark podcast, joined me to talk about techniques she uses to help her clients stay grounded. She also extends an invitation to a free online summit for survivors of sexual abuse seeking to reclaim their power. Alexandra Pajak provided mental health services in the prison system for a decade, and has composed a gorgeous album of music inspired by mental illness and recovery from trauma. Sample a few tracks and then buy the album; all proceeds go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S3 Ep 6: Feminism in the Time of COVID-19

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Unique times call for unique episodes. This week, I spoke to four different people about how they are experiencing the COVID-19 epidemic and their visions for how they see the virus influencing our human future. Listen in on my conversations with Erin and Maria of the podcast Feminists Without Mystique, my good friend Joanna Williams, and my 8-year-old niece and first-time podcast guest Evelyn. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)