Fifteen Minutes of Feminism

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been rife with controversy—from rulings targeting Black athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, to COVID protests taking place just outside the stadium, to transphobia directed at the first openly trans athletes to ever compete on this highest international stage. And what about protecting mental health and threats against Simone Biles? 

Is the Olympics an uneven playing field?

Helping us to unpack this and more is a very special guest:
 
Ria Tabacco Mar, director of the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she oversees women’s rights litigation. She was previously a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project, where she helped argue the landmark civil rights case of Aimee Stephens which culminated in last year’s Bostock v. Clayton County ruling that expanded federal employment protections to LGBTQ+ people.  

Rate and review “On the Issues with Michele Goodwin" to let us know what you think of the show! Let’s show the power of independent feminist media.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Tips, suggestions, pitches? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

Republican lawmakers in Texas seem obsessed with passing extreme voter suppression legislation, banning critical race theory and outlawing abortion outright. In protest, Texas House Democrats have fled the state en masse and are making national news while camped out in the U.S. capital. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to arrest legislators when they return from Washington, D.C., *and* vowed to call special session after special session until the elections bill passes. On Saturday, July 31, thousands of people descended upon the Texas Capitol with signs demanding lawmakers “Protect Voting Rights," “End the Filibuster” and “Say No to Jim Crow."

So … what the heck is happening in Texas?! If you haven’t been following along, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered in this week’s edition of “On the Issues,” 15 Minutes of Feminism. (Okay, 17 minutes!) 
 
Helping us to sort out what the heck is happening in Texas is: 

• Texas state Representative Donna Howard, one of the Democrats that fled the state. She represents Texas’s own district 48, based in Austin. She’s an Austin native, has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2006, and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and State Affairs Committee, as well as the chair of the Women’s Health Caucus. 
• Roxy Szal, Ms. magazine’s digital editor and a co-producer for “On the Issues." She’s been reporting on the ground from Texas  and can weigh in status of democracy in the Lone Star State.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Tips, suggestions, pitches? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

In our second '15 Minutes of Feminism’ episode, the Badass Women of Podcasting take on the Supreme Court. As the court goes into recess, we’re recapping the highs and lows of the past year. What was at stake? What did feminists win — and whose rights remain at risk? We update you on the state of the court, cases feminists should be keeping their eyes on going forward, and more.  
 
Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special returning guest: 

• Leah Litman, an assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches and writes on constitutional law, federal post-conviction review, and federal sentencing. She is the co-founder of Women Also Know Law—a searchable database of women and non-binary people who have academic appointments in law—and is one of the co-hosts and creators of the popular "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, which focuses on the Supreme Court.

Rate and review “On the Issues with Michele Goodwin" to let us know what you think of the show! Let’s show the power of independent feminist media.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Tips, suggestions, pitches? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

Support the show

This week, we’re giving listeners a new way to listen to Dr. Michele Goodwin’s reporting, rebelling and truth-telling: 15 Minutes of Feminism, where we give a serious take on an important issue featuring a single guest (okay, fine—maybe two from time to time.) In these jam-packed, bite-sized episodes, you can expect voices from the center of the story—people you should know, those who roll up their sleeves and change the world. These are guests who have things to do, places to be, and something important to say. (Next week, we’ll be back with our regular programming!) 

In this inaugural episode, we center Breonna Taylor: We say her name, revisit her story and reflect on what comes next. 

This week, we get right to business with our guest—an extraordinary activist, social commentator and professor of criminal justice: 

• Dr. Cherie Dawson-Edwards, an expert on criminal justice; associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion; and professor of criminal justice at the University of Louisville. She is a national board member for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and serves on the executive committee of the ACLU of Kentucky. 

Rate and review “On the Issues with Michele Goodwin" to let us know what you think of the show! Let’s show the power of independent feminist media.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Tips, suggestions, pitches? Get in touch with us at [email protected].