In this episode, Hannah is joined by Ben Hurst, who is an activist, educator, and the head of facilitation and training at Beyond Equality. Ben discusses dismantling concepts of masculinity and combating misogyny in his work with boys in schools, starting with his own journey getting into this line of work. He and Hannah talk about the pressure on young boys from their peers to be interested in sex, how he helps them deconstructs messages they might have learned from porn, and the problems with teaching boys that consent is something they should get rather than something for them to give as well. Finally, Ben gives advice on dealing with loved ones who still have misogynistic values, shares tips for teachers leading sex education classes with boys, and Hannah and Ben discuss how to help men understand that misogyny harms men too.CW: brief mention of suicide✨MORE ABOUT BEN HURST✨Ben Hurst (he/him) is an activist, educator, host, presenter, podcaster, model, public speaker and the Head of Facilitation and Training at Beyond Equality (formerly The Good Lad Initiative), a UK based organisation that engages men and boys in the gender equality conversation across Schools, Universities and Corporate spaces, rethinking masculinities and promoting positive personhood and healthy relationships. Ben discusses these topics online, most notably in his TEDx Talk, ‘Boys won’t be boys. Boys will be what we teach them to be’, and in print, with features in Glamour and Stylist magazine, Postscript, Positive News and many more. Ben's work focuses on dismantling the gendered stereotypes that men inhabit and encouraging them to explore their own relationships to masculinity.Ben is also a freelance DEI consultant and trainer for a bunch of organisations he's not allowed to mention because he signed too many NDA's without reading them first, including but not limited to; UNHCR, Virgin, Sky, Travers Smith and Soho House, and he is the co host of TED x London’s Climate Curious podcast *which is really good* and explores the current climate crisis. Ben’s focus is on making important conversations accessible for young people and adults from all walks of life- Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealbenhurst- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealbenhurst/- Beyond Equality: https://www.beyondequality.org/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by April Lee and Renee Wong, platonic life partners originally from Singapore and now based in LA. April and Renee tell Hannah all about their personal story and what led to them becoming platonic life partners, what a PLP actually is, and how to tell the difference between a best friend, a potential PLP, and a romantic love connection. They talk about getting to handpick things that create security and commitment in their partnership without having to deal with the complex legalities of marriage, why it’s more common for women and queer people to have PLPS, and also their experiences of dating other people while in their PLP. Finally, April and Renee talk about what it’s like navigating such a sexualised world when demisexual, what would happen if one of them were to meet a romantic partner, and why, if they were to have children, they would want to do it with each other. ✨MORE ABOUT APRIL LEE✨A Singaporean writer and creative producer based in Los Angeles. As a storyteller, I take special interest in exploring the unconventional and taboo, and breaking down stigmas. Cat-whisperer and Game of Thrones enthusiast.- Psychottie: http://www.psychottie.com/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprillexilee- Psychottie on TikTok: http://www.psychottie.com/✨MORE ABOUT RENEE WONG✨An explorer of self and spirituality, and knitter of (only) scarves. April's counterpart who moved across the world to be with her in LA a year ago.📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Dr Veronica Ivy, who is an interdisciplinary scholar and professional athlete. Veronica talks about what it’s like navigating the sporting world as a trans woman, the recent increase in transphobia in sports, and what she means by sport being a human right. She debunks so many myths around hormones, trans people, and performance, and shares perspective on how the socialisation of children of different genders impacts their sports performance. Finally, Hannah and Veronica discuss the misogynoir directed towards Black female athletes and how cis athletes can be effective allies.CW: discussions of transphobia✨MORE ABOUT DR VERONICA IVY✨Dr. Veronica Ivy is an interdisciplinary scholar who has published widely on topics of knowledge, language, gender, and issues of equity (particularly in sport). She is a world-leading expert on trans and intersex athlete rights and offers institutional diversity and inclusion training workshops. Veronica has penned articles for New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, NBC News, VICE, and many more. She has appeared on major TV, radio, and podcast interviews to discuss trans issues and particularly trans and intersex athlete rights, including CNN, BBC, SKY, and The Daily Show.In addition to her academic work, she is a two-time masters track cycling world champion and previous masters world-record holder. Dr. Ivy also happens to be a queer trans woman. She is the first known trans woman to win a track cycling world championship.Veronica also engages in advocacy and activism for trans and intersex athletes. Her message is that #SportIsAHumanRight. Ivy brings a unique perspective of being an academic, an athlete, and an activist to her work. She advises various national and international organizations including the International Olympic Committee.- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drveronicaivy/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Evie Lupine, who is a professional kink and sex educator who has been involved in the BDSM lifestyle for over half a decade. Evie discusses how you can be asexual and into BDSM, how everyone connects to BDSM in a different way, and how kink can be a form of intimacy without being sexual. Evie and Hannah dig into the topic of compulsory sexuality and how it’s alienating for asexual people, and Evie talks aphobia, dating allosexual people when you’re asexual, and dealing with partners trying to push your boundaries. Evie discusses power play, how to engage in your kinks when you’re single, and the importance of working on your self-esteem and boundary skills as a submissive. Finally, Evie chats about her own kinks and identification as a submissive, why particular sexual dynamics can make people in and outside the BDSM community uncomfortable, and what she thinks about consensual non-consent play.CW: discussion of consensual non consent.✨MORE ABOUT EVIE LUPINE✨Evie Lupine is a professional kink & sex educator who has been involved in the BDSM lifestyle for over half a decade. She is most well-known for her YouTube channel of the same name where she focuses on teaching people about relationships, asexuality and kink at all levels of experience. She also discusses pop culture topics through a consent culture framework, and enjoys helping everyone build happier, healthier relationships.- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHExB-d5s0zBcbsaHEUy91Q- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EvieLupine- Twitter: https://twitter.com/evielupine📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, who is the author of Sex Lives of African Women and the co-founder of Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women. Nana discusses the breadth of sexual identities and experiences across Africa, and how her book is challenging narrow stereotypes of African women. Nan and Hannah chat about how African women often feel pigeonholed into conversations that don’t represent their personal female sexual pleasure, how the book offers new perspectives on polygamy, and why Nana wanted to put these stories about African women and sex into the world. Finally, Nana speaks about her own journey with sexuality and pleasure as a queer woman as well as raising a body positive daughter and the importance of communal parenting.CW: mentions of miscarriage and FGM✨MORE ABOUT NANA DARKOA SEKYIAMAH✨Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is the author of The Sex Lives of African Women, which Publishers Weekly described as “an astonishing report on the quest for sexual liberation” in their starred review. It was also listed by The Economist as a best book of the year. She is also co-founder of Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women, a website, podcast and festival that publishes and creates content that tells stories of African women’s experiences around sex, sexualities, and pleasure.- The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/689/9780349701639 (affiliate link)- Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women podcast: https://adventuresfrom.com/- Nana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfordarkoa/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Courtney Brame, who is the founder of Something Positive for Positive People, a non profit organization that serves as a self-help resource for people with herpes. Courtney discusses why sexual health is mental health, and the need for people with positive STI diagnoses to receive therapy. He and Hannah talk about why there are so few spokespeople amongst Black men with herpes, the need to have more diverse voices in sexual health, and what identity-validating healthcare looks like. Finally, Courtney gives some advice about approaching disclosure and dating as someone herpes positive, and shares why he wants healthcare professionals to be more educated and forthcoming when discussing the impact of positive STI statuses on sexuality.CW: mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation in the first 11 minutes✨MORE ABOUT COURTNEY BRAME✨Courtney Brame is the Founder of Something Positive for Positive People, a sexual health communications platform taking the lived experiencds of people who've been diagnosed with an STI (sexually transmitted infection) before, and educating the public on how to navigate the stigma that comes with it. Something Positive for Positive People advocates for the integration of the lessons from his podcast guests into the CDC's STD Prevention methods, evolving them into a more inclusive and impactful strategy Courtney calls "STI Minimization", which focuses on the non-intercourse based ways sex happens between partners as a way of reducing risks of new infections. - Something Positive for Positive People: www.spfpp.org- Courtney's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneybrame_/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by author and activist Stacey Clare, who is a retired stripper, and co-founding member of the East London Strippers Collective. Stacey talks about the ethics of sex work with first hand insight into why harm reduction for strippers needs to be at the heart of that conversation, and why she named her book The Ethical Stripper. Stacey explains how strippers have long had misclassified professional statuses, how sex workers’ rights are part of a broader workers’ rights movement, and why Stacey founded the East London Strippers Collective. Hannah and Stacey also talk about Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists and their contradictory and unhelpful arguments, and discuss what is actually needed to support sex workers in the industry.✨MORE ABOUT STACEY CLARE✨Stacey Clare is a retired stripper, writer, theatre performer, activist and co-founding member of the East London Strippers Collective (ELSC). Her book The Ethical Stripper was published earlier in the year, and chronicles her journey into stripping alongside a rigorous analysis of sex industry regulations and legal regimes. She is one half of the Edinburgh Fringe hit show "Ask A Stripper" where she and her work-wife and fellow stripper Gypsy Charms invite audiences to hold dialogue with them, to unpack some of the biggest stereotypes about sex workers. She currently spends her time between her home in Scotland and working in London, where she organises events and community projects with fellow ELSC members.- East London Strippers Collective: https://www.eastlondonstripperscollective.com📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Yenn Purkis and Dr Wenn B Lawson, who co-authored the book The Austistic Trans Guide To Life. Yenn & Wenn discuss what autism means to each of them personally, navigating gender identity when autistic, and how service providers can become more inclusive to neurodivergent people. They also share their thoughts on why autistic people are more likely to be trans and non-binary than non-autistic people, advice for autistic people whose gender identity isn’t being taken seriously, and what it’s like being in trans activist spaces as autistic people. Finally Wenn, Yenn, and Hannah talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with allies!✨MORE ABOUT YENN PURKIS✨Yenn Purkis is an autistic and non-binary author, public speaker and community leader who also has a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Yenn is the author of eleven published books on elements of autism and is a regular blogger. Yenn was named the 2016 ACT Volunteer of the Year and received the ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Award in 2019. Yenn is also a prolific public speaker and has presented at a range of events including at TEDx Canberra in 2013. Yenn works for the Australian Public Service and lives in Canberra, Australia.- Website: http://yennpurkis.com/✨MORE ABOUT DR WENN B LAWSON✨Dr. Wenn, (Phd) is a British Psychologist, a member of the Australian Psychological Society and Australian Association of Social Work, an autistic lecturer, advocate, researcher, writer and poet who has passionately shared professional and personal knowledge of autism over the past 3 decades. In Australia Wenn is an Associate Researcher with Curtin University (WA) & Macquarie University (NSW). In the UK Wenn is a Tutor Practitioner with the University of Birmingham’s (UK) Masters Autism course. Back home in Oz, Wenn is a member of the autism Co-operative Research Centre (ACRC), member of the Australasian Autism Research Council, (AARC) & Ambassador for ‘I CAN’, Australia. Internationally Dr. Wenn is on the Board for ‘Good Autism Practice (GAP) UK, Editorial Board for ‘Autism in Adulthood’ and the US Autism Association’s Advisory Board. In 2021 Dr. Wenn was awarded the Lesley Hall National Lifetime Achievement Award for Disability Leadership. Dr. Wenn is a family man with autistic offspring and grandchildren.- Website: http://www.wennlawson.com- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD8L-Ht_jSQxBmWe6MzZvJA📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Leeza Mangaldas, who is one of India’s foremost digital content creators focused on discourse around sex, sexuality, sexual health, pleasure, and the body. Leeza discusses her own non-existent experience of sex education growing up in India but how having a family who were open about sex and bodies helped her feel safe to talk about it, as well as the stigma that still surrounds women’s sexuality and bodily autonomy in India and how she is using her platform to talk about sexual pleasure. She and Hannah talk about 100 Stories of Pleasure, a platform Leeza created to celebrate the stories of women and queer people’s pleasure, and the importance of sharing examples of joy instead of only narratives about shame and fear. Finally, Leeza speaks about her choice to be child free, navigating the pressure of Indian culture to become a wife and mother, and why she wants to hear more nuanced presentations of motherhood, rather than just always putting it on a pedestal. ✨MORE ABOUT LEEZA MANGALDAS✨Leeza Mangaldas is one of India’s foremost digital content creators focused on discourse around sex, sexuality, sexual health, pleasure, and the body. Given how shrouded in stigma sex remains, Leeza started creating Sex Education content on YouTube and Instagram in 2017, with the intention to normalize these conversations. She now also has a popular Hindi podcast exclusively on Spotify called The Sex Podcast with Leeza Mangaldas that provides scientifically accurate, judgement free answers to commonly asked sex questions in a bite sized audio format. From consent to contraception, from masturbation to orgasms, she constantly seeks to push boundaries approaching important topics that are widely considered taboo for public discussion. Leeza is a recipient of The Pleasure Project’s Pleasure Fellowship this year. She was named one of GQ’s 25 Most Influential Young Indians in 2021. She was also the recipient of the Google x SheThePeople Digital Women Award for Content.- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MejeocMH4blTJ9EHClYTB- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_BANQfJbw0lPAGHtAeX5nw- 100 Stories of Pleasure: https://www.instagram.com/100storiesofpleasure/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Kenny Ethan Jones, a writer, advocate, and content creator who made history as the first trans man to front a period campaign. Kenny discusses how he became a trans advocate, some of the books that helped influence his his growth in becoming an activist, and how modelling changed his life. He talks about how menstruating has been the single hardest thing for him to deal with as a trans man and his own journey with masculinity and learning to step into his authentic self. Hannah and Kenny discuss the misinformation out there about how testosterone can affect your fertility as a trans man, the double standards that exist for trans youth seeking similar health care services as cis young people, and the myths around gender affirming care for young people. Finally, Kenny shares some of the positive experiences he’s had in sexual health clinics and the importance of protecting your mental health as a trans person by avoiding toxic news.CW: transphobia, mention of suicidal ideation✨MORE ABOUT KENNY ETHAN JONES✨Kenny Ethan Jones is a writer, advocate and content creator. He’s best known for making history by being the first trans man to front a period campaign. His advocacy is focused on all things trans but he specialises in; menstruation, body politics and language. His work has been spotlighted in the likes of Vogue, NBC news and much more.- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennyethanjones/📝CHECK OUT THE SHOWNOTES AND TRANSCRIPT📝https://doingitpodcast.co.uk✨CONNECT WITH US✨https://www.instagram.com/doingitpodcasthttps://twitter.com/doingitpodcast👀WANT EARLY & AD-FREE ACCESS TO EPISODES?👀https://www.patreon.com/hannahwitton✏️SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER✏️http://bit.ly/HannahWittonsNewsletter