Demystifying Diversity

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 9, Body Diversity: An Exploration of the Danger and Discrimination that Result from Diet Culture.

They continue to explore the subtle and insidious nature of eating disorders, and how, tragically, good treatment is often not available, accessible, or affordable. They review how financial disparities can prohibit some individuals from getting the treatment that they need and deserve. It can and does kill people to be denied necessary mental health resources, especially given that anorexia nervosa has the highest rate of mortality among any mental illness.

They define and differentiate between important terms such as Body Liberation, Body Positivity, Body Neutrality, and explore thin privilege and anti-fat discrimination as social justice issues. They also review how messages about bodies are different among gender lines and how perceptions of our bodies are constructed.

Daralyse shares her personal experiences as a person with an eating disorder and she and AnnaMarie answer listener questions, including questions from a previous episode.

In this episode, you will be asked to explore your relationship to bodies, appearance, and food. We hope that, as you listen, you will be inspired to prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity by Daralyse Lyons

Article 2012 by Shannon Ridgeway

AVEN Forums:

Healthline article by Sian Ferguson about Asexuality

Query Podcast

Sabrina Strings: Fearing the Black Body

NPR Article: Fatphobia and its racist past and present

The News Beyond Detroit

Episode sponsor:

VitaSupreme. For 20% off your supplement order, visit vitasupreme.com/pages/diversity and enter the code: diversity

Temple University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse explores how the American obsession with body shape and size leads people to victimize themselves and others. She speaks with dieticians, nutritionists, psychotherapists, yoga therapists, teachers, authors, and body liberation activists about their experiences and insights.

They discuss the importance of pushing back against diet culture and dismantle the myth that external appearance reflects internal experience. This episode illuminates the ways in which misconceptions about how eating disorders present keep a lot of people stuck in cycles of shame and abuse.

Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes and they center around struggles that include trauma histories, anxiety, perfectionism, loneliness, isolation, wanting to belong, and desperately craving a sense of control.

Although eating disorders are a mental, biologically based illness, diet culture and fatphobia can trigger the illness and exacerbate its duration and intensity. Fatphobia is rampant in American society and eating disorders are on the rise.

On a hopeful note, there are things we can do, both individually and as part of a larger social collective. In this episode, you will be asked to see an embrace of body diversity as an essential part of social justice and to release the dogma of diet culture. This episode is an invitation for body liberation, for each and every one of us.

Learn more at:

Resources:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity:

NEDA:

ANAD:

Voices Featured:

Caitie Corradino

Dani Adriana

Diana Clarke

Adeija Jones

Brian Pollack

Aaron Flores

Emily Zargan

Bibi Lorenzetti

Jennifer Kreatsoulas

Episode Sponsors:

Next Level Trainings. For $50 off on Shift, their introductory virtual training (and a FREE voucher to their in-person Discovery training), go to and enter the promo code diversity.

Lavin & Associates, a branch of Primerica. Contact Jon Lavin directly at 610-453-2331 or email him at [email protected] for a free insurance needs assessment and/or Financial Needs Analysis.

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 8, LGBTQIA: Embracing the Spectrum of Human Sexuality and Gender Identity.

They review the importance of Trans Competency Trainings while illuminating the intersection of transphobia and racism, and how our society is being called to dismantle oppressive and toxic expectations regarding gender and sexuality.

Daralyse shares her own experiences of coming out as sexually fluid and stresses how essential it is to meet sacred personal disclosures with an open mind and an open heart. She emphasizes the importance of safe spaces, representation, community and inclusion.

In the listener participation portion, listeners ask about the difference between asking for “preferred pronouns” vs “pronouns,” what to do when you misgender somebody or make a pronouns mistake, how to address bullying against LGBTQIA+ youth, and how to address discrimination in the workplace.

In this episode, you will be asked to consider your roles and responsibilities and to ask yourself if you are willing to face uncomfortability on the journey of collective healing.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity by Daralyse Lyons

Kristin Beck - CNN Interview

Pride.com Article - 6 Reasons Why You Need to Use the Word Queer

Sarah Fuller makes history

Why genderqueer and LGBTQ+ fashion icon Jaden Smith is fighting for the right to self-expression for his generation

Matthew Shepard

Coming Out: by Kevin Bryson

20 things to know before you come out

Daralyse's Broad Street Review Article

Creating Change Virtual Conference

“Why You Should Not Say ‘Preferred Gender Pronouns'” by Ashlee Fowlkes

“Pronouns 101: Why They Matter and What To Do (and Not Do) If You Misgender Someone” by

Kay Martinez

Stopbullying.gov

Thebullyproject.com

Freedom for all Americans - Protections by State

Episode sponsor:

VitaSupreme. For 20% off your supplement order, visit vitasupreme.com/pages/diversity and enter the code: diversity

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews a variety of people within the LGBTQIA+ community about the ways in which they have navigated living within a binary-obsessed, heteronormative society. She explores the ways that binary understandings of gender and sexuality are oppressive and how practicing the emotional skill of vulnerability enables us to connect more deeply to others and to ourselves. By embracing the complexity and intersectionality of identity, we are empowered to embrace and embody love.

Through the stories and experiences of the voices in this episode, you will be asked to examine the continuums and spectrums of identity and to question your biases and beliefs. You will be asked to think about the ways in which LGBTQIA+ advocacy has paved the way for liberation and self-expression for millions and to appreciate the monumental impact of the Gay Liberation Movement, the Stonewall riots, the first Gay Pride marches, and the ways in which the LGBTQIA+ community is pushing back against external and internal oppression.

As we move forward, it is essential to ask yourself: How have I been performing gender in my life in ways that do not serve me?

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity

Voices featured:

-Nadine Rosechild Sullivan

-Rob O'Neil

-Oliver DeLuz

-Vara Cooper

-Timaree Schmidt

-Angela Gardner

-Anonymous Gender non-conforming parent pf a trans-identifying child

Episode sponsors:

Next Level Trainings. For $50 off on Shift, their introductory virtual training (and a FREE voucher to their in-person Discovery training), go to and enter the promo code diversity.

Lavin & Associates, a branch of Primerica. Contact Jon Lavin directly at 610-453-2331 or email him at [email protected] for a free insurance needs assessment and/or Financial Needs Analysis.

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in episode seven, Survival After Genocide: A Conversation about the Enduring Impact of the Holocaust and the Human Capacity for Resilience.

Daralyse and AnnaMariespeak about the importance of learning history for the sake of not repeating it and reveal the insights they've gleaned from hearing the stories of survivors. They discuss Holocaust education and the disparity of information between various states.

Daralyse and AnnaMarie share their outrage and sadness that there are those who deny the Holocaust and they speak about the devastation that comes from anti-Semitism.

In this episode, you will have the opportunity to explore the areas of overlap and intersection that we share as humans and to move from bystander to upstander.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity by Daralyse Lyons

I'm Mixed! by Maggy Williams (Daralyse Lyons' pseudonym)

Dos Idiomas, One me: A Bilingual Reader by Maggy Williams (Daralyse Lyons' pseudonym)

Upstander Project

Names Not Numbers

Jewish Virtual Library, US States Requiring Holocaust Education

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

I Never Saw Another Butterfly Anthology

Daralyse's WHYY Piece Middle School Documentary Project

Daralyse's WHYY Piece - Singing For Survivors

CNN Coverage - Muslim community that raised 200,000 dollars in 4 days for Synagogue victims

The Tower article - Jewish community raises money for Muslim community

National Liberty Museum

The National Museum of American Jewish History

Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

JFCS Holocaust Survivor Support Program

Huffington Post Article “Anti-Semitism Is A Big Problem At American College Campuses, According To New Report”

ADL

Slate article/ Bari Weiss Review

Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial Foundation -

(((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump by Jonathan Weisman

Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe

Thoughts from a Unicorn: 100% Black. 100% Jewish. 0% Safe. By MaNishtana

Episode sponsor:

VitaSupreme. For 20% off your supplement order, visit vitasupreme.com/pages/diversity and enter the code: diversity

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews a variety of individuals about the enduring impact of the Holocaust. It is a devastating, almost incomprehensible, reality that between 1933 and 1945, under the direction of the anti-Semitic dictator, Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany and its allies murdered 11 million people. Throughout this episode, Daralyse asks historians, activists, survivors, children, and grandchildren of survivors to speak about the horrors that took place during the Holocaust. She seeks to illuminate the ways in which the dehumanization of Jews and others led to mass annihilation. At the same time, this episode illuminates the human capacity for empathy, resilience, and hope.

This episode focuses on the need to become upstanders, instead of bystanders.

As we move forward, it is essential to ask ourselves: How can I embrace my fellow humans and do my part to protect liberty, justice, and equity?

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Voices featured:

-Josh Perelman

-Steve Weitzman

-Arthur Kiron

-Keren Friedman-Peleg

-Dennis Moritz

-Lewis Gantman

-Joe Finkelstein

-Ed Eisen

-Bill Schwabe

-Carly Bruski

-Pia Eisenberg

-Paula Goldstein

-Deborah Baer Moses

-Gwen Borowski

-Teri Scott

-Pawel Sawicki

-Max Scholl

-Yadin Isaacs

-Alisa Kraut

-Marta Gherovici

-Marius Gherovici

Episode sponsors:

Next Level Trainings. For $50 off on Shift, their introductory virtual training (and a FREE voucher to their in-person Discovery training), go to and enter the promo code diversity.

Lavin & Associates, a branch of Primerica. Contact Jon Lavin directly at 610-453-2331 or email him at [email protected] for a free insurance needs assessment and/or Financial Needs Analysis.

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in episode six, Developmental Disabilities: Exploring the Importance of Agency in Advocacy.

They explore the wondrous ways that non-typical thinkers and learners are able to create and innovate in the world, and how deleterious it is when structural inequities deprive non-typical learners of critical resources. In this episode, AnnaMarie opens up about herself and her family, sharing the challenges they have faced and the insights she has gleaned from personal and parental experience.

Daralyse and AnnaMarie stress the importance of learning how to disseminate and receive information in a variety of ways. They share the harsh reality that structural inequities keep many individuals with disabilities from being recognized and they explain the importance of “It is not about us without us” in advocacy.

In this episode, you will see that there are no clear answers, but rather, what is important is to focus on the quality of our questions.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity

Steve Mallon singing in his choir

Marta Rusek's website

Family Hope Center

Episode sponsors:

VitaSupreme. For 20% off your supplement order, visit vitasupreme.com/pages/diversity and enter the code: diversity

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews members of the autism community and those who actively work with individuals with developmental disabilities about the importance of centering the voices of people with disabilities. Daralyse explores the sad and shameful history of persecuting difference in the United States, and the many structures of systematized erasure and abuse impact the lives of those whose ways of thinking and/or moving deviate from societal perceptions of “normative.” She explores the concept of neuroplasticity as a way to emphasize the constantly changing and dynamic nature of the human brain and speaks with others about the spectrum of thoughts and emotions that become available when we widen definitions of “normalcy.” This episode explores the harm that occurs, and the huge amount of human potential that we fail to recognize, when we try to force people into thinking and behaving in uniform ways.

In this episode, you will be asked to consider the incredible gifts that come not in spite of our differences, but because of them.

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-Voices featured:

-Melissa Tsuei

-Marta Rusek

-David Clizbe

-Larry Rubin

-Steve Mallon

-Nancy Schwartz

-Stacey Cunitz,

-Matthew Newell

Episode sponsors:

Next Level Trainings. For $50 off on Shift, their introductory virtual training (and a FREE voucher to their in-person Discovery training), go to and enter the promo code diversity.

Lavin & Associates, a branch of Primerica. Contact Jon Lavin directly at 610-453-2331 or email him at for a free Financial Needs Analysis.

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 5, Latinx: An Invitation to Reconceptualize Latin American Immigration and to see the Possibility of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.

Daralyse and AnnaMarie continue to explore the myriad of ways that immigration is beneficial to the United States, examining how immigration brings new cultures, perspectives, traditions, ideas, creativity, motivation and more. They discuss the inherent struggle and sacrifice involved in having to leave one's home country and family and how those who do so are entitled to respect and admiration. They explain how immigrantion benefits the American Social Security and Medicare systems and how erecting barriers against immigration only hurts the United States.

Daralyse and AnnaMarie discuss helpful ideas for how to converse with people who hold stereotypes about immigrants, and how it is most effective to engage in on-going conversations with family and friends. They talk about how using dehumanizing language to refer to undocumented individuals enables horrible atrocities and human rights violations.

Finally, Daralyse and AnnaMarie discuss the importance of cross cultural and bilingual education, sharing their own personal experiences.

In this episode, you will be asked to listen generously, devoting your undivided time and attention to learning and growing.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity by Daralyse Lyons

I'm Mixed! by Maggy Williams (Daralyse Lyons' pseudonym)

Dos Idiomas, One me: A Bilingual Reader by Maggy Williams (Daralyse Lyons' pseudonym)

Hazleton Integration Project

NALEO Educational Fund

CCATE

Episode sponsor:

VitaSupreme. For 20% off your supplement order, visit vitasupreme.com/pages/diversity and enter the code: diversity

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, guests discuss the numerous benefits of Latin American immigration and share their first-hand accounts of immigration and deportation. They speak about the catastrophic effects of the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy and the physical and linguistic walls that are constructed out of hate.

Policy experts and academics illuminate the many benefits that Latin American immigration and civic participation have had, and continue to have, on America's economy, society, and culture. They dismantle the mythology that supports anti-immigration rhetoric and reveal the reality that immigration is essential to cultural liberation.

In this episode, you will be called to develop your skills as a generous and attentive listener. As we move forward, it is essential to value the richness that comes from an influx of new people and possibilities.

Learn more at:

Resources to explore:

Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity by Daralyse Lyons

Dos Idiomas, One me: A Bilingual Reader by Maggy Williams

Voices Featured:

-Dulce Ramirez

-Sulafa Grijalva

-Leah Margareta Gazzo Reisman

-Obed Arango

-John MacDonald

-Veronica Fitzgerald

-Tulia Falleti

-Adeija Jones

-Juan Rosa

-Juliana Cabrales

-Catherine Bartch

-Ivonne

Episode sponsors:

Next Level Trainings. For $50 off on Shift, their introductory virtual training (and a FREE voucher to their in-person Discovery training), go to and enter the promo code diversity.

Lavin & Associates, a branch of Primerica. Contact Jon Lavin directly at 610-453-2331 or email him at [email protected] for a free Financial Needs Analysis.