en(gender)ed

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month, we've been featuring stories by survivors and hosting community conversations about domestic violence with members from the Engendered Collective. In two weeks, Americans will be going to polls to decide who they want to lead this country. If you've been paying attention to how our leaders are acquiring and deploying their power and feeling anxious, agitated, and scared, you understand what abuse is. These tactics are coercive control and can be exercised by the state or in an interpersonal relationship. We've asked listeners to share with us some of their experiences.

If you want learn how to be an upstander and help end systemic sexism and its coercive and violent manifestations in our society, please take this time to subscribe, share, follow us in social media, including our new Medium engendered publication. If you're a survivor, advocate, or pro-feminist ally, please join our Engendered Collective community who are coming together in knowledge-sharing and building, collective care and healing and advocacy to increase accountability for abuse. Thank you to all the listeners for your ongoing support and to the survivors who called or wrote in with their stories. Your voice will help bring greater awareness to the harmful and widespread social, economic, and health impacts of abuse. Together, we can build a cultural literacy around abuse and abuse of power and better identify it, confront it, prevent it, and heal from it.

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On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast #SurvivorStories series, our guest is Shia Joyner, a survivor of childhood domestic violence and coercive control as an adult. Shia joins us today to explore the ways in which witnessing childhood abuse has shaped her perceptions about love, informed her relationships, and impacted her own experience of domestic abuse. We also explore the ways of therapy in her healing and in helping her develop a consciousness of dynamics of abuse which are necessary tools to stop the cycle. Throughout our conversation, we ask Shia to share #abusertactics, #signsofabuse, and #upstandertips.

During our conversation, Shia and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• bell hook's "love trilogy" including All About Love and Communion: The Female Search for Love
• Our interview with Jessica Taylor on "Why Women Are Blamed for Everything"
• Why "Anger Management" isn't for domestic abusers
• How "Restorative Justice" does not prioritize victim safety and accountability for abuse

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

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On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast #SurvivorStories series, our guest is Angie Rivers, a police officer who is suing the Waterloo Regional Police service for systemic gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment by male members, senior officers and management of the Service. We speak with Angie today about what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated sector and how her sex and femininity contributed to make her and other women targets for workplace violence and discrimination. We also explore the outcomes of her case and the role that gender played in shaping decisions in her law suit.

During our conversation, Angie and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• Media and television's influence on our views of law enforcement
• Our interview with Nanette Chezum on officer-involved domestic violence
• The Oakland Police scandal
• Our interview with Jessica Taylor on "Why Women Are Blamed for Everything"

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our publication on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

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On this episode of the en(gender)ed #SurvivorStories series, we speak with Nanette Chezum, a survivor of officer involved domestic violence or domestic abuse with a police officer. We speak with Nanette about her experience as a survivor, the response from law enforcement, and how her experience was both informed and enabled by a culture of sexism, misogyny, and victim-blaming in law enforcement that intersects with police brutality across the country. We also explore the relevance of proposed reforms such as "defunding the police" and "restorative justice" to building a culture of accountability for abuse.

During our conversation, Nanette and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• Colorado law eliminating qualified immunity
• Our interview with Nazir Afzal whose prosecutions of gender-based crimes helps prevent other crimes
• How implementation of the "Quincy Solution" can help prevent children from being harmed by domestic violence
• How juries have a hard time convicting police officers
• The Town of Castle Rock v Gonzales case which says that orders of protection don't require mandatory enforcement by the police
• How a person investigating the death of Michelle O'Connell in Florida, was herself, found dead
• NYC Police Benevolent Association's endorsement of Trump
• The dangers of using "restorative justice" practices with victims of domestic violence and how advocates of it weaponize race to justify its use for all survivors

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

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On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast, our guest is Kyl Myers, author of the book, Raising Them, a memoir on her journey in gender creative parenting and raising her child with the freedom to choose their own gender identity. We speak with Kyl today about raising her child, Zoomer Coyote, with her partner Brent, and her hopes, challenges, and joys in rejecting societal gender norms and expectations and carving out her own path of parenting.

During our conversation, Kyl and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The gender unicorn and the differences between "sex" and "gender"
• Sasha and Storm, two children also raised without an assigned gender
• The hyper-gendering of children in the United States through clothes, toys, and other
• Our interview with Lisa Selin-Davis on her book "Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different"
• Elizabeth Sweet's research and work on gender disparities in children's media and toys

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast, our guest is Susan Bordo, cultural historian, professor emeritus, feminist, and author of the books, The Destruction of Hillary Clinton and Imagine Bernie Sanders as a Woman. We speak with Susan today about her work to deconstruct woman as a cultural category, its role in the 2016 election, and what it means to be a woman today in public life. Our conversation explores the ways in which the same behaviors exhibited or embodied by men are treated differently by the media when we observe them in women, how society is complicit in reinforcing these cultural norms, double-binds, double-standards, and what it communicates to the girls (and boys) we raise.

During our conversation, Susan and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The documentary--The Brainwashing of My Dad and our interview with film maker, Jen Senko about it
• The "cookies and tea" controversy that the media created about Hillary Clinton
• Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan of 1993
• How sexism and misogyny is the gateway to white supremacy
• How feminists differ in whether they want to prevent harm or reduce harm, as exemplified in the debate about prostitution
• How "purity politics" is harming progressivism

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast, our guest is Susan Bordo, cultural historian, professor emeritus, feminist, and author of the books, The Destruction of Hillary Clinton and Imagine Bernie Sanders as a Woman. We speak with Susan today about her work to deconstruct woman as a cultural category, its role in the 2016 election, and what it means to be a woman today in public life. Our conversation explores the ways in which the same behaviors exhibited or embodied by men are treated differently by the media when we observe them in women, how society is complicit in reinforcing these cultural norms, double-binds, double-standards, and what it communicates to the girls (and boys) we raise.

During our conversation, Susan and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The documentary--The Brainwashing of My Dad and our interview with film maker, Jen Senko about it
• The "cookies and tea" controversy that the media created about Hillary Clinton
• Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan of 1993
• How sexism and misogyny is the gateway to white supremacy
• How feminists differ in whether they want to prevent harm or reduce harm, as exemplified in the debate about prostitution
• How "purity politics" is harming progressivism

---

Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

On this en(gender)ed #SurvivorStories series episode, our guest is Sophia, an African-American woman and public school teacher. Sofia shares with us today her experiences as a woman of color navigating the health care industry (one which we discussed in Episode 117 with Jennifer Block), one which through inadequate diagnoses, treats the symptoms of illness, rather than focusing on prevention and long-term patient wellness. Our conversation explores the ways in which these systemic forces have shaped Sofia's medical choices, the harms that have resulted, and the ways in which systemic racism and sexism have played a role in Sophia's healthcare journey.

During our conversation, Sophia and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The racist history of women's health in this country with J. Marion Sims
• How J. Marion Sims' statues were removed in 2018 in NYC
• The Alabama case of Caroline Malatesta whose baby's head was forced back into her vagina to prevent her from delivering
• The cultural history of the gendered term, "hysteria"

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

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In this "Reflections" episode,Teri and Michael reflect back on episodes on the topic of sex, womanhood, and femininity: Episode 113: Lisa Selin Davis on her book, Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different, Episode 114: Melissa Faliveno on Tomboyland–an exploration of sex, womanhood, and identity, Episode 115: Caitlin Myer on Wiving: A Memoir of Loving Then Leaving the Patriarchy, and Episode 116: Jessica Taylor on Why Women Are Blamed for Everything.

During our conversation, Michael and I touched upon the following resources in our conversation:

• The racist history of tomboyism
• Jerry Falwell's sex scandal and recent resignation from Liberty University
• Kyle Rittenhouse's arrest and history for alleged shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin
• David Hogg tweets about racial justice and gun reform and Teri's responses expressing how gun violence is also a gender justice issue and how misogyny and sexism is a gateway to white supremacy and how "anti-feminist rhetoric is a gateway to white nationalism, especially for young white men who become mass shooters"
• How white supremacy has outpaced Islamic terrorism as a threat
• Teri's piece on why we need anti-sexism trainings in victims' advocacy organizations and in our cultural conversations about oppression
• The role of Ghislaine Maxwell as "victim" and/or co-conspirator in the Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse pyramid scheme and Teri's piece on how we can build a culture of accountability in response to her viewing of the Netflix Jeffrey Epstein documentary
• The 25 women who accuse Trump of sexual misconduct

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast, our guest is Jennifer Block, journalist and author of the book, Everything Below the Waist: Why Health Care Needs a Feminist Revolution. We speak with Jennifer today about the ways in which the health industry--from preparation and trainings of doctors, to research devoted to understanding women's bodies, to the dismissal of women's pain--contribute to a culture where women's health is systemically ignored and minimized, and women's trauma, in response, collectively normalized and accepted. We explore what it means to be a woman navigating our culture who centers her own health, well-being and care, and the obstacles she encounters and must overcome everyday.

During our conversation, Jennifer and I referenced the following resources and topics:

• The book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
• Actress Lena Dunham's struggle with endometriosis and subsequent decision to get a hysterectomy
• How the incentive structure for surgeons working on women's issues impacts the trends in frequency for procedures and outcomes for women's health
• The phenomenon of "unwarranted variation in care" for pregnant women depending on the hospital you visit
• How obstetric violence is physically and emotionally harming women and threatening our right to make decisions about our labor and delivery
• The Alabama case of Caroline Malatesta whose baby's head was forced back into her vagina to prevent her from delivering
• The 95 felony charges against midwife, Elizabeth Caitlin, for practicing midwifery without a NYS license
• Increased maternal mortality rates for Black women in NYS
• How Black babies are 3x more likely to die when treated by a white doctor
• Some ways ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment will equalize access to health care for women
• Our Bodies Ourselves, by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective
• A New View of a Woman's Body, by the Federation of Women's Health Centers

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Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show!