If there were ever an occasion to talk about Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic” it’s now. In a highly political episode, we address the recent leaked Supreme Court opinion that threatens to overturn Roe v. Wade. This moment in history reminds us that our access to pleasure is intimately linked to the way that the State regulates our bodies. Audre Lorde shows us that erotic power is a source for change, and at a time when we’re searching for the energy to fight for liberation, her wisdom is power.
Resources
Roe v. Wade explained: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-is-roe-v-wade
Read Handbook for a Post-Roe America by Robin Marty
Donate to a local abortion fund in your state: https://www.thecut.com/article/donate-abortion-fund-roe-v-wade-how-to-help.html
Read Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, which contains “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”
Listen to Audre Lorde read “Uses of the Erotic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmq9gw4Rq0
Follow @empressonyxx on TikTok
Follow @allie_202_ on TikTok
Pleasure Center: 1:38:11
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We continue our conversation on sex and talk about the foundation for our sexual selves: masturbation. We also discuss the first Amazon union, Elon Musk buying Twitter, and Tufts University’s new Black Maternal Health Research Center.
Resources
Interview with the organizers of the Amazon Union: https://jacobinmag.com/2022/04/amazon-union-staten-island-alu-chris-smalls-bernie-sanders-interview
Tufts Black Maternal Health Research Center: https://now.tufts.edu/2022/04/08/tufts-launches-center-black-maternal-health-and-reproductive-justice
Who to Follow: @kahlilgreene on TikTok
Pleasure Center
Starts: 1:21:07
Pleasure Mapping by Dr. Sakshi Tickoo: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sexloveandot.com/amp/pleasure-mapping
Learn more about Niki Franco (@venusroots): https://www.venusroots.com/
Erotic Blue Print Quiz: https://missjaiya.com/
Pleasure Activism: https://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
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Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://www.desireejaha.com/
Over here we don’t bump uglies, we bump energies. We’re breaking down how our culture defines sex. What is it? How do we name it? And how do our articulations of sex affect the type of sex we have? We also talk about the infamous Oscar slap, Jerrod Carmichael’s “Rothaniel” special, and the newest season of Atlanta.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Watch the Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, Seinfield, Louis C.K. clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il1sgQUtYs8
Follow along with the Gender Unicorn: https://www.transhealthsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/The-Gender-Unicorn.pdf
Follow Basit on IG: @basitcom
Follow Basit’s production collective Legacy on IG: @legacy.bqpc
Donate to Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER): https://transstudent.org/donate/
Adrienne Maree Brown’s Spell Casting Exercise (Irresistible Podcast ): https://open.spotify.com/episode/2FTEtK7u98pRsQPc0FlSzd?si=2d10ab8c644142fd
Pleasure Center
Starts at: 1:27:55
It’s Spring Break! This mini-episode is a loving reminder to slow down. You are deserving of rest.
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Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
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We’re talking about non-monogamy and polyamory this week! It’s time to decolonize our relationships and start thinking outside the box of monogamy created by Western imperialism. We reference the brilliant work of Indigenous scholar Dr. Kim TallBear to guide our conversation. There’s also a lot going on in the political world this week sooo…*sucks teeth, rolls eyes* we have to address the crusty white men that run our planet or whatever, but don’t worry we still get some good laughs in.
Pleasure Center Starts at 1:34:34
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Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
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Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Listen to the Decolonizing Sex episode of the All My Relations podcast, found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Read more of Dr. Kim TallBear’s work: http://www.criticalpolyamorist.com/
Follow @bygabriellesmith on IG for more on ethical non-monogamy
Follow @chasestrangio on Twitter for updates on anti-trans legislation
Follow @abbiesr on IG for more on TikTok misinformation
Follow the creator of the iconic Earth is Ghetto theme song on IG @nikkialiah
Read Maslow’s Whitewashing of Indigenous Knowledge: https://shanesafir.com/2020/12/before-maslows-hierarchy-the-whitewashing-of-indigenous-knowledge/
We continue our conversation on misogynoir, this time delving into how it has impacted our sex and dating lives. May this episode be an offering of love and healing to each and every Black woman who has experienced misogyny and racism in their relationships. We deserve and will receive better. We also discuss the Super Bowl halftime show, Black capitalism, and Black futures as Black History Month comes to a close.
Enjoy!
Pleasure Center Starts at: 1:26:26
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Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
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Resources
Our resources this week are our personal experiences. Just a lovely reminder that living and feeling are valid ways of knowing.
Follow: @samorapinderhughes
Washington Post Article on High Functioning Depression: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/02/17/high-functioning-depression-meaning-symptoms/
If taking the red pill means waking up to a nightmare created by cishet Black men with podcasts, then we can stay sleep. Give us the blue pill.
In a long-overdue conversation, we trace a throughline of misogynoir from past to present. This week’s episode is about naming and understanding America’s long-held violence for Black women so that we can release it, and make space inside ourselves for something new. Tune in to our most vulnerable and cathartic episode yet.
Pleasure Center Starts at 1:42:26
Mental Health Hotlines:
Mental Health Resources:
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Resources
Read Moya Bailey and Trudy’s conversation on misogynoir: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447395?casa_token=IQHQ7CLKekgAAAAA%3A36ait_jOOENaXpZ_uGt5ctKXKNRTfTgNQ9bg2ki-ohkcU96w8EHkbM-wizeEbnUGuMe-6J-rpeRN5w
Access academic articles for free on Sci-Hub https://sci-hubtw.hkvisa.net/
On Lauren Smith-Fields case: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/nyregion/lauren-smith-fields-bumble-date-investigation.html
Nicole Young’s article: https://www.elle.com/life-love/a38819237/black-manosphere-online-dating/
On Mammy, Jezebel, and Sapphire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2teqoyPe3TU
We’re kicking off Aquarius szn with a conversation about compulsory heterosexuality and the chokehold it has on our society. We also discuss the limitations of comphet as a concept and how it excludes many Black, fat, trans, disabled folks in the queer community by centering those who occupy “default” womanhood.
Pleasure Center starts at 1:28:54
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Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Adrienne Rich’s article that popularized the term compulsory heterosexuality: http://users.uoa.gr/~cdokou/RichCompulsoryHeterosexuality.pdf
Cosmo article on comphet: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a37224259/comphet/
American Survey Center on friendships in the pandemic: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/
Follow @crutches_and_spice on TikTok
We’re going on a historical journey as we learn about the evolution of prison lesbians, and how this has shaped our modern perceptions of womanhood, lesbianism, sexuality, and race today.
Resources and Sources
Estelle B. Freedman’s “The Prison Lesbian: Race, Class, and the Construction of the Aggressive Female Homosexual, 1915-1965” https://www.jstor.org/stable/3178421?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
WWII Call to Arms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DJWWKJ8tDM&t=56s
Rosie the Riveter Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55NCElsbjeQ
Cold War Propaganda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByvXINerE_k&t=50s
Lavender Scare Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuIYssjmlv0
On Queer Villains @rainbowhistoryclass: https://www.tiktok.com/@rainbowhistoryclass/video/6955720749004885249?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
You can find all academic articles for free on sci-hub.se
For a one-time donation to our show:
Venmo: @Nia-Abram
CashApp: $NiaAbram
To make a recurring donation see the link below!
Episode Credits
Intro Music: Princess by Ramzoid
Transition Music: Easy Sunday by Bad Snacks and June by Bobby Richards
Editing, Creative Direction, and Production by Nia Abram
Why can’t we have friendships that blur the lines of sex, love, and romance? We’re talking about romantic friendships this week. We also chime in on the racial disputes within the lesbian community, with a much-needed conversation on problematic white queerness. Tune in for a juicy listen.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Listen to NPR’s Invisbilia podcast, find it wherever you listen to podcasts
Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life by Amy Gahran
https://offescalator.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/OffEsc-book-1-PREVIEW.pdf
Listen to Esther Perel’s therapy conversation with two friends: https://www.estherperel.com/podcasts/wswb-s5-episode1
Follow @miikaa_96 on TikTok
Des's intention set exercise: 1:35:14 - 1:42:09
Cast a Spell is adrienne maree brown on Irresistible https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jz1nHBIdPBgeck9Jx4NLj?si=47a87b4af2fd4be5
Thank you to our dear friends Britt and Lou for lending their insights to this episode!
Make love, make music. We’re talking about what music we’re bumping when we’re ready to get in the mood. We also get into how music shapes our ideas of sex as we discuss Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales, vibrators powered by music, and sacred sexuality.
Share your sexy playlist with us, by tagging us on social media!
Find us on IG: @politicsofpleasurepod
Find us on Twitter: @pleasurepolitic
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
More on Better Help: https://jezebel.com/the-spooky-loosely-regulated-world-of-online-therapy-1841791137
Listen to the “Sacred Sexy” episode of All My Relations podcast
Follow @annatheaverage on TikTok for more data collecting vibrator knowledge
Take a look at the women changing the sex tech industry: https://www.buzzfeed.com/claratsacwang/sex-tech-founders-are-changing-the-world-of-sex
Anyone else tired of white mediocrity? We’re talking about how we like to get nasty, featuring the original Nasty Girl, Janet Jackson. We also get into the white nonsense at the AMAs, Black female sexuality in the media, how we like to f*ck as Black femmes, and more.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Take the Erotic Blueprint quiz: https://missjaiya.com/
Listen to Marsha’s Plate podcast and follow them on IG @marshasplate
Follow Diamond Stylz on IG @diamondstylz
Kat Blaque’s reaction to Dave Chappelle’s The Closer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voiivxS3X3I
Responsive vs. Spontaneous desire: https://getcoral.app/journal/3932/spontaneous-versus-responsive-desire/
On dopamine loops and the brain: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/
Where do our impressions of love come from? What are our models for loving? We take a look at current representations of love in television and film across genres, keeping bell hooks’ definition of love in mind.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Desiree Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
To learn more about Better Help and the AstroWorld scandal take a look at @therpyden on TikTok
More on the James Webb Space Telescope: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59201590
The 100 Best Shows of 21st Century: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20211015-the-100-greatest-tv-series-of-the-21st-century
More on homonormativity: http://www.jprstudies.org/2016/07/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage-homonormalizing-romance-on-american-televisionby-bridget-kies/
Follow @honeydewedhideaway on TikTok
This week we talk about accountability, community, capitalism, and living with love at the center of our lives. Listen as we unpack bell hooks’ All About Love in conversation with current news regarding the Facebook whistleblower, PornHub, Dave Chapelle’s comedy special, and more.
PS - We faked ya'll out, apparently every episode is going to be the length of an Avengers movie.
Support Us
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
Support Des Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
References and Resources
Read All About Love by bell hooks: https://wtf.tw/ref/hooks.pdf
On PornHub’s recent lobbying efforts: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/22/porn-industry-lobbying-513487
Take the Erotic Blueprint Quiz: https://missjaiya.com/
Follow @ashleighchubbybunny on IG
Welcome to season two! We’re switching things up with a new co-host, a fresh brand, and a different vibe. Get to know the new and improved Politics of Pleasure, and get to know our new co-host Des Jaha in the process.
P.S. - We promise every episode won’t be the length of an Avengers movie, stick with us.
Support Us
Support Des Jaha directly: https://linktr.ee/desireejaha
Support our show with a one-time payment or a small monthly donation to help us continue making impactful, transformative content.
https://linktr.ee/politicsofpleasurepod
References and Resources
Follow @tara.raani2 on TikTok
Follow @ajamonet and her project @visforvoices on Instagram
Listen to Code Switch’s episode on BBL’s: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/code-switch/id1112190608?i=1000536999286