Feminist blogger Renee Gerlich, who is based in New Zealand, interviews Gudrun Jonsdottir, one of the founders of Reykjavik rape crisis centre, Stigamot. Gudrun has been part of Iceland's women's movement since the famous 1975 women's march, so she talks about its beginnings and early development. Coming from New Zealand, where prostitution is considered legitimate industry, Renee also wanted to know about the Icelandic women's struggle to criminalise pimps and the purchase of women and abolish the sex trade in Iceland. Gudrun does not disappoint - her stories are awe inspiring.

In August of 2015 the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, a lesbian institution that existed for 40 years, closed its gates for the last time. There was no plan for the land upon which the festival took place and no plan to continue the festival in a different form. A group of women who had attended and worked at the festival got together to explore the possibility of buying the land from Lisa Vogel, the festival founder and owner. The We Want the Land Coalition (WWTLC) was born in 2016 and the land was purchased shortly after its formation. http://wwtlc.org/ In early August of 2017, WWTLC organized a gathering of women on the Land to discuss the logistics of renting out the space to interested parties starting next summer. Thistle Pettersen had the honor of attending the gathering and of capturing this interview with two of WWTLC's board members. Karen Thompson is a first generation American, activist, black dyke and attorney who has spent much of her legal career representing individuals who are fighting for justice. As a staff attorney at the Innocence Project, her work centers around post-conviction litigation in seven states across the United States, including Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Arkansas. Karen has also fought for lesbians and gay men seeking asylum from unspeakable brutality and regularly lectures about wrongful convictions and mass incarceration at colleges, universities and high schools across the country. She previously served as a board member of FIERCE!: an LGBTQ youth-of-color organization dedicated to building leadership and consciousness and fighting police brutality in New York City. Karen’s fighting streak was honed by her two decades as a worker at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival where, among other things, she was one of four facilitators of the Allies In Understanding workshop series which addressed the strongly held opinions around womyn’s space by embracing, and not shutting down or running from difficult conversations and strongly held differing opinions. Leslie holds a B.A. in Literature, Science and the Arts from University of Iowa, and she was the first person in her family to earn a 4-year degree. An advocate for girls and women her entire adult life, Leslie served as a board member for the Emma Goldman Clinic, and worked at the Women’s Resource and Action Center and in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at the University of Iowa. Her pursuit of feminist and anti-racist consciousness led her to the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival in 2000, which she attended for 15 years. Her devotion to the Festival was also evident in her cultivation of multitudes of community connections over the years. In July of 2016, she literally woke up one day and said, “we need to save the Land.” From there, her vision, immense organizational capacity and deep connections within the community catalyzed the formation of WWTLC.

WLRN’s Edition 16 podcast focuses on the money behind the medicalized transgender movement and the impact that the movement has on the lesbian community. We were inspired to these topics by the canceled Left Forum panel that was set to explore them in detail. Our interviewees were all involved in that panel, and WLRN is proud to give them a platform after Left Forum silenced them. Mary Lou Singleton is a lifelong women’s liberation activist. She practiced as a homebirth midwife for 20 years and now works as a family nurse practitioner. She has served on the boards of directors of the Midwives Alliance of North America, the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, the Stop Patriarchy Abortion Rights Freedom Ride, and the Women’s Liberation Front. Jane Chotard is a former attorney whose specialty was regulatory healthcare, including Standards of Care and Informed Consent. She participated in the formation of California Lawyers for Human Rights, as well as the Women’s Committee at GLAAD in the 1990’s. Currently, she is the mother of two teenage boys and works in the area of Contemplative Care for those facing end-of-life issues. Taylor Fogarty is a Brooklyn-dwelling freelancer who writes about feminism, politics, and anything else she has an opinion on. She also tweets a lot: @theloudlesbian. You can check out her website at www.taylorfogarty.com WLRN staff member Nile Pierce wrote this edition’s commentary, exploring how and why the powerful men in the US-based pharmaceutical industry profit from the transgender movement. This edition’s music spots are Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” and Ali Bee’s “Look How the Money Rolls In.” Photo credit goes to Alix Dobkin for our featured image of two lesbians in the 70s, Louise and Liza Cowan. As always, this month’s podcast was sound mixed by our resident audio magician in chief, Jenna Di Quarto.

Nedra Johnson, a veteran musician in the women's music scene, shares her wealth of experience from the 70s and 80s. She dives into her impactful time at MichFest, reflecting on its significance in women’s herstory. The conversation shifts to her provocative T-shirt critiquing misogyny, igniting discussions on inclusivity in feminist spaces. Nedra also candidly addresses the complexities of trans activism and the ongoing debates about gender identity and safety, emphasizing the need for open dialogue and understanding within the community.

A guest commentary dives into the ethical dilemmas surrounding alliances between radical feminists and conservative groups, questioning their narratives and complexities. The discussion critiques the inclusiveness of radical feminists towards conservative women, highlighting the role of religion in patriarchy. It emphasizes the importance of authentic participation from women in feminist movements and advocates for strategic actions to dismantle capitalist patriarchal structures, fostering deeper and more meaningful alliances.

Jocelyn Macdonald is a radical lesbian feminist who will perform her poetry during WoLF Fest in July 2017. She granted WLRN an exclusive interview about her work, her coming out as a gender-critical lesbian feminist and her ideas about how to attract more women to our movement.

WLRN's Edition 15 explores feminist and women's spirituality, in the forms of goddess worship and witchcraft, and makes a feminist criticism of patriarchal religions. Interviewees are Tizzy Hyatt, Terri Strange, and Carol Christ. Poem by Nile Pierce and commentary by Sekhmet She Owl. Musical spots by Jana Runnals and Sexwitch.

Join Jocelyn Macdonald, a D.C.-based writer and radical feminist poet, and Bev Jo, a writer and advocate for lesbian relationships, as they dive into the rich tapestry of lesbian identity. They share coming out stories and discuss the empowering essence of lesbian love in a patriarchal society. The conversation touches on the benefits of embracing lesbianism, societal challenges faced by women, and the complexities of attraction, celebrating the strength found in authentic connections among women.

Natasha Chart, a prominent feminist activist and board member of the Women’s Liberation Front, dives into the organization's goals and structure. She discusses the complexities of accepting funding from a controversial right-wing group for gender identity legal battles. Chart emphasizes diverse approaches to feminist activism, showcasing the importance of alliances among women on issues like privacy rights. The conversation also highlights the challenges of building coalitions while staying true to core feminist principles.

Edition 13 deals with the debate among women regarding radical feminists who align with right wing forces, individuals & organizations to reach a narrowly agreed upon goal. It is always hard for us to decide what makes it in to our podcasts and what does not. We usually have far more material to include than we do space. What Ruth adds to this discussion is extremely valuable and we hope that women will listen to this in addition to all of the voices in edition 13. Thanks.