In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive deep into Sylvia Rivera’s 2001 speech, "Bitch on Wheels." They unpack Rivera’s righteous rage, explore the erasure of trans voices in LGBTQ history, and reflect on the importance of solidarity and intersectionality in the fight for liberation. This raw speech from a legendary activist is just as urgent today.

This week’s text: ✍️ “Bitch on Wheels” by Sylvia Rivera

This week’s guest: Taina Brown is a justice-centered DEI consultant and co-host of the Messy Liberation podcast. She brings an academic and embodied lens to conversations about liberation, identity, and collective care.

Find Taina:
🌐 https://www.ifthenand.org/
🎧 https://messyliberation.com
📱 Instagram

Discussed in this episode

• Sylvia Rivera’s legacy and speech context
• Stonewall riots from a trans perspective
• Marsha P. Johnson and Rivera’s activism
• Respectability politics and performative feminism
• White saviorism, allyship, and call-in vs. call-out
• Suicide and mental health in the trans community
• The role of anger in activism
• Collective care and intersectionality

Resources mentioned

• Lee Brewster history

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