Jonny interviews Jordan Badgette about her upcoming performance, “Gender Knobs,” an exploration of transgender experience with sound technology. Jordan’s performance celebrates queer joy, and in the back half of the show Jonny and Heather lean into the queer joy of stories of resistance and pushback to the Trump Administration. Is the tide finally turning? Maybe. Maybe not. But we take joy in the myriad stories of challenges to the authoritarian turn.

Jonny and Heather dive into the ludicrous new House Rule segregating bathrooms based on transphobic fears…or maybe its just toxic politicking? They turn to the already building evidence of assaults on trans rights as states submit bills for consideration in 2025 and President Trump advertises his first intended Executive Orders. They also look at what detention camps for queer and trans people will likely look like in the new regime, created in ways that might allow cis/het folks to ignore them. In the back half of the show, they turn to the organizations that are already pushing back on these toxic policies as well as ways queer and trans folks can prepare for the worst. They turn to the ways media is already adapting, in good and bad ways, to the incoming administration. They continue to urge listeners to participate in independent community media and local organizations resisting homophobic and transphobic policies.

Jonny and Heather discuss the outcome of the 2024 election. They try to avoid finger-pointing and armchair quarterbacking campaign choices and, instead, process their feelings and look to evidence of a shifting political landscape. They find glimmers of hope where they can while preparing for the worst. They note that, while the top of the ticiet and the majorities in Congress are pretty dire, there was considerable good news in state referenda on abortion access and historic elections of LGBTQ candidates. They end with with a call to community and the experienced advice of queer veterans (literally and figuratively) on what we need to do going forward. 

Selective attention is strategic… #trumpmemes #trumpamerica #trump #politicalcartoon #politics #cartoon #kkk #media #lies