Women's Liberation Radio News

Happy Independence Day! First up, hear Thistle greet the listener introducing the topic of "patriarchal patriotism" with Liz Miller and Sekhmet SheOwl. After the greeting, hear WLRN's World News segment delivered by Mary O'Neill before enjoying American artist Whitney Houston's rendition of the patriotic song "America the Beautiful". Next, stay tuned for a conversation Thistle had with Liz Miller, Contributing Editor of Spinning and Weaving, A Feminist Anthology for the 21st Century. They discuss this year's presidential election cycle, what it means for girls and women, and what we can do to build real democracy in our society. At one point in the conversation, the Party of Women is mentioned. To learn more about the Party of Women go to: www.partyofwomen.org/ Finally, don't miss our in-house WLRN commentary by Sekhmet SheOwl who defines patriotism and points out how it is rooted in male power and is explicitly against women's interests for us to invest and participate in it. She says this is true no mat

This Summer of 2024, put on your rain gear and come to Michigan for the Rise Festival on the Land and WPI. More info and how to get tickets here: https://wwtlc.org/summer/. All the women gathering on the Land is sure to make the Sun shine, sisters! With guitars and grace, the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival lived and thrived on what is now known as "the Land", a place that continues to be a gathering spot for thousands of women every year. This month's show begins with a PSA for the FIST conference happening in San Diego, CA over 4th of July weekend. Next you'll hear the greeting from WLRN member aurora linnea who introduces the next segment, WLRN's World News, penned and delivered by our correspondent Mary O'Neill. Next, enjoy the sweet sounds of Antje Duvekot with her song Long Way before Jenna shares excerpts of an interview she did with long-time MichFest family, Donna Every. Next is the We the Women promo for that gathering happening in the Pacific Northwest this Summer over the weekend of July 20

First up, hear the We the Women promo WLRN created for that gathering happening in the Pacific Northwest this summer. More info at https://www.wethewomen.world/. After the promo, we begin the show with a special 8th anniversary greeting from Thistle. Then, it is on to the world news with Mary O'Neill before we dive into our discussion of the Taylor Swift Phenomenon from the perspectives of Zinetta, Emily, KatyJean, and Jocelyn, and from the perspectives of authors Lierre Keith and Sheila Jeffreys. What a way to celebrate our 8th year together as a collective of media activist women! We are so blessed to have all of these amazing guests on our program to help us reflect on and understand ourselves better in the context of the Taylor Swift phenom and how it is impacting girls and women. We hope these discussions help us to make our OWN society of women speaking to women in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect. So, it is a long edition, Edition 97. Three hours long to be exact and it is packed with fem

First up, hear Thistle greet the listener before Mary ONeill delivers WLRN's World News segment for April 4th, 2024. With Earth Day 2024 approaching, we wanted to express ourselves as individuals in our collective to help weather the storms of climate change on the horizon together. The situation is so dire, that our reflections and feelings about living through the hottest year on record and going into another apocalyptic summer felt important to express. We wanted to reach out to you from our hearts and minds to build our Sisterhood and abilities to break on through to the other side! This month's commentators include in order of appearance in the show: Sekhmet SheOwl Emily Faye Jocelyn Crawley aurora linnea Thistle Pettersen After the commentaries, you'll hear Thistle's song "bike lane", https://soundcloud.com/thistleandthorns/12-bike-lane?in=thistleandthorns/sets/animal-dreams, a song written while on a bike music tour down the west coast the summer of '05 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana Co

Welcome to our 95th podcast in a monthly series that began back in May of 2016! We are happy to present the work of Silvia Guerini this month as captured by WLRN member aurora linnea. Ms. Guerini released a book called From the 'Neutral' Body to the Post-Human Cyborg published by Spinifex Press in October. First up, hear aurora greet the listener and introduce the content of the show before Mary O'Neill delivers our world news segment that includes stories from Gaza, the UK, and the US. There are supplemental stories added by Jenna and Jocelyn to conclude the segment. Here is the link promised about the letter from Jewish women calling for an end to the weaponization of rape and sexual assault in the war in the Middle East: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJfU_ooRqCKA8u3-PB8mV0FBkqoBelFN1VH_u3-MqWWQdFXQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2pRNTuGxdhtCNIbqXLAq5240Ex8q2NYLfd5oO8mKJvO0VQ2E_YLgbd9Os Next, enjoy the song Heart of the House by Alanis Morissette before Emily introduces the WLRN interview segment wit

This month of February we explore the world of lesbian love and relationships with Leaf & Firewalker, a lesbian couple who have been together for 39 years and are thriving. First up in the podcast, hear Emily Faye greet the listener before Thistle delivers the WLRN World News segment that includes stories about the World Health Organization's "Trans and Gender Diverse" guidelines, the plight of Ann Menasche in San Diego, CA, and new restrictions put in place for women and girls by the Taliban, among other stories. Next, after enjoying Dolly Parton's song "All I Can Do", stay tuned for a 40-minute interview segment with Leaf & Firewalker, a lesbian couple Emily met at a women-only gathering a few years back that impressed her due to their love and devotion to one another and lesbian community. They founded WomonTown, a lesbian neighborhood that caught the attention of Kansas City Public Television which made a documentary about their project. https://www.kansascitypbs.org/local-shows/womontown/ Below, find t

Happy New Year to all of our listeners and supporters! Thanks for tuning in to our 93rd edition podcast! First up, hear a rendition of Auld Lang Syne by Celtic Woman before WLRN's aurora linnea greets the listener and then delivers WLRN's World News segment. Next, hear Terra Lightfoot with her song No Hurry before listening to Liz Miller, Thistle, and Emily discuss what they feel are the top stories of 2023 and what to look for in '24. Stay tuned 'til the very end for Sekhmet's commentary reflecting on 2023 and how so much stays the same despite the march of time. She recommends we connect with other women and take care of ourselves as individuals in our development and healing as we head into 2024. Thanks, as always, dear listeners, for staying tuned to WLRN, YOUR feminist community-powered media center in the Femisphere!

First up, hear WLRN's greeting with member Mary O'Neill who later on in the show, delivers her commentary on the situation women are facing in the regions known as Israel and Palestine. This month, one of our newest members, Kathleen Miles, wrote and delivered WLRN's World News segment. Hear stories from around the world before listening to the song Prayer of the Mothers by Yael Deckelbaum. Next up, hear excerpts of a discussion WLRN's Thistle Pettersen and Emily Faye had with long-time American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. Cindy lost a child to the US war with Iraq in 2004 and has been a peace advocate and anti-war campaigner ever since. She gives us her take on the origins of the conflict and the underlying imperialism she sees at the root of it. Finally, stay tuned 'til the very end for Mary O'Neill's commentary on the subject wherein she examines the impacts the conflict is having on innocent women and children. Thanks for staying tuned to WLRN, YOUR feminist community-powered media service.

This November 2023 Edition of the WLRN podcast explores the concept of body image and how it's exploited by patriarchy. Mary O'Neill delivers the world news, updating us on women's situation regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, among other stories. Emily treats us to a conversation she had with Zinetta, a radfem sister from the PNW, on how the concept of body image is introduced to girls and then used to control and subjugate women for the rest of their lives. Resident desert dweller and thinker Sekhmet SheOwl brings us her thoughts at the end of the podcast, and offers the listener some ideas on how to break away from the male-driven attachment of self-worth to body image.

Greetings! Thank you for your patience as we grease our wheels here at WLRN Studios! This lil' podcast is arriving to you one day late so the elves at WLRN could make it great! First up, hear Edition 90's greeting from Thistle before diving into the World News segment with Mary O'Neill wherein she reports on JK Rowling's new book, the Taliban, AI-generated pornography, and more. Next, hear Loretta Lynn's song "One's On the Way" before hearing an excerpt of the round table discussion Thistle conducted with Fran Luck, Jeannette Cooper, Ann Menasche, and Holly Hart last weekend. Jeannette is a mother, scholar, and a founding member of Partners for Ethical Care, a nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness and supporting efforts to abolish the affirmation model of “gender identity.” She has testified in legislative hearings across the country supporting bills to protect children from "gender identity affirmation." She resides in Chicago and has been vaccinated against right wing cooties. Holly Hart h

Welcome to our annual digest of Michigan Women's Music & Arts Festivals! This Summer of 2023 was packed with gynocentric encounters, culture and music! First up, hear long-time WLRN member April Neault greet the listener with her announcement that she is stepping back from her monthly duties with WLRN after this edition and that we are looking for a new volunteer to work our YouTube channel and do some video editing. You'll also hear a special announcement from April about a women's speaking event happening in Ottowa, Ontario Canada on September 9th. For more info about that event, go to womensrightsmatter.ca. Next, Mary O'Neill delivers WLRN's World News segment that includes stories about gender ID laws in Norway and the ongoing crackdown on Iranian feminist activists. Next, enjoy "August Moon" by Nedra Johnson, a long-time Michigan performer and founder of Big Mouth Girl on the Land. After the world news, we take you on a journey to a rainy tent at MFR where Thistle and Emily interview a young detransi

Welcome to the 88th edition of WLRN's monthly handcrafted podcast for this first Thursday of the month in August 2023. Festival season is upon us in full force! Emily and I (Thistle) were just in the woods of Michigan for Big Mouth Girl and WPI and are now getting ready to go back for MFR (Michigan Framily Reunion). Jenna and her wife are en route to the Pines as I write this description to join hundreds of women for another Michigan music festival. O' August! It has been a month for womyn's music, art, culture, and community for over 45 years now since the very first MichFest that Lisa Vogel and friends conjured for us. Having said all that, today's show is not as edited as some of the editors on the team would have liked, but it is still perfect in its own imperfect way, as all of our collectively created shows are. First up, hear Emily greet the listener before diving into Mary O'Neill's world news segment in which she features, among other stories, news on sexual violence in Brazil and the abortion ban

Welcome to Edition 87 wherein WLRN explores the varied experiences and meanings of Pride, a yearly celebration of LGBTQ+ during the month of June. First, hear Sekhmet SheOwl greet listeners before handing the mic to Mary O'Neill who delivers WLRN's world news segment. Next up, hear an excerpt of the song "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift before hearing Thistle & Emily's discussion with VF and Jade of Women Speak Florida about Pride events and their event called "TERF Pride" coming up in NYC on July 23rd. To learn more about TERF Pride, email womenspeakflorida@gmail.com. After the interview segment with VF and Jade, hear April Nealt's reading of aurora linnea's 2021 piece entitled "Pride: Corporate Patriarchy's Celebration in the Streets" https://wlrnmedia.com/2021/06/18/pride-corporate-patriarchys-celebration-in-the-streets/ before staying tuned 'til the very end for Sekhmet's commentary on the subject. Thank you, as always, dear listeners, for staying tuned to WLRN, YOUR feminist community-powered r

Enjoy this 86th edition of WLRN's monthly podcast as the heat wave hits America this early Summer in June! This month, Jenna features an interview she did with Gwen Hoffman, a woman with 25 years of experience working in the "giving" fields of crisis intervention, CPS investigations, and childcare. She holds degrees in Psychology and American Studies and is currently pursuing a PhD in History. She and Jenna explore the idea of "social work" and how it is much broader than what we traditionally think of when we hear the term. Before the interview, Mary O'Neill delivers the world news segment including a story about the latest Pulitzer Prize winner who is a man claiming to be a woman and a story about British Cycling and their ban on men entering races in the women's division. After the world news, enjoy the entire song "We don't need another hero" by Tina Turner before the interview. Finally, stay tuned 'til the very end for Sekhmet SheOwl's fantastic commentary on the subject of social work, what it is

Welcome to the 7th-anniversary edition of Women's Liberation Radio News! This month's show focuses on the Let Women Speak Movement in the USA and all that has happened since the Sisters for Sisters conference in Madison last year. First up, hear the greeting and world news segment with our newest member, Ms. Mary O'Neill before enjoying Alix Dobkin's song "If it Wasn't for the Women." Next, join Thistle as she, Jennifer Thomas, and Katyjean reflect on all that has happened in the USA since the kick-off of the Let Women Speak Movement last year in Madison on April 23rd. Jennifer Thomas is a Women's Rights Campaigner and a Free Speech advocate. She founded RevFemRebellion and RevFoxx and is now leading the direct action group, #GetMenOut. Her next move is a #FreeSpeechForWomen event June 16th in Pittsburgh Pa. Jen is also the lead organizer of Protest ACLU this coming August in Washington DC. Katyjean has been politically active for 25 years defending abortion without excuse or apology. She discovered

Happy Spring! We love it when we get to release a show on the full moon as the season changes! First up, hear Jenna DiQuarto greet the listener before aurora linnea reports on events that happened around the world on March 8th, 2023, International Women's Day. Then, stay tuned for the world news from Emily Faye including coverage of drag show legislation, the school shooting in Nashville, and legislation around the medicalization of children. After listening to the song "Safety in Numbers" by Joan Osborne, enjoy a lively discussion of the 1960s and 70s feminist movement, including a definition of and analysis of collectives with Sekhmet SheOwl and Bonnie Atwood. https://www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org/legacy/BONNIE%20ATWOOD.htm Bonnie discusses the Furies! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Furies_Collective Finally, stay tuned for Thistle's commentary on the subject wherein she describes her vision and intention for the WLRN collective and begins the celebration of next month's show that marks 7 year

This month, Jenna DiQuarto worked double duty and both interviewed our wonderful guests and produced the show. Thank you for your dedication and work, Jenna! First, hear Jenna delivering the greeting for the show before diving into a short snippet of the interview Liz Miller did with Ann Menasche about her recent dismissal from a job she had for 20 years. Ann was fired for saying women are female which makes women the people in society who need abortion rights. Then, stay tuned for Emily Faye's world news segment that includes a short report from an interview Thistle did with Amanda Stulman of KPSS USA about their recent action in NYC in front of the New York Times Headquarters in Manhattan. Next, we get to the topic at hand of women's self-defense in two interviews Jenna conducted with Adelaide Meadow, https://www.adelaidemeadow.com/, and Serendipity Day, https://msha.ke/inconfidence?fbclid=IwAR1WzsUaE1uVEfJ4zwgX8xT1-QkL9bSc8Weap9RDkotromyGFz3WY9jI5Pk#links. Finally, hear Sekhmet SheOwl's commentary on

It's been a busy month! Welcome to Edition 82 wherein the WLRN Collective, along with Amie Ichikawa, joey brite, Thistle Pettersen, and Sekhmet SheOwl, explores the story and implications of the ongoing "Dana Rivers" #DanaRiversisaMan Case in California. It is a gruesome subject that is paired with aurora linnea's chilling written piece about the murders committed by trans-identified individuals over the years. https://wlrnmedia.com/2023/02/02/femicide-unmentionable-crimes/ On a more cheerful note, WLRN is starting a new merch line featuring the beautiful artwork and design of Margaret Vaek. Margaret greets the listener in this February's show describing the WLRN logo she lovingly designed. To see our new merch line, click here: https://wlrnmedia.com/merch/ Of note, Margaret also designed the front cover for this month's podcast. It represents Charlotte Reed, Patricia Wright and Benny Diambu-Wright, along with the colors of the suffragist flag (USA), as the fight for women's rights continues. In this mon

Happy New Year 2023 Sisters! Our end-of-the-year edition is packed with news and analysis looking back on 2022 and forward into 2023. First up, hear Sekhmet SheOwl greet you with a wonderful version of auld lang syne by Ingrid Michaelson. Then, stay tuned for WLRN's world news segment with Emily Faye. Next, hear Thistle interview Ann Menasche of FIST (Feminists in Struggle) and GASBR (Green Alliance for Sex Based Rights) about her take on the top stories and events of 2022 and what feminists should be looking toward in the new year. Finally, we round off our show with Sekhmet SheOwl's totally excellent radical feminist commentary on her perspective of how the feminist movement did in 2022 and what we should focus on moving forward. As ever, dear listeners, thank you for tuning in to WLRN, your community-powered radio station in the Femisphere! Donate to WLRN here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ULAE4ZHPARLFE Cover Art byAlexis Lavine.

Welcome to our final podcast of 2022 wherein we discuss and reflect on the Kellie-Jay Keen USA Standing for Women Speakers' Corner Tour that took place in cities across the United States from October 16 - November 14. In this show, you will find gems of wisdom and advice for how to organize your own Speakers' Corner / Let Women Speak events in your community. First up, hear the greeting from our newest member, Emily Faye, who is taking over our world news department. Emily then delivers the world news segment before the listener hears "My Fight Song" by Rachel Platten. Next, dive into the half-hour segment Thistle edited of her live interview with Amanda Stulman, Executive Director in the USA of Keep Prisons Single Sex, a UK-based organization, and K. Yang, "the Deprogrammer" whose popular YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDeprogrammer. To view the full live interview, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwHV68bj8mU&t=118s Ms. Stulman and K. Yang were the police liaisons for th