First Tuesday Podcast

Episode 9: Detention

What does it mean when something this consequential is happening practically in your own backyard?

In this episode of First Tuesday, we turn our attention home to Central Louisiana and the immigration detention facility at England Airpark in Alexandria.

We are joined by local organizers and advocates who have been working to bring attention to the project, demand transparency, educate the community, and challenge the detention of immigrant families and children.

This conversation starts from the beginning. What is being built? Who is involved? How did we get here? What authority do local officials actually have? And perhaps most importantly, what can ordinary people do when decisions involving their community and other human beings seem to be happening without them?

This isn't just a conversation about immigration policy. It's about power, accountability, community responsibility, and what happens when complicated political language makes it easier to forget that the people affected by these decisions are still people.

Detention: the act of keeping someone in official custody or preventing them from leaving.

It sounds clinical. Administrative. Temporary.

But words like detention, processing, staging, and custody can create distance between us and what those words actually mean for the human beings experiencing them.

Part of deconstruction is learning to stop at words we've been taught to accept without questioning and ask:

What does this actually mean?
Who holds the power?
Who experiences the consequences?
And whose humanity gets lost when we talk about people as systems, numbers, or problems to solve?

We talk about:

• What is happening at England Airpark in Alexandria, Louisiana

• The proposed use of the facility for immigrant families and children

• Why you've probably heard different words used to describe the facility, including detention center, processing facility, and staging area

• How the England Authority and federal immigration enforcement fit into the picture

• The questions community members have raised about transparency and public accountability

• Why local organizers became involved

• What we've learned from previous systems of family and child detention

• The difference between immigration enforcement as an abstract political debate and what it looks like when it arrives in your own community

• Why language matters when we talk about detained people

• What meaningful local involvement can actually look like

• Where people can learn more, ask questions, and get involved

And because this is First Tuesday, we also wrestle with something bigger:

Many of us grew up in religious communities that talked constantly about loving our neighbors, welcoming strangers, protecting children, feeding the hungry, and caring for people on the margins.

So what happens when those teachings collide with fear, nationalism, politics, and the systems we've been told not to question?

Deconstruction isn't only about figuring out what we no longer believe.

Sometimes it's about deciding what the values we do believe require from us.

Immigration is complicated. Human beings are not.

You do not have to understand every federal statute, contract, agency, or political argument before you are allowed to care about how people are treated.

Our goal with this episode isn't to pretend every question has a simple answer. It's to give our community enough information to start asking better questions and to remind ourselves that policy conversations should never require us to surrender our curiosity, compassion, or humanity.

Listen. Learn. Ask questions. Check the receipts. Pay attention to what is happening where you live.

And, as always, keep deconstructing.

Follow, subscribe, and share the episode with someone who needs to hear this conversation.

#FirstTuesdayPodcast #DeconstructionDictionary #Detention #ReligiousDeconstruction #EnglandAirpark #AlexandriaLouisiana #Cenla #Immigration #CommunityAccountability

Episode 8 – Ecumenical

What does it mean to live alongside people whose beliefs differ from our own—and who gets to decide what makes someone a “good person”?

In this episode of First Tuesday, we examine religious pluralism, the separation of church and state, and the deeply embedded assumption that morality belongs exclusively to Christianity. We unpack the double standards applied to different faith traditions, discuss how religious identity influences public life, and challenge the idea that someone must follow a particular religion to live with compassion, integrity, and purpose.

We are joined by Rabbi Judy Ginsburgh and Frances Boudreaux, who bring their experiences and perspectives to a thoughtful conversation about faith, community, morality, and building relationships across religious differences.

Together, we discuss what genuine interfaith connection can look like when the goal is not conversion or agreement, but understanding, mutual respect, and a willingness to recognize one another’s humanity.

Ecumenical describes efforts to encourage unity, cooperation, and dialogue among people from different Christian denominations. The word is also commonly used more broadly when discussing collaboration and understanding across different religious traditions.

Being ecumenical does not require everyone to believe the same things. It asks whether people with different beliefs can still listen to one another, learn from one another, and work together for the good of their communities.

We explore:

• The difference between religious freedom and religious control

• Why the separation of church and state protects people of every faith—and people with no religious affiliation

• The assumption that Christianity is the foundation of morality

• Whether someone must believe in God to be compassionate, ethical, or trustworthy

• The double standards applied to Christianity and other religious traditions

• The difference between tolerance, acceptance, and genuine relationship

• How deconstruction can create space for curiosity rather than fear

• What it means to live peacefully and respectfully in a religiously diverse society

This conversation invites us to move beyond the idea that difference is dangerous. We do not have to erase our beliefs to respect someone else’s, and we do not have to agree on theology to recognize goodness in one another.

Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who believes meaningful conversations can happen across differences.

#FirstTuesdayPodcast #Ecumenical #DeconstructionDictionary #ReligiousDeconstruction #InterfaithDialogue #ChurchAndState #ReligiousFreedom #FaithAndMorality #ReligiousPluralism #Community

Misogyny is often described as hatred of women, but it is much more complicated than openly disliking women. It can also be found in the traditions, expectations, double standards, and systems that determine how women are expected to behave.

In this episode of First Tuesday, April and DC add misogyny to the Deconstruction Dictionary. They examine how misogyny shows up in religion, relationships, family structures, workplaces, politics, and everyday life.

The conversation explores the glorification of the “traditional” nuclear family, rigid gender roles, and the belief that women are naturally better suited for caregiving, submission, and domestic labor. April and DC also discuss what happens when families reject those expectations and build relationships based on what works for them rather than what society says a husband or wife should be.

They unpack the impossible standards placed on women. Women are expected to be attractive but not attention-seeking, confident but not intimidating, successful but still self-sacrificing, sexual but never “promiscuous,” and independent while continuing to carry most of the emotional and domestic labor.

The episode also examines internalized misogyny, the ways women may be taught to judge or police other women, and how religious and cultural conditioning can make harmful expectations feel normal, moral, or even divinely ordained.

• What misogyny actually means

• Misogyny versus individual sexism

• Religious teachings about submission and gender roles

• The idealization of the traditional nuclear family

• Double standards surrounding sex, appearance, parenting, and ambition

• Emotional labor and unpaid domestic labor

• Internalized misogyny and women policing other women

• How misogyny harms people of every gender

• Creating families and relationships that are not controlled by traditional expectations

• Recognizing beliefs that may need to be questioned, challenged, or deconstructed

Misogyny does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it sounds like tradition. Sometimes it sounds like concern. Sometimes it sounds like a joke, a compliment, relationship advice, or a religious rule.

Deconstruction begins when we stop accepting those messages as inevitable and start asking who benefits from them.

Content note: This episode includes discussions of sexism, misogyny, religious gender roles, sexual double standards, and discrimination.

Listen, subscribe, and share the episode with someone who is also questioning the rules and expectations they were taught.

#FirstTuesdayPodcast #Misogyny #DeconstructionDictionary #ReligiousDeconstruction #GenderRoles #InternalizedMisogyny #Feminism #Patriarchy #SocialJustice

In This Episode

Can people on opposite sides of the political aisle still find common ground, or has politics become too personal, polarized, and deeply tied to identity?

In this episode of First Tuesday, April and DC welcome special guests Samantha Stanley and Chris Camp, the creators of The Neighbor Project and hosts of their own daytime show on YouTube.

Together, they have an honest conversation about what it really means to be bipartisan in today’s political climate. They explore the growing divide between political parties, the pressure to agree with every position associated with a particular label, and the difficulty of having productive conversations when disagreement is treated as a personal attack.

Samantha and Chris share the mission behind The Neighbor Project, their approach to encouraging meaningful conversations, and how their YouTube daytime show creates space to discuss politics, community, culture, and the issues affecting everyday people.

The discussion also examines how political beliefs are shaped by our families, communities, lived experiences, values, and the information we consume. The group considers whether compromise is always possible, or even appropriate, especially when political decisions directly affect people’s rights, safety, families, and everyday lives.

This episode is not about pretending that every issue has an easy middle ground. It is about making room for nuance, asking better questions, listening with intention, and recognizing the humanity of the people involved, even when the conversation gets uncomfortable.

• Meeting Samantha Stanley and Chris Camp

• The story and mission behind The Neighbor Project

• Their daytime show on YouTube

• What bipartisan means beyond simply working across party lines

• Why political affiliation has become such a powerful part of personal identity

• The difference between healthy disagreement and harmful rhetoric

• Whether compromise is possible when fundamental rights and values are involved

• How social media and modern news cycles contribute to political division

• The importance of listening, curiosity, accountability, and critical thinking

• Finding shared concerns without ignoring meaningful differences

Whether you identify as Democrat, Republican, independent, somewhere in between, or completely politically exhausted, this conversation invites you to reflect on how we discuss politics and whether we are truly listening to understand one another.

Join the conversation: What does bipartisanship mean to you? Are there issues where compromise is possible and others where drawing a firm line is necessary?

Follow First Tuesday, check out The Neighbor Project, and watch Samantha and Chris’s daytime show on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/H1LVpfc2UjE?si=lrHLO5X8_IG9zdTf

Share Episode 6 with someone who is willing to have difficult conversations with you.

Episode 5 - Empathy

Hosted by: April and DC

Special Guest: Ann E. Lowrey

Welcome to First Tuesday! In this episode, April and DC open up the deconstruction dictionary to explore our word of the day: Empathy. We are joined by the incredible Ann E. Lowrey, who brings her 61 years of lived experience as an empath to the table. Ann is the CEO of CLASS (Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services) in Alexandria, Louisiana, and has been a practicing attorney for 36 years.

Grab your coffee (or your favorite purple cup) and join us as we dive deep into what it truly means to carry the emotional weight of the world, how to protect your peace, and why empathy without action is just sympathy.

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  Defining Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand, share, and vicariously experience the emotions, thoughts, and perspectives of another person. We discuss the distinct difference between simply feeling sympathy for someone and actually sitting with them in their ashes.

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  The Empath's Burden: Ann shares what it's like to absorb the feelings of others, earning her the nickname "Miss Sisyphus" from a friend due to the heavy emotional load she carries.

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  Religious Trauma & Vicarious Pain: Ann explains that her religious trauma doesn't stem from her own personal religious experiences. Instead, it comes from witnessing others use their religious beliefs to inflict trauma on marginalized people.

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  Setting Boundaries: Being an empath requires immense self-discipline and strict boundaries to prevent your cup from running empty. Ann discusses how she unplugs from the world in her home, appropriately named "Sanctuary," to recharge her social battery.

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  Empathy in Action: Real empathy requires doing the work. We recount a powerful story from the ice storm two years ago, where empathy meant putting boots on the ground to deliver cold-weather gear to unhoused individuals.

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  Navigating the Current Climate: The group candidly discusses the political climate in Louisiana, including the realities of living in a forced-birth state, restricted healthcare access, and the concerning ways religion is being used to marginalize others (including a story about a deeply harmful funeral sermon).

• Finding Joy: You cannot pour from an empty cup. For Ann, escaping the heaviness of the world means traveling out of town to see the Dave Matthews Band - a necessary reset to leave the suffering behind and find joy.

"I don't think I have my own religious trauma. I think my trauma is the result of how other people use religion and their beliefs to inflict trauma on other people." — Ann E. Lowrey

"That is the definition of empathy with action. It can be unhealthy if you don't know how to set boundaries." — April

— April

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Support CLASS (Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services): CLASS is doing vital work in the community, including a condom availability program. If you want to put your empathy into action, you can help fund this initiative.

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  Donate via PayPal: [email protected]

• Join the Conversation: We believe that we are all equally human. Let’s continue to show up for each other with grace, mercy, and true empathy.

Remember, no matter what you are carrying today, you are loved, you are worthy, and you are not alone.

Episode 4 - Embedded Theology

Welcome to another episode of the First Tuesday podcast! This week, April and DC sit down with Lyndon, a pastor of 30 years, a hospice chaplain of 13 years, and a Yogi meditation teacher, to unpack the deep-seated religious programming we inherit from childhood.

If you’ve ever wondered why you still feel a lingering sense of guilt over secular music, or why taking a step back from your childhood church feels like losing a piece of yourself, this episode is for you. We dive deep into our Deconstruction Dictionary word of the episode, share some wild stories from the frontlines of conservative evangelicalism, and discuss the beautiful, painful process of hitting the reset button on your worldview.

📖 Deconstruction Dictionary: Embedded Theology

Embedded Theology refers to the beliefs and values instilled in us throughout our childhoods that exert an unconscious influence on us, often surfacing under stress. These are the pre-critical, unexamined beliefs and habitual practices that become an intrinsic part of our worldview before we even have the chance to choose them for ourselves (as defined by religious trauma expert Carrie Doehring, PhD).

🎧 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Lyndon’s Journey: Growing up as a minority Southern Baptist in Catholic South Louisiana, surviving a regressive seminary experience, and ultimately walking away from the Southern Baptist Convention after its conservative takeover.

• The Insulated Christian Bubble: How growing up in evangelicalism insulates you from the outside world, dictating everything from who you vote for to the music you listen to (and why toys like Masters of the Universe were suddenly deemed "demonic").

• Why People Stay: Unpacking the heavy reasons people remain in toxic religious environments, including the fear of hell, the threat of social isolation, and the "martyr syndrome" of staying to try and fix a broken system.

• Women in Ministry: A candid look at the SBC's historical and recent doubling down against women pastors, the deeply ingrained patriarchal teachings of fundamentalism, and the trauma it leaves behind.

• The Grieving Process: Leaving your church often means losing your primary social circle. We talk about how to mourn that loss, re-evaluate the "infallible" texts you were raised with, and build a new, authentic community.

  
  

  📚 Resources & Mentions

• First Tuesday Book Club: We are currently reading A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings. Grab a copy and read along with us as we unpack the fine line between fundamentalism and extreme control.

• Local Community Plug: If you are in the Alexandria, Louisiana area and looking for a safe, grounded community, check out Lyndon’s CenLa Meditation Group. They are celebrating their 15th year and meet every Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the River Oaks Square Art Center (on 2nd Street). Beginners are always welcome!

  
  

Connect with Us!If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who might be navigating their own deconstruction journey. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!

Episode 3 - Undocumented Immigrant

Episode Summary

In this episode, April and DC lean into the power of kindness, community, and empathy. Following a stressful weekend of "life lifing", the hosts discuss the importance of creating safe spaces and how small acts, like flying a welcoming yard flag, can make a massive difference to strangers. They are also joined by their very first guest, Janice, a veteran educator of 42 years. Janice shares her incredible journey of empowering youth through support groups, positive decision-making, and fostering a sense of belonging in an increasingly digital world.

Deconstruction Dictionary

The words we use hold immense power to either harm or heal. In this segment, the hosts focus on reframing our vocabulary to center empathy and lift others up:

* Instead of: "Illegal alien" or "illegal immigrant"

* Use: "Undocumented immigrant"

* Instead of: "Committed suicide"

* Use: "Died by suicide"

Segment Breakdown

| Intro & Life is Lifing | April shares a chaotic story about a broken fridge, that turns into a surprising, heartwarming doorstep interaction spurred by a "Chinga La Migra" flag.

| Deconstruction Dictionary | A thoughtful discussion on how shifting our vocabulary can foster kindness and stop others from feeling "less than."

| Special Guest: Janice | A deep dive into Janice's 42-year career in education, her work with student support groups, and the legislative impact of her students.

Special Guest: Janice

Janice brings over four decades of experience to the podcast, having taught 7th through 12th grade, as well as college-level courses. Armed with multiple degrees, including a Master of Arts in Counseling, she shares incredible insights from her career:

* The Power of Belonging: Janice emphasizes that a sense of belonging and community is the ultimate antidote to loneliness and negative behavior.

* Student-Led Support: From anger management groups for 6th and 7th-grade boys to "Motivational Monday" for girls at Brain Middle School, Janice has fostered environments where students naturally support and stand up for each other.

* Legislative Triumphs: Janice shares an inspiring story of her students lobbying the Louisiana legislature for a keg registration law. This battle took six sessions but ultimately resulted in a massive win for public safety.

* The Impact of Social Media: The group discusses how social media has exacerbated bullying and feelings of isolation, making in-person connection and real-life support systems more vital than ever.

* Looking Forward: Janice details the ongoing efforts to expand counseling programs and certify more school counselors through Northwestern State University at the Central Louisiana campus.

Notable Quotes

"If you can change the way that you talk to someone and use your words to lift them up instead of making them feel less than, that is the whole goal of kindness."

"Scientific research shows that belonging is such a positive growth for people... them being able to belong to a group helps people grow positively."

First Tuesday Podcast: Episode 2 - LGBTQIA+

This episode dives into the complexities of navigating faith, identity, and the moral injuries often experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community within religious environments. April and DC share personal reflections, historical context, and statistical insights to offer hope and community for those on a journey of healing.

Episode Highlights

• The "Deconstruction Dictionary": DC breaks down the LGBTQIA+ acronym, explaining each letter (and the plus sign) to foster understanding and community inclusion.
• The Impact of Affirming Spaces: Discussing Trevor Project data, April highlights how religious environments can either be a protective buffer or a source of trauma for queer youth, depending on whether the community is affirming.
• The Power of "Family by Choice": Acknowledging the pain of being ostracized, the hosts discuss the importance of building supportive networks outside of biological families, often referred to as "family by choice".
• Pride History & Symbols: DC provides a primer on the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 and explains the evolving meanings behind the colors and symbols of the Pride flag.
• Historical Figures & Legacies: The hosts reflect on the tragic but vital contributions of figures like Alan Turing and Billie Holiday, noting how queer individuals have historically fought against fascism and oppression.

• Generational Shifts: April observes how Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly challenging traditional exclusionary views, leading to more affirming practices in churches and broader society.
• Redefining Worthiness: DC emphasizes that being queer is not a "choice" to be prayed away but an inherent part of a person's identity, asserting that everyone is "loved and worthy" without qualification.
• The Goal of Community: Using the biblical story of Nehemiah, DC reframes "building walls" not as a way to exclude others, but as a communal effort to create safety and foster new growth together.

• The Trevor Project: Providing data and support for LGBTQ youth.
• First Tuesday: A monthly community group meeting to provide support and healing from religious trauma.
• UBU Sin-Law: A youth group for queer individuals ages 12–19.
• Forever So: A children's book by DC focusing on unconditional love and worthiness.

• Jun 23, 2026: Episode release date.
• Jun 28, 1969: The Stonewall Uprising begins in Greenwich Village, NY.
• Jul 07, 2026: Next First Tuesday in-person meeting at the CLASS office.

Key Insights & Reflections

Critical Insight: For LGBTQIA+ youth, the protective benefit typically found in religion vanishes if the environment is non-affirming. The resulting trauma stems from the conflict of "loving a faith that tells you it doesn't love you back".

Deconstruction Dictionary Word of the Day: Deconstruction

Deconstruction is the act of breaking a complex concept, text, or system into its individual components to understand how they work and to reveal hidden biases, flaws, or alternative meanings.

The term spans across several fields, defined primarily by its context:

1. Philosophy and Literary Theory
Originating with French philosopher Jacques Derrida, deconstruction is a method of critical analysis. It challenges the idea that any text or language has a fixed, universal meaning. Instead, it shows how texts are full of contradictions and unstable definitions.

• How it's used: To examine underlying cultural assumptions and show that meaning depends heavily on the reader, context, and the language used.

• How it's used: People who are "deconstructing" often ask hard questions about church doctrines, traditions, or moral beliefs, which can lead them to either walk away from religion entirely or rebuild a different perspective on their faith.

• How it's used: Unlike traditional demolition (which destroys and discards), deconstruction saves materials like wood, fixtures, and bricks for future use, making it an eco-friendly alternative.

• How it's used: A chef takes a classic, complete dish (like a ham and cheese sandwich or an apple pie) and serves all the individual components separately on a plate so diners experience the flavors and textures independently.

2. Religion and Faith
In recent years, "deconstruction" has become a widely used term to describe the process of critically reevaluating one's religious upbringing or faith.

3. Architecture and Construction
In physical trades, deconstruction is the careful dismantling of a building or structure with the primary goal of reusing or recycling its materials.

4. Culinary Arts
In the food world, deconstruction is an artistic style of cooking and plating. Common Synonyms: Disassembly, unbundling, critical analysis, and deconstructing.

For a deeper look into the philosophical origins of the concept, you can read more on the Wikipedia Deconstruction Page.
DC's randomness:

Learn  the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.

-Pablo Picasso

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/558213-learn-the-rules-like-a-pro-so-you-can-break

Groove Amanda - If Everybody Looked the Same

https://youtu.be/OOI-zEwjdEQ

What happens when you start questioning the theology you were raised in?

Welcome to First Tuesday, hosted by April and DC. Living in the Bible Belt, we know firsthand how isolating it feels to navigate religious trauma and step away from organized church structures.

This podcast is an open, honest, and shame-free zone dedicated to deconstructing religion, sharing raw human experiences, and building a real community of people who get it. From unpacking family expectations during "guilt season" to sharing our own personal transformation journeys, we’re figuring out life after church together.

Based locally in Alexandria, Louisiana, we offer monthly in-person gatherings, a book club, and a doodling club to help you find your people.

Subscribe, follow, and pull up a seat—you belong here.

Connect and Grow With Us:

• In-Person Meetups: If you live near Alexandria, Louisiana, join our monthly support group on the first Tuesday of every month at the CLASS Office from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

• Community Circles: Expand your circle by joining our First Tuesday Book Club or our Doodling Club.

• Socials: Follow our journey, view episode clips, and join the conversation on TikTok and Facebook.