42. Cancelled: Life After Social Death, with Sasha White

Many listeners in their 30’s and beyond fear losing their well-established careers, reputations, or livelihoods should they risk speaking out over controversial issues. But what’s it like for the odd 20-something heretic who dares to dissent from their peers straight out of college? 

If anyone has “lived experience” of this, it’s Sasha. In 2020, she was fired from her first full time job. Her reputation in the publishing industry was instantly destroyed, stopped before it could start. This wasn’t for lack of talent or dedication, but because she tweeted her opinion that men cannot be women.

Sasha didn’t let that crumble her. Instead, she took it as an opportunity to recognize a missing need in society, and got to work creating the Plebity Free Speech Fund, a sort of “cancellation insurance” offering security to those who fear threats to their livelihoods.

In this conversation, Sasha and I explore what she’s learned over the past three years and why she still finds it worthwhile to take such risks. We demystify common projections we’ve both faced as public figures who’ve survived in a post-cancellation world. Plus, we examine: who gets to determine what constitutes “hate speech?” Is “free speech” really nothing more than a conservative dog-whistle? Why does censorship backfire? And what can we learn from the cautionary tales of tyrannies past?

In this episode, we mentioned Abigail Shrier’s book, Irreversible Damage. You can get that and support the show through this Amazon affiliate link or from my bookshop.

We also mentioned episode 13 with Jessie Mannisto, Brains & Bravery: Turning Breakdowns into Breakthroughs. You can watch that on YouTube here or find it on any audio platform of your choice here.

And we discussed Sasha’s investigations into the famous TikTok surgeon who “yeets the teets,” Dr. Gallagher. Read Sasha’s article on Gallagher here.

In our conversation, I also mentioned I was thinking of writing a book. This episode was recorded back in August 2022, before I decided to write the Dear Detransitioners series. Since then, I did begin writing that book, but then I got busy with Affirmation Generation, so the book is on hold. I do intend to return to it when things settle down.

Sasha White co-founded the Plebity Free Speech Fund after getting fired for her tweets in 2020. The Fund awards grants to those who have been severely/materially punished for their speech. She is a columnist at Tablet Magazine and writes on Substack at Notes from the Underground and at Sasha White. Her interviews on gender identity, free speech, and censorship can be found on her YouTube channel. You can follow her on Twitter @iamGrushenka.

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Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.

Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.

Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.

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