Amy is joined by author Heather Hester to discuss her book Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen, digging into the coming out process and exploring the best ways we can support queer children through education, self-care, and confronting homophobia. Resources for parents. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Heather Hester is the founder of Chrysalis Mama which provides support and education to parents and allies of LGBTQIA adolescents, teenagers, and y...
Jun 17, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Breaking Down Patriarchy producer, Sam Rose Preminge r, revisits stories of coming into their transgender identity and answers listener questions about transgender and nonbinary experiences, discussing bathrooms, sports, queer youth, and the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Sam Rose Preminger (they/them) is an editor and producer on Breaking Down Patriarchy. They live in Portland, OR with their partner and rescue pup....
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Season 5Ep. 23
Amy is joined by married partners - poet Phillip Brown and therapist Andres Brown - for an authentic and heartful exploration of queer identity, queer safety, queer relationships and patriarchy through an exchange of poetry and conversation. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Phillip Watts Brown is a poet and artist after earning a BA in graphic design from Brigham Young University. He earned an MFA in poetry from Oregon State University. He is the author of Boy with Flowers in His Mouth, which ...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Amy is joined by coach Sara Fisk to unpack people pleasing behaviors, learning how women are rewarded for losing ourselves, rethinking our resources, and making more purposeful choices about when and where we people please. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Sara Bybee Fisk is a master-certified coach and instructor who teaches women how to overcome people-pleasing, perfectionism, and codependency. She is known for her podcast, the Ex-Good Girl Podcast, and her work with the Life Coach School. F...
May 27, 2025•56 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Amy is joined by Breaking Down Patriarchy collaborator Celeste Davis to discuss her late-blooming into feminism, taking up space, re-writing the marital script, and how we can all build better relationships by holding love and accountability in equal measure. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Celeste Davis is the writer behind the popular Substack ‘Matriarchal Blessing’. She is a certified spiritual director through the Chaplaincy Institute, specializing in LDS faith transitions. She lives in S...
May 20, 2025•44 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Amy is joined by Somatic Educator Pamela Madsen to discuss sexual self-confidence, feeling good about vulvas, the healing power of pleasure, and how we can all come back to our bodies through sex and somatic practices. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Pamela Madsen is a veteran advocate, activist, and educator. As the founder of Back to the Body , which is now in its 13th year of operations, Pamela’s full-bodied mix of intelligence, humor and vulnerability has made her one of the most mediagen...
May 13, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Amy is joined by author and educator, Dr. Michael Kaufman , to discuss the manosphere, loneliness, hatred, and other risks to today's men and boys, plus practical advice for men who want to help themselves and others by getting involved in the work of gender equity. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Michael Kaufman , PhD, is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction books. As an advisor, activist, and keynote speaker, he has developed innovative approaches to engage men and boys in promoting gen...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Amy “levels up” her video game knowledge with Game Developer Ashley Ruhl , who teaches us about feminism in gaming, Gamergate, women wastelanders, 'pink games', and how all of us can help support gender equity and representation in this massively popular pastime. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Ashley Ruhl is a Narrative Director, Narrative Designer, Cinematic Designer, and Writer exclusively in games. Over the past 13 years she has focused on a multi-prong approach of character-driven narrat...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Amy is joined by author & illustrator Rebecca Burgess to discuss their graphic novel, Speak Up!, and explore the impacts of patriarchy on the neurodivergent community. Rebecca shares their personal stories of growing up with autism, discusses the importance of representation, and shares invaluable advice for parents and peers of autistic children. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Rebecca Burgess a freelance illustrator currently living in Bristol. Their favorite things are nature, history,...
Apr 22, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Amy is joined by author Kathy Iandoli to discuss her book, God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop, exploring the incredible history of female pioneers in hip-hop history from old school crews like The Mercedes Ladies to contemporary superstars like Lil' Kim. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Kathy Iandoli is a critically acclaimed journalist, author, podcaster, media coach, and documentarian. She has nearly 25 years experience working in the music industry—from media, to...
Apr 15, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Amy is joined by filmmaker Sarah Perkins to discuss her documentary, The Basement Talks , hearing a powerful and pertinent story about women coming together in the wake of violence, recognizing the humanity in our political rivals, and what we talk about when we talk about abortion. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Sarah Perkins is a filmmaker and PhD student at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, though she currently resides in rural southeast Idaho with her family. Together with her husban...
Apr 08, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Amy is joined by Lindsay Hansen Park of Year of Polygamy and The Sunstone History Podcast to shine a light on the painful history of Mormon polygamy, communities who still practice it, and the best ways to uplift and empower plural wives. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Lindsay Hansen Park is a women’s rights activist, a feminist writer, and an advocate against gender violence. She was recently the cultural and historical consultant for Hulu’s limited series, Under the Banner of Heaven and is...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Amy returns to a book from Season One - Unwell Women - now joined by the author Dr. Elinor Cleghorn ! This conversation unpacks the history of women's healthcare, looks at medical myths and women's pain, and explores the patriarchal shadow which still looms over our health outcomes. Listen to the original episode about Unwell Women here . Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Dr Elinor Cleghorn has a background in feminist visual culture and history, and her critical writing has been published in s...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Amy is joined by educator Ben Blair of Newlane University to discuss actionable steps towards building a more egalitarian education system, how new technologies can expand learning opportunities across the globe, and why we should question the popularity of time-based assessments, student competition, adversarial teachers and more. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Ben Blair holds a PhD in Philosophy and Education from Columbia University. He is a co-founder and President of Newlane University....
Mar 18, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Amy is joined by author Koa Beck to discuss her book, White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. This conversation defines white feminism, explains why it can't overcome patriarchy, and offers practical alternatives for white feminists to change tactics and make more meaningful change. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Koa Beck is the author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. Previously, she was the editor-in-c...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Amy is joined by influencer Rosie Card for a riveting conversation about her career as a businesswoman, Temple clothes and contradictions, and the LDS Church's untapped potential for radical change. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Rosemary Card is an entrepreneur, author and passionate advocate for women’s rights, inclusion and nuanced cultural conversations. She is the founder of Q.Noor and Card Wear and author of “Model Mormon” and “House of Light.” She firmly believes in the power of educa...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Amy is joined by lawyer and author, Iris Mwanza , to discuss her novel - The Lion's Den - plus the status of patriarchy in Zambia, worldwide, and the critical role that books play in shaping public attitudes. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Iris Mwanza is a Zambian-American author and gender equality advocate. Born and raised in Zambia, early exposure to inequality has been a driving force in her life - from becoming a lawyer, writing a Ph.D. dissertation on women and children’s rights, a car...
Feb 25, 2025•48 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Amy is joined by activist, advocate, and influencer Mr. Jones X to strategize around hot topics and confrontations, including DEI, Critical Race Theory, and bringing men into our movement for a more just future. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Mr. Jones X is a well-known activist, political commentator, and courageous debater. His mastery of intersectionality and the importance of advocating from the bottom up distinguish him from the average content creator. These abilities have earned him n...
Feb 18, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Amy is joined by adrienne maree brown to discuss her latest book, Loving Corrections, and learn about improving our accountability practices, plus what it takes to live in right relationship with the friends and family with whom we most disagree. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy adrienne maree brown (she/they) is growing a garden of healing ideas. Informed by decades of movement facilitation, somatics, science fiction scholarship and doula work, adrienne has nurtured Emergent Strategy, Pleasur...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Amy is joined by Dr. Lexie Kite to revisit her book, More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament, exploring the ways women and girls are looked at, predatory practices of the beauty industry, plus how to escape the sea of objectification and come home to your whole self. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Dr. Lexie Kite is co-author of the book More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament and co-director of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined, along with her twin si...
Feb 04, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Amy is joined by Beatriz Albina , NP, MPH and host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast to discuss the wear and tear of patriarchy on our nervous systems plus practical strategies for overcoming "good-girl training" and restoring our dysregulated bodies. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Beatriz Victoria Albina (she/her) is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide. She helps humans socialized as women realize that they are their o...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 4
Amy is joined by journalist Elle Reeve to discuss her book, Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics. This conversation establishes the histories and intersections of incels, the alt right, and white supremacy movements, plus these subcultures' plans to strip away women's rights and what we can actually do about it. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Elle Reeve is a CNN correspondent whose work has won numerous aw...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Amy is joined by advocate and influencer Paige Connell (@sheisapaigeturner) to discuss the slew of household work which women still disproportionally manage for our families, the mental load of motherhood, plus ways we can change the culture and make this invisible labor visible. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Paige Connell , a working mom of four, shares her insights about motherhood and careers, the mental load, and relationships. She's a fierce advocate for affordable childcare and paid l...
Jan 14, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 2
In our first episode of Season Five, Amy is joined by Sharon McMahon to discuss her book, The Small and the Mighty, honoring the histories of overlooked but world-changing women in America's history and discussing how we can all gain wisdom and take heart from their bold examples. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy Sharon McMahon is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and host of the chart-topping podcast Here’s Where It Gets Interesting . McMahon became known as "America’s Governm...
Jan 07, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Welcome to Season Five of Breaking Down Patriarchy . This season we'll be talking with incredible guests who will give you all kinds of ideas of things you can do right now to deconstruct patriarchy in your own life and to make a positive difference in your community. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy
Jan 07, 2025•7 min
In this updated episode, originally aired in Season Two, Amy is joined by Dr. Kristin Neff to discuss the generative power of anger, the danger of rote gender roles, and the radical power of self-compassion. Kristin Neff (she/her) received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. During Kristin’s last year of graduate school she became interested in Buddhism and has been pr...
Dec 17, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Amy is joined by Ben Blair to discuss Gabrielle Blair's Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion, plus contraception, sex education, and how to get to the roots of unwanted pregnancy.
Dec 10, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 49
Amy is joined by Jen Lumanlan to discuss her book, Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family and the World, exploring the ways power-over parenting teaches patriarchy to the next generation, plus needs-based alternatives and practice scenarios to help listeners put these anti-patriarchal parenting approaches into use. Jen Lumanlan , M.S., M.Ed., (she/her) obtained Bachelor’s degrees (Forestry, English) from the University of California, Berkeley and...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Amy is joined by Ashley Brichter of Birthsmarter to discuss her journey into doula work, the witch hunt against midwifery, and how through education and advocacy we can create better birth stories for ourselves and our children. Ashley Brichter is an educator, birth worker, consultant, and entrepreneur. She is a champion for maternal health and for systemic reforms to improve the lives of families by rebalancing division of labor at home and funding parental leave, universal healthcare, and earl...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Amy is joined by Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald to discuss her book, Unbroken , exploring the ways we talk (or don't talk) about trauma, the wear and tear of patriarchy on our nervous systems, plus exercises for responding to trauma, grounding, and empowering ourselves. MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD, is a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology of trauma, stress, and resilience. She has been researching, lecturing, and publishing on neuroscience, psychology, and the lived e...
Nov 19, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 46