Deep Dive with Shawn

The Supreme Court ended its most recent term on June 30th and it was another blockbuster term. The Court made some surprising and some not-so surprising decisions. It upheld precedent in some places and smashed it in others. While this new Court is still trying to figure out its  character, the past two terms have made it pretty clear that this is a conservative majority that intends to reinterpret our long-held understanding of some important constitutional principles and in doing so, reshape the legal, social, and political landscape in the United States.In this episode, we welcome back friend of the pod, and resident Deep Dive Supreme Court scholar,  Dr. Sara Benesh, the chair of and associate professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. We talk about some of this term’s cases, the implications, the tenor of this empowered conservative court, and also the rise of the dissenters. And more ethics crap.And, also a teaser about a new Deep Dive project in the works. If you're queer and thinking about leaving the United States due to the spike in anti-queer legislation and violence, we've got something coming for you.Mentioned:A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. MaasHarry Potter SeriesDaisy Jones and the SixTed LassoThe AmericansThe DiplomatNashville-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

2022 marked the fourth year in a row that hate crimes – offenses against a person or property motivated by bias - had increased in the United States. According to the FBI’s annual hate crime report, most of these crimes have targeted Black folks, jewish folks, sexual minorities and latinos. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 42% of queer youth say the community in which they live is not accepting of queer people. And, this might for why 73% of queer youth say they are more honest about themselves online than they are in the real world.  And, according to New York City Anti-Violence Project 2017 report of LGBT homicides, anti-LGBT homicides grew each year from 2013 through 2017. And, in fact, the number spiked, almost doubling from 2016 to 2017.  In this episode, I’m talking to Beverly Tillery – the Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project about violence against the queer community, intimate partner violence, the influence that political rhetoric and hate speech has on incidents of violence committed against the queer community and queer people, and how you can help – both in your own communities, but also specifically with the Anti-Violence Project. Then, I'll tell you how white supremacists, organized religion, and the Republican Party converged, and why they want to dismantle American democracy.Mentioned:National Coalition of Anti-Violence ProgramsDrag Story HourNYC Against Hate-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

According to SAGE USA, a national LGBTQ advocacy and services organization for older adults, LGBTQ elders are 2 times as likely to be single and live alone than straight elders. 59% of LGBTQ elders report feeling a lack of companionship and 53% report being isolated. 23% of trans folks have reported avoiding going to a doctor when they needed to, because they were fearful of mistreatment. These numbers are a drop in the bucket. When it comes to healthcare and healthcare for LGBTQ elders, the numbers are far worse than they are for straight elders. There are a number of reasons for this, but none is because we can’t fix it. Rather, we choose not to. In this episode, I’m talking to Dr. Carey Candrian, an associate professor of medicine at University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. She has studied and is a leading voice on LGBTQ elder healthcare and healthcare outcomes. We talk about discrimination in healthcare and the healthcare system, disparities in health outcomes between LGBTQ elders and straight elders, how to respectfully and effectively collect personal LGBTQ data, the limits to healthcare policy in righting past wrongs, the impact that hiding your identity has on your health and health outcomes, and what we might expect on the long term health of queer people, particularly trans folks, as a result of the sustained attack on the LGBTQ community.Mentioned:GLMA-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

In this episode, Deep Dive is partnering with National Queer Theater to bring you a conversation with the three playwrights whose projects are being showcased at this year's Criminal Queerness Festival at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City beginning Wednesday, June 21st, and running through Friday, June 23rd.  Acclaimed by the New York Times, the Advocate, and Thrillist – the Criminal Queerness Festival, founded in 2018 by the co-founder and artistic director of National Queer Theater Adam Odsess-Rubin and Egyptian playwright Adam Ashraf Al-sayeeg, has become an annual internationally focused theater festival aimed at lifting up queer and trans stories from around the world – with an emphasis on places and regions that might pose challenges for queer people and queer artists, for a number of reasons.  This year’s focus is on Ukraine and Ukrainian playwrights and stories.  Joining me today are the writers of this year’s highlighted works.  Danielle Levsky has written and is starring in her play War and Play: A Clown Odyssey of Survival, which follows two clowns - Vira and Nadiya - as they navigate the horrors of Russia’s war on Ukraine. This will feature at the festival on opening night, June 21st. Wotjek Rodak is the writer of the play The Chimera. A staged reading of this play, inspired by the memoir of Herculine Barbin, describes the reality of today’s Poland through metaphor - telling the story of an intersex person living in 19th century France. This will feature at the festival on Thursday night, June 22nd. And, Andrew Kushnir is the writer of the play The Division – which tells the story of the gay grandson of a famous Ukrainian watchmaker, who, in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion, and in pursuit of answering big questions, confronts a contentious family history. This will feature at the festival on Friday night, June 23rd.Recommended: Spotlight on LGBTQIA+ Pride at Lincoln Center for Performing ArtsNational Queer TheaterCriminal Queerness FestivalMentioned:Critic Turned ClownWe Support LGBT Ukraine Fund-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Sex and sex education is an exciting, and sometimes controversial topic. LGBTQ sex and sex education is, unfortunately, more controversial, especially in today’s political environment. But, for me – it’s also more exciting. And, having this conversation, and talking about sex can bring us joy; it can make us happier and more fulfilled people; it can enhance our relationships and our mental health; and it can literally save lives. My guest today – Dr. Joshua Rosenberger – is an expert on this subject. He is an associate professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State and the Director of the Survey Research Center. He’s also a very prolific researcher and author – focusing on the sexual development and health of gay and bisexual men, HIV /STI prevention, health disparities, and sexual marginalization.We talk about all of these things, as well as the concept of gay age, the FDA’s recent reversal of their decades-old ban on men who have sex with men donating blood, Tennessee’s decision to deny accepting federal HIV funds, and the potential impact of that, and the idea of redemption in our contemporary politics.Mentioned:Vanderpump RulesWhite Tears, Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color – Ruby Hamad-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Welcome to Pride Month! This is the 53rd annual pride in the United States. The first, in 1970, happened in New York City to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – popularly considered to be a seminal moment in gay rights in the United States, when the queer community – trans folks, gay folks, drag queens, queers of all colors and races – protested the brutal tactics employed by the New York City Police Department to harass and intimidate the queer community. And, it was this protest that sent a shot across the bow of law enforcement, as well as the government generally and society as a whole, that the gay community was no longer going to be a silent victim to abuse and repression. Since then, Pride events in June each year have grown and proliferated in the United States – and also outside of our borders -  culminating in a month of visibility and celebration.As I will discuss with my guest today, and also in my closing thoughts, these events take on special significance and meaning this year – as the queer community is under a uniquely direct and targeted campaign of hatred and derision, largely driven by the Republican Party and the far-right Christian community in the United States.  Today’s guest confronts this environment by providing creative outlets for queer artists, creators, performers, and youth to express themselves and showcase their talent in a safe space, but also on the world stage. Adam Odsess-Rubin is the Founding Artistic Director of National Queer Theater and co-founder of the annual, New York Times acclaimed, Criminal Queerness Festival. We talk about these projects, how and why they’ve developed, what it’s like working in this medium in these challenging times, how National Queer Theater designs programming to provide an outlet for queer people and queer youth, how you can engage, especially as the 2023 Criminal Queerness Festival is just around the corner, corporate pinkwashing, and what the future of the queer community might look like (oh...and Padma Lakshmi). Recommended:National Queer TheaterCriminal Queerness FestivalMentioned:Gay Bar: Why We Went Out - Jeremy Atherton LinTop Chef-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

The horror show that is the Republican Party’s attack on the queer community, particularly the trans community, in the United States is not just limited to our country. Anti-queer sentiment is taking hold in many countries and regions across the globe. So, in this respect, the United States is not unique. What is unique, however, is the United States’ singular ability to export and influence policy in other countries, given our role on the world stage. Today I’m talking to Caleb Okereke, managing editor of Minority Africa – a news organization dedicated to telling the stories of minority communities in Africa. Caleb is also a prolific researcher and journalist – his work has appeared in such places as Foreign Policy Magazine, CNN, The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, VICE, and Al Jazeera.  We talk about the work of Minority Africa and the evolving landscape of queer rights in Africa, how the United States has influenced the recent push for anti-queer legislation, and how journalism has a natural nexus with advocacy. And, then I share my thoughts about how poorly Republicans perform in American democracy, and why they are working so hard to eliminate it.Mentioned:The StaircaseThe Missionary PodcastRecommended:Minority Africa-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Following the  2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell, it was unclear how Republicans would respond - if there would be some significant backlash. It seemed that Republicans accepted the decision as the final word on gay marriage, and public opinion polling consistently showed high support amongst voters. And, that support was bleeding into other queer-related issues, notably trans issues. But, in about 2019, early 2020, Republicans started focusing on trans related issues – bathroom bills, who could play on sports teams, etc. Over the past couple of years this has intensified. This year alone, over 400 anti-queer bills have been introduced in statehouses across the country, and the lion’s share of them target trans folks and drag performers. In some ways, this is confounding, because by and large – public opinion of queer-related issues remains high. So, why are Republicans doing this? To help me understand this, I’m talking to Dr. Andrew Flores. He is an Assistant Professor of Government at American University and a Visiting Scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA. He has published extensively on public opinion and the queer community. He also researches hate crimes and violence committed against the queer community. We talk about all of these things. And, after the interview I check in with friend the pod, Justin Hentges (you might remember him from a couple of prior episodes of Deep Dive). I’m checking in with him to, hopefully, remind me that the world is a wonderful place full of wonderful people. -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

In the first part of this episode, I'm talking to Ann Thomas – founder, CEO, and manager of Transgender Talent – an independent production company and talent management for trans performers and artists. We talk about the entertainment industry, how its changed (and in some ways how it hasn’t), challenges that trans performers and artists experience in the industry, how trans artists can navigate an increasingly dangerous political environment, why it's important to support these artists, and how you can do that. Then I’m talking to friend of the pod, Dr. Sara Benesh of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, our resident judicial scholar here at Deep Dive. Given the hellscape that the judiciary is bringing down on the United States, and after a particularly eventful week (last week), I have a lot of questions for Sara. And, so we’re going there on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race, District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's recent decision overturning the FDA's approval of Mifepristone, and the latest Clarence Thomas weirdness.And in my final thought, I discuss the cruelty of the modern Republican Party.Mentioned:Transgender TalentAuschwitz.orgActors AccessLindy and Jlo on YoutubeClarence Thomas and the Billionaire - ProPublicaThe Cruelty is the Point - Adam Serwer-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

**This episode was originally released on June 10, 2022. Given Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's recent comments about a "national divorce," it seems appropriate to revisit the history around this subject (with last week's episode), and the legality and likelihood of that happening in the future (this week's episode). Last week, I talked to Dr. Susan Schulten about the history of secession in the United States, the Civil War, and lessons we may, or may not, have learned. Today, I’m focusing on contemporary secession movements. My first guest, Dr. Timothy Waters (Maurer School of Law at Indiana University) is the author of Boxing Pandora: Rethinking Borders, States, and Secession in a Democratic World. We discuss secession movements globally, how they are instigated, their likelihood of success, something Shawn calls "country hunting," and how international law supports, or disincentivizes, serious secession sentiment. My second guest, Marcus Ruiz Evans, is the author of California’s Next Century 2.0: Economic Renaissance. He is also the leader of California’s secession initiative, Yes California (or Calexit). We talk about the divisions he sees between California and the rest of the United States, his vision for a new nation-state of California, and how he plans to get there. **Note that these interviews were conducted about one month into the Russian war in Ukraine.**Mentioned: Texas v. White Recommended:Boxing Pandora: Rethinking Borders, States, and Secession in a Democratic World– Timothy WatersCalifornia’s Next Century 2.0: Economic Renaissance– Marcus Ruiz Evans-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock