Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Reply All: One Year, Real Wins, and Nuclear Family Nonsense #59
21 Plays2 days ago
A year after launch, Power Beyond Pride takes stock of what real progress looks like when the broader political landscape is hostile. Join hosts Mattie Bynum, Daniel WK Lee, Hunter, Melodie Garcia, and Shane Lukas surface concrete wins—sex workers organizing mutual aid and a gun club during Minneapolis ICE raids, progressive electoral gains from leaders like Mamdani in New York and Wu in Boston, and New Mexico leading the nation on universal childcare. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee's June "Nuclear Family Month" resolution draws sharp pushback—not just as an LGBTQ+ attack, but as an erasure of the diverse family structures most Americans, including the hosts themselves, actually grew up in. The conversation connects symbolic rollbacks to the slow creep of policy harm, particularly the documented pattern of gradual restrictions on trans communities. The episode ultimately argues that sustainable movements need both vigilance and joy—and that creativity, art, and community are not soft distractions but core infrastructure for resistance.
Recommended
Transcript
Community Actions & Involvement
00:00:00
Speaker
Seeing communities come in large numbers, whether through the No Kings protest, ICE responses, are also really worth remembering how important those are. Many community members would not have seen themselves as dissenters, probably in the past, and see themselves finding ways to step up. Now, I think there's a couple layers of of what we do moving forward, theyre not just talking about how we respond to the current moment, but imagining what it would look like after and should we get a large w what that means and can we learn from the lessons rather than continue to repeat the cycle.
Podcast Anniversary Celebration
00:00:35
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Power Beyond Pride, a weekly career change-making podcast bringing you voices and ideas from across our fierce and fabulous spectrum to transform our world. And we are so happy to be celebrating with this episode our one-year anniversary.
Introductions & Banter
00:00:50
Speaker
One year.
00:00:52
Speaker
Woo! Yes. Yes. we well I don't know if we should have cake or I don't know, pop out of a cake. I probably, does that but I'm Shane Lucas, one of your co-hosts here. I'm reductionist, bodily autonomy activist, moonlighting as the little engine that could. And I'm joined here by so many amazing people and many co-hosts.
Reflections on the Past Year
00:01:14
Speaker
Hi, one of the co-hosts here, Melody KG. I am Minneapolis-based artivist, provocateur, et cetera, et cetera. A year of politics, tea, activism, laughs, shady moments and comments, and some emotion damage, and somehow we're all still friends.
00:01:33
Speaker
How'd we do it? No, I really don't know sometimes, Mel. But you know, as the good thing is we did stick together and I am your other co-host this evening, and Maddie Bynum, always the loudest one in the room, whether I am just standing still or I am talking. Thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, shared clips, sent questions, and grown with us this past year. Thank you thank And I'm Daniel, poet, author, and 80s game show connoisseur. No whammies, no whammies, no whammies, stop.
00:02:02
Speaker
Once a month, some of us, the Power Beyond Pride hosts, gather in what we call a reply all, where we focus on issues
Podcast Vision & Goals
00:02:09
Speaker
or questions impacting activists, share insights from our own work across communities, and take questions from the Power Beyond Pride slot.
00:02:19
Speaker
And today we celebrate not just us, but our audience with obviously good taste. And I'm Hunter, a feral raccoon type of entity. And yeah, artist, photographer, local forager.
00:02:35
Speaker
And kind of a a bit of everything, really leaning into learning more about politics and seeing where the wind takes me with that. And yeah, just all around good gay.
00:02:47
Speaker
So this show started as a vision, creating a space where queer voices, truth, politics, culture, and joy could all exist together. One could argue before we got on here, we talked about yarn a lot. One could talk, not only do we get to share a lot of yarns here on this amazing show, but why I feel woven together. And i as as it's been such a joy because there're so we're grateful to have so many great co-hosts here and be in community with so many amazing people. So yeah, again, it's wonderful to have you all here for today's anniversary. So let's let's kick off a little bit.
Favorite Memories & Humor
00:03:20
Speaker
Hunter, Melody, what are some favorite moments that you've had this past year?
00:03:25
Speaker
So for the podcast, I really enjoyed getting to do the live session with Maddie and Shane. and a tent with some butt-ass naked people. That was my favorite memory. That was my favorite memory. Hold on.
00:03:45
Speaker
I was like, I remember just talking and then suddenly I'm like, oh, oh, All right. People may not know about this. but Yeah. Do you want to share a little bit more? Because we haven't aired that episode. We did record it.
00:04:01
Speaker
and I don't know if you want to share a little bit about it, but it was such an unusual experience. And we were, yeah I don't know if you want to share a little bit about it, but it was the Bliss Boogie. I always say it was Boogie, maybe a little bit, but I think it was Bliss Boogie was the name of the conference.
00:04:18
Speaker
yeah And it was a it was for educators and people who are interested in bodily autonomy in their own work. And we did a panel about queer activism.
00:04:29
Speaker
okay Yeah, just to frame that. Because Hunter, Shane is making this sound real beautiful. Don't get me wrong. It it was hot. It was a beautiful setting, but it was hot as hell.
00:04:40
Speaker
Number one, and Mel, you will love this visual. As we walk in, nobody told us that in the space that we were presenting in, they had just did naked yoga. So people were still nude and downward facing dog. And the lady goes, all you got to do is sit up on the front. And we're walking in. I'm like, yeah.
00:04:59
Speaker
Oh. Yeah. They were just winking at you, Maddie. They were just winking at you. That's all. There was a lot of winking. it's it was really hard to have a conversation with some folks afterwards when I'm just like...
00:05:13
Speaker
I can see everything. And it's obviously, it's not an it's not an issue of nudity is beautiful. i think it was the the the juxtaposition and being like, I did not expect to see somebody butt ass naked that I've never met before. and Never. yeah Yeah. Usually when you meet people, you're clothed and the first time meeting several people and it was naked as we came.
00:05:40
Speaker
Okay, but can we get more naked conferences, please? If I could just schmooze and network at a little mixer and we're all just birthday suiting, pop off. Let's go. job easier.
00:05:53
Speaker
or think you would make a lot less It would make people a lot less nervous after a while if you're already just, oh, I'm naked. I was about to say, it made goodposition yeah it made our panel actually go real easily because we were talking about being able to be yourself in every space. And then this one guy was like, do y'all mind if I get naked? I baby, do whatever you want to do. Sure.
00:06:16
Speaker
Naked and cross-legged. Naked and cross-legged. Just...
00:06:22
Speaker
Sitting in hall, letting the air flow, honey. We loved it. Incredible. So that is that is an amazing memory and one one and and one we will all share. at some point, we will hopefully share that episode. We do have that episode in the queue, so maybe... Not on video, just recorded. No, just the audio, just the audio you oh that one. Melody, what about what about you? Other than the term birthday suiting, which I think you have now just introduced into my vernacular, ah what sticks out for you? Birthday suiting a as a as a as a verb
00:06:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think. Oh, sure, sure, sure. Okay, but you've heard birthday suit, right? Yeah, I just never really thought of it as a verb. And I love, I love taking it. That's what's one thing interesting about English, right, is you can take almost any word and you can verb it, you can adjective it, you can what I just did right there. I had to take the thing.
00:07:17
Speaker
and ah And a birthday suit and is just not one I've had, but I'm using it. I'm bringing it. and um I think we should we should bring that into the into the pop culture scenario. Mary J. Blige would be so proud.
00:07:27
Speaker
So proud. So i had a few like really, really good moments this year on the podcast. We've had some really cool guests that have just been like super talented and smart and helped me think differently about my activism and how I show up. And i i especially love the the conversation we had with Tay and Val.
00:07:55
Speaker
i follow them now and like we interact. I really enjoy them. there' have been a ah few other folks that have really stuck out. But I think, yeah, just like the the really cool conversations that we have gotten to have.
00:08:09
Speaker
over the past year have been really awesome. Plus, mailbag was a great conversation. Mailbag gate. Mail slot gate.
Impactful Interviews & Leadership
00:08:20
Speaker
The slot. Another favorite.
00:08:24
Speaker
still want me to determine exactly what it is, but we're we're rolling with it. Yeah, mailbag, mailbag. It keeps changing depending on like who's who's reading this script.
00:08:37
Speaker
Not mailbag gate. So now we have a whole mailbag gate. Yes, I look love it. Love it, love it. Slot gate. How about you, Shalem or Daniel? What's been your favorite thing this past year?
00:08:49
Speaker
Yeah, honestly, so we had that interview with Toffer and he said his response to what is what was Power Beyond Pride to him i just stuck with me, which for those who didn't hear it or or listen to that episode, kind of basically what he said was that bra you have to do something. You you have to...
00:09:16
Speaker
there's like effort that you you get to earn pride basically through effort and that really stuck with me that and it kind of when we're when there is a call to action as and in our political movement like we should kind of and the up the ante and have pride in the work that we're doing, right? and and the in the and the
00:09:47
Speaker
In the effort. And yeah, I thought that was really the most profound moment for me. And and i thought it was great. That was one of my favorites, for sure. The interview in particular.
00:10:00
Speaker
i would say, and i mean, we could talk more about favorite ones later too. i ah First of all it is just so... impactful for me to have met so many heroes that I have in the movement throughout even this past year and even episodes that we look forward to sharing with people coming up.
00:10:19
Speaker
Whether we're talking about celebrities like Dominique Jackson, again, or Dimitri Daskalakis, those are people who I think are often on the front lines doing incredible work every day.
00:10:30
Speaker
I'm really floored oftentimes. I think Soul's interview was really powerful for me. i think talking about the power of being on the ground, really talking about intersectional work as a two-spirit activist, really also sharing really intimate stories about their own journey with their family and their journey into queerness.
00:10:50
Speaker
To me, those are moments that i could not be more grateful because I think so many activists and people who are moved out there hear that and go, wow, i i i i don't, maybe I feel alone, but even if I don't feel alone, I feel like this story, i don't i don't know what it's like to move forward or the next steps are. And I feel like one thing I love about the variation of leaders that we've been able to speak with is that there are so many different stages in their experience.
00:11:17
Speaker
that I think you can hear not only where people have been, but you can hear where you or other people can go. And that to me has just been really powerful. I want to call out Monica Jones' interview. Again, just having an opportunity to connect with her was just such a, ah to me, a really, I'm really grateful for those moments.
00:11:36
Speaker
um And then again, just countless numbers of people that I think, especially in the movements where I i spend a lot of my time in bodily autonomy, ah Savannah Sly, many, many people who have been critical within these movements and had these conversations are just really, again, at just ah all I can say is that it just it just feels oftentimes like we don't get enough opportunities to connect about the the human toll this work takes. as well as where that inspiration and community can help build and and and really amplify that work. And so i I've been really just pulled over at points by some of the really honest moments. And and Daniel called out Toffer's interview, which I thought was really, again, just such a great interview. i want to call out, we've had people read their poetry on here. We've had Virginia, who shares her music. and I think that episode's actually coming up.
00:12:30
Speaker
And those have just been really, again i just I'm floored by those moments. I think those moments of of why we do this become so clear. I definitely agree. I think my favorite episode probably, i don't have one. I'm like, yo, I don't have one. I have a whole couple of them. Definitely Dominique Jackson, because that was just like meeting the idol.
00:12:50
Speaker
But like Tony, i can I still cannot pronounce his last name, but his show is actually coming up very soon. Tony Say it again. Tony Z? is Yeah, Tony Z. go yeah But even his, they just I think the best ones for me are the ones that made me learn something new.
00:13:07
Speaker
Miss May, I never looked at sex but the way she explained it and then just... Yeah, I love the ones that I left the interview like, I feel different.
00:13:18
Speaker
Like, I learned something today. but I say those are my favorite ones. Well, it is about time for us to go to break, to our first break. But when we do come back, we will be discussing latest politics, talking more about things we have done with the show, our favorite moments.
00:13:34
Speaker
And as we go to break, I do want to give a shout out to Cole Escala. He was the first non-binary person last year to win a Tony Award. And with the Tony Awards coming up this year, just wanted to go back and highlight that he was the first non-binary Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for their smash all-Broadway to Broadway hit, O'Mary.
00:13:59
Speaker
So if you think that you are listening to this show and we don't have a voice, we are here. we are queer. We are not going nowhere. we are getting louder and better. So stay with us right back.
00:14:17
Speaker
Welcome back. This is Power Beyond Pride, a queer change-making podcast. And I am Daniel with my co-hosts, Maddie, Melody, Hunter, and Shane.
00:14:29
Speaker
Since the launch of the podcast, we've experienced... experience unprecedented political turmoil, including deep polarizations regarding LGBTQ plus rights, landmark regressive Supreme Court rulings, both contributing to a kind of capitulation to and an overall redirection towards fascistic governance.
00:14:57
Speaker
Given the constant assaults
Community Wins & Personal Peace
00:15:00
Speaker
on our hearts and minds by the ruling class, in what ways, if any, have your communities and or the movements you've been working in been able to move the needle forward or get W's in the past 12 months?
00:15:16
Speaker
A win Now? Well, what feels like a win? i mean, I do think that there's Yeah, i think they're there i think there we could identify some things. I i think I could. mean, I think we'll identify a few wins recently, especially when it comes to redistricting.
00:15:40
Speaker
I can never say this word without laughing. Redistricting. But other than that, I don't really see where we've won anything to yet. I think that we're also like, it seems like we're looking at this on a bigger scale of what is going on politically or what is going on within the larger environment. And I frequently have to pull myself out of that because, yes, the world is enveloped in so many shitty things that are going on.
00:16:11
Speaker
But the big rule in my house is what are you doing to make peace for yourself? And so for me, this past year has been a lot of like coping with grief and loss, but also creating peace for myself in different ways that maybe I haven't before.
00:16:27
Speaker
And sometimes I move in silence when I'm creating my own peace and I don't invite people into that. And I had people recently asking me, like, well what have you been up to? haven't really seen or heard from you. And I'm like making my own piece.
00:16:39
Speaker
Said the rest of the world is shitty. Why do I need to have that in my home? is This is something that people of color, black folks, we've been dealing with for fucking ever. So at the end of the day, the day go end.
00:16:51
Speaker
And what are you doing to create that peace for yourself in it? So while it may be hard to look at things on a bigger scale of like, where are the wins? Where are the victories that we're having on a societal basis? I think sometimes what we need to do is to not carry that with us if we have the space and capacity to do so.
00:17:16
Speaker
Because it can be really hard when you're carrying that with you all the time. That impacts your health. It impacts your relationship with others. It impacts your ability to b to just look beyond what is right here.
00:17:32
Speaker
And so I think that that's also my gentle way of saying fuck you to the bad things. My community showed up and started a gun club. but So, just in stark contrast to what you're saying, Hunter, beautiful. I can have a piece of steel.
00:17:52
Speaker
about to say, I'm a creating piece and and you're holding your piece. Hey, which one? Yes! Okay. Okay. See, Southerners and Midwesterners.
00:18:05
Speaker
Yes. We like them. Yeah. we strongly We strongly uphold gun rights in this house. Hello. Yes. Okay. Great, great, great. but so So for those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, i'm in Minneapolis,
Organizing for Protection & Aid
00:18:20
Speaker
right? In Minneapolis over the past few months and pat has had, we had our day. We had our little moment of fame.
00:18:26
Speaker
It's still happening. It's still scary, but the media has mostly moved on, right? But during the the thick of the ICE occupation, sex workers really stepped up in my community in terms of distributing mutual aid organizing around political strategy to help eviction moratoriums. And then also the local swap chapter of Sex Workers Outreach Project Minneapolis started a gun club for sex workers. And I definitely went and I definitely shot and I did go great.
00:18:59
Speaker
So... um
00:19:03
Speaker
It was a really cool, cool moment for for sex workers and for the sexually deviant over here as we just continue to show up for our communities the way that we always have as as folks who are either queer or queer or adjacent.
00:19:19
Speaker
I love you sharing that. I think it's interesting in some ways, Melody, I think, and Melody and Hunter, both of you are kind of hitting on, i think there's probably multiple dimensions in which we're getting Ws. Part of it is the individual resilience learned from our elders, learned from our community members, and really who recognize that the system has never been good. Like we don't need to belabor that point. I think we all know.
00:19:41
Speaker
This system has always been oppressive in its own ways, in many ways, and that the fight has been going for a long period of time. And there are many elders and community members who reflect and remind us that some of the advances we've made did come at costs, and preserving them is also critical and part of our work.
00:19:56
Speaker
I also, i love that we're seeing like small
Political Progressivism Challenges
00:20:00
Speaker
groups You mentioned swap, Melody, but like other small groups, and we're seeing groups kind of come together in meaningful ways, somewhat emboldened by the current moment to figure out how they can get past maybe minor grievances, which have had sort of in our progressive movement oftentimes undermine some of that work.
00:20:21
Speaker
And I think there is this sort of sense of collective purpose in responding to the certainly Christo-fascist movements of the the nation as of as of right now.
00:20:33
Speaker
But then also, i want to call out, you mentioned, Melody, a response to the ICE raids. Seeing communities come in large numbers, whether through the No Kings protests, ICE responses, through the networks that have happened, are also really worth oh remembering how important those are. Because many community members would not have seen themselves as...
00:20:55
Speaker
I would say dissenters probably in the past and see themselves recognizing what's happening and and finding ways to step up. Now, are there enough? No. There's certainly a lot of work to be done to take back some much of the power that has been centralized in spaces these days. But...
00:21:15
Speaker
I think there's a couple layers of of what we do moving forward there in terms of not just talking about how we respond to the current moment, but imagining what it would look like after and should we get a large W, what that means and can we learn from the lessons rather than continue to repeat the cycle?
00:21:31
Speaker
Because that's, I think, my my fear is that we get past this moment and then people are like, well... We're done. And like that, as we have seen in many instances, undoes some of that work. But I do think there have been some pretty incredible wins.
00:21:45
Speaker
I also think states like New York, California, those which see themselves as bastions of progressivism or a, a I don't know what you want to call it, a practical progressivism.
00:21:59
Speaker
have really also developed a system where their own expectations have been set up a little bit more or are leveled up a bit. And I mentioned New York particularly, I think the election of Mamdani and him continuing to deliver. It's important to also mention Wu in Boston. i feel like we talk about Mamdani a lot as ah As a woman of color in leadership, I think Wu deserves a lot of credit for what she's doing at Boston.
00:22:23
Speaker
And that Mamdani is learning and following some of those practices and in really, in really important ways. But I also think that Hochul in New York, who is not unflawed, has continued to move some progressive policies forward, including universal childcare in New York,
00:22:40
Speaker
at a time when many you know federal government strategies had been to reduce services. And so I do think that there are some wins in the sense of imagination of what a more socialist democratic approach or a more community-based approach could look like. And that's not even getting into the amount of trans leadership that states like New York have elevated into into positions and and leadership, that there is There is this moment. Now, does that lead to civil war? No, no don't want to rain on that parade yet, but I'm saying that some of the wins are that there have been some movement in really constructive directions. And a lot of that really founded in, I think, a lot of queer leadership, a lot of leadership from our trans community members, a lot of leadership from a feminine of center and fems, a lot of black fems certainly leading in many of those states, but California and New York as well. And so there's a lot of really
00:23:33
Speaker
There's a lot of things, I think, to celebrate, even in this moment. i want to say, though, when you had mentioned universal child care in New York, we also got to give props to New Mexico for being the first state to introduce universal child care.
00:23:48
Speaker
So i had to make sure to bring that into the fold. Props in York, i know new new mag new New Mexico. All the news. all there the the new back Well, maybe not New Jersey, but like New Mexico.
00:24:00
Speaker
We love you, New Jersey. We do. We do. We We do. We do love you, too. But New Mexico, major props. Thank you. Thank you. So this next topic has sparked a lot of controversy
Critique of Traditional Family Norms
00:24:10
Speaker
online, especially as Pride Month approaches.
00:24:12
Speaker
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee recently signed a resolution officially recognizing June as what lawmakers are calling Nuclear Family Month. This symbolic measure promotes what what it describes as the traditional family structure.
00:24:23
Speaker
One husband, one wife, and their biological adopted or foster children as the foundation of society. With June being Pride Month, what kind of message does this send to LGBTQ families and people whose lives don't fit into one traditional definition of family? And do symbolic measures like this deepen cultural division more than they strengthen community values?
00:24:46
Speaker
I think this has this the fact that I did not even hear about this, I think kind of speaks to where where like I I care about like the affordability of our lives and stuff like that. And obviously I care about an expansive idea of what family is obvious. And and as part of like a generation of queue capital Q,
00:25:12
Speaker
and resistance to kind of this biological determinism of family. i also just
00:25:20
Speaker
it It seems like all it's just like straight pride. It's like, it's just some noise in the background. And i didn't clock it because it's kind of, it just seems like bullshit that that they're trying to drum up to be like a I don't know, some we had to have some kind of purchase in the coming elections, right? like It's trying so hard. The person who suggested this is totally getting head in a rest area. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm...
00:25:50
Speaker
That's all I'm saying. I mean, i it's like, and the targeted video ads that I get in YouTube, I get a lot of AG races for Alabama, even though I live in Newark, Louisiana. it's It's wild. And it's really kind of the dregs of society saying, oh I'm aligned with Trump in and I want to defend, and i i and I want to defend our our children from the unfair
00:26:21
Speaker
ah to but but the unfair sports but situation with trans athletes. It's like, you're not talking about shit that is like pressed up in people's lives on the daily.
00:26:36
Speaker
And i can't think of, even though it it is LGBTQ adjacent, i can't I can't think of something so more tone-deaf to people's needs at the moment than this.
00:26:53
Speaker
And it's just like our parcel of where we are, right? We're just like, look over there. And you're like, let's look over there and and get dragged dragged into a side quest discourse on...
00:27:07
Speaker
I don't even know what anymore. Like, this is like the equivalent of straight pride. Just like, ugh, whatever. But you know what bothers me about this? This whole topic is, what bothers me is you give a person an inch and they take a mile. What are you going to do after this? Because I do have an issue with this topic. Because not just for LGBTQ plus families, but I guess growing up since my mom was a single mother, I'm not a traditional...
00:27:31
Speaker
nuclear family, like, just because I just grew up with a mom and instead of a mom and a dad. So, I think, for me, I think it it it is an issue that we really need to to to push back on because, yet again, you give Tennessee an inch and we've seen what they've taken with their inches so far. You know I'm saying? Like, where do we stop?
00:27:50
Speaker
Because June has always been prodding us. We know this. so Anybody who who pays attention to anything, we know that June is prodding ah yeah, I find this as an itch trying to become a mom.
00:28:05
Speaker
There's a lot of structural issues with this as well because not only does it ah have more of a ah direct impact on maybe LGBTQ plus folk, but also for folks who may not be queer or queer adjacent and how their family structure is.
00:28:26
Speaker
And it's basically saying that if you are not like this and you are not right, it's the dichotom it's the dichotomy of good versus bad. And that's the part where I'm just like,
00:28:40
Speaker
are are folks seeing this? Because this isn't just a one social group issue. And like Maddie was saying, I grew up with a single parent. And I was also raised in a strongly matriarchal goal household.
00:28:56
Speaker
are Yeah. So for me, I'm just like, what what does that mean? ah i grew up relatively okay. I turned out relatively okay, I should say. So what What is that? Fabulous.
00:29:10
Speaker
yes I appreciate it. Therapy, therapy. it it makes that but But what your beau you're hitting on, Hunter and and and Maddie, is, I mean, it's just a statistical fact that significant numbers of people will have non-traditional families. And by non-traditional can mean so many things.
00:29:31
Speaker
And add to that that young people don't want, they're not nostalgic for whatever version of this they're putting out there. And the stats on that are pretty clear, particularly when we talk about young cis women.
00:29:46
Speaker
but like when we when we look at where they and when they wish to become parents, it is far later. When they look to get married, if they want to get married, if they want to get married.
00:29:58
Speaker
because the number of individuals who desire that is lower. Not that they don't want to have relationships. It's just they're like, these systems didn't really work for my parents, that nobody's really happy in these, quote unquote, new nuclear is kind of a such a funny term too, because last time I checked, it killed you. Like I always find the attachment of that such a weird thing.
00:30:18
Speaker
I understand it's the timing because it's 1950s correlative, but like it's also kind of appropriate because it just explodes. Like you're trying to fit into this model and eventually it combusts.
00:30:29
Speaker
Wasn't family explosive back then? Let's just think about it. I mean, if people had the agency to leave, I mean, again, people romanticize the 50s, but you had high levels of literacy, ill literracy you had high levels of domestic assault, you had high levels of drug and alcohol usage. People forget that there were a lot of things that we brought back from World War II and drugs was one of them. Like lots of the things that make that era complicated.
00:30:54
Speaker
And the nostalgia for it is, again, who does it serve? It serves whatever kind of oppressive systems were functional at the time. And that MAGA mentality just is, again, it's ah it's a very naive perspective of the world and Obviously, this is intended to be and tamp down people's sense around queer inclusion.
00:31:13
Speaker
But to everyone's point, the the the impact of it is actually far, far reaching beyond that. I mean, I don't think we're necessarily ceding discursive ground by by Governor fuckface asshat, like making a resolution when there are always multiple months being multiple things at the same time, like mental mental health awareness time, which is the same month as whatever.
00:31:43
Speaker
ah So, i mean, i just kind of feel like he's trying to make a thing that's not a thing. Like younger people, people with the lived experience of not not being in a nuclear family recognize that this is immaterial to their lives, right?
00:32:02
Speaker
And ah not to say that they're this like not having the the idea of quote-unquote alternative ideas of or models of families is ah is a detriment to especially young, young, young individuals.
00:32:19
Speaker
i just don't see this as being other than some kind of like weird and idiotic kind of culture war play that I'm sure, I hope, Tennessee voters are kind of like, what are you fucking talking about? like Make our gas prices go down. Please do that instead.
00:32:40
Speaker
Well, just add one more thing and we're going to head out to break. But what I'll say is i think, yes, it feels very naive as a request. I do want to flag that the subtle movements that people made toward gender, I don't know, I don't know, clarity. I'm not sure the right word here. to use. But a lot of our trans communities were impacted because slow sort of steps were made to create distinguishing pieces in the public conversation in many states. And again, many of our many of our communities face that around their passport access and a lot of federal, again, a lot of other things that have been done, know, laterally.
00:33:19
Speaker
But I think some things like this, there is a reason to look at them with caution simply because it is trying to redefine or take any of the progress and kind of undermine that progress. So again, will it work?
00:33:32
Speaker
I would like to think no. i do think it's worth our communities reflecting on that because again, our our trans community members are facing this on a regular basis and it did creep up slowly, but surely over time. And I want to make sure that we don't we don't miss that either, that that's real.
00:33:50
Speaker
But no matter the outcomes, history proves our communities know how to tap into the wellspring of resilience and creativity to face whatever the world throws at us. That is what makes us amazing. And that that's great. But when we come back, we're going to turn our attention to you, our listeners. We've got your questions and a special final message close out this anniversary episode. So stay with us.
00:34:16
Speaker
Welcome back to Power be Beyond Pride, our anniversary reply all show. We are having so much fun laughing, talking, and reminiscing, and also, as we always do, get down to business and talk politics in current events. I am joined tonight with my amazing co-hosts, Melody, Shane, Daniel, and Hunter, and we are queer changemakers ourselves. So it's time for us to get into our mail. I'm not going to say box, bag, slot, none of that outlet.
00:34:45
Speaker
our resident male male person, since you know her name is Mayo, I was a male person, come up with that name for us. But yeah, Shane, I think you have the first, now Melby has the first question.
00:34:59
Speaker
Before our first question though, I want to take us to a moment remembering the life of Jason Collins. He passed away recently from a brain tumor.
00:35:10
Speaker
He was the NBA's first openly gay player. Rest in power, friend. Yeah. Totally. Took a lot of courage. We don't see a lot of athletes who step into that space. And so we definitely appreciate Jason Collins doing that.
00:35:26
Speaker
And a great basketball player. Our first question comes from Christopher L. from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Christopher asks, after such a difficult year politically, how do you stay hopeful?
00:35:40
Speaker
Good question. actually Actually, Hunter talked about that earlier, I think, is finding peace and hope in your own personal life. Because one thing we can't control every day is politics. We can go out and vote. We can get out there and get our message. But your daily disposition, for me, I would say how I stay hopeful is just keeping my my peace and my sanity intact.
00:36:04
Speaker
So when I do take the time to withdraw, I have a place to come to. ah i'll I'll throw in music. One thing that I think is just really powerful in the current moment, and whether it's Ray's album, this album is it contains hope, or you're talking about Jill Scott's most recent album and a beautiful, great song called Be Great in there. i think there is, and even Tank and Banga's actually a new album is also really, really great about this. There's an an artist named Jorge Drexler and his album Taraka. It's really brilliant.
00:36:32
Speaker
They're all speaking into this moment, I think, because it is, America's got its own challenges, but the rest of the world is also dealing with a great deal of friction on many different levels. I think you can channel musicians who are just, are, to me, have always been influential in my mood, in my way of seeing the world, in the soundtrack, to my own defiance and fight.
00:36:54
Speaker
And I am grateful for that creativity, that artistry. So the thing that keeps me certainly Hopeful is the music as well as the community I get to keep and get to get to have around me. So that goes without saying, but the people around you also matter a great deal. But I would say something something broadly music and and continuing to bring those sounds back in on the hard days.
00:37:16
Speaker
For me, it's like other arts to patronize the arts. Art has always been a a vehicle for politics and culture, obviously.
Art & Resistance
00:37:31
Speaker
so and there's some some really cool art happening, especially around queer identity and politics and... I'm always going advocate for go to a drag show, go to a burlesque show, go see your local neighborhood stripper, you know. That'll bring you some joy. Some titty in the face.
00:37:52
Speaker
Or he. Or he. Or he. Or he. Some booty in the face. Some ball in the face. Yeah, let's go. i never I've never been sad while being motorboated, so I'm just saying. What?
00:38:03
Speaker
yeah i I'm so glad our minds are on the same level. I mean, she bagging has always been a great pastime. I just, I don't know. I mean, there's always, you you can only go up from here.
00:38:14
Speaker
Yeah. I just want to kind of expandan expand on what Melody and Shane was saying. I think I've just been like leaning in on like the the culture workers who are also, their creativity is also bound up with resistance. And so,
00:38:32
Speaker
but Obviously, my bag is the poetry and I've been reading a lot of poetry. And it's like anthologies like Homosexual Intifada, which just came out. It's an anthology of queer Palestinian writers. Super excited about that. Yeah, I've been finding a lot of refuge in and and those these those cultural producers who are...
00:38:55
Speaker
who are a creating something beautiful or engaging in spite of all these things. and yeah, it kiss me... In it, while not being just like wallowing in like the negativity and the horrible shit of it all, that there are still forms of resistance that are creative and powerful, not just not not just horrible. ah truth
00:39:26
Speaker
Or really taxing, right? And you mentioned, right, right, Scola's win. Like, I love that in the arts we're seeing trans stories, we're seeing a non-binary representation, we're seeing artists. Lineker, for example, in Brazil is a trans artist who won all the ah South American music awards in this last year and and produces phenomenal R&B that is just gorgeous. And like, to me, there is so much genre breaking happening across the arts and whether it is whether it is in in poetry or film or music, I think that that looking to creativity in those voices to help remind us what it means to be bold and have that courage. And that includes your strippers, that includes that includes all of the amazing performances, the Miss Mona's of the world, which encourage us to be our biggest, baddest ass. So.
00:40:18
Speaker
so And shout out to Memdani, because frankly, he's the only thing that gives me joy about politically these days. So but I'm just like, oh, it's like a salve. I don't know. I think also like for me, i know we're talking about a lot of things that are like,
00:40:34
Speaker
the present wins or like the things that are like we're seeing this, we're seeing a ah change in like how we are more visible in the spotlight. But I think also it's given, the the this this last year especially, it's given me a lot of opportunity to look back on voices from the past. And I don't mean that as like the distant past, but even there's been a very interesting...
00:40:58
Speaker
new engagement in Southern Gothic. And because there is a deep connection to what we're seeing now, as well as the narrative of Southern Gothic stories, as they are representation of post-Reconstruction from the Civil War. And so we're seeing a lot of that revivalism come back and also the ways that people evolved in their thoughts or the ways that people were pulling the skeletons out of the closet and saying, if you want to take care of the base of the house, you need to empty things out in the basement.
00:41:32
Speaker
And so i really have just been fascinated by the the idea of Southern Gothic revival. And it is very connected to what we're dealing with right now. And I mean, if folks are interested, pull up Beloved, for instance.
00:41:53
Speaker
Completely, yeah. or the bluest eye. But also, i think my first introduction, i was I was maybe in ninth grade, my first introduction to Southern Gothic was As I Lay Dying by William Vaughan.
00:42:07
Speaker
And so I really also want to make sure that I just reinforce that to folks of we're in an era, we're in a period of learning. And not just of suffering.
00:42:18
Speaker
And we can learn from what other people have shared in that means of of learning and staying hopeful of opening up at least our own narrative and what we're thinking.
Self-Acceptance & Discovery
00:42:30
Speaker
So, yeah, that can lead into the next question. Our next question comes from Sky from Chapel Hill, in North Carolina. What advice would you give someone who is struggling to fully embrace themselves?
00:42:43
Speaker
I think if I was talking to a person that is struggling to find they self, I would definitely tell them, number one, spend time with yourself. That might sound crazy, but I mean, really spend time with yourself and knock the noise out around you so you can really hear everything about who you are. But find things that that create joy in your life because I think if you can figure out what creates joy, then you can figure out how to embrace joy, which will then have you to be able to embrace yourself.
00:43:12
Speaker
and see yourself for you It's a tough one to answer in the current climate because one of the big questions is where that struggle is coming from. Is it coming from your own ability to explore and spend time with your feelings and be it in in a space that is nonjudgmental so that you're able to process your own relationship to your gender, your desire, to all of these pieces? And if you're in a climate or an environment where that is that is very... press, that's really tough.
00:43:43
Speaker
And in this current climate, there there are so many, we we made so many movements across the nation in and positive directions, and now we're seeing those closed down. So that isn't signaling to people who are wrestling with those conversations sometimes that it is safe to have those conversations. So I would say, is that struggle coming from external sources or is it coming from your own introduction of ideas and what's possible in yourself.
00:44:08
Speaker
Because that is, for for that internal journey, that's oftentimes breaking and having a grieving, really, of what you may have at one point expected your journey to be and be wrestling with the feelings or the spaces that you are about what is possible.
00:44:22
Speaker
And really starting to celebrate and and welcome that possibility, that unknowing. It's what I love about queerness in some ways is that it is still always this reconfiguring of a certainty that we are spending our lives understanding like, how is my body changing? How am I changing? How are my desires changing? How are all of these how are all of these relationships changing?
00:44:44
Speaker
And beginning to be comfortable with that. But that oftentimes comes into conflict with a world that says, this is how you're supposed to be. This is how you have to be. This is how, in that and that own, your own process of managing that.
00:44:57
Speaker
So you know if it's external, then my hope is that you get more opportunities to give yourself space to explore. And if that is going to another location or finding a community that is just open to those conversations, not giving you a specific direction, but just open to that exploration for yourself.
00:45:16
Speaker
And if it's coming internally, if the call's from coming from inside the house, really giving yourself some space to grieve about the path forward, but also excitement about what's possible.
00:45:27
Speaker
Yeah, I will worry about being a little bit overly prescriptive about advice as someone who's lost two friends who've taken their own lives. And so I'm just going to kind of say what I probably a lot of people saying it would say, which is to find someone to talk to.
00:45:44
Speaker
And it doesn't necessarily have to be a professional, although that's a great idea for sure. but ah finding someone that can be your a confidant that that you can talk about what the struggle is, what are the what are the conditions or circumstances that make one feels like they're unable to be themselves at that moment and, ah and then not have to too, high big expectations and, and just, and having those conversations because it's really going to be, I would expect or suspect that it's part of a kind of a discovery ah and and, and, and the,
00:46:29
Speaker
And the moment of self embrace isn't a light switch where it just turns on, but ah as as a process and and likewise. Finding people to who you you can be yourself around as well is isn't just i just found the one person i met and then the floodgates open.
00:46:48
Speaker
So the the the baby step that I would just say is is to but seek someone that you can be forthright and and you hopefully at least someone whose empathy and compassion extends to you and hopefully they'll be that person that you hope they are.
00:47:12
Speaker
i think for ah at least for several of us, It's time that becomes the thing that allows us to fully embrace ourselves. And time, especially in the queer community, is a luxury.
00:47:26
Speaker
And so there's there's not a ah ah a fix it button, like an instant button and then everything is okay. But it just takes time. And that's also internally of just what do I like about myself? And I know when I was in my 20s, I would say, well, if I get to X, then I'll be happy. And then you have to think about it as like what does that matter? Why does that timeline matter? Why do you have to be happy? Like, why do you have to wait for that thing to happen in order to allow yourself to be happy or to experience joy or to experience pleasure or any of those sensations?
00:48:06
Speaker
and I agree with Daniel. You have to create the friendships that you want and start out with one that can become two, but also understand that for as many people as you may have around you, you could still be the loneliest person in the room if you don't allow yourself to know who you are and allow yourself to evolve and to change.
00:48:33
Speaker
And i mean, i don't think it was until I hit my like, mid-30s that I was just like, don't give fuck about what people say about me. That became very prominent. Like once I hit like maybe about 34, was just like, why do I care?
00:48:53
Speaker
and so, like I said, time is the biggest luxury. Well, it's really awesome to get these questions from our listeners
Listener Interaction & Engagement
00:49:00
Speaker
who are activists and icons from around the country. if you have any questions, make make sure to send it to us to mail by mailbag mailba mailba at powerbeyondpride.com or visit the site at powerbeyondpride.com to submit your questions. or even better, send us a video at any of our social channels. We want to see you, hear you, and be in community with you.
00:49:26
Speaker
I love it. And also while you're on those social channels, remember to rate rank us. if you If you like us, give us five stars. If you don't like us, tell us. Don't do anything. Don't do anything. just But remember to favorite us, subscribe, all all the rest of that. But definitely and we we do appreciate you giving us some of those five-star reviews. That's all the time we have for this very special Reply All, our first year of Power Beyond Pride. Thank you. I know I said it before, but I cannot express how much I adore I'm grateful for all the co-hosts as well as, and we'll we'll give our thanks for this episode all of our production team, but also our production team as well, that this is not possible without all the all these incredible people who just every day are contributing in their own communities.
00:50:11
Speaker
And then I'm so grateful to be alongside you here for this podcast. so I just want to give you lots of love and kisses and hugs and all of that. um So this went by so fast this year and we are still creating. We have so many episodes we're excited for you to hear. We are still loving and we are still fighting and we look forward to fighting with all of you alongside. I'm your co-host, Shane Lucas. I am a lifelong harm reductionist and at bodily autonomy activist.
00:50:40
Speaker
And I would say the little engine that could certainly is is kind of a ah good model, but I couldn't do it without having so many amazing people on the same tracks and doing the same work. So you can follow me at all my socials. Actually, and you can check out my newly launched site, shanelucas.com. And going throw in a little plug for my new TED Talk, which is not out yet, but you can go check out my first TED Talk and my second TED Talk should be out.
00:51:07
Speaker
soon. So please check that out. ShaneLucas.com. You can get my socials there. And I'm your co-host, Melody KG, Minneapolis-based provocateur and artivist.
00:51:17
Speaker
You can find me at Melody KG on Instagram and MelodyKG.substack.com to see my writing.
00:51:29
Speaker
And remember to subscribe and get your friends to subscribe to Power Beyond Pride wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review. It helps others discover us and see
Gratitude & Show Purpose
00:51:40
Speaker
how cool we are.
00:51:41
Speaker
So check us out at our site at powerbeyondpride.com. And I'm your co-host, Daniel, and you can follow me at strongplum on Instagram and upscrolled.
00:51:52
Speaker
ah Contrary to the previous episode, i am no longer on TikTok. I'm not doing showless content there anymore. to our listeners, guests, supporters. There is a thirst-truck drought.
00:52:07
Speaker
Activists, artists, and chosen family, we thank you for making our community what it is. Hi, I'm Maddie Bynum, your other co-host, and always the loudest one in the room, even all mute. You saw the facial expressions if you're watching the video, okay?
00:52:21
Speaker
ah But instead of giving... Hello. But I do want to take a moment and shout out Shane because I do want to say this real quick, Shane. None of this would be possible if you hadn't have even had the idea to come together and ask all of us to come on a show and do this with you.
00:52:36
Speaker
So we do want to give you thanks and props for being the brain of this great show. Absolutely. Thank you, thank you. You can follow me on Instagram at MaddieSmall737 or Facebook at just simply Maddie Biden because that's who I am.
00:52:50
Speaker
We celebrate one year of Power of Beyond beyond on Pride. We're excited excited about it, but we want everyone listening to remember something, and that is you're not alone. You're not invisible, and your story does matter. Power Beyond Pride is a project from A Great Idea, a queer-owned design and content agency. Learn more about agreatidea.com at agreatidea.com.
00:53:11
Speaker
And lastly, I'm your co-host Hunter, and you can follow me on Instagram at Hunter Photography. It's HNTR Graphite because I'm super creative. Thank you for growing up or growing with us this past year and stick with us for many, many years to come.
00:53:27
Speaker
This episode is produced by Shane Lucas. Manny Bynum is the project developer. Our editor is Jared Redding with support from Ian Wilson. And we are all part of this podcast, Awesome Host Team, which you've heard me shout out. And I, again, want to shout out also our co-host team members who are not with us for this episode, Sean, Kenyon, we see you and adore you, as well as to Kate, who has joined us throughout this year. um We could not do this show without all of you. And so again, thank you so much. Remember to send in your questions and comments at powerbeyondpride.com.
00:54:01
Speaker
And check out our new episodes each week. We look forward to queer change making with you next time. Thank you from all of us here at Power Beyond Pride. Have good night. Thanks.