Sustaining the Rage

is that Pride is a riot right. Pride started out as a activation point when you know, Marsha P. Johnson, black trans woman, and others had had enough of being bullied by police, of being beaten, of being oppressed, of having their just basic human dignity stripped away because they had the audacity to be out and queer in a

world that refuses to see them. And what is unfortunate is that, for the first time in my life, and I'm sure for the first time in your lives, we are living at a time when it isn't about progression anymore. It isn't about expansion of rights that were denied marginalized people because at the writing of this constitution you had the white men that were in power who owned other people, telling us what the laws should look like in a

democratic land. I mean, let that just sink in. And now you have a radicalized, corrupt Supreme Court who is deciding that there is no precedent and they are going to be the originalist. So essentially, I don't know what the Clarence Thomas is doing on the Supreme Court, because you know, if they want to be that original then maybe I don't know. Slavery should come back, right, and so he should have no voice and have no place.

I think about how hard the LGBTQ community has fought over the last several decades, and the part, the small part that I have played in the fight for marriage equality, in the fight for dignity, respect and humanity as a voice of the community. And I think that for a while, right, and I've said this before on this show, that during the Obama years, we all got comfortable because we had felt that there had been decades of fighting, decades of blood,

decades of loss. I mean, if you would think about the first pandemic to hit this country was the AIDS epidemic, and because of who it was killing initially, the Reagan administration didn't give a fuck, right, they wouldn't even utter the word AIDS. So let it wipe out the queer

community that we think is an abomination anyway. That tells you who these people are, that regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, they were human beings that were dying literally in the streets, and the President of the United States could have given a shit right. During the Obama years fast forward, we thought that we had arrived, that we had gotten to this place where equity and justice was going, was it within our reach, and that

we were seeing it. We were celebrating, And then we got complacent because we believe that once things were codified into law, which they are not, but once the Supreme Court had made this decision to respect the rights of human beings, that we would never be living at a time when that same body would be the body to take away constitutional rights that are earned. So I sit here today on the last day of Pride, and I'm thinking to myself, we have to riot, we have to

get out into the streets. We have to recognize that the powers that the supposed founding fathers of this nation granted the people was that the will of the people were going to move the representatives of this country and not the other fucking way around. And the thing is is that I think that our representatives have gotten way too fucking comfortable right that, I've gotten a series of emails and text messages from the Biden administration, from Nancy Pelosi,

and I'm like, miss me with your bullshit. I don't want you all in power anymore, and I don't want to give you power anymore. As a matter of fact, I'm reclaiming my motherfucking time and my mother fucking energy, and I'm going to put that into state and local work right into doing the best that I can to protect my little community, my hub, my space, because you all don't do dick with the power that is given

to you. And so unless the people decide that we have had enough of feckless fucking leadership, until the people decide that we have had enough of people giving us lip service and then doing nothing with the power that we have given them, you know, I want to tell

you this. Kamala Harris went on and did an interview with Dana Bash on CNN following the Roe v. Wade decision, and Dana Bash asked a very basic fucking question, what do you say to Democrats who voted to get you in office, who voted for a democratic House, who voted for the democratic control of the Senate and are saying, do something, do something now. Vice President Harris's response to that very clear question was do what now? You're the

vice president of the United States. The last time I checked, this wasn't just a figurehead position, right that the president and the vice president of these United States have the power to get things done, but need the actual will to do so. The democratic establishment is sitting around, and even Republicans, as my colleague on the other show that I do democracy Ish said, even Republicans are saying in quiet like, I can't believe Democrats aren't pushing back more

as to what is happening right now? Yeah, so are the rest of us sending a fundraising fucking email about Roe v. Wade instead of putting it together an action plan, instead of putting abortion clinics on, like stay fucking lines right so that people don't have to figure out how they're going to travel cross state lines, get plane tickets,

and do all of these things. Figuring out the strategic, creative, innovative ways to fucking protect the very people that voted for you, instead of throwing up your hands and saying, do what now, then get the fuck out of the way, Because I am coming this close to starting to actively call for Democrats who actually give a shit, like Alexandrio Cassio Cortez and Cory Bush and the others, to fucking mobilize the Third Party, because I am so tired of

being told what Democrats can't do and what they're unwilling to do because those that are in leadership are wealthy, and they are white, and they are protected, and they think that the rest of us, oh, you'll get another shot at some point. But what is how opening in this country? Now? What we the rest of us are going to have to live with for the next thirty forty fifty years, they'll be long dead and gone, so

they could really care less. So without the actions of people recognizing that it is time for us to hit these streets, It's time for a national fucking work boycott. It's time for us to shut this ship down and to remind these elected officials who exactly they work for. And I'm saying, you know, I don't advocate for violence at all. I don't advocate for violence, but I want to be very clear that the right does that they are advocating for violence. That each and every measure that

you are seeing coming out of this Supreme Court. Each and everything that you're seeing coming out of the mouths of Republican candidates is a flare. Is a signal to what they are willing to do and how far they are willing to go in order to control this country

and everyone and everything in it. So if we're not ready and willing, right, everyone needs to start thinking about what they're going to be willing to sacrifice and stand up for in order to fight for our freedom, because it's going to be us on the front lines, not these elected officials that are sitting up in their fucking ivory towers, praying and wagging their fingers at their opponents that literally seventeen months ago tried to fucking kill them.

If that wasn't a wake up call, I don't know what the hell is, but I know the rest of us are not hitting snooze anymore. Coming up next, my conversation with Representative Liz Bennett, who will be who just won her state Senate primary and if she wins come November, will be the first out LGBTQ member of the Iowa State Senate. We get into a conversation about how important states are right now and what she sees as she is campaigning on the ground in Iowa about the sense

of urgency that people have. That conversation is coming up next. Indisputable with Doctor Rashid Ricci is one of the latest shows on the TYT Network and also the fastest growing news show in America. On his show, Doctor Ricci plays no games regarding policy, delivering a heavy dose of fact based truth and penetrating analysis on all the top news stories, focusing on racism, criminal and social justice, politics, police brutality, Karens,

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I'm very happy to welcome to woke f Daily for the first time, Representative Liz Bennett, who is running for State Senate in Iowa and is the will be let's speak good things into the universe, will be the first out LGBTQ woman to be in the state Senate if you win your the general election. Has been a representative in the House of the Iowa House since twenty fourteen when you were first elected, Representative Bennett, tell me the significance of that historic win for you and also for

the state of Iowa. Absolutely. You know, Daniel, only think representation matters, and I don't think I realized that as much until after I got elected. You know, when you are a queer woman and you're running for office, you can often be reduced to certain aspects of your identity. So I felt like when I was running, I had to extra extra lean on other things, you know, other aspects of my identity. You know, of course I inhabit the space of a queer woman in Iowa. But really

I was running. I was running on more economic issues. I was running on raising the minimum wage, I was running on climate change, I was running on early childhood education, et cetera. But I felt like I had to be extra conscious of, you know, kind of quote unquote not making an issue of the queer thing. We'll just say, you know, So the first year that I was there, I mean, I mean I was out and everything, but

I just really hardly talked about it. That started to change for me when school counselors who were bringing field trips to the capitol would reach out and say, hey, I heard that you are a member of the LGBTQ community. I have some students who I think would really benefit from speaking with you. And so just as that started to happen over time and I started to speak as events, I started to see how important it really was, you know, to be out and proud in that role, especially in

the state of Iowa. You know, was it initially the desire not to make it front and center. Was it because of fear right that you know, the folks, the hetero folks in Iowa would say, oh my god, we can't possibly have this out queer woman, you know, representing us. Or did you just not see it as necessary? Because there there are there are different reasons why, you know, uh, candidates make the decisions that they do. So I just want to understand what your initial thought was and then

the and then the shift. Yeah. Absolutely so, No, it wasn't necessarily a fear on issue at all. I'm very lucky. Um I got my start in politics, really, um my real start, you know, as a Stonewall Stonewall Democrat, Um, I worked to protect marriage of quality in the state of Iowa. So really the network that I had built was built around that training, mobilizing, voter identification, old fundraising and stuff like that. So it wasn't that you know, I was afraid or anything, because I you know, I

was a small place. You know, everybody knew. But it was more of the feeling that, um, you know that aspect of a person's identity, it can just really become front and center in a person's mind. And unfortunately, you know, there's certain issues for which a person would not be told, m oh, well that's less important or people don't really care about that, you know, but I think issues pertaining

to marginalize people are still given that treatment. So I felt like I really had to prove and remind people, Hey, I am a female trainer for a technology company here in Iowa. You know, I'm working with people. Some of these folks this is going to be their first family sustaining job. You know, I've competed in this environment. I'm taking the perspective of a young professional to the state legislature.

I'm taking the perspective of somebody who chose to stay in Iowa after graduation, who knows what it's like to you know, have to work extra shifts to pay your phone, both things like that. You know, I really had to remind people that I'm a fully fledged person with a lot of different experiences that connect to the struggles that

we're all facing. You know, what we are learning right with these horrific decisions that have been brought down by the Supreme Court and kind of, in my humble opinion, currently a very ineffectual administration is that the power really is in the States. So can you talk to us about the importance right of of people like yourself being in the state legislature and the impact UM that is necessary to fight back against what we are seeing at

the UM at the federal at the federal level. Absolutely, Daniel, I'm incredibly passionate about this, and I'm so glad that you that you asked about it because you know, I think even before I ran for office, UM, you know, I think with my experience here working on marriage equality in Iowa, you know, something that kind of shocked everybody nationwide. UM. You know, even when New York states UM legalize marriage

between same same sex people. UM, it was one of those like underhanded, you know, kind of shade comments where they said, come on, even Iowa has this, but what that right? Right? I was like, yeah, okay, whatever, you don't know, you don't know anything about us, but whatever, right, you know. But that's just a small illustration of of you know, especially for folks who are living in really difficult states and difficult political situations. UM, the progressive activism

there really makes a difference. You know, polsters are looking at what people believe in some of these states. UM. You know, in a state like Iowa, you know, we still are currently first in the nation with the Caucuses. Um, you know, so what happens here, you know, for me, really is a way to influence what happens in the rest of the nation. Um. You know now that we don't have a right to privacy, apparently now that your trash can has more of an expectation of privacy than

your uterus. Damn, it's right. It's mind blowing. It's it's just mind blowing. It's one of these things. You know, maybe you feel like this sometimes, Daniel. We know these things, you know, we know these things, but I think it's a coping mechanism. It's almost like it's still unbelievable or it's still shocking. And I really think that's because it really is so much to internalize that, like literally, a

trash can, a trash can, a corpse has has more rights. Um. You know, So when we're talking about getting thrown back to the States, Um, you know, people have to know that what has happened at the federal level is the result of a concerted effort unfortunately by people. We know, people we say at the gas station, yep, our neighbors, our friends, our family members, and so what that means is that we have to get active in our communities. Um.

That's gonna look like grassroots organizing in my opinion. UM, it's gonna look like looking really looking at the numbers and statewide organizations, looking at realistically what state legislative seats could be could be turned or kept with additional capacity

and funds. It's gonna look like you know, for forty nine years, the right has been looking at building their bench and not allowing people to get away with saying things like, oh well, on the city council level, I would never have to make a decision on that, or this is a nonpartisan office. Um. You know, we hear that all the time. But we know that these local races are a springboard, you know, to state in national politics.

And we also know that locally elected officials m you know, who are on more directly answerable to citizens, can actually make decisions. I mean, locally electeds can make zoning decisions. Um, yep, you know they can. They can make curriculum decisions, yep. Um you know county attorneys um, you know, and even attorneys general of states can make decisions on what is

prosecuted um in your state. Um, you know we I think we've talked about this a lot um, but you know, your mayor and your city council, UM, they can hire and fire the people who work for the police department. UM. You know, so your county attorney, your your local elected officials, your police, you know on up to your state legislative officials.

We really can make a difference in those races. One of the questions that I am listening to people ask these days is about the sustaining the anger right, sustaining the rage, sustaining the fury that we have right now, recognizing that a body of people who are not elected by the people have the ability to strip away our rights as they see fit, and they have made no small qualms that the Supreme Court is about to roll back a series of protections that have been won over

the last fifty, you know, two one hundred years. So my question for you is, what do you believe is going to activate the Democrats and the independence in your state? What do you think is going to sustain them to November? Right to recognize what they have to do in order for there to be continued progress. Here's the deal. I've always told people that that I would be honest with them and not bullshit them. Danielle, I am honestly working

that out. I am trying to figure it out right now because my biggest worry is that, you know, again, maybe it's kind of a trauma response. Um, I'm still hearing people say, oh, that would never happen here. I don't get it. I don't get how. I don't get how people can still say that after last week. I just don't get it. I think another another thing that I need to go away because we have to be real with ourselves right now. We have to be real with ourselves. We have to be real with our friends

or family members, etc. Um. You know, a big motivator for me in my life is really thinking about like when you look back on your life, you know, and and look back at the conflicts of your time, what will you have done? You know? And for me you know? And this this is as a you know, a young activist all the way up until now. Am I going

to feel okay with it? Um? If I shrugged my shoulders or made an excuse us, etc. And I mean that is something that I have said to people in the past when I'm asking them to get involved and to do grassroots work. And as people have told me, like, well, you're using guilt, you're using fear. No, I'm talking to you about reality, and no one is doing you a favor by not telling you the reality and allowing you

to make a choice. You know. So I I am honestly still trying to wrap my head around what if actually going to be because you know, some people in political science research have opined, you know, or whatever, written that there seems to be a fundamental personality difference or kind of a difference in what we value and prioritize. I'm depending on where we fall at in the political spectrum, yep, you know. So somehow or another, we have to somehow figure out how to take who we are as people

who are left of center and make it sustainable. UM. I do think that, um, you know, for both the state and the national party. Um. This kind of what I see in my role is this kind of every two year cycle of like okay, okay, everybody, this time, this time, we're going to flip one of the chambers. That's that's what we're gonna be doing. Um. I think

that we're we need to reorient ourselves. The time has passed for us to rewarient ourselves yep, and really sit and say, we are going to have to have some intestinal fortitude. Um. We need to define the long term mission and we need to be able to know what the pieces along the way are. Um, this is what the anti choice movement did. You know, they've known that They've just been chipping away, chipping away, putting things into

place over the long term. But I think a lot of times for people who are left of center, um, you know, we kind of need that that immediate feel good or that immediate victory. Otherwise we are really proud to being like, oh, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter if I do anything. Um, I have news for you, m. Voter suppression laws all across the nation are not being

pushed because it doesn't matter if we vote. Like, don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the people who's just shouting, oh, we'll just you know, just vote, it'll fix everything. No, we have a lot harder, you know, road to hell than that. Yep, yep. But I I'm just gonna be straight up. Anybody saying that it doesn't matter, I think for some people that's a very privileged perspective. Um, maybe it's a trauma response for some people, and for

other people it's a lazy perspective. You know. One of the questions that I want to ask you too is that you know your state is very white, right and as a as a black queer woman, Um, when I am in bipoc circles, there is a sense there has always been a sense of urgency because our rights have always been up for grabs and decisions are compromises are always made on the backs of black and brown people

and queer people. And so you know, when you are going door to door, when you are in you know, your town halls, as you are, as you are campaigning, what is the sentiment on the ground with people in Iowa who are largely white, right, um? And again who are are not the target of the of the of the radical rights. So is there a sense of urgency? And if and if so, what is that urgency around you know? That's that's a good question. Um. I think

it depends on who you talk to. UM. I do think that what I have seen in Iowa, um, particularly since twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, is I have seen other white people actually have the moment where they say, oh shit, Okay, you know what this is what people of color have been telling us. You know, we didn't see it, we didn't understand it, whatever, whatever the reason is, right now

we see it. Now we see it, you know. And so over the past several years, you know, that has been a message that I have been using, is like, look, people have been telling us, people have been telling us whatever it is within us. We did not hear them, We did not listen, we did not fully believe them. But here it is, um, you know. So we talked about that at our rally, you know, on Friday, I

probably lost a couple of people. Whatever. But I think that if we do not like, we are going to have to wrestle with and accept that that this issue is tied with control over people of color, It's it's tied with control over indigenous people. It's it's tied to control. UM. So I think some people are doing the work and challenging themselves in that way. I think there's still a lot of work to be done here, though, honestly, you know, what are you what are your I guess what are

your feelings about this upcoming midterms? Right just across the board, not just in your state. For your election, but um, nationally for for Democrats. UM. Where we go after here, like what what do you what do you first see to be the priority for you and you or state and the priority nationally for Democrats at moving forward? Right to be utirely honest, I'm still figuring that out. Um. AOC had a really good Twitter thread on that. Um

you know, maybe you've seen it. I do think that one thing um among both state and national Democratic voters, UM, is to refuse to accept, um learning the lesson here, but I'm refused to accept like whoa, we don't think this is really going to happen. Um, oh this is settled, etc. Regardless of the issue. Um. Democrats, when you have power, you need to use it. UM, don't don't take Well,

that would never happen. Um. You know, state legislatures, State legislatures have had trifectas like democratic trifectors in the past. Um you know. And there's no nobody started a constitutional amendment in Iowa. UM, you know, clarifying that abortion is a protected right. Um. You know, Democrats in Iowa did not pass that legislation. Um, you know. And we're looking at what is going on nationally too, UM. I think.

I think what we are going to have to understand is that Republicans know what to do with power, yep. And they don't They don't ever seem confused. No, they know what to do with power, and they don't get lost and this that or the other thing. You know, just this hand ringing and humming and hawing and everything like that. We are talking about people's lives, you know, like whether whether it's children being thrown in cages at

the border. Um, you know, whether it's Indigenous women being murdered, you know, all the people. You know, whether whether it's trans women whatever. U. Republicans know what to do with power. UM. I think that Democrats are going to have to revocus and say we are going to put the blinders on um. If and when we get power, we are doing this. Yeah, I agree, UM. Representative Bennett. I you know, thank you for taking the time to join woke FU and you

know we will put all of the positive energy. Folks, if you live in Iowa and you are and you are listening, this is an important election that will be happening UM in November, and we we wish you well, UM and hope to see you on the other side. Yeah, absolutely, thank you so much for your work, Danielle. It's been a pleasure of being here. Thank you. It's no secret

that the news is horsepill hard to swallow. Thankfully, there's The Bituation Room podcast hosted by comedian and commentator Francesca free Oranini for a lighter take on the heavy stuff. Each week, The Bituation Room brings you progressive comedians, experts, and activists to break down the issues in a way that won't just leave you crying under a weighted blanket. Get the Bituation Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and streaming on YouTube and Twitch. That is it for me today, Friends,

on this woke a f as always. Power to the people and to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.