Sarah Everard. Gabbi Petito. Miya Marcano. Sheridan Wahl. Sabina Nessa. Too many women who have gone missing, but have remained largely unknown. Too many women raped, murdered, lost. The Woman Beings sit down to discuss the question, "why are women afraid?" and, by proxy, why feminists are always so d*mn angry.

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The Woman Beings review and discuss Amazon Prime's latest and hottest docuseries, LuLaRich, about the billion dollar multi-level-marketing company LuLaRoe, which rose to prominence in 2016 selling brightly colored leggings (when has the discussion about leggings ever not been controversial?). The four-part docuseries exposes the company's rise and fall, and its horrid business practices that resulted in over 20 lawsuits, hundreds of sellers filing for bankruptcy, a mass exodus of sellers from the company, and an F rating on BBB. The company recruited and exploited tens of thousands of women, promising mothers that they could be powerful entrepreneurs without having to sacrifice time with their families, while operating under business practices that are dangerously close to a pyramid scheme.... and maybe also a cult? The Woman Beings sit down to talk about this docuseries, MLMs, and the disproportionate effect that LuLaRoe has on women.  

Watch the series: https://www.amazon.com/LuLaRich-Season-1/dp/B09CFXPNSX

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Romantic breakups will evoke ideas and imagery like... Ben & Jerrys, getting drunk with friends, watching Dirty Dancing on repeat, and having the support of loved ones to get through a difficult time. However, when it comes to friendship breakups, there's often little support, if any, and many are left to navigate the experience alone. The Woman Beings sit down to discuss their own experiences with friendship breakups, how it shaped them, and that no one is truly prepared for it when it inevitably happens. They discuss warning signs in relationships, how to pick good friends, and factors that contribute to abusive, codependent, or toxic environments. Most importantly, they talk about self-advocacy and de-stigmatizing friendships that don't last forever (because, in fact, the majority of them don't). All about friendship breakups on this episode of Woman Being Podcast. 

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The polarization of media and political discourse has continued to increase in the past few years, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election, and the ease at which social media can quickly spread misinformation and feed conspiracy. The "main stream media" has become somewhat of a swear word, and millions have turned to alternative news sources for the truth. The Woman Beings sit down with local journalist Annelise Pierce to discuss the state of journalism today and how local news is often neglected in the midst of the much more profitable and hysterical world reporting. She talks about journalism ethics, the challenges of presenting information from a neutral standpoint, and the reason why good journalism is a lot harder than it seems. Recent trends have led to an increase in trust for YouTubers, influencers, pastors, and celebrities, and a loss of trust in news media. However, representing the people, informing democracy, and staying human while mitigating bias are all a part of this field of work, and it requires literacy on both sides for good, solid reporting to take place.

Check out Shasta Scout: https://shastascout.org/

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Cancel Culture has become a common 'buzzword' across the political and social spectrum. Many have described the online trend as another form of bullying and public shaming. There are valid concerns for the general psyche of individuals who have fallen victim to the public cyber mob, and what that says about our society as a whole. Many will say, "let's cancel cancel culture," and who can argue with that? For others, cancel culture could be considered progress; it's an uprising of the progressive left to hold long-held institutions accountable for their actions. It's #metoo and #churchtoo. It's power to the people! The Woman Beings sit down to discuss cancel culture in all its forms, what it is, how the church has responded to it, ways that it can be harmful, and potential alternatives to publicly shaming people we disagree with. Is it possible the hysteria surrounding cancel culture has distracted us from larger systemic issues? Great conversations on all this, and more, on this week's episode of Woman Being Podcast.  

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In September of 2019, John Adena suddenly passed away in a northern California county jail. John's family members, after 15 months of being left in the dark, were finally given some answers about his death. The coroner's report revealed an ugly truth. John's injuries were consistent with someone who was severely beaten, and even smothered. Furthermore, it was revealed that John was ignored requests for medical care. In April of 2021, John's family filed a wrongful death suit against Shasta County and several county employees, including the former Sheriff, and Wellpath LLC, the company responsible for the local inmates' healthcare. The Woman Beings sit down with Michelle Gallagher, sister of John Adena, to talk about the events preceding and following John's death, the lawsuit, her process of grieving, and how this tragedy has caused her to become an advocate for better systems in her county's correctional facilities. In a political climate where tensions are high against law enforcement, Michelle advocates for transparency, awareness, and most importantly hard conversation. Being married to a State Highway Patrolman has placed her right at the center of the issue, and she shares her tension in fighting for better systems, while also honoring the law enforcement officers who are putting their lives on the line for their communities.  

Follow the Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justiceforjohnadena/ 

Resources Mentioned:

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The Woman Beings sit down to record the final episode of the season and reflect on their process in creating the podcast. They talk about their own personal growth and the challenges they encountered, along with why they decided to take a break for the summer. The topics range from their favorite episodes, decisions they made that took courage, and the things that made it hard. Lastly, they share how their understanding and interpretation of Woman Being has grown, and takeaways from the season. Goodbye is only for the summer. Woman Being Season 2 coming September, 2021.  

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The Woman Beings sit down to discuss the topic of "deconstruction" in depth, and share their own personal journeys of deconstruction. In much of the Christian world, there's not much room for asking questions, doubt, or uncertainty about one's faith. For most Christians, deconstruction is almost synonymous with leaving the faith. They share their own questions, how the journey can be lonely, the importance of having a trustworthy community to process with, and how to keep close to Jesus in the process.   

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People to Follow:

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This week, the Woman Beings sat down with Candace Johnson, a long-time pastor of Bethel Church and a future church planter at Studio Church in Greenville, SC! We discussed how to walk through change and transition well, the importance of women speaking up and taking charge in the church, how to value diversity as believers, and the risk that comes with new beginnings. We are so thankful Candace allowed us to pick her brain - this is definitely not an episode you’ll want to skip over!  

Follow Candace: https://www.instagram.com/candacejohnson/

Resources Mentioned:

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The Woman Beings sit down with pastor, writer, theologian Elizabeth Woning of Bethel and the Changed Movement. Elizabeth shares her controversial experience of walking away from lesbianism, after many years of being a fierce advocate for feminism and LGBTQ+ within the church. Today, she continues the fight... in a different way. While she still holds dear to her desire for LGBTQ+ to be wholly included and welcomed in the church, she also supports traditional theological thought surrounding the topic. Elizabeth is a woman whose voice has been rejected by most schools of thought. The majority of traditional, conservative Christians find her too gay-affirming, not trustworthy. Most in the LGBTQ+ community find her rhetoric dangerous and condemning. Elizabeth firmly stands in the gray - a gray where a lesbian couple can drop their child off at Sunday school, yet still hear traditional biblical messages on sexuality in the pew. With all that controversy in mind, Woman Being is a podcast that holds space for the gray, for unanswered questions, and for women who venture into those spaces.  

For an alternative view on sexuality in the church, check out our episode with Jared Edskerud: https://youtu.be/JbbNtMluaOQ  

Follow Elizabeth: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethwoning/  

Changed Movement Resource Page: https://changedmovement.com/resources-page/  

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