Politics of Pleasure

By Politics of Pleasure

What makes pleasure political? Well it’s simple, pleasure is revolutionary. Strap in (or strap on) as hosts Nia Abram and Desiree Jaha bridge the gap between the political and the personal, exploring ... more

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FAQs about Politics of Pleasure:

How many episodes does Politics of Pleasure have?

The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.

Politics of Pleasure episodes:

May 21, 2022 Facts v. Feelings
If there were ever an occasion to talk about Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic” it’s now. In a highly political episode, we address the recent leaked Supreme Court opinion that threatens to overturn Roe v. Wade. This moment in history reminds us that our access to pleasure is intimately linked to the way that the State regulates our bodies. Audre Lorde shows us that erotic power is a source for change, and at a time when we’re searching for the energy to fight for liberation, her wisdom is power.
Resources
Roe v. Wade explained: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-is-roe-v-wade
Read Handbook for a Post-Roe America by Robin Marty
Donate to a local abortion fund in your state: https://www.thecut.com/article/donate-abortion-fund-roe-v-wade-how-to-help.html
Read Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, which contains “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”
Listen to Audre Lorde read “Uses of the Erotic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmq9gw4Rq0
Follow @empressonyxx on TikTok
Follow @allie_202_ on TikTok
Pleasure Center: 1:38:11
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://www.desireejaha.com/
...more
1h 54min
May 12, 2022 Pleasure for One
We continue our conversation on sex and talk about the foundation for our sexual selves: masturbation. We also discuss the first Amazon union, Elon Musk buying Twitter, and Tufts University’s new Black Maternal Health Research Center.
Resources
Interview with the organizers of the Amazon Union: https://jacobinmag.com/2022/04/amazon-union-staten-island-alu-chris-smalls-bernie-sanders-interview
Tufts Black Maternal Health Research Center: https://now.tufts.edu/2022/04/08/tufts-launches-center-black-maternal-health-and-reproductive-justice
Who to Follow: @kahlilgreene on TikTok
Pleasure Center
Starts: 1:21:07
Pleasure Mapping by Dr. Sakshi Tickoo: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sexloveandot.com/amp/pleasure-mapping
Learn more about Niki Franco (@venusroots): https://www.venusroots.com/
Erotic Blue Print Quiz: https://missjaiya.com/
Pleasure Activism: https://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://www.desireejaha.com/

...more
1h 37min
April 17, 2022 Bumping Energies
Over here we don’t bump uglies, we bump energies. We’re breaking down how our culture defines sex. What is it? How do we name it? And how do our articulations of sex affect the type of sex we have? We also talk about the infamous Oscar slap, Jerrod Carmichael’s “Rothaniel” special, and the newest season of Atlanta.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Watch the Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, Seinfield, Louis C.K. clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il1sgQUtYs8
Follow along with the Gender Unicorn: https://www.transhealthsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/The-Gender-Unicorn.pdf
Follow Basit on IG: @basitcom
Follow Basit’s production collective Legacy on IG: @legacy.bqpc
Donate to Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER): https://transstudent.org/donate/
Adrienne Maree Brown’s Spell Casting Exercise (Irresistible Podcast ): https://open.spotify.com/episode/2FTEtK7u98pRsQPc0FlSzd?si=2d10ab8c644142fd
Pleasure Center
Starts at: 1:27:55
...more
1h 43min
March 26, 2022 Interlude: Resist the Urge to Rush
It’s Spring Break! This mini-episode is a loving reminder to slow down. You are deserving of rest.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
...more
10min
March 10, 2022 Poly is as Poly Does
We’re talking about non-monogamy and polyamory this week! It’s time to decolonize our relationships and start thinking outside the box of monogamy created by Western imperialism. We reference the brilliant work of Indigenous scholar Dr. Kim TallBear to guide our conversation. There’s also a lot going on in the political world this week sooo…*sucks teeth, rolls eyes* we have to address the crusty white men that run our planet or whatever, but don’t worry we still get some good laughs in.
Pleasure Center Starts at 1:34:34
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Listen to the Decolonizing Sex episode of the All My Relations podcast, found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Read more of Dr. Kim TallBear’s work: http://www.criticalpolyamorist.com/
Follow @bygabriellesmith on IG for more on ethical non-monogamy
Follow @chasestrangio on Twitter for updates on anti-trans legislation
Follow @abbiesr on IG for more on TikTok misinformation
Follow the creator of the iconic Earth is Ghetto theme song on IG @nikkialiah
Read Maslow’s Whitewashing of Indigenous Knowledge: https://shanesafir.com/2020/12/before-maslows-hierarchy-the-whitewashing-of-indigenous-knowledge/
...more
1h 51min
February 24, 2022 Misogyn*ggas Pt. 2
We continue our conversation on misogynoir, this time delving into how it has impacted our sex and dating lives. May this episode be an offering of love and healing to each and every Black woman who has experienced misogyny and racism in their relationships. We deserve and will receive better. We also discuss the Super Bowl halftime show, Black capitalism, and Black futures as Black History Month comes to a close.
Enjoy!
Pleasure Center Starts at: 1:26:26

Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha

Resources
Our resources this week are our personal experiences. Just a lovely reminder that living and feeling are valid ways of knowing.
Follow: @samorapinderhughes
Washington Post Article on High Functioning Depression: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/02/17/high-functioning-depression-meaning-symptoms/

...more
1h 43min
February 10, 2022Misogyn*ggas Pt. 1
If taking the red pill means waking up to a nightmare created by cishet Black men with podcasts, then we can stay sleep. Give us the blue pill.
In a long-overdue conversation, we trace a throughline of misogynoir from past to present. This week’s episode is about naming and understanding America’s long-held violence for Black women so that we can release it, and make space inside ourselves for something new. Tune in to our most vulnerable and cathartic episode yet.
Pleasure Center Starts at 1:42:26
Mental Health Hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 - 800 - 273 - TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line: Text HELP to “741 - 741”

SAMHSA Substance Abuse Hotline: 1 - 800 - 663 - HELP (4357)

RAINN National Sexual Assualt Hotline: 1 - 800 - 656 - HOPE (4673)
Mental Health Resources:
Therapy for Black Girls

Inclusive Therapists

Black Mental Wellness

Ethel’s Club

The AAKOMA Project

Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Read Moya Bailey and Trudy’s conversation on misogynoir: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447395?casa_token=IQHQ7CLKekgAAAAA%3A36ait_jOOENaXpZ_uGt5ctKXKNRTfTgNQ9bg2ki-ohkcU96w8EHkbM-wizeEbnUGuMe-6J-rpeRN5w
Access academic articles for free on Sci-Hub https://sci-hubtw.hkvisa.net/
On Lauren Smith-Fields case: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/nyregion/lauren-smith-fields-bumble-date-investigation.html
Nicole Young’s article: https://www.elle.com/life-love/a38819237/black-manosphere-online-dating/
On Mammy, Jezebel, and Sapphire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2teqoyPe3TU
...more
1h 55min
January 27, 2022 Loose Blacks, Glitter, and Trauma
We’re kicking off Aquarius szn with a conversation about compulsory heterosexuality and the chokehold it has on our society. We also discuss the limitations of comphet as a concept and how it excludes many Black, fat, trans, disabled folks in the queer community by centering those who occupy “default” womanhood.
Pleasure Center starts at 1:28:54
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Adrienne Rich’s article that popularized the term compulsory heterosexuality: http://users.uoa.gr/~cdokou/RichCompulsoryHeterosexuality.pdf
Cosmo article on comphet: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a37224259/comphet/
American Survey Center on friendships in the pandemic: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/
Follow @crutches_and_spice on TikTok
...more
1h 45min
January 13, 2022 Scissoring is a Crime (2020)
We’re going on a historical journey as we learn about the evolution of prison lesbians, and how this has shaped our modern perceptions of womanhood, lesbianism, sexuality, and race today.

Resources and Sources
Estelle B. Freedman’s “The Prison Lesbian: Race, Class, and the Construction of the Aggressive Female Homosexual, 1915-1965” https://www.jstor.org/stable/3178421?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
WWII Call to Arms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DJWWKJ8tDM&t=56s
Rosie the Riveter Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55NCElsbjeQ
Cold War Propaganda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByvXINerE_k&t=50s
Lavender Scare Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuIYssjmlv0
On Queer Villains @rainbowhistoryclass: https://www.tiktok.com/@rainbowhistoryclass/video/6955720749004885249?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

You can find all academic articles for free on sci-hub.se

For a one-time donation to our show:
Venmo: @Nia-Abram
CashApp: $NiaAbram
To make a recurring donation see the link below!

Episode Credits
Intro Music: Princess by Ramzoid
Transition Music: Easy Sunday by Bad Snacks and June by Bobby Richards
Editing, Creative Direction, and Production by Nia Abram
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1h 25min
December 30, 2021 “Just” Friends
Why can’t we have friendships that blur the lines of sex, love, and romance? We’re talking about romantic friendships this week. We also chime in on the racial disputes within the lesbian community, with a much-needed conversation on problematic white queerness. Tune in for a juicy listen.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Listen to NPR’s Invisbilia podcast, find it wherever you listen to podcasts
Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life by Amy Gahran
https://offescalator.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/OffEsc-book-1-PREVIEW.pdf
Listen to Esther Perel’s therapy conversation with two friends: https://www.estherperel.com/podcasts/wswb-s5-episode1
Follow @miikaa_96 on TikTok
Des's intention set exercise: 1:35:14 - 1:42:09
Cast a Spell is adrienne maree brown on Irresistible https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jz1nHBIdPBgeck9Jx4NLj?si=47a87b4af2fd4be5
Thank you to our dear friends Britt and Lou for lending their insights to this episode!
...more
1h 48min

FAQs about Politics of Pleasure:

How many episodes does Politics of Pleasure have?

The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.