TW: Sexual assault, child abuse.

I've gotten quite a few messages both here and on IG about my story and how I started to walk away and how I did eventually deconstruct.
Did I always have questions? Was there a defining moment or series of moments?
Little of both actually. This is a bit longer version (though not complete) of my story. I've never really laid it out before in this way. I'm not sure if I will release this episode publicly or not but I figured I would share it here.
I want to share my story in a book I'm writing as people ask but for now, this will do

As always special thanks to the Accomplices on Patreon who receive exclusive content, long form videos, early podcast releases and voting power- you can subscribe for $4 a month at www.patreon.com/montemader

The trans population in the US has been a hotly debated topic the last few years. Fundamentalists believe that this group of people is a symptom of some kind of moral failing in the US, even though trans people have existed as long as we have had human history. The conservative movement acts as if about 1% of the population is somehow "the problem", with over 700 anti trans laws proposed or passed since 2021.

But so few people have even met a trans person to have these kind of opinions about. So why don't we ask what being trans is like?

Alyson Blake Dellinger is the lead vocalist, bassist and founding member of the band Flummox. She was raised deeply fundamentalist, in church, christian schools, and something was always just... off. Now, shes a musician, deconstructed fundamentalist, an LGBT ally and.. she's trans. And today we are going to discuss her life, her experience and what faith looks like in her shoes.

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Questions? Requested topics? email:

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Tia Levings is an author and advocate who writes and speaks about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma. Her memoir, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy, was released on August 6, 2024.

In her memoir, Levings recounts her journey into and out of the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement. Married at 19, she was indoctrinated into a belief system that emphasized strict discipline, isolation, and the submission of women as "keepers of the home." Her husband exerted extreme control over her life, dictating everything from her clothing to her daily activities, and subjected her to physical and sexual abuse—all sanctioned by their church. Levings details how she was taught to be more submissive and to accept abuse as part of her role. One night, when she realized she and her children wouldn't live, she fled.

Levings' story sheds light on the hidden abuses within certain fundamentalist Christian communities and serves as a testament to resilience and the pursuit of freedom. Her work continues to educate and empower others who have experienced similar forms of religious trauma

Please rate and review the podcast and thanks! Patreon and email at bottom of show notes.

We’re diving into one of the most infamous political scandals in American history—Watergate—and how it fundamentally altered the trust between the American people and their government.

Let’s rewind to the early 1970s. President Richard Nixon, riding a wave of political dominance after winning re-election in 1972, seemed untouchable. But behind the scenes, things were unraveling.

The scandal broke when five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in June 1972. At first, it seemed like a routine burglary. But reporters from The Washington Post, most notably Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, started pulling on a thread that led to the very heart of the Nixon administration.

As investigations unfolded, it was revealed that the break-in was part of a broader campaign of political espionage and sabotage directed by members of Nixon's re-election committee. Even more shocking was the discovery of secret tapes Nixon had recorded in the Oval Office—tapes that captured efforts to cover up the administration’s involvement.

In 1974, facing near-certain impeachment, Nixon chose to resign—the first and only U.S. president to do so. His now-famous farewell was a moment of political theater and personal downfall.

🎧 The Aftermath and Impact:

Watergate didn’t just bring down a president—it brought down public trust. Americans saw firsthand how deep the corruption could go, and many began to question the integrity of the entire political system. Polls showed a sharp decline in confidence in government, a sentiment that has lingered for decades.

The scandal also sparked real reforms: campaign finance laws were tightened, ethics rules strengthened, and a more skeptical press emerged—watchdog journalism was born in earnest.

Watergate became more than a scandal—it became a symbol of betrayal, secrecy, and the loss of America's faith in government

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Tell me your stories, what you'd love to learn, your questions at:

[email protected]

Jane Elliot has been an activist since the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her landmark brown eye/ blue eye exercise was instrumental in my work deconstructing racism in my far right upbringing.

And she has great ghost stories!!! www.janeelliot.com

Find resources and long form content here: www.patreon.com/montemader

A conversation with Dr. Beth Allison Barr. Discussing the service, preaching and teaching of ancient women and how their ministries were erased. How patriarchal standards, the reformation and purity culture changed womens history... and forgot them.

Please consider supporting my work on patreon: www.patreon.com/montemader

Follow Dr. Barr:

Instagram: @bethallisonbarr

Purchase her new book: "Becoming the Pastors Wife": http://bit.ly/4ku06gZ

Listen to her podcast: "All the Buried Women" : https://shorturl.at/7AUQK

Please rate and review the show! Thank you for your support!

Please consider supporting my patreon www.patreon.com/montemader

Who is the historical Jesus? What does the Bible actually say about gender and the LGBTQ community? How do conservative arguments fall apart facing these issues?

Find Rev. Dr. Caleb J lines at:

University Christian Church- San Diego

Instagram: Revdrcalebjlines

Bite sized focus episodes covering key news, giving action items and a weekly mantra!

Please rate and share the podcast!

Please support my work and my run for local office at www.patreon.com/montemader

Action items:

1. Donate and Vote for Susan Crawford in Wisconsin:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wisdems-scowis-2025?refcode=tiz

2. Fight Scott Yenors confirmation at UWF

In person meeting- march 20th: https://uwf.edu/offices/board-of-trustees/board-meetings/meetings/

Representatives List: Focus on Don Gaetz

3. Download 5 calls

Health goals: (pick one)

1. Water- drink half your bodyweight in ounces in water

2. Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night

3. Strength train 3x this week

4. Get 20 minutes of sun per day

Please like and share! Thank you for your support. If you enjoy my content please consider supporting my patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/c/montemader

HAPPY WOMENS HISTORY MONTH!!!!

April Ajoy is a former Christian nationalist and author of the book Star Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith. The book is a heartwarming exploration of Aprils experience with Christian Nationalism, how her faith has evolved and the damage of Christian Nationalism in todays culture. She and I explore our stories and insights in todays current culture as well as what faith means now.

Follow her at @aprialajoy on IG and BUY HER BOOK

Have you heard of Civil War hero Robert Smalls? We will today! Today we'll cover how American exceptionalism contributes to white supremacy, its foundation in the colonies, and the amazing true story of enslaved man turned war hero Robert Smalls!

Please consider signing up for my Patreon and support my work:

https://www.patreon.com/montemader

Use the linktree below to follow me on social media and sign up for my email list!

https://linktr.ee/MonteMader

Sources:

• Wood, Peter H. Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion. W.W. Norton & Company, 1974.

• Morgan, Philip D. Slave Counterpoint: Black Culture in the Eighteenth-Century Chesapeake and Lowcountry. University of North Carolina Press, 1998.

• Franklin, John Hope, and Alfred A. Moss Jr. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. McGraw-Hill, 2000.

• Berlin, Ira. Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America. Harvard University Press, 1998.

• U.S. Census Bureau. 1790 Census Data.

• Sjursen, Daniel, A True History of the United States, 2021

• Morgan, Edmund S. American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia. W.W. Norton & Company, 1975.

• Washburn, Wilcomb E. The Governor and the Rebel: A History of Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, 1957.

• Rice, James D. Tales from a Revolution: Bacon’s Rebellion and the Transformation of Early America. Oxford University Press, 2012.

• Breen, T.H. Tobacco Culture: The Mentality of the Great Tidewater Planters on the Eve of Revolution. Princeton University Press, 1985.

• Billings, Warren M. The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century: A Documentary History of Virginia, 1606-1689. University of North Carolina Press, 2009.

• The National Park Service. “Bacon’s Rebellion (1676).”

• The Library of Congress. “Bacon's Rebellion: A Virginia Turning Point.”

• Morgan, Edmund S.American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia. W.W. Norton & Company, 1975.

• Rice, James D.Tales from a Revolution: Bacon’s Rebellion and the Transformation of Early America. Oxford University Press, 2012.

• Washburn, Wilcomb E.The Governor and the Rebel: A History of Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, 1957.

• Horn, James.A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America. Basic Books, 2005.

• Billings, Warren M.The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century: A Documentary History of Virginia, 1606-1689. University of North Carolina Press, 2009.

• The National Park Service.“Bacon’s Rebellion (1676).”

• Library of Congress.“Bacon’s Rebellion: A Virginia Turning Point.”

• Taylor, Alan.American Colonies: The Settling of North America. Penguin Books, 2001.

• Lineberry, Cate, Be free or die: the Amazing Story of Robert Smalls Escape from Slavery to Union War Hero, 2018